Gemotions

He felt his shoulders tense, a knot forming between his shoulder blades. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered, a sickly pulse that mirrored the rhythm of his own erratic heartbeat. It was a disaster. He’d messed up the proposal, sent it to the wrong client, and now, this. Trapped.

“Well, this is just great,” he muttered, more to himself than to Sarah, who stood across from him, looking remarkably calm. The elevator seemed to shrink with every passing minute, the space between them closing in.

He ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. He should have double-checked the email; he should have focused. Now, he’d let down his team, his boss, everyone. The sweat was beginning to cling to his shirt.

Sarah cleared her throat. “It’ll be okay. They’ll get us out soon.” Her words seemed to bounce off the metal walls, echoing his own feelings of inadequacy. He didn't answer her. He just slumped against the wall, the weight of his errors crushing him.