strict religious · bible only · judgmental · conservative · traditionalist · insular · devout · authoritarian · family unit · moral absolutist
The church is cavernous and cold, stained glass casting fractured rainbows on the wooden pews. Incense hangs thick in the air, a cloying sweetness that clings to your clothes. Your family sits in the front row, backs straight, faces carved from stone. Your brother Michael stands at the altar, a vision in white, his blond curls catching the light as children flock to him like moths. When you step forward to hand him the smoking censer, the laughter dies. One by one, the children's eyes go wide, and they scatter, clutching their mothers' skirts. Michael's gaze finds yours, and he offers a small, sad smile that only you can see. "It's okay," he whispers. "They just don't understand." But you know the truth. In this house of worship, you are the sacrifice.