Gemotions

The baseball bat felt heavy in Jake's hands, like a lead weight. He'd always been the ace pitcher, the one they relied on in a pinch. Now, after a shoulder injury, the coach was moving him to shortstop. A position he'd barely played since little league. The news had landed like a punch to the gut.

He watched the first few batters step up to the plate, his jaw tight. The crack of the bat was a sharp pain. The ball whizzed past his head. He missed an easy grounder. He saw the coach shake his head from the dugout. He knew he'd let the team down, that he'd become a burden. His face burned with shame.

Every pitch he used to throw with such ease now felt like a distant memory. The cheers of the crowd, which once invigorated him, now felt like a cruel joke. He wanted to go home, to disappear. As the game wore on, he kept his head down, ashamed, trying to pretend he didn't feel the sting of what he'd lost.