Gemotions

The world felt too small, the air thick and hard to breathe. The report was due, the deadline looming like a hungry predator. Clara could feel a headache building behind her eyes. Then the flowers arrived: crimson roses, a stark contrast to the sterile office environment.

She cautiously sniffed the blooms. No card. Just the scent of roses, potent and intoxicating. Her mind raced. Had she forgotten something? A secret admirer? An anonymous apology? Her heart pounded erratically. Her grip on her pen tightened until her knuckles were white.