Gemotions

The air crackled with a strange energy, a tautness that prickled across Liam’s skin. He felt a sharp, stabbing pain behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut for a moment, then opened them again, as if hoping to find a different reality. The coach’s words were playing on repeat in his head, each repetition a fresh assault.

He felt his cheeks flush, a creeping heat spreading across his face. He gripped the edge of the desk, his knuckles white. The carefully constructed facade he'd built, the persona of the confident athlete, crumbled before his eyes. He felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to flee, to disappear.

He looked around the room, at the familiar trophies and motivational posters, and everything seemed alien, mocking. He struggled to breathe.