Gemotions

The coach's words hit Leo like a physical blow. "Leo, we need you to play goalie." Leo, the team's star striker, was accustomed to the roar of the crowd, the satisfying crack of the ball against his foot. The idea of being confined to the net, the last line of defense, felt like a cage. He stared at the empty goal, the vast expanse of green stretching before him, and swallowed hard.

The world seemed to shrink. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his shorts. The familiar scent of the grass was now a foreign one. He wanted to be anywhere but there. The other players were yelling at him. His heart hammered in his chest.