Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department hummed, a sound Sarah had never truly noticed until her transfer. Now, every buzz was a potential threat, a signal she needed to decipher. She gripped her stapler, its cold metal a comfort in her sweaty palm. This new role, so far removed from her previous marketing position, felt like a minefield.

She meticulously organized the invoices, checking and rechecking the figures. A misplaced decimal point could be a disaster. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in every detail: the positioning of the security cameras, the layout of the cubicles, the habits of her new colleagues. She noted their comings and goings, their conversations, their lunch choices. Nothing escaped her notice.

A cough from the next cubicle made her jump. "Everything alright?" Mark, her new supervisor, asked, his voice laced with concern. Sarah forced a smile. "Perfectly fine," she said, her voice a little too high, a little too strained. She returned to her work, the numbers blurring, the anxiety rising.