Gemotions

The air conditioning hummed, a monotonous drone that amplified the silence in the warehouse. Frank, his chest heavy, watched the younger man, Kevin, struggle to lift a heavy box. He felt a dull ache in his shoulder.

He had spent his career in this warehouse, a place he knew like the back of his hand. He had the strength and technique down pat. Watching Kevin, he saw his own future: old, slow, and ultimately, replaceable.

He grunted as he demonstrated the proper lifting technique, his movements deliberate and slow. The words felt foreign. The world had moved on. He had not.