Gemotions

The new office hummed with the incessant tap-tap-tapping of keyboards, a percussive rhythm that assaulted David's ears. He sat at his new desk, a cold, sterile expanse of grey. He stared out the window, at the distant cityscape, and tried to remember what he’d been doing before, in the quiet, focused solitude of the research lab. He had been conducting an experiment.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling the sting of unshed tears. The project manager, a man in a crisp suit, was explaining the importance of “cross-functional collaboration.” David hadn't understood most of the jargon. The smell of the new air freshener was cloying. He clenched his fists, struggling to breathe.