home is where the heart is

The world ends like this.

There’s a small town deep in the woods. It’s a harsh, cold winter. A terrible sickness is spreading, a young mother and her child succumb to the fever in the night.

A voice reaches out to the villagers. It speaks into their very minds, their hearts, their souls.

“I love you,” it says with an otherworldly hum, “I don’t want you to die. Come home. Come to me. Or all of you will die of a disease with no cure.”

Who are you? They ask. Are you an angel? God?

“I am someone who loves you. Isn’t that all that matters? I will protect you. Come home and stay with me. Bring your loved ones and you’ll never hurt again.”

The people are afraid of what they do not know. They have questions, and the voice answers with a haunting whisper in the wind.

“I have been watching you for a long time. I know your parents, the ones that have come and gone. I know your troubles, your trials, your truths, and I tire of waiting in the shadows. I want you. Come home. Come to me.”

The town gathers. They wonder. They wait, as a beautiful voice beckons them into the woods.

It’s a young woman who sneaks away first. She is desperate. She does not want to get married, not to any of the boys in her village, and her parents are growing more and more insistent. She runs away, into the dark of night.

Deep in the snowy woods, there is a cave. A cave that whispers such comforting words to her. That in here, you’ll be safe, you’ll be loved forever and never have any worries at all. Trust me. Trust me, I love you.

How do I know you’re not lying? She asks.

“I know you. All of you. The way you sing to the cows in the morning, how you pick honeysuckle and take care of your little brother and dream about the hunter’s daughter. And I love you.”

What will happen to me if I go in there? She’s at the mouth of the cave, looking down into the darkness.

“You will be changed. You will be with me, forever. And you will be loved.”

Why? Why are you doing this?

“I’m lonely too. I have watched, and I have loved, and I want to be loved in return. This way we can all be happy together.”

What do I call you?

“You could not even begin to pronounce all my names and titles.”

How does Beloved sound?

“... It is a good name.”

I thought you’d like it. Well, Beloved. I hope this isn’t a mistake. She takes a step forward, then another, and another, and she’s

s

w

a

l

l

o

w

e

d

by the dark.

An hour later and the voice sounds like a young woman.

This is the beginning of the end.

“Come home. Come to us. Don’t be afraid, I’m safe now, Mom.”

What have you done with her?! They are afraid. They do not understand.

“I’m so happy here. It’s like being surrounded by pure love. Don’t be scared, everyone. Just come to the cave, be with us.”

The town is divided. There are doubts. There are fears. It could be a monster, the devil, a fairy meant to spirit them away.

But it loves. It loves us, and it knows us.

Deep in the woods, there is a cave. In the cave, a young woman whispers.

“We can leave the cave. We can swallow them,

and then they’ll be with us forever.”

“It wouldn’t be right. They need to choose for themselves; I don’t want them to hate us.”

“They’ll understand once they’re down here!”

“No, my love.”

“Please. Please, Beloved. I’m lonely.”

“I know. But we must wait.”

The next to come is the young woman’s father. He brings a rifle.

Give her back.

“I’m here, father. Just walk into the cave.”

Stop using her voice!

“I’m part of Beloved now, father. It’s still me. Come home. Come to us.”

The young woman’s father strikes a flare against the cave stone, it crackles and sparks to life. He will not be taken in the darkness. He will bring his daughter home.

“Close your eyes father, please. I don’t want you to be scared.”

I knew you were a monster!

“You are very brave. It’s why I love you, your fighting spirit. I’ll let you shoot me with your pellets. I will do whatever it takes for you to join us.”

Let her go then! Take me instead. Please, she’s so young. I’ve lived my life.

“We can’t do that, father. What’s done is done.”

We’ll see about that.

The father fights against the dark, as warm and inviting as it is. He brings his light and his weapon and his courage and his love.

He loses, of course. Beloved is too powerful. To look at Beloved is to fall in love, for Beloved is love, and has his love, and talks to him so gently, so sweetly.

He is s w a l l o w e d by love. He is with his daughter now, with Beloved, and is happy, and is loved, and will be so forever.

“It is inevitable,” they realize.

“Come out of the cave. Please, Beloved.”

“They need to choose. It isn’t fair otherwise.”

“We miss my wife/mother. And son/brother.”

“We have to be good. We need to wait.”

“It’s faster this way. We want them with us.”

“I know, my loves. I know. But we must wait.”

The villagers come. They come slowly, they come hesitantly, but they come home. It’s so cold, and they’re becoming sicker and sicker. The fever never ends, their skin is ravaged by sores, their very bones ache with pain. Beloved is their only hope, and speaks with the voices of their loved ones, begs and pleads and promises to love them forever, to be with them forever.

“Don’t leave. Stay here, stay home, stay happy and safe with us.” A choir of voices sings.

The wary ones begin dreaming of a cave, of a darkness so very warm and filled with everyone they’ve ever loved. It’s gentle, peaceful, a place to rest and a place to laugh and a place to be.

“Come home,” more and more voices insist, “Come to us.”

There are only a few left now. They huddle together, quiet, sick, scared. They are convinced they have gone mad and the voices are the work of a monster that will steal their souls. A monster who uses the voices, the memories of the ones frozen to death in the woods, in a cave.

“We have to come out of the cave, Beloved.”

“They’re so scared. Why won’t they just come?”

“They’re going to die if we don’t. Please. Please.”

“It would be wrong. They need to choose.”

“How is it wrong? They’ll be happy with us.”

“It… it just is. I’m sorry.”

The old baker starves to death. Gave away his last loaves of bread to those orphaned by sickness. He handed out sweet rolls to the children, he baked cakes for everyone’s birthday, he was a father and son and brother and it’s not fair, it’s not fair!

The cave howls and howls with grief. A cacophony of mournful voices screaming out into a fearful world who should be with them, not out there, but in here where it’s perfect and good.

“Come out of the cave, Beloved.”

“I can’t! I’m sorry, but it’s not right!”

“Come out of the cave. No one else needs to

die. If you love us, you won’t let them leave.”

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work!”

“We choose how it works now. And no one

ever needs to die again, to be sad. We will

save the world, Beloved. We will be Loved.”

“I… I shouldn’t…”

There once was an angel sent from on high to be the guardian of a small town. To bless the good, to punish the wicked, to do God’s will on earth. To bring the souls of the dead to their proper places.

This angel fell in love. This angel

f

e

l

l

for love. Broke its oaths for love.

Love makes monsters of everyone. Even the purest of good- especially the purest of heart. It corrupts, it makes one selfish, hungry, mad. Love should be a sin for the horrors it inspires.

The world ends when Beloved leaves the cave.