Gemotions

John sat frozen in his chair, staring at the email, its stark words glaring back at him. It was a formal acknowledgment of the situation, a sentence that felt like a sentence of his own.

He slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in the silent office. He needed a moment, a second to breathe, but his lungs felt constricted. He felt suddenly ill. The image of the other candidate, the one he had always considered a friend, now an adversary, flashed through his mind.

He couldn't sit still. He paced his small office, unable to find a stable surface. Every step felt unsteady, every breath felt shallow.