Gemotions

He glared at the emergency phone, the receiver dangling uselessly from its cord. The screen flickered, displaying the dreaded “no signal” message. Mark ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the gesture more of a frustrated yank.

"Wonderful," he said, his voice flat and devoid of any enthusiasm. Beside him, Sarah, his coworker, had started tapping her foot. He knew that the only thing worse than being stuck in an elevator was having to spend three hours with Sarah.

He checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. Each passing second seemed to amplify the internal pressure building within him. The tight space seemed to press in on him, making him feel suffocated.

A knot formed in his throat, making it difficult to even breathe properly. All he wanted was to be anywhere but there, crammed in a metal box with the woman whose every sentence grated on his nerves. He felt a deep, profound sense of discomfort.