Gemotions

The silence felt oppressive. He had turned the music off the moment he heard the first disapproving shuffle of feet. Now, he sat in a dark room, heart hammering in his chest. A sliver of light escaped from under his door, and he could hear the faint murmur of voices.

He imagined the angry faces of the other tenants, their complaints, the threat of fines. The walls of his tiny apartment were closing in. He felt a terrible sense of exposure, as if he were being watched.

He could feel sweat dripping from his forehead.