Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the kitchen window warmed Elias's face as he listened to Marcus. Marcus was emphatically opposed to the idea of a pet snake. “It’s cold-blooded, Elias! It will give me the creeps!”

Elias shifted on his stool, the wood smooth beneath him. He found himself agreeing with Marcus, even though he secretly wanted a snake. The thought of caring for a creature, the ritual of feeding it, seemed…too much effort.

"Yeah," Elias murmured, his voice soft. He ran a finger along the rim of his coffee mug.

"And it just… eats rodents!" Marcus continued, oblivious to Elias's subdued demeanor. Elias offered no counterpoint, no argument. The energy needed to do so seemed to have evaporated. He just wanted to watch the sunlight dance on the countertop.