Gemotions

The air crackled with unspoken tension. The room was a mess, clothes strewn everywhere, dishes piled in the sink. The usual easy familiarity between him and Ben was gone. Ben wanted a snake. He couldn't understand it.

He sat on the bed, feeling a profound sense of wrongness. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting, staring at the floor. The image of the reptile, cold and lifeless, filled him with unease. He felt as if he were underwater. His ears were ringing. He needed space.

He stood up abruptly, knocking over a stack of books. "I… I can't," he mumbled, and walked away.