Gemotions

The silence was the worst part. The oppressive, heavy silence. It wrapped around Clara like a suffocating blanket, amplifying every creak, every groan, every mechanical whisper of the trapped machine. She wrung her hands, then began twisting them, the skin turning white where the knuckles pressed together.

Across from her, Kevin was attempting to whistle, a forced, off-key melody that grated on her nerves. She glared at him. How could he be so...calm? "Do something!" she snapped, the words snapping out of her like whips.

She paced the confined space, each step a frantic measure of their imprisonment. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the steel walls. She felt the urge to claw at her face, to tear at her hair.

Her cheeks flushed and tears streamed, blurring her vision. She started banging on the door, a muffled rhythm against the unyielding metal.