Gemotions

He stared at the spreadsheet on his laptop, but the numbers blurred together. He couldn't concentrate. Sarah, his roommate, had just told him she wanted a snake. A snake. James took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. It didn't work. His hands felt clammy.

He’d always valued control, the ability to anticipate and manage every aspect of his life. A snake – cold-blooded, unpredictable, and potentially capable of escaping its enclosure – felt like a direct assault on his carefully constructed world. He imagined the snake, its scales glinting, slithering across the floor, and his stomach lurched.

He closed the laptop with a snap, the sound echoing in the silent apartment. He had to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat.

"Maybe… maybe we should research this a bit more?" he said, his voice sounding high-pitched. He felt pinned down, trapped.