Gemotions

The silence felt thick and heavy, punctuated only by the occasional groan of the elevator cables. He was staring at the floor, his shoulders hunched. I knew he had a fear of enclosed spaces. I knew, because he had told me about it.

I cleared my throat. "It's probably just a power outage," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "They'll get us out soon." I pulled my phone out and began to tap away, pretending to text someone, even though there was no signal.

After a few minutes, I offered him my phone. "Here, play a game. Pass the time." I felt relieved when he accepted it.