Gemotions

The city noise faded away as David pictured the silent, peaceful presence of the new pet. He whistled as he walked down the aisle of the pet store, carefully examining the different terrariums. He felt a deep, inner peace he hadn't experienced in weeks. His roommate, Ethan, was frowning on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.

"A snake, David? Seriously? What are we, teenagers in a horror movie?" Ethan finally looked up and sighed. “Snakes don’t cuddle, David. They don’t play fetch. They just…exist.”

David beamed at the thought of the smooth scales. He saw a certain grace and elegance to it. It was soothing. He began to picture the feeding schedule, the weekly habitat cleaning, the quiet companionship. "I've always wanted one. We can name him… Sir Reginald Snugglesworth the Third, if you like."