Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum a discordant tune against the inside of Alice's skull. They flickered, or perhaps it was just her eyes playing tricks again. She blinked, once, twice, focusing on the fresh face across the desk: Mark. He smiled, offering a hand. A perfectly pleasant smile, but it felt…off. Why was *she* showing *him* how to use the accounting software? This was usually Brenda's job, wasn't it?

Alice rubbed her temples, a dull ache throbbing behind her eyes. "Okay," she mumbled, her voice raspy. She opened the training manual, the glossy pages slick beneath her fingertips. The words swam before her, blurring into meaningless shapes. "First, you log in…here." She pointed, but her finger seemed to tremble.

Mark leaned in, his gaze sharp and attentive. He asked questions. Intelligent questions. Alice answered, but her responses felt hollow, echoing in the vast emptiness inside her. This wasn't right. Something had shifted, a tectonic plate of reality that she hadn't noticed moving.