May 2025

I like to imagine that Jude never really knew Agnes. That she was just a messiah to her, like a god meant to be put on a pedestal. A personification of her beloved power, the destructive force of flame.

How tragic that would be, to be seen and worshipped only as the expectation that was put on you since your very birth. To be loved and worshipped as something you aren’t. The cult only ever saw the potential of Agnes as their messiah. They created a perfect, flawless image of her. She didn’t even get a chance to be human. There was no room for mistakes in her life. She was created to be a tool, something with a purpose. And when a tool can no longer serve its purpose, then it is replaced. She was like an angel, in a way.

No wonder she found joy and solace in such simple things. Sitting down in a coffee shop, in the same place every time. Memorizing her coffee order. I imagine it was like a little ritual to her. A game. Pretending to fit into a plain world.