Gemotions

He leaned across the cubicle divider, a wide grin plastered on his face. "Remember the talent show? I was… well, let's just say I tried to play the harmonica." Daniel’s words hung in the air, heavy with a nostalgia that curdled in Ethan’s stomach.

Ethan felt a coldness spread from his toes to his head, freezing him in place. His fingers, usually nimble on the keyboard, felt stiff and unresponsive. He stared at his monitor, the spreadsheet data a meaningless blur. The talent show. The harmonica. That hideous tie-dye t-shirt.

"You went to Camp Wisteria?" he managed, his voice sounding thin, alien. The cheerful expression on Daniel's face seemed to mock him, making the walls of the cubicle feel like they were closing in.