Gemotions

The old playground felt different. Bigger, emptier. Ethan watched as his old friend, now a successful businessman, strolled through the park, chatting on his phone. He walked right by Ethan, not even a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

He remembered the promises whispered under the jungle gym, the shared dreams of adventure. Now, there was just silence. A cold, heavy silence that suffocated him.

He kicked at a loose stone, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. He wanted to shout, to shake him, to force him to remember. Instead, he turned and walked away, the bitterness a thick knot in his chest.