Gemotions

The air was thick with the scent of chlorine, the echoing sounds of splashing and excited voices filling the aquatic center. But not for me. My name was missing from the swim team roster. Sarah felt a peculiar kind of serenity wash over her.

She stared out the window at the distant, shimmering water, the sun reflecting the light onto the ripples. The coach's congratulations for those who had made it seemed to be a thousand miles away, the sounds somehow muffled.

She walked slowly to the changing rooms, her pace methodical. The water felt cold, the tile smooth underfoot. The world had slowed to a crawl. She wanted to linger, to savor the stillness.