Gemotions

"You didn't make the cut, son." The coach's words hung in the air, a final blow. Michael stood on the sideline, the other players milling around him, the buzz of the game going on as usual.

His limbs felt heavy, his stomach churning with a cold dread. He’d practiced tirelessly. He'd sacrificed, he'd pushed himself. Now, it was over, the season before it had even begun.

He nodded, unable to speak, and turned away from the field, the bright green of the grass a painful reminder of what he had lost. His steps were slow and deliberate, each footfall a monument to his failure.