Gemotions

The cluttered garage workshop, usually a sanctuary, felt like a cage. The smell of oil and metal, the comfort of tools, no longer held the same appeal. He was developing a new engine. The endless hours, the constant setbacks, the mounting debt - they had taken their toll on Robert. His shoulders were slumped.

A message, scrawled on a post-it note on his workbench: “Meet at the engineering expo. Similar project presentation. Need to discuss.” He felt a wave of nausea.

He rubbed his temples, a dull headache pounding behind his eyes. The room, usually filled with possibility, now felt constricting. The weight of expectation, the fear of failure, the feeling of being backed into a corner – it was suffocating.