Abel called the name of I, his dear sister, and joined me on the rock in front of the river. And he breathed in the warm air and said, “I hope the Lord God will be pleased on this day. The sheep have dined lavishly on Cain’s provisions and the cows have engorged themselves on the luscious grasses. I can only hope that our combined efforts will be enough to show our pure love to The Great Lord God.” And Abel smiled and looked upon me with loving eyes.

“I hope so too, brother.” I said. “Maybe we would finally be allowed our union.” And the breeze messied my hair, and my dear brother fixed it behind my ear.

“Such a thing still comes to me in the night. I see you standing alongside me as we are pronounced and joined, and start the life we seek of our own.” And he leaned and his lips met the warm flesh of my forehead. “But I feel as if the Lord gave us the capability to be patient for a reason, beautiful Aclima. We must learn from the failures before us and serve God to perfection. Then, we will never need to long for anything.”

I put my head onto the lap of the man I was promised. “I will serve you as faithfully as a wife can, Abel.”

“That I know.”

“You shall never want for anything that I am able to give.”

“I never held that doubt.”

“We shall live a fruitful, righteous and honorable life.”

“Of course we will, Aclima.”

“We will make up for the sins of our parents and reignite Lord God’s trust in our blood.”

And Abel looked away, to the clear river that flowed and said, “A broken stick cannot once again become whole. A lock of shedded hair cannot once again hang from your head. But new trees can grow, and will bear new sticks. New hair will grow, and hang from where that lock once lived.”

And Abel and I would sit for long bouts of time while our parents would deem us fruitless.

‘Every moment spent in idle action is a moment not dedicated to The Lord God, You two fail to possess Cain’s proclivity of hard work.’

And Abel was belittled for his choice of easier work.

Yet Cain was praised for his choice of harder work.

And Abel eventually went back to the livestock to prepare the eldest livestock for tomorrow's offering.

I went to check on Cain. And I could hear his shouts of effort as I crested the hill.

“Brother,” I said from the shade of an apple tree as he worked. “You must give yourself some leniency. You work until your sweat soils your robe dark and the flesh of your hands give way to your blood beneath.”

And so Cain struck his hoe into the soil again and again. And On the third lift of the tool, a speck of blood flew from his hand and into the dirt.

And I said, “You shall work yourself into the soil you keep. Must you really till until you are no longer able to?”

And Cain’s hair soared as he turned his head, and he threw his weathered hoe into the rich soil he tread upon from wake until slumber.

And Cain said, “Your words mean no harm, childish Aclima, yet the words of the woman before you are the reason we must know words such as harm. Woman’s truth betrays your intent. Our labour is our servitude to The Lord.”

And I said, “My every moment is not spent in labour, but my every moment is spent loving The Lord with my whole heart.”

And Cain turned away, and began to till. And he tilled until dusk, until dark, until dawn. And his body dampened as he harvested until sunrise.

And so it was the next day when The Lord God would visit for his offering, and Abel and Cain and I and Mother And Father gathered around.

The presence of love and almightiness and wonder and world graced us. And so Abel presented his fat sheep and enlarged cows, eldest of the bunch and largest of them all. And he sliced their throats and the blood enriched the already moist soil below.

And God acknowledged Abel.

And so Cain emptied his basket of grain and fruit. And the spoils of the soil fell back to the ground. And God did not look upon him.

And so Cain’s face fell in the presence of The Lord God. And The Lord God asked him, “Why are you so angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.”

And when the almighty lord left, Cain spoke to Abel and they walked alone to Cain’s field of grain and barley and grapes and trees. And I followed.

The Lord is almighty and great and feared.

O’Lord, my heart is yours to hear.

O’Lord I dedicate every beat to you

O’Lord, I know not the reasons of what you do,

But O’Lord how it skipped as Cain hunched and reared

And down came the rock that would strip me of the man to whom I was sweared.

And the wicked one stood aside as life left Abel,

And with evil beside me I fell, to stand I was no longer able.

And through his pain, The Lord allowed Abel one last breath,

A breath used to wish me the best.

And the river we would watch ran from my eyes.

And the warmth from his kiss now leaked onto my thighs

And his lips blued as his eyes closed

And off Cain ran, away from the grain and barley and grapes and trees

And alone I was left, trembling and shaking on my knees.

And so the righteous and God Fearing Abel died at my feet,

O’Lord, why must man disobey?

If it were up to me they would listen and love.

But I am unable to understand the will of God

And so with clouded eyes and red hands I left my mortal love,

And with a heart empty, I filled it with love

For God is great and Good

And despite the man’s sins, my feet followed the steps of Cain.

And despite the death of my Abel I felt my heart swell with love

And the love swelled for The Lord God

And though I thought myself Unable

And despite his wickedness and his pride

My love swelled even greater for Cain

The wicked killer was my brother.

O’Lord, I pitied him as you banished him away

O’Lord, am I a sinner for the way my heart beats?

O’Lord, have I betrayed you for this feeling inside?

O’Lord, what kind of woman am I?

For wanting in my heart to follow dear Cain.

Instead of staying for you, through my grief and pain.

And how Cain wept into my shoulder as we journeyed to Nod.

And how I comforted him despite what he had done.

And time passed, and Cain knew me well, and I mothered our son. And despite Cain’s curse, we settled in Nod. And Cain no longer could till the fields, for his hands would bleed if they gripped tools, and the soil would harden at his touch.

And soon the soil would harden as my feet touched it, and Cain bellowed a desperate plea to The Lord God to spare me his fate.

“O’Lord! O’Lord! Please take pity on my wife! O’Lord show her your love in full form, and give her a worthy, fruitful life! O’Lord punish me for what I have done, O’Lord she is of good and pure heart, and I have caused her sin!”

And Cain turned to me and beckoned for my leave, Cain pushed me away and I stumbled and fell.

And through the stained glass of our temple I saw the light brighten, and an image of God appeared to me, his almighty hand outstretched. And God was welcoming me back.

And Cain looked at me, and I saw Abel’s cheekbones. And Cain looked at me, and I saw Abel’s eyes. And Cain looked at me, and I saw Abel’s lips. And Cain looked at me, and I saw Abel’s nose. And so I ran to Cain, and hugged him tight. I ran to Cain, and turned my back to the light. And as I held him I heard him cry, and as I held him I felt him hold me back. And as I held him, I felt the warm light through the stained glass grow hotter. And as I held him, I saw the light that beamed past my face redden. And as we held each other, I felt my skin begin to burn, and my blood begin to boil. And as I held him I began to feel hungry, and I felt my breaths begin to slow. And as I held him I stopped breathing. And as I looked into his eyes, I saw conflict. I looked into fearful yet needing eyes. And so I held him as my skin burned, and my blood boiled, and hunger grew, and my breath stopped. And as I held Cain, I felt my vision blur. And as I held him, I saw the walls around us collapse.

And so I held Cain as we both readied ourselves for death.