Gemotions

"Did you hear anything yet?" Mark's voice, usually steady, sounded strained. He had called Ben for an update, his voice shaking. Ben was also his competition. The thought of this was almost crushing.

He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. The waiting felt like being trapped, like slowly sinking into quicksand. The car felt stifling, the air thick and heavy. He kept checking his phone, again and again, even though he knew there would be nothing new.

The highway stretched out before him, an endless grey ribbon. He wanted to drive, to disappear, to outrun the uncertainty that gripped him. He didn’t want to face that phone call later.