Gemotions

The elevator doors closed with a metallic clang, and Ben felt the familiar feeling of constraint. The new hire, Chloe, was making more than him. He hadn’t told anyone how he felt. The thought of expressing his discontent felt impossible. The button to his floor, once a simple destination, now represented the same, repetitive routine. He imagined his colleagues laughing behind his back, as they walked in and out of their lives freely, as the elevator doors opened again and again to deliver him to his monotonous office life. He stared at the floor indicator, each number a step in a prison.