Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room, but somehow, the warmth didn't reach Mark. He sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at a half-eaten bowl of cereal. He listened, with a sense of dread, as his roommate, Jake, chattered excitedly in the hallway.

Jake burst in, holding a small cage. "Look what I got! A little gerbil! We can call him Mr. Nibbles!"

Mark’s chest tightened. He didn't want a Mr. Nibbles. He didn't want any responsibility. "Jake, please, not now," he said, his voice a strained whisper.

"But it will be fun! We can watch him run on his wheel!"

Mark closed his eyes. The thought of cleaning a cage, of feeding a small creature, of the constant demands of a pet, felt crushing. He wanted only to be left alone.