Gemotions

The streetlights cast elongated shadows as she approached the pawn shop, each one stretching out like accusing fingers. Her reflection in the glass was a stranger, gaunt and hollow-eyed. Sleep had become a forgotten luxury, and every waking moment was a battle.

There, in the center of the display, glittered the ring. The very symbol of the woman who shaped her. A memory flashed of a gentle touch, a loving smile. And then, a crushing weight of grief.

"How much?" The words rasped from her throat, a desperate prayer. She felt a burning behind her eyes.