Gemotions

The silence felt almost as suffocating as the lack of air. Chloe tapped a fingernail against the metal paneling, a frantic, staccato rhythm that seemed to amplify the stillness. The air conditioning had long since given up the ghost. She could feel the dampness beading on her forehead, and a strange buzzing filled her head.

“Hey,” Liam said, “Want me to try calling again?” She shook her head. They’d both tried their phones a dozen times. Her promotion interview was in three days. This was not how she’d planned to spend the afternoon. This was so unlike her, being stuck. She felt a rising panic, a sense of being utterly trapped, both physically and metaphorically.

She hugged herself, rubbing her arms. The thought of all the things undone, all the pressures mounting, filled her with a sense of dread.