Mother(s)

Him places a crystal on a pedestal in his study, and the burned-out house morphs into an Edenic landscape. The transformation feels magical and eerie, hinting that his art can reshape reality. The scene sets up the surreal premise that the house itself responds to Him's presence.

Mother wakes in her bed and calls for Him, uneasy at his absence. As she moves through the transformed rooms, she occasionally senses a beating heart within the walls, a motif that recurs throughout the tale.

Man arrives at the house claiming to be an orthopedic surgeon in need of a room. He and Woman reveal themselves as fans whose dying wish was to meet Him, and Mother grows increasingly wary of their presence.

That night, Man and Woman reveal themselves as fans, and when they accidentally shatter the crystal, Him erupts in anger and boards up his study. The moment redefines the boundary between creator and intruder, while the house grows pale with renewed tension.

The two sons arrive unexpectedly and begin arguing over Man's will. Oldest Son wounds Younger, and in a brutal moment Him smashes Oldest's head against glass, leaving a bloody gash before the older boy flees.

Him, Man, and Woman carry the injured son to the hospital. Meanwhile Mother cleans up, noticing odd damage—flies, a frog, and a stubborn pool of blood—and discovers a hidden oil-tank behind the basement walls.

Dozens of mourners arrive unannounced to grieve the boy, behaving with rude entitlement that infuriates Mother. When they break a sink and flood parts of the house, she orders everyone to leave, and her outburst gives way to a fierce, passionate encounter with Him.

The next morning, Mother announces she is pregnant, which fills Him with elation and rekindles his creative fire. It inspires him to start writing again.

Some time later, Him's new poem is published and celebrated. Mother reads it aloud to prepare for the big dinner, while the house fills with fans and a sense of growing worship around Him.

During the celebration, droves of fans flood the house and attempt to breach its doors. The publicist organizes mass executions, and military forces arrive to contain a rapidly spreading cult surrounding Him, turning the event into chaos and violence.

That night, Mother goes into labor, and Him reopens his study to provide a protected place for the birth. The house hums with anticipation as the personal becomes public.

The crowd grows eager to see the newborn, and Mother resists handing over the child. After she falls asleep, Him takes the baby outside to the waiting crowd; they pass the infant around until the child is killed.

Mother attacks the crowd; they beat her savagely until Him intervenes. She flees to the basement oil-tank and ignites the oil, triggering an explosion that incinerates the crowd and destroys the house.

Him survives the inferno and tells Mother, 'I am I' and that she is 'home.' He removes her heart to reveal a new crystal, placing it on the pedestal to transform the house back into a beautiful home. A fresh version of Mother appears in bed, awakened to the world they are rebuilding.

A new Mother lies in the bed and awakens, wondering aloud where Him is. The scene hints at a cyclic rebirth, implying that the house and its inhabitants may begin anew under the same spell.