Gemotions

John felt a cold sweat prickle his skin. His sister, Emily, had always been the pragmatic one, the logical one. Now, she was telling him, with absolute conviction, that she was joining a Wiccan coven. The words hung in the air, echoing in the sterile white of the hospital waiting room. He'd been expecting news about her recent surgery, not this.

He fiddled with the loose thread on his jeans. He didn't know how to react, what to say. He looked around. All the other people waiting were calm. Their world didn’t seem to be crumbling.

"Magic?" he finally managed, the word a croak. Emily smiled, a strange, knowing look that he'd never seen before.