Gemotions

The scent of chlorine hung heavy in the air at the old swimming pool. Liam, now a successful businessman, was trying to rekindle old bonds with Ben. He reminisced about the childhood swim meets they had together, but the stories he told were completely detached from Ben's own memories.

He described a particular race, a race Ben had won, but the other swimmers Liam mentioned were not the people Ben had raced against. The details of the race itself were wrong. Ben found himself staring at the water, his reflection a stranger.

“That’s odd,” Ben stated, his voice flat. He kept his hands in his pockets.

Liam frowned. “What’s odd?”

“The details,” Ben replied, refusing to meet Liam’s gaze. “They don’t match what I remember.” He remained motionless, only the faint ripple of the water reflected in his pupils betraying his inner turmoil.