My son asked how babies are made. I told him the truth.

‘It’s not the right time yet, sweetie.’ Mom answered. She pulled away and went back to making dinner.<br><br>‘But why?’ He kept asking. ‘How do babies get in there? How are you going to get it out?’ I watched as my wife’s eyes locked onto mine. She tilted her head, just slightly. I saw pain in her eyes, and resignation to the fact if anyone would answer our son’s questions, it would be me.<br><br>‘How were you made?’ I asked. I feigned ignorance at his confusion. ‘You know; you, you’re a person, you’re here. How did you get here?’ He tilted his head at my question. It was a combination of innocence and confusion. My wife’s eyes widened slightly, I took that as my cue to stop.<br><br>I hated this. I hated this more than anything. ‘It isn’t your fault.’ My wife told me. She told me this everyday. She was wrong.<br><br>I loved my son more than I could love another person. I wanted him more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in life. He shouldn’t exist. Neither should I.<br><br>“You know how Mommy and Daddy have a bedroom, where we sleep together?” He nodded. “Well, in order to make a baby, Mommy and Daddy need to do a special hug with our bodies. It’s called making love, or having sex.” I heard his mother’s head whip towards me in the kitchen.<br><br>I continued to answer my son’s questions. He asked how we had sex. I answered as honestly as I could. His mom had stopped preparing dinner. She was staring over at us, tears in her eyes. She knew what we were doing was right, but she didn’t want to do it. She didn’t want to taint the image of our relationship with our son. I didn’t care; I never cared. It was the least I could do.<br><br>I told him how I would put my penis inside of his mother’s vagina. That it was connected to sperms, which would help create the baby. Then I said that when you finish having sex, if you’re lucky, the sperms will connect to the mommy’s egg and create a baby.<br><br>He stopped asking questions after that. I think the subject was too complicated for him to understand. It didn’t matter. I had told him enough. I had done my job as a father. I stood up and walked into the kitchen. I don’t think I’d ever seen my wife cry so much.<br><br>“You did it.” She said, wailing. I hugged her tight, kissed her and told her I loved her. I then walked back into the living room, to our son. “I love you.” I said.<br><br>“I love you too, Daddy.” He replied.<br><br>I hugged him, and kissed him. I stood up, and walked away from the only two people I had ever loved.<br><br>I drove to the nearest park. I parked my car, got out, and walked into the woods. I knew where I was going. I walked almost aimlessly, not paying attention to my surroundings. I had been here before. I knew exactly where I was headed.<br><br>After what felt like hours, I saw it. A light. That’s what it was; a light. It was blinding. It was beautiful. It was my destination. I walked towards it, as I had done every time before this. I was ready. I was ready to go home, and to die.<br><br>I was born in what I consider to be a utopian society. I was born in what my people called an Eden. I was not brought into the world as most babies. I wasn’t born from my mother, and I had a father. I had two. I was born in the lab of my home. I was a clone. I wasn’t alone. I was born with a total of eight siblings. Five boys, including myself, and three girls.<br><br>The first Edens created by humans were created as an attempt to create a perfect society. The results were sloppy. They were overpopulated. Their inhabitants were lazy. The inhabitants were obese and gluttonous. They abused their resources. The first Edens were a failure. The first inhabitants of the first Edens were put down. The Edens were left abandoned. The humans ascertained that the problems lay within their own DNA. They were too reckless with their own destiny to be given the chance to try again.<br><br>Nothing much is known about the humans, or what happened to their people. The only thing we know for sure is that they’re gone. The only thing they left us were the Edens. They were factories for their attempts at creating life. They were preserves for life unlike any other. The humans had perfect societies in the Edens. They had created worlds where animals could thrive without having to fear the humans. They had created these wonderful places, and left them for us to enjoy.<br><br>My particular Eden, Elysium, was created using the DNA of various animals. We were made as hybrids. We were created as the perfect people. My mother had the DNA of a brown bear. My father had the DNA of a wolf. We were the people of Elysium because of our parents. We were given their DNA, combined in various ways. I was given the DNA of a wolf. My sister, Eve, was given that of a badger. My brother, Jordon, was given that of a coyote. Seven of us were given the DNA of carnivores. One was given that of a deer.<br><br>That was the first mistake. Adam, her name was Adam. She was given the DNA of a deer. She was the prettiest of us, the kindest, the most innocent. She was weak. She was a herbivore. We didn’t understand it. We didn’t understand why she was so different. We didn’t understand why she couldn’t run as fast. Why she couldn’t jump as high. Why she couldn’t lift as much. She was weaker than us. We were faster, stronger, capable of more. She was useless in our eyes.<br><br>That was the first mistake.<br><br>“There is an issue with the inhabitants of Elysium. Subject A; who possesses the DNA of a deer, is deemed weak. She is weaker than the subjects who possess the DNA of carnivores. She cannot perform tasks with the same efficiency. She often wanders away from the group. She spends most of her time away from the other subjects. We will take another attempt at a herbivore. Subject A will be put down.”<br><br>“Subject B; who possesses the DNA of a deer, is more sociable than Subject A. She interacts more with the carnivores. More than Subject A. She is still weaker than other subjects. Subject B is set to be put down.”<br><br>“Subject C; who possesses the DNA of a deer, is as sociable as Subject B. She is still weaker than other subjects. Subject C has begun to show fear towards the carnivores. She is afraid of the other subjects. She has distanced herself from them. Subject C is set to be put down.”<br><br>“Subject D; who possesses the DNA of a deer, is not sociable. She is afraid of the carnivores. She is weaker than other subjects. Subject D is set to be put down.”<br><br>I was the first to interact with Subject D. She didn’t talk much. She didn’t say much when I approached her. I gave her a flower. She said thank you, and walked away. I followed her. She went to a cave. She went inside. I followed her. I saw Subject D eating. I saw Subject D eating meat. I saw Subject D eating Subject E; who possessed the DNA of a raccoon. She would often bully Subject E. Subject D was eating Subject E. I watched. I watched as she ate Subject E. Then I realized. I realized that Subject D was the only subject who possessed the DNA of a carnivore.<br><br>She was also afraid of us. She didn’t know I had seen her. So she acted afraid when I approached her. I would spend more and more time with Subject D. She was the only one who possessed the DNA of a carnivore like me, who didn’t hate me. Subject D was the only one who was like me. She possessed the DNA of a wolf. My father had possessed the DNA of a wolf. I asked her why she was so afraid. She said she had seen what we had done to Subject C. Subject D was right to be afraid.<br><br>Subject E possessed the DNA of a badger. Subject E was a bully. Subject E was mean. Subject F possessed the DNA of a raccoon. He was lazy. He was a thief. Subject F possessed the DNA of a raccoon. Subject G possessed the DNA of a bear. Subject G was violent. She possessed the DNA of a bear. Subject H possessed the DNA of a coyote. Subject H possessed the DNA of a coyote. Subject C was a threat. Subject C possessed the DNA of a deer. She was weaker. She was weaker and useless. Subject C possessed the DNA of a deer. Subject C was a threat. Subject C was put down.<br><br>Subject D was afraid of us. She saw what we had done. She saw what the humans had called “giving her freedom,” but Subject H and Subject I called “making her a member of our family.” Subject C was afraid. Subject D was afraid. Subject D possessed the DNA of a carnivore. Subject D possessed the DNA of a wolf. Subject D was my girlfriend. Subject D possessed the DNA of a wolf.<br><br>Subject D and I were happy. Subject D and I were a happy couple. Subject D was happy. Subject D was happy with me. Subject D possessed the DNA of a wolf. Subject J possessed the DNA of