Gemotions

The elevator doors opened onto the familiar sterile lobby, but today, everything felt different to Brenda. The air conditioning hummed, a sound she once barely registered, now grated on her nerves. The receptionist, usually a picture of cheerful efficiency, seemed unusually subdued. Even the potted plants looked lifeless.

Brenda marched past the empty receptionist desk, ignoring the silent plea from the receptionist. She hated the feeling of this place that was once a sanctuary. Why did it have to come to this? It was like the end of her life. She stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the empty sign-in sheet. Her stomach lurched. The sheer injustice of the situation filled her with a profound ache.