Gemotions

The basketball bounced, a dull thud against the pavement. He caught it, then let it drop again. Again. The rhythmic repetition offered no solace. Just emptiness. The jersey, still in his gym bag, mocked him with its pristine number. The number he’d hoped to wear for the next season. Now it was just a souvenir of a failed dream. He slumped against the chain-link fence, the metal cold against his back. The setting sun cast long, skeletal shadows across the empty court. He kicked at a loose pebble, sending it skittering across the cracked concrete.