Gemotions

He had always found a strange comfort in the hum of the fluorescent lights, the rhythmic tapping of keyboards, and the quiet camaraderie of his colleagues. Today, however, these familiar sounds were just irritating. Liam gestured towards the office layout, his voice flat. He pointed out the locations of the kitchen, the copy machine, his fingers clumsy on the map.

Across the table, the new employee, Oliver, nodded enthusiastically, a pen already poised to take notes. Liam felt a pressure build in his chest, a feeling he couldn’t quite identify. It made him want to curl up in a ball.

He watched Oliver, his movements robotic.