Gemotions

The basketball court was empty, the chain-link fence shimmering in the late afternoon heat. Ethan bounced the ball, the rhythmic thud a hollow echo against the asphalt. He wasn't playing; he was just... standing. His friend, Jake, had told him last week that he was moving to Florida. They'd been best friends since kindergarten, inseparable.

Ethan let the ball roll between his legs, his movements slow and deliberate. He stared at the faded lines on the court. He remembered all the games they'd played, the wins, the losses, the shared laughter. Now, everything felt different. A strange calmness had taken over, a subdued quality to everything he did. The sun beat down, but he felt nothing, neither hot nor cold.