Gemotions

He stared at the plans taped to his neighbor’s window. Lines, angles, a solid wall of… what? Wood? Metal? A prison. His pulse hammered a frantic tattoo against his ribs. It was as though the very air around him had grown thick and suffocating.

He wanted to scream, to smash something, to… what? He didn’t know. His palms were slick, and a cold sweat erupted over his forehead. He swallowed, the action dry and painful. His jaw clenched, muscles screaming in protest.

"This is insane," he muttered, his voice a strained whisper. The dog next door began barking, a relentless, yapping sound that seemed to amplify the chaos within him. He felt his vision begin to tunnel, the world narrowing to the offending drawings.

He took a shaky breath and yanked his phone from his pocket. The screen seemed to swim. He fumbled for his neighbor's number, his fingers clumsy and unresponsive.