Gemotions

The office felt like a cage. The fluorescent lights buzzed, the phones rang, and the new hire, chirping with enthusiasm, followed her around like a lost puppy. She wanted to shout. She just wanted to be left alone.

Her fingers fidgeted with the pen on her desk. She kept turning it over, over and over, as if to find some sort of answer to a question she couldn't formulate. Every interaction felt strained, every explanation a monumental effort.

"So, yeah, that's the procedure," she said, the words a monotone. He nodded, his face bright. She wanted to scream.