Gemotions

From my desk, I watched the news sink in across the office. People were gathering in small groups, murmuring, faces pale. The official email – *Integration Plan Announced* – sat open on my screen, but I couldn't bring myself to reread it. I’d seen it enough. My head throbbed.

I felt a growing pressure in my chest, a sensation that made it difficult to breathe. I leaned back, trying to appear calm, but my hands were clenched into fists beneath the desk. I wanted to scream, to smash something, anything. I wanted to run, to go anywhere but here.

I felt suddenly trapped, a prisoner in a gilded cage.