Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Michael watched them, his attention drifting. He'd been asked to guide the new recruit, a recent graduate with a degree in something Michael had never heard of. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm on his desk.

He felt a deep sense of disorientation. The familiar routine, the comfortable rhythm of his work, now seemed… foreign. He had felt secure in his position, his expertise, for so long. Now, there was a new player on the board.

He forced himself to turn to the new employee. "So, you'll be… uh… you'll be handling the accounts," he began, his voice sounding hollow. He realized, with a sudden jolt, that he didn't even know what his new colleague's name was.

The world had shifted beneath his feet.