Mother

Mother?

Yes, child?

Can you tell me what it was like in the Before Times—before the

Lord appeared to us in all His glory?

That is difficult to describe, dear girl, for I scarcely remember the details now. Things were different in the Before Times. People were selfish, sinful, filled in abundance with the desires of the flesh. They were wicked things, stricken with toils which burned within, causing them to abandon the Lord entirely.

What did the Lord see fit to do about it?

Why, child, the Lord transformed His people. He made us in His image.

What image is that, Mother?

One of rage, my dear girl. The Lord is angry, vengeful. He demands that we sacrifice those who have forsaken His Word. This we must do to fulfill the prophecy. We must shed the blood of the unbelievers, cleanse the Earth of the unworthy—for they rightfully deserve the damnation that the Lord has claimed for them.

The Lord has made you a Steward of the Faith, Mother. Is that why your eyes are red, yet mine are yellow?

Your eyes are not yellow, dear girl. The Lord has gifted you with beautiful golden eyes.

But why are they not red like yours?

Before you were born, the Lord chose to enchant me with His wisdom. He distinguishes me from those less wise by giving me red eyes, which signify His wisdom.

Does that mean I am not wise like you?

You were not yet conceived when the Lord appeared to the Congregation. Therefore, you could not have inherited His wisdom as I have. Those who have not seen the Lord so directly as I have cannot possibly understand His mind.

Will I get the chance to meet the Lord? I long to have the red eyes of wisdom.

None can escape the fate the Lord has set forth for them, dear girl. You will meet the Lord in time.

Mother?

Yes, child?

What did the Lord look like?

That is difficult to say. For when I met the Lord, I did not so much see him as I became Him—His thoughts, His emotions, His memories.

I do not understand.

Fret not, child; no one understands this phenomenon completely but the Lord. I can scarcely comprehend it myself, for my memories of His appearance are scattered as shriveled leaves. It was at once the briefest moment in my recollection, and yet, I feel it lingering in my bones now, as if I am still there—as if I never left it at all. When I feel the itch of cold, I am suspended in the coolness of the Lord’s embrace—for in His house it is cool, as from a mountain breeze sweeping past. In that moment, I felt the Lord become me, and I Him.

Can you tell me about the day the Lord imprinted His spirit upon you? As much as you remember?

I will try. I was embraced in the arms of sin at the time, indulging in copious amounts of drink and desires—temptations the Lord had warned me about, but I refused to listen. When the Lord appeared, I didn’t see Him so much as I felt him, all around and within my soul.

What was it like, Mother? To feel His presence?

The air around me began to vibrate, and I felt the vibration within me. At first, I thought I was wrong somehow—like an infected wound beginning to reveal itself. I did not yet understand that this was my ascension into the Lord’s realm. The nearer I drew to Him, the more my vision filled with shimmering, beautiful colors: ochre, burgundy, magenta, turquoise, and all of the spectrum which we cannot fathom in this world. It was He who entered my soul then, making Himself a conduit so He could speak to me more directly.

That is incredible, Mother. What happened upon your arrival?

I was in the Lord’s realm only briefly. It was a place of unbelievable beauty, yet I sensed unsettling disdain emanating from His throne. The Lord told me He was displeased with the human race. He called the unbelievers among us a scourge to be eradicated, a virus to be purged. He demanded blood, penance. He promised we would see the day when His most loyal servants would inherit the Earth, so long as we kept the New Commandments. His fury swept through me then, and I felt what He felt. I grew resentful of the unbelievers among us. I wanted to bring about their demise, as the prophecy says we must. I knew in my heart that this was the only way—and that desire still burns within me like hellfire.

I long to understand this feeling you describe, Mother, and I am sad that I cannot.

Do not let this lack of knowledge disturb you. There are more pressing concerns we must tend to.

But I want to understand.

Gaze into the pond, child. Observe your reflection and appreciate your golden eyes. For the Lord does not make mistakes in His design. He gifted you with the eyes of a student, a collector of knowledge—a warrior in His army. He will not pass you by, nor shall He forsake you—

—so long as I obey His commandments.

Yes, my child.

Mother? What happens if I do not obey? What happens if I am forsaken?

Do you wish to find out, child?

No, Mother.

Then why ask such a question?

I do not know. It was a… a moment of curiosity. Merely an inquiry, in search of wisdom.

A slip of the Devil’s tongue, more like. Does your curiosity wish to question the Lord’s commandments?

No, Mother. That was not my intent. I am sorry.

Ask not my forgiveness but the Lord’s, you foolish girl. And be grateful the Congregation did not overhear your blasphemy.

I ask the Lord’s forgiveness.

The Lord hears you, and requires a demonstration of your faith.

No, Mother, please…

Dare you defy a Steward of the Faith?

No, of course not…

Then remove your garment this instant!

Okay… Okay…

The price of blasphemy is blood—one lash upon your flesh for every New Commandment. You will recite these commandments with every lash, so the Lord may hear the devotion in your quivering voice.

Yes, Mother…

Speak them now, child, and embrace your punishment.

The Lord shall never forsake you, so long as you uphold the New Commandments.

You shall not question the Lord or the New Commandments.

You shall gather an army to slaughter the conjurers of evil, and you shall show them no mercy.

You shall purge the Earth of the wicked to make way for the Lord’s servants.

You shall kill for the Lord.

You shall die for the Lord.

This do in His name, until your dying breath.

You have fulfilled the holy requirements, child. Stop your tears and dry your eyes, for your punishment is complete. You have reached atonement in the Lord’s eyes this day.

Yes, Mother…

Now, do as the Lord commands. Wield your axe. Shed the blood of the wicked. Spare not a single one of those who have turned their backs on the Lord, for none are innocent who do not carry the eyes of wisdom. Do not be swayed by the cries of pain from the evil ones, for this is the Devil’s distraction.

Yes, Mother, yes. I will carry out the will of the Lord this night, and I will not stop until every unbeliever has been cleansed.

This, the Lord demands of you.

This I shall do in the name of the Lord to fulfill His prophecy.

Amen, child.

Amen.