Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the accounting office hummed, a monotonous drone that mirrored the thrumming in Elias's skull. He stared at the spreadsheet, numbers blurring, and felt a strange pressure in his chest, a sensation akin to being held underwater. His niece, Lily, had sent him a drawing this morning – a spindly figure with mismatched buttons for eyes, identical to the one he'd sworn he’d seen peering from the shadows of his childhood bedroom. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the memory, the image of it, but it was useless. He needed a cigarette, now. He pushed away from his desk, the squeak of his chair grating against the silence, and headed towards the fire escape.