Trapped in the Garden of Eden

GOD?

EVE

"God?"

"Eve"

"God?" I turn to find Adam I hadn't even realized he wasn't in the tree when I had woken.

"Is he back" Adam asked handing me a piece of fruit. I looked to him unsure.

"It's not from THAT tree" he says and took a bite of his own and starts maneuvering the veins and leaves to create something for the excess fruit. "Well?" he urges

"No, it seems not" I say my voice low and my hope withered. "But he will come back we mustn't lose hope." Adam gave a small smile but continued working on his basket.

I want to speak to him tell him of the monstrous call that I heard that night. To tell him how fearful I was, but my fear was of no use to us now. Now we needed to find God or get out of Eden.

"Thank you," my voice came out mumbled as I chewed the fruit causing drips to spill down my chin. He gave nod, not bothering to look up as he finished up his basket.

"So," he started "what are we doing today?"

The question was so simple, yet so complex. Every day was perfect and joyous, we never had to think what to do next, we always just knew. Now the garden seems to be falling apart and I have no idea what we are to do. Go for a walk like normal? Attempt to fix Eden? Try and find an escape from Eden? Adam has been smart and knowledgeable throughout this mishap so I asked him the same.

"What do you want to do today?"

"Well," he too came to a halt for words, "I'm not sure what we are to do."

We used to play with the animals, plant and pick flowers and veggies. We used to play games climbing up the trees, and running along the stream, swimming in the lake and racing to shore. There were so many options for them but now it seemed as though any of those things were too dangerous.

"I know not what to do, because I'm scared of what's happening to Eden." Adams words broke my thoughts.

ADAM

Her eyes lit up and seemed to grow two sizes and before I could say anything else she ran to my arms, hugging me and crying out. I wrapped my arms around her and wanted to cry as well, but I needed to be brave, I needed to be strong.

"We will go on a hike" I said and she looked up to me releasing me from her grasp.

"A hike?" she questioned, then the confusion was gone "a hike" she repeated straightening up and trying to compose herself.

"Which way?" She asked

I don't know which way will be safer but I act as though I do and point towards the way the light rose from. If we were to find God or the serpent for that matter, that could be a good place to start. Eve nodded once and headed the direction I pointed. She was the brave one.

The light was high in the sky and moving slowly in the opposite direction. I picked the wrong way, if God is in the light then we need to go the other direction but we would never catch up to the light now. We had been walking for what seems like an eternity and none of the animals had come out and all the trees are still standing, the stream still ran, and the light was not yet gone. So it can't be all that bad, maybe Eden needed a reset. A momentary shut down so that when Eden was ready it was be even more beautiful than before.

"We will find him, wont we?" Eve asked pausing to look at me.

I don't know, but I hope so. I don't know what's happening or where we are going, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know but instead I say "yes, of course Eve, we will find him." That seemed to make her happy because she picked up her pace and had a hop to her step as well.

Please don't make me untruthful, liar, the word came to mind, please don't make me a liar to Eve, please come back.

The light continued to disappear and the sky became darker again. I didn't realize it had been so long, we were so comfortable together, so happy anyone would have thought that we weren't scared and alone. I looked around hoping for a spot to sit for the night, knowing we were nowhere near the end of our hike, but knowing it would be dangerous to walk amongst the shadows.

My throat was dry a long while ago and my stomach ached for more than fruit, the pain in my feet was hurting so badly I thought I might have to remove them, for the pain was too much. I hadn't realized I had stopped walking, until Eve turned and walked back to me.

"Adam?" She said trying to meet my eyes. Her green eyes had flecks of grey and yellow that I hadn't noticed before. Her eyes were so interesting; I wondered what my eyes looked like as well. Maybe my eyes were like hers, maybe mine were different.

I had never thought about colors, and beauty, not about Eve like this. She is my friend but so were the animals, will we turn against one another as well? The fear of losing her and being alone in this darken world became deathening.

"Eve," I said "don't leave me."

EVE

He looked at me as if he was looking into my soul, his eyes met mine and it's like he was hypnotized by something in me. "Adam" I say again but he is silent and transfixed. I let him look for I fear he is breaking down and I might lose him as I lost the animals. But then he breaks his silence

"Don't leave me" he says and I'm taken aback and I think it is a ridiculous statement. Why would I leave him, he's my friend, my best friend.

"I will never leave you..." I say and think to Gods words, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you' if God once told us he would never leave us was he being untruthful? Was that something he said to make us calm until he left, until he found someone or something better.

Adam let out a breath and gave my arm a squeeze it was a simple gesture but it felt warming, it felt like protection. I look down to my feet unsure of this feeling. I look to both our feet, he looks in pain and I see blood wrapped around his feet little claw marks. I sit right where we stand and pull my foot up to see my feet are just as beaten as his. I flick off the pebbles and sticks that have caught my feet and Adam sits to do the same. My leaves are crooked and I need something more than leaves to cover me, I don't want to be seen, and I don't want to be cold. I wrap my arms around myself and look to the sky. Come back I think over and over once again.

There is nothing that I remember of Eden anymore. All recollection of this once beautiful place is now jumbled and shaken. I hear a growl and see Meredith come forth her fur is mangled and blood drips from her fangs. She is no longer the beautiful lion that would keep us warm at night, she is deadly and-

"Eve, we need to go" Adam said and pulled me to my feet and slowly pulls me backwards away from Meredith but she only continues forward, ambition piercing her yellow eyes.

He continues to pull me backward and then behind him. He leans to grab a rock, it's sharp and long, but it won't be much protection against her claws and teeth. Then within a flash Meredith pounced and if I wasn't there to witness it for myself, I would have never believed that anything so beautiful could be this treacherous.

"Adam," my eyes swell up and blood is splattered over us, my voice is horse and scared I can barely get it out, "what's happened?"