Gemotions

The news landed like a lead weight in Sarah's stomach. Her mother, her stoic, practical mother, had decided to become a Wiccan. Sarah felt a peculiar fluttering in her chest, a nervous energy that made it difficult to sit still. She fidgeted with the napkin on the table, folding and refolding it into increasingly complex shapes.

The air in the room felt thick, heavy. She found herself staring at the ornate chandelier, its crystals glinting in the light. She suddenly felt an overpowering desire to escape, to be anywhere else.

"Are you... are you serious, Mom?" she asked, her voice tight, the words barely escaping her lips. It was a stupid question, she realized immediately, but she couldn't seem to form anything coherent.