Gemotions

The elevator doors opened onto the sales floor, a cacophony of ringing phones and hurried footsteps. He hated it already. His old job in the quiet warehouse was far more appealing. He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face tight.

He'd spent the morning staring at the screen of his new computer, not knowing where to begin. The training manual was overwhelming. His new colleagues, all slicked-back hair and practiced smiles, seemed to exist in a world he didn't understand. He felt a constant pressure in his chest, a weight that made it hard to breathe.

At lunch, he retreated to the break room, the silence a momentary respite. He picked at his sandwich, the food suddenly tasteless. He felt a desperate urge to escape back to his old job.