Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the new office seemed to amplify the silence. She'd spent years building a rapport with her colleagues. The new department was full of strangers. She missed the banter, the jokes, the inside references. Now, she felt like she'd crash landed on a distant planet.

She tried to focus on her work, but her mind kept drifting. She found herself replaying conversations, reliving moments, clinging to the ghosts of the past. Her hands trembled as she typed, the words blurring on the screen.

She avoided the water cooler, afraid of the forced smiles and superficial conversations. The thought of lunch, usually a highlight of her day, filled her with a sense of dread. The food would taste like ash.