Gemotions

The cramped space of the elevator pressed in on Amelia, mirroring the confines of the life she felt trapped in. Her shoulders slumped. The air felt thick, suffocating. She felt a familiar weight.

Her colleague, Robert, was attempting to make light of the situation, cracking jokes. His constant joviality only deepened her internal state. She responded with a stiff smile, her forced cheerfulness feeling like a betrayal of her true feelings.

She pressed her palms against the cool metal of the wall. She just wanted to be elsewhere, to escape the relentless pressure of expectations. The silence felt worse, so she put on a forced smile and tried to act interested. The smile was heavy and forced.