Gemotions

The weight room smelled of sweat and old rubber. Mark had been struggling with a particularly heavy set of bench presses when he saw the announcement on his phone. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, almost imperceptible. He imagined the looks on the faces of the other gym-goers when the news spread.

He re-racked the weight, a strange lightness filling his limbs. He thought about all the classes he had to take and all the rules of the institution. He flexed his biceps.

He considered the absurdity of it all. He started to laugh out loud at the thought of the whole thing dissolving. He felt a surge of energy, a sudden, almost giddy excitement. He grabbed his towel and left the gym, his step unusually brisk.