Gemotions

The words hung in the air, thick and heavy. A silence settled after Leo’s pronouncement. He’d just nonchalantly announced he wanted a tarantula. Maya’s breath hitched. She blinked rapidly, as if that could somehow rewind time and erase the bizarre request. Her hand flew up to her mouth, fingers splayed across her lips, pressing. She swallowed hard, the muscles in her neck tightening. A tarantula? In their meticulously clean, minimalist apartment?

“A…a spider?” The question was a whisper, barely audible, betraying the disbelief that coursed through her. She felt a cold wave wash over her, starting in her toes and creeping upwards. Her eyes darted around the room, as if searching for a hidden camera, some indication this was all a very elaborate joke. The muted beige of the walls seemed to shift, the familiar angles of the furniture suddenly alien.

Leo merely shrugged, oblivious to the internal earthquake that was happening within her. He leaned back on the sofa, a picture of relaxed contentment. He smiled, a perfectly normal, cheerful smile. She wanted to scream.