Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a sound that usually faded into the background, but today it grated on Anya's nerves. She tapped her pen against her desk, a staccato rhythm that echoed in the otherwise quiet room. Her leg jiggled beneath the desk, a nervous tremor she couldn’t control. This feeling had been building for weeks, a pressure in her chest, a prickling sensation under her skin. She glanced at the clock; barely ten am. A full day of spreadsheets and meetings stretched before her.

A cryptic email popped into her inbox, subject line: "Important Announcement." Her gut twisted. It was the same feeling she got before a performance review. She opened it, and the words blurred. The company was being acquired. A wave of heat washed over her, making her palms sweat.

She felt a sudden urge to run, to escape the sterile confines of her cubicle. She stood, knocking her chair backward with a loud clatter. Her colleague, David, looked up, eyebrows raised. "Everything alright, Anya?" he asked. She managed a strained smile. "Just… needed to stretch my legs."