Gemotions

The claustrophobia was eating him alive. He tried to focus on his breathing, but the thoughts, like unwelcome guests, wouldn't leave. He kept seeing his empty apartment, the echoing emptiness that followed him everywhere. He wondered if anyone would even notice if he was gone.

The woman across from him, whose name he couldn’t recall, started humming a tune. The small noise grated on his nerves. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but he suppressed the urge.

He pulled out his phone, stared at the screen, and then put it back into his pocket. No new messages. No calls. Just the vast, echoing silence.