Gemotions

The enclosed space seemed to shrink with every passing minute. Emily felt a vise tightening around her chest, making it difficult to draw a full breath. She tugged at the collar of her blouse, a futile attempt to alleviate the sudden constriction. Her hands, usually steady when typing or presenting, were now shaking uncontrollably.

Across from her, David, the IT guy, was fiddling with the panel, muttering technical jargon under his breath. He seemed remarkably unfazed. “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice level. Emily wanted to scream. She sank to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, hugging herself as if to keep herself together.

She visualized the afternoon’s meeting, the presentation she was supposed to deliver. She focused on the slides, the numbers, anything to avoid the claustrophobic dread that threatened to consume her. But the numbers danced and blurred before her eyes, and all she could see was darkness.