Gemotions

The elevator ascended slowly, each floor a torment. He was on his way to a meeting, a crucial meeting. The soundtrack was supposed to be soothing, elevator music. Instead, his song. “Silent Scream.” A stripped-down version, a jazzy cover. He felt his face flush, and a cold sweat erupted over his skin.

He wanted to scream at it to stop, he wanted the doors to open, he wanted to be anywhere but there. He felt a sudden urge to press all the buttons, to send the elevator careening down. He clenched his fists, knuckles white. The music seemed to amplify in his ears, an unbearable pressure building.

The doors opened, and he stumbled out, nearly colliding with a startled woman. He needed to get away, to breathe, to think. He broke into a run.