Gemotions

The steel doors slammed shut with a clang that made Sarah jump. She cast a nervous glance at Mark, the guy from accounting she barely knew, and attempted a smile. It probably looked more like a grimace. The lights flickered. She gripped her purse strap so tightly her knuckles whitened.

Her breath hitched. The air felt suddenly thick, heavy. She discreetly patted her pockets, confirming her phone was there. No signal, of course. Figures.

"Well," Mark said, his voice a bit too loud, "This is… unexpected." Sarah nodded, unable to speak past the lump forming in her throat. She imagined all the things that could go wrong in this metal box.

Every creak and groan of the elevator made her flinch. She tried counting her breaths, focusing on the up and down, but her heart hammered in her chest, a relentless drumbeat against her ribs.