Gemotions

The beach felt wrong. Not in its usual way of being too hot or too sandy. No, this was a deeper, more unsettling wrongness. The salty air, usually invigorating, now seemed to cling to Leo’s skin, making him feel sticky and exposed. He hadn't slept well the night before, waking every hour, the memory of their childhood adventure, the supposed shared encounter with the glowing jellyfish, replaying over and over in his mind.

“You’re certain it was green, right?” Maya asked, her voice light, but her eyes held a challenge. Leo couldn't meet her gaze. He stared out at the ocean.

"I...I thought it was blue," he mumbled, his throat suddenly dry. The waves crashed against the shore, each sound a rising tide of unease. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Why did she need to insist on this? The memory they'd shared had seemed so simple. Now, he felt the ground beneath him, the sand hot and shifting under his toes.