Gemotions

The office felt like a suffocating cage. The fluorescent lights buzzed, the incessant chatter grated on her nerves. She wanted to tell her sister, Emily, how utterly drained she felt, how the world seemed to have lost all color. She reached for her phone, intending to text Emily. “I’m…” she began, but she accidentally sent the unfinished sentence to her boss.

A wave of mortification washed over her. She imagined the awkwardness, the judgment. She quickly typed a hasty correction, hoping to mitigate the damage. The room spun. Her palms were slick with sweat. All she could focus on was the feeling of being trapped, the overwhelming sense that she was failing. She considered leaving and going anywhere, just to escape the pressure.