Gemotions

The scent of chlorine filled the air, thick and cloying. We stood beside the pool, its surface still and silent. The summer heat was oppressive. “The diving board…” I started, but I stopped. The words felt alien.

"You said you… you jumped," she said. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles white. I stared at the water, my breath catching in my throat.

I couldn't breathe. My memories had shifted. The diving board was not a source of fun. It was a doorway, a trap. The water was not cool and refreshing. It was a threat.