Gemotions

He had been here for fifteen years, and now, here was this… girl. He felt a cold rush of blood to his head. He watched the woman, Alice, as she sat across from him. Each passing minute felt like an eternity.

"First," Robert said, his throat tight, "the payroll system." He sounded unnatural, his voice cracking slightly. He felt a desperate urge to grasp at the remnants of his routine, like a drowning man clutching at straws.

He found himself speaking faster and faster, desperate to finish the training, to be done with this. His movements felt jerky, unnatural. The office, usually a familiar and comforting space, felt alien and hostile, as if it was already occupied by his replacement.