Gemotions

The air grew heavy, the silence amplifying the thud of his own heartbeat. He looked at Lisa, his coworker, and saw a mirror of his own unease. This was not supposed to happen. He'd ridden this elevator a thousand times.

She pressed the call button repeatedly, her movements frantic. He stood frozen, trying to make sense of the situation, but his thoughts were a jumbled mess. He kept wanting to do something, anything, but didn't know what.

He ran his hand over his face. He felt disconnected, as if he were an observer watching a film of his own life. The reality felt distorted, unreal. He glanced at Lisa, and felt a strange shared understanding, a mutual struggle in this steel box.

He tried to formulate a plan, but his mind refused to cooperate. He felt himself caught in a tightening spiral, a vortex of uncertainty.