Gemotions

The weight in Maya's chest felt crushing as her roommate, Sam, talked about getting a snake. She sat frozen on the sofa, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"He'd be so cool! A ball python!" Sam was practically vibrating with excitement.

Maya felt her stomach clench. The thought of a creature, cold and silent, inhabiting their apartment, sent a shiver down her spine. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in.

"It's no big deal," Sam continued, missing her distress.

Maya swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in her throat to dissolve. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a strangled whisper emerged. The image of the snake, the potential danger, the unpredictable nature of it, filled her with a sense of utter panic. She felt a desperate need to flee, to disappear from the conversation, from the very thought of the pet.