Parable of the Sower

It is the year 2026 now. Keith has returned a few times; now it’s June and he’s back again. He talks to Lauren, telling her that he has a room in a building with some other people. Lauren knows he's not living an honest life. While she makes food for him and their brothers, they discuss the past. They recall the time their father beat Lauren when he caught her in the bushes with someone when they were 12. She asks him about the outside and how he survived when he first went out there. Keith explains that he slept in a box, stole things, used his gun to get money and food, and then hooked up with a group he could help with his skills. He also explains about the “paints,” who shave off their hair and paint their skin colors, take the drug pyro, and burn things. Keith has brought presents for the others, but not for Lauren. She expresses that she doesn’t want anything from him. Then, three weeks later, Keith comes back again and gives her birthday money.

A month after his last visit, Lauren’s parents go downtown to identify Keith’s body. The Reverend explains that they burned the boy’s eyes and skin, the way drug dealers brand people who steal from them or compete with them: “Someone had an endless hatred of my brother” (121).