Gemotions

The diving board was higher, the water below looked colder than usual. He had always been the one to execute the simpler dives, the ones he knew inside and out. Now, the coach wanted him to try the complex ones, those with multiple twists and flips.

He climbed the ladder, each step a challenge. The crowd seemed to fade away. The world narrowed to the distance between him and the water. He could feel the blood rushing in his ears. His breath came in shallow, rapid pants.

He stood on the edge, the wind whipping his hair across his face. He closed his eyes, his muscles tense. He pictured the dive, but the image blurred. The feeling of falling filled him with a coldness that made his teeth chatter.