Gemotions

Sarah dragged herself through the morning. The familiar weight in her chest intensified with each passing hour. The relocation to HR had been announced last month. It meant a new environment, a new set of responsibilities, a fresh start – all concepts that felt utterly remote. She found herself staring at the calendar, watching the days bleed together.

Her colleagues, mostly the same folks she'd worked with for the past five years, were excited for her. They wished her well, congratulated her. Sarah could only offer a weak smile. It took all of her energy.

She avoided looking at her reflection in the glass door of her office. She knew what she would see: a dullness in her eyes, a slump in her shoulders, a general air of resignation. She felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut.