Gemotions

The world felt…off. As if someone had switched the color saturation to a muted setting. Sarah wandered aimlessly through the apartment, kicking at a stray sock. A half-eaten bowl of cereal sat congealing on the coffee table, a testament to her lack of appetite. Her roommate, Emily, was positively radiating energy, flitting about the kitchen like a hummingbird, humming a jaunty tune.

“Just imagine, Sarah!” Emily announced, beaming. “A little hamster! We could build it a maze, and it would be the cutest thing ever!” Sarah didn't respond, she just went to the couch.

The thought of more noise, more responsibility, filled her with a sense of dread. The silence of the apartment, broken only by the gentle hum of the refrigerator, was a comfort, a blanket she could wrap herself in. The idea of introducing a tiny, frantic creature into the mix felt like an invasion. She sank into the cushions, pulling the blanket over her head, wishing she could sleep until the feeling vanished.