#dunno why

•Simon's mother came to Eden and the commune when she was around 5-6 months pregnant with him. His father was never in the picture, and his mother was scared and desperate for any place to go where she could safely give birth and raise Simon.

•Eden and The Father welcomed her with open arms, offered her a place to stay, and with nowhere else to go she took them up on their offer.

•At first things were...normal.

•Simon's mother was never particularly religious, and while she never actually converted to Eden's brand of religion, she went along to sermons and church services and participated in holidays and celebrations and rituals. She was being allowed to stay here for free, so it seemed only right to her to follow along with Eden's customs and daily life.

•the people in Eden were so excited when Simon was born, and when The Father asked to baptize him his mother was...she was hesitant, but ultimately agreed. She didn't see the harm in it.

•Simon was baptized in the creek that flows right beside The Last Tree (foreshadowing is a literary device in which--)

•things were still normal after that, but it didn't last very long

•once Simon started waking, The Father would take him for hours at a time, and Simon's mother wasn't allowed to go with them

•the people of Eden, who had once been so welcoming towards her, started to grow cold and distant. Not with Simon, no. Everyone adored Simon. But his mother was starting to become an annoyance. Another mouth to feed, as The Father would say, in a commune that was already lacking in food.

•The Father kept taking Simon away from her for longer and longer stretches of time until she barely saw him at all. She knew it wasn't right, that something was wrong, but she didn't know what to do. She didn't have the means to leave. The Father had made sure of that.

•she learns over the years more about The Last Tree. How it's cared for and fertilized. She sees the bodies. She knows not just anyone can butcher them. She knows only those The Father deems as pure and good can touch the soil of the tree. She knows this. She knows all of this. But she still can't leave. God knows she wants to. God knows she wants to take Simon and run, but she can't. She has no money. No identification. No means to make it on her own. No nothing. But she's willing to ignore it. Because there's food here. She had a roof over her head. She can keep Simon safe and healthy and alive here. That's all that matters to her.

•it was not until Simon came home to her one night, his hands covered blood, that his mother realized what was happening.

•she knew she couldn't provide for her son. It broke her heart, but she knew that.

•still, she bundles him in her arms and runs, consequences be damned, and sings him one last song before leaving him in the care of a stranger.

•she only hopes that one day Simon can forgive her, but she wouldn't blame him if he never did.

[BRIGHT COLORS]