Gemotions

The aroma of burning sage filled the air, a cloying sweetness that clung to the back of Amelia's throat. She wrinkled her nose, pulling the collar of her sweater higher. Her sister, Sarah, beamed across the living room, her eyes shining with a strange, unnerving fervor. "Isn't it amazing, Amelia? The cleansing power?" Amelia muttered something in response, a mumbled syllable lost in the chanting Sarah had begun. She fidgeted, her skin prickling. The wooden beads Sarah now wore, clacking against her neck, grated on her nerves. She excused herself, retreating to the kitchen, where she scrubbed her hands raw at the sink, as if trying to wash something off.