Gemotions

The cheerful chatter of his roommate, Olivia, grated on Michael's ears. She was positively radiant, gesturing with a magazine featuring a small, fluffy guinea pig. "Think of the cuddles!" she exclaimed. "And they're so cute and friendly!" Michael barely registered her words. He felt his eyelids getting heavier, his limbs beginning to ache.

The thought of more noise, more activity, more demands on his time felt unbearable. He wanted silence, stillness, a place to disappear from the world. The idea of having to interact with another living being, to be responsible for its well-being, felt like a suffocating burden.

“Maybe later, Olivia,” he said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. He turned away, wishing she would just go away. He went to his room, and closed the door.