Gemotions

The cold bit at her cheeks as she stood outside, the pawn shop's garish sign a mocking beacon. It was a mistake, she knew. She should have turned back. But the desperate hope, the desperate need to reclaim a piece of the past, had dragged her forward. Her stomach churned. The very thought of entering, of facing the reality inside, made her want to run.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to compose herself. She felt a tremor run through her, a shudder that began in her toes and spread upward. The bell above the door chimed, a shrill, unwelcome sound that seemed to slice through the stillness. She slowly pushed open the door, and the air within pressed in on her.