Gemotions

The elevator ride down felt interminably long. Emily gripped the handrail with a fierce desperation, her knuckles bone-white. The numbers flickered past, each floor a ticking reminder of her impending doom. The announcement had been made at the team meeting, the words – “both Emily and Daniel are…” – echoing in her ears.

She felt a sudden, sharp pain in her chest, as if a physical weight had settled there. She couldn't breathe properly. The metallic tang of fear filled her mouth. The elevator doors finally slid open, revealing the brightly lit lobby. She wanted to run, to disappear into the anonymity of the city, to escape the scrutiny of her colleagues.

Her legs felt shaky as she stepped out, as if she were walking on air. The smiles and greetings from the receptionist and security guard seemed mocking, taunting. She kept her head down and hurried towards the exit, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

She needed to get away, to be alone, to think. To *not* think.