Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a monotonous drone that seemed to vibrate directly in Elias's skull. He shuffled a stack of invoices, the crisp paper feeling heavy and lifeless in his hands. A knot formed in his stomach as he thought about how long he had worked for the company. He absentmindedly chewed on the end of his pen.

A memo arrived in his inbox, the subject line a stark, unpleasant red: "Company Restructuring." He clicked it open, a wave of weariness washing over him. The words blurred; he scanned the document, not quite absorbing the content. Someone mentioned the word 'acquisition'.

He felt the chair beneath him settle; he hadn't noticed he had lowered himself into it, or noticed he was now staring out the window. The world outside, the vibrant green of the spring trees, seemed impossibly distant.