A farm

There’s a farm in Napa Valley.

No, it’s not a vineyard.

It’s a farm.

They don’t breed cattle there.

Or pigs.

Or chickens.

Or goats.

They breed something else on this farm.

They breed humans.

Women are paid over $500,000 per pregnancy.

Each is implanted with no fewer than three fertilized eggs.

The more babies the better.

The bidding starts before the babies are even born.

Some go to wealthy childless couples.

Some go to genetics labs.

Most go to Los Angeles.

I am a phoenix

I am a phoenix.

I rose from the ashes of another.

I was there for it all and I was born of it all.

From the corpse of a dead flower I awakened and spread my wings.

Ritual begets monsters.

I was there for the decades of sacrifice.

I was there for the drugs.

And the sex.

And the shadowy dealings that they thought were behind closed doors.

I am their worst nightmare.