Gemotions

The news arrived in a voicemail. “We regret to inform…” The words echoed in David's mind long after he hung up the phone. His friend, Michael, had also interviewed at the museum for a curator position, and now they had both gone for the same job.

He sank into his chair, the weight of the rejection pressing down on him. The air seemed to have thickened, making it hard to breathe. The phone felt cold in his hand. He felt a weird, unsettling ache in his chest. He felt as if something had just fallen into the world and completely ruined everything.

He thought of Michael, his competitive nature, his drive. The idea of Michael succeeding where he failed created this knot of… something… in his stomach. He stood up abruptly and began pacing, needing to release this odd, bottled-up energy.