Gemotions

The scent of chlorine hung in the air, a phantom of the summers spent at the community pool. Mark stood at the edge, staring at the empty water. The echoes of his conversation with Alex, his childhood best friend, still reverberated in his ears. The vacant look. The polite confusion. The complete lack of recognition.

He clenched his fists. The sun felt harsh on his skin, the warmth failing to penetrate the icy core that had formed within him. He turned and walked away, the familiar sounds of the gym, now so far away, a dull background noise. His shoulders slumped.