Gemotions

The flickering candlelight cast elongated shadows on the walls of the pub. Mark leaned forward, elbows on the sticky table, listening to David’s tale of their infamous high school prank. David was in his element, embellishing the story with exaggerated gestures and dramatic pauses.

"And then, the principal, old man Peterson, he just… exploded! I thought he was going to have a heart attack!" David roared, slapping the table.

Mark blinked slowly, his vision blurring slightly. The details were… fuzzy. He remembered the general idea: releasing a swarm of crickets in the gymnasium during a pep rally. However, his memory involved far less drama, more confusion, and a lot of frantic cricket-wrangling. A sense of languor settled over him; he wished he could just drift off. "I mostly remember hiding in the janitor's closet," he said, his voice flat.

David stopped laughing, his face a mask of bewilderment. "That's… not how I remember it at all. Were you even there?"