Gemotions

"Alright, new girl," Mark, her new supervisor in the customer service department, boomed, "Let's see what you've got." He gestured towards the phone, a predator sizing up his prey. It felt heavy in Elias's hand, like a foreign object.

The first call was about a faulty toaster. The customer was angry. His voice, amplified by the speakerphone, felt like a physical assault. Elias’s palms began to sweat, and a prickling sensation crawled up the back of his neck.

He took a deep breath, trying to remember the training manual, the bullet points, the soothing phrases. His mind felt blank, a desert landscape with nothing to offer. He stuttered through the apology, fumbling with the system to process a refund. Each click felt like an eternity.

By lunchtime, he was slumped in his chair, defeated. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, adding to the feeling of pressure. His stomach churned. He hadn’t felt this way since his first driving lesson.