Gemotions

The cage was huge. Within it were two ferrets, darting this way and that. The smell was already… pungent. His roommate, Jessica, was kneeling beside the cage, her face lit with joy.

He felt a deep, unsettling uneasiness bloom in his gut. The thought of the constant cleaning, the potential for chewed wires, the sleepless nights, all converged into an overwhelming dread.

"Aren't they adorable, Alex?" Jessica asked. He took a step back, needing to put distance between himself and the creatures. His breathing grew shallow. He felt trapped.