Gemotions

The old, leather-bound books lined the shelves of the library, each volume a familiar friend to Arthur. He watched as the new librarian, Emily, began to shelve a collection of recently returned books. His heart pounded in his chest, making the mundane job seem so very dramatic.

He felt a wave of anxiety, a growing fear that his knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System, his understanding of the library’s history, was about to become irrelevant. His hands trembled slightly. The silence of the library suddenly seemed oppressive.

He found himself constantly correcting her, a nervous habit he couldn’t break. "Perhaps the local history section is over there," he said, hoping to somehow maintain a semblance of control. He felt utterly and completely lost.