Gemotions

The sudden darkness swallowed Sarah whole. She gasped, a small sound lost in the echoing void. Ethan, her colleague, offered a weak, "Everything alright?" She wanted to scream. Everything was *not* alright. The feeling of being entombed was crushing.

Sarah couldn't control the trembling in her hands. The cool metal against her clammy palms did nothing to soothe her. She imagined the cables snapping, the elevator plummeting. Every creak and groan of the machinery sent another jolt of pure, unadulterated dread through her.

“Is there any signal?” Ethan asked. His voice seemed miles away, muffled. Sarah shook her head, unable to speak. The air felt thin, the silence oppressive, and the possibility of never leaving this metal box was a tangible weight on her chest.