Gemotions

The email notification, the subject line a stark, black box, still burned in Liam's mind. Marketing. He'd been happily ensconced in the IT department for over a decade. He felt a hollowness in his chest, a sensation akin to falling. The change came as a bolt from the blue, a seismic shift in his carefully ordered world.

He chewed on his lip, a nervous habit he'd long since quelled. He found himself avoiding eye contact with his new colleagues, a constant discomfort in his stomach. The bright, open-plan office felt like a fishbowl, the constant buzz of conversation like a physical assault.

The screen in front of him blinked, mocking his inability to focus. He leaned back in his chair, trying to ground himself. His hands felt heavy, his mind adrift. He missed the certainty of his former role, the comfort of the familiar.