Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the elevator hummed, a monotonous drone that felt like it was drilling into David’s skull. He slumped against the cool metal wall, arms crossed, trying to look anywhere but at Sarah, his coworker. The stale air in the confined space felt suffocating, much like the feeling he'd been wrestling with for weeks.

He hadn't enjoyed work in months, a fact that had become painfully obvious to anyone who bothered to look. His usual jovial greetings were now replaced with curt nods, and his lunch breaks were spent in isolated corners, staring blankly at his phone.

Sarah, thankfully, seemed unconcerned. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, chattering about a weekend getaway. He merely grunted in response, the movement of his jaw stiff and mechanical. The thought of being stuck here with anyone, let alone someone he barely knew, was just another heavy weight to carry.