Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to dim as Ben read the transfer notice. His fingers tightened around his pen, snapping the plastic. *They're joking, right?* he thought, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He'd envisioned a career trajectory, meticulously planned and executed. Now, he was being demoted to the mailroom.

He pushed his chair back with a violent jerk, the wheels screeching across the linoleum. He stood up, his body stiff. He surveyed the office, the bland cubicles, the indifferent faces of his colleagues. He felt a surge of energy, a desire to shatter the monotony. He wanted to throw something, break something, anything to disrupt the order that had been imposed on him.