Gemotions

The memo was short, the tone impersonal. Thomas was being relocated to the cafeteria. He exhaled a long, slow breath. The news was unwelcome.

He pushed his chair back from his desk, the wheels squeaking on the linoleum. He began to gather his things, the movements mechanical and deliberate. The office felt stifling.

He surveyed his workspace, the remnants of his previous role. He considered each object, as if to say a farewell to the familiar. He started to feel a sharp ache behind his eyes.