Gemotions

The air in the office was already thick with the scent of microwaved popcorn, but the addition of Mark’s arrival only made the atmosphere more suffocating. “Hey, Susan! Camp Sunshine? Remember that place?” He gave a wide grin, as though he expected her to embrace him with open arms.

Susan stiffened, her gaze narrowing slightly. Camp Sunshine. The memory of the endless sunshine and the forced activities left a bad taste in her mouth. She could still feel the sand in her shoes.

“Vaguely,” she replied, her voice clipped. She meticulously organized the papers on her desk, each movement precise and deliberate.

Mark began to recount an anecdote about a particularly disastrous campfire, his laughter grating on her nerves. Susan, meanwhile, was lost in the memory of cold showers and bad food.

"That sounds… memorable," she said, without looking up. She paused, then added in a voice that was both dismissive and precise, "I must get back to work."