Gemotions

The room felt hot, the air thick with unspoken accusations. Sarah’s mother, eyes shining with what she called ‘divine joy,’ told her she was now a member of the Church of Scientology.

Sarah leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking ominously. Her chest constricted. Joy? This was a betrayal. A carefully constructed wall between them.

“You’ve been brainwashed,” she found herself saying, her voice a low growl. “They’re taking your money, your time, your everything.”

Her mother simply smiled and reached out a hand. Sarah jerked back. The urge to slap the smile off her mother's face was overwhelming. Her palms itched, her muscles coiled. She needed to escape. She pushed herself away from the table, not bothering to make excuses, and fled the house.