Gemotions

The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a sickly yellow glow on the polished steel walls of the elevator. Amelia sighed, a long, drawn-out sound that seemed to amplify the silence. She’d already checked her phone twice, finding nothing new. The tiny screen was starting to feel like a cage. She fidgeted with the strap of her handbag, pulling it up, then down, then up again. This was going to be a long wait.

She glanced at Mark, her coworker, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked equally disgruntled. "So," Amelia started, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the confined space. "Did you see that new show everyone's talking about?" He just shook his head, eyes fixed on a point in the middle distance.

Amelia tapped her foot impatiently. She started humming a tune, then stopped abruptly, the sound grating on her own ears. The elevator hummed. She felt a tickle in her throat and found herself wanting to yawn, but the social awkwardness of it was too much.