PROLOGUE - PRIESTESS

Two faces meet in the darkness, each a sliver of silver light leaked from the crease of the closed doors.

"What brings you to Confessions, my child?"

"Mothers are the source of all life. Inside every man, there is a little boy who cries out to be cradled. Inside every mother, there is a desire to hold her son as if he was a babe, and secretly still be his everything."

"Indeed, my daughter. Indeed. I see you too have been brought up well in the Word."

"I have been brought up in the Church, according to its teachings."

"You are one of the faithful, then, my Daughter. It is so good to see that the flock continues to grow. The Church is finally thriving. Praise the Mother!"

"Praise Her Majesty."

"It brings me great joy to know you have walked the Way of the First Mother. Is your faith strong, my child?"

"It is. I hope to become a Mother soon, and sanctified with the birth of a healthy son. He's due in just a few months. The whole Church is brimming with praise. My husband... he was not raised in the Church. Its ways are foreign to him. I am afraid he will reject the teachings."

"This is a difficult situation, my child, but not an impossible one. You must be patient. Many men are reluctant to leave behind the old ways of the patriarchy at first, but with time and guidance, even the hardest heart can open to the truth. The Goddess will lead him to you in time, and you will show him the way to happiness."

"Tell me; how can I best prepare him for the unfolding of our truth and teachings? How can he be a blessed part of this?"

"Do not fear, my Daughter. This is something many of our members have faced. The Goddess reveals to us the way if we are open to receiving it. There is nothing to fear of your truth. The Goddess will watch over you and open your husband's eyes. You will find a way, have faith!"

"I hope he will see the joy in our teachings, and that the poverty he grew up in can be avoided in his son's upbringing."

"Many of our members find happiness and fulfillment in the teachings of the Church. The teachings of the First Mother are powerful, and offer a new way of life that can bring great joy beyond the old ways. Once your husband sees a better way, he will come to appreciate the teachings of the Church and the way of life it offers."

"Thank you, Blessed Mother."

"You are welcome, my Daughter. Be well, spread the Word, and remember the Mother loves you. She smiles on you always."

...

"What brings you to Confessions, my son?"

"I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of The Goddess, Her Majesty."

"The only true sin is to deny yourself, my child. The Goddess smiles when we follow our desires. Tell me your sins, my son."

"I am not yet a Son. I was raised in the Church. But I was never deemed to be a candidate for sanctification. The Elders deemed me... insufficiently motivated."

"This is a shame, my child. The ways of our Church welcome all, regardless of differences between them. All can walk the path of liberation, if they have the will. Was this decision not appealed to the Elders?"

"No. And my meekness was taken as a lack of will."

"The rites cannot be forced. They must be wholly organic, or not at all."

"Yes. While the Church still accepted me and my hesitation and found a role for me, it devastated my mother. She was so eager to fulfill the role the Church had prescribed for her since birth. It broke her heart. I believe it reminded her of my father."

"This is truly a shame, my son. I hope your Mother healed in time and was able to accept the reality. May I ask why you chose to come forward with your story now?"

"She went on a mission trip, three years ago, and hasn't returned as scheduled. I worry for her. I worry she is missing. I worry my mother is dead."

"This is a frightening thought. I am glad that you have felt moved to come forth to share your story today. Our faith thrives on confession and transparency. Holding back our stories, our truths... this burdens us. In hiding something, we invite darkness into our lives. Its cold shroud becomes a tool we in our secrecy are forced to adopt, and worse, adapt to."

"My mother was a devout woman. She refused to cheat the system and induce the rites artificially... not like other mothers who have faced a similar situation... and who go unpunished, you know as well as I do. She suffered for her piety and integrity greatly. I want to find her. I want to know she is OK. I want her to know how much I love and respect her. It has taken me 33 years to understand this. I want her to know she did a good job. I want to bring her back. I want to find her and tell her I love her."

"This is a touching tale. We believe that there is no need to rush this, for the Church is a lifetime devotion. A true tragedy, that your mother would be lost to our holy work. Surely, if she is lost, she has not lost her faith, but is simply experiencing a mere physical trial or hardship. I pray that she will one day return and seek you."

"I have so many regrets. I never spoke of this to her out of timidity. I think I inherited that trait from her; she refused to discuss it also. I was too eager to be an alien in my own home... for the sake of novelty. It took her being stationed halfway around the world and now possibly gone forever for me to summon the courage to admit I was bullheaded... I was too proud. Forgive me."

"This is a shame, my child. But you are forgiven. Our Church is a path of liberation in these ways, for it allows us all to be ourselves. Our faith teaches us not to be swayed by the world's ideas, but to embrace ourselves for what we are. Our faith is a path to true enlightenment and fulfillment. Have you any idea of her location, or possible whereabouts? I will pray for her safe return."

"I was hoping to speak with someone in the Church who is over missions & evangelism. I think if anyone knows where she last was, and has heard from her, it would be them."

"That is a good idea, my son. I will arrange that you speak with someone from that department of the Church. What is your Mother's name?"

"Martha Merriview."

"Thank you, my son. A beautiful, strong name. I will see to having her found and returned to you, so that you can express your true feelings to her. You are loved, my son. The Goddess loves all of her sons. Take comfort in Her benevolence. Is there anything else you would like to bring forth? Anything you have held in, that you wish to confess and release?"

"No. There's no more. I am at the end of both my truth and my wits. Thank you, Priestess."

"Then may the Goddess bless you, my son. And if ever you wish to confess your truths again, the Church of Oedipus stands ready to embrace you, my child."