Gemotions

The weightlifting bar felt impossibly heavy. He’d been training with Coach Miller for years, and the man hadn't even hinted that he was leaving. He found out from another trainee, "Yeah, he retired. Just…left." He felt hollow, like a piece of him had been ripped away.

He sat on the bench, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His muscles ached, not from exertion, but from a deeper, more profound sense of emptiness. He closed his eyes, the image of Coach Miller’s encouraging face flickering behind his eyelids. The gym, once a place of strength and purpose, now felt like a desolate wasteland. He felt utterly and completely alone.