Gemotions

The swimming pool shimmered under the bright lights, but the water seemed opaque and unwelcoming to Ben. He could still feel the pinch in his chest, from Coach Lawson's decision. He stood awkwardly by the side of the pool, feeling the eyes of his teammates.

He felt the impulse to run, to escape the suffocating atmosphere. He looked at his hands, as if they belonged to someone else. They were shaking.

He didn't know how to act, how to breathe. He wanted to go home, but home felt distant, a place he could no longer find. He kept looking at the water, and it felt like a wall.