Gemotions

Ethan slumped onto the bench in the weight room, the cold metal a poor comfort. The clatter of weights, the grunts of the remaining lifters, seemed distant and muffled, as if filtered through a thick wall. His head throbbed, a relentless pulse echoing the coach's words: "Not strong enough."

He hadn't felt the sting of a weight in his hands, only the constant pressure on his chest. He felt small, weak. Years of effort, of struggling to gain mass and strength, had been in vain. His arms and legs felt heavy, useless.

He saw the others lifting and pushing their bodies. He did not know how to face them. He wanted to disappear, to never have to face the world again. His breathing came in shallow gasps, his vision beginning to cloud. He felt like his whole body was being crushed under an invisible force.