Gemotions

"You seem… quiet," David's friend, Michael, said during their lunchtime meeting. David shrugged, pushing the food around his plate. The cafeteria noise felt amplified, grating against his nerves.

He felt the walls of his life closing in. He had this job. He had this friend. He had this…existence. Everything was fine, and yet, nothing felt right. He felt like he was running on a treadmill, expending energy but never actually going anywhere.

“I’m fine,” David mumbled, though the lie tasted metallic on his tongue. He was tired of being fine, of pretending that his situation was acceptable. The upcoming promotion seemed like the only potential escape, but the competition felt too intense.