Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a relentless, irritating drone that mirrored the thrumming in Arthur's temples. He stared at the name tag resting on the desk – “Brenda, Trainee.” Brenda, with her overly bright smile and eagerness to learn, was everything Arthur was not. He flicked a dismissive glance at the paperwork, the training manual feeling heavy and pointless in his hands.

Arthur pointed at the computer screen with a curt jerk of his chin. "Okay, so, you’ll start with the data entry. Just follow the prompts. Don't mess it up." His voice held a dull edge, a flatness that seemed to flatten the air in the small cubicle.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy. He watched Brenda begin, her fingers flying across the keyboard with unnerving speed. A wave of heat washed over Arthur, a sudden, unwanted flush. He turned away, pretending to study the calendar on the wall, the tiny, colorful squares a mockery of his own stagnant existence.