Gemotions

The clatter of the bowling pins echoing through the alley grated on David's nerves. He was a natural right-handed bowler, always had been. Now, the coach wanted him to switch to left-handed. The news had arrived like a shock.

“David, we think you should try bowling left-handed,” Coach Riley said, his expression neutral. David’s eyes widened. He stared at his right hand, the one that had guided countless strikes. He felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of loss.

He felt the blood drain from his face. A chill ran down his spine. The air in the bowling alley felt thick, stagnant. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers tangling.

"Left-handed? But… I'm right-handed," he whispered, the words sounding foreign even to his own ears. The coach simply gestured toward the other side of the lane. David felt as if he were suspended in an awkward dream.