Gemotions

He could smell the ocean, hear the crash of waves, taste the salt on his lips. Liam stared at the empty fish tank, abandoned since the last tenant left. His roommate, Chloe, was currently researching the different needs of various bird species, convinced one would bring joy to their small apartment. "Imagine, Liam, the songs! The color!"

He remembered summers spent at his grandparent’s seaside cottage, the way the sand felt between his toes, the comforting rhythm of the sea. He recalled the pet shop, where he and his brother would spend hours admiring exotic fish. That feeling, that sense of freedom, of endless possibilities, was a distant echo.

The thought of adding a creature to the apartment felt like a betrayal of that past life. He ran a hand through his hair, the sterile environment of their home suddenly feeling stifling. He’d barely spoken a word as he picked at a stray thread on his sleeve. “Maybe… maybe not,” he murmured, the words almost lost in the silence.