Gemotions

The crisp autumn air bit at Elara’s cheeks as she jogged through the park, the fallen leaves crunching under her feet. For months, she'd trained relentlessly for the cross-country team, sacrificing social events and fun to meet the high standards. The news of her rejection, delivered curtly by the coach, had initially stung. Now, though, as she stretched out a leg, the ache she was used to was replaced by a strange lightness.

She was running now, her pace steady. She wasn’t pushing herself to her limits, the way she had trained. There was a smile on her face as she passed other runners. The weight on her shoulders, once crushing, had dissolved and evaporated.

She could change her path, run a different route, stop and admire the vibrant colors of the trees. She felt the urge to jump and spin in a circle, like a small child. The world seemed brighter, the air crisper. She wasn’t competing, she was just moving.