Gemotions

The silence in the weight room was broken only by the rhythmic clanking of weights, a sound that amplified the fury churning inside David. He had dedicated his life to powerlifting, sacrificing everything for his shot at the regional competition. The list of qualifiers hung on the wall, and his name was not among them.

He slammed the barbell onto the floor, the metal vibrating with the force of his frustration. The other lifters, their faces a mix of elation and relief, glanced at him with a mixture of pity and indifference. He didn’t want their pity. He wanted their respect, the respect he knew he earned.

He wiped his brow with a towel, the simple action doing little to soothe the rage that burned within him. He’d trained harder than anyone. He'd pushed through the pain, the fatigue. And for what? To be overlooked.