The Seed of Hope

The Walk of Blood and Flowers

Sometime later

Somehow I was still alive, and with my family. I was now well enough to walk so I was put on 'the pilgrimage' which was a long journey through the Henbane River on a trail of moonflower petals and bloodshed that I had to walk barefoot. Faith was the one who had helped me heal with the assistance of Jacob's trials which always got adrenaline pumping through my veins not to mention the beautiful song hat played through my head when I killed the traitors. I stepped over an antler then a dead peggie, I felt so at peace here in the wilderness, nothing could disturb or distract my satisfaction. I'd walked through gunfire and massacres, even animals mauling each other and I'd wait til they moved on then step over the dead loser. Faith had said the bliss helped me remember and I would go back in when I had finished the pilgrimage, the white dress displayed 'Wrath' predominately across my chest, normally I wasn't one for a flower crown but it just made everything seem more ethereal so why not? At first I saw what the locals meant about the cult but they just don't understand how desperate we are to save them all, our methods maybe a little 'eccentric' but we are running out of time and they resist our open arms with such 'unnecessary' and 'unexpected' force when there's a clock ticking.

But now I understand both sides of the same coin, I've played a part in both but I recently was notified that Newt had reached the whitetails and had joined them, he would be safe for now, and once he changes his mind about Eden's gate, we can be together again but until then, we have to go our separate ways. As much as it breaks my heart to be on a different side to Newt, it's what's best for us. I breathed in the sweet air as I strolled past a crop of moonflowers, this is who I am now. I'm less violent and more full of life, and I could see things clearly now but I just wished Newt could and would sooner so I wouldn't be alone in this. Part of me hates him for handing me over to the cult and not killing me there and then, the other part feels like I belong here, to eden's gate, to the bliss.

I read the stone cross on the floor and smiled "after seven years. The gates are opened to a changed world and the father's chosen inherit our new garden" I beamed up at the statue and skipped up the steps with my dress blowing in the breeze. As I was on my way into the base of the statue, a load of peggies cheered and kept saying 'Sister Hope has returned' I smiled and waved the climbed the steps, the cold stairs didn't bother my high spirits, soon enough I heard faith's voice in my head saying what she had when I started this journey "the path to Eden is clear to those who have faith" I climbed a ladder after ladder "you must have faith, let go". There I stood on the top of the statue and climbing onto the book of the father "let your faith be your guide. Leap. Accept the word of the father into your heart" I turned around and took a deep breath then let myself fall "I will give you purpose, I will set you free" I did it backwards because I wasn't a big fan of falling towards to grounds face first and seeing my death hurdling towards me "do you feel different? Do you feel alive? The first step is always the scariest. But we all have faith in you" yea no kidding it was scary! Jumping off a cliff and then blacking out? No that's not scary at all. Not one bit.

I woke up in the bliss with faith by my side smiling holding my hand "you did it, you walked the path" I looked down and smiled as I sat up, she gently helped me up "the father is waiting for you" she pulled me along the field excitedly at running speed, I tried to keep my arm attached to the rest of me and not fall over. She slowed down as we came to a circle where the father was giving a sermon to a group of followers, then as Faith left my side, he turned to me gently taking my hands into his own "you've accepted us into your heart, you see what others don't, you believe the collapse is coming, and you want to protect us" I nodded "yes" he led me towards a lake and put his arms out "join us" I stood in front of him nervously, he put his forehead against mine and closed his eyes "there's no need to fear if you believe" that only made me worry more, what if my belief wasn't enough and I died and no one would ever know? I kept on a brave face and let him lay me in the water and closed my eyes putting my trust and life in the hands of my brother.

After a couple minutes he slowly brought me back up and I opened my eyes "can you see now child?" He brushed my hair away from my face "yes father" he let me walk out of the lake and pick a moonflower and smell it inhaling the bliss. I woke up sat on the floor on the stone floor below the book in the middle of the cross, John came forward with a black substance on his fingers and painted something on my forehead, then Jacob handed me a bow with an arrow. I had forgotten that when he told me stories, I told him traditions in the glade. For example, when a glader dies or goes missing and doesn't come back, we would shoot a flaming arrow in the air for all to see then carve out their name into the wall. I lit the arrow in a fire pit and aimed in the air then took a breath and let go firing the flaming shard of stone in the air wishing Newt could do this with me, then he handed me a knife and I carved 'Owl' in the stone behind me knowing that if Newt did see the arrow, this is the place he would come to, to me. John closed his book and smiled "Our family has grown, another soul has been saved from the collapse, another has accepted the word of the father into their heart" they patted me on the back as the rest of the cult held their hands on my shoulder and walked me down the mountain and took me to the Seed Ranch.

I was showed to my room where I changed out of my outfit and washed the cross off my forehead then put on my nightwear.