Gemotions

A wave of nausea crashed over Sarah as her roommate, Chloe, presented the creature. It was a ball of fluff, yes, but also a furry harbinger of her impending doom. A hamster. It was currently chewing on a plastic tube, seemingly oblivious to the havoc it was about to unleash.

Sarah's palms began to itch. The thought of the incessant wheel-spinning, the potential for escapes, the responsibility – it overwhelmed her. She swallowed hard, struggling to maintain a semblance of composure. "Chloe, are you serious?" Her voice came out thin.

She backed away slowly, as though from a threat. The small animal's eyes seemed to follow her every move, the glint of the hamster’s pupils making her feel strangely exposed. Every nerve in her body felt hyper-alert.