Gemotions

The elevator ride felt interminably slow. Sarah drummed her fingers against her leg, the rhythmic thud a jarring counterpoint to the elevator’s low hum. Dr. Ito's leaving was a disaster. Absolutely a disaster. How was she supposed to finish her dissertation now?

She stepped out into the hallway, the fluorescent lights seeming to pulse in a rhythmic, irritating pattern. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw something. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, shaky breath.

She forced herself to walk down the hall, her shoulders hunched. The world felt too bright, too loud, too…everything. She mumbled to herself, “Unbelievable.” She wanted to be anywhere but here.