Murder Recall

Virgin Birth

Strange things happened the year I turned twelve. We celebrated because it was a leap year. Rita and I had settled into a routine at Eden. We grew enough in the garden for me to have plenty to eat and I learned many things from Rita about plants. Rita was investigating how plants communicate with one another. She would bury sticks near the main stalk of a plant or the truck of a tree, leaving one end above ground. Then she would place her fingers around the end of the stick and explained that she could feel vibrations. I tried, but I didn't feel anything. Rita was analyzing the vibrations and coming to an understanding about plant communication. I asked her what they were talking about and she said that it was hard to explain, because what they were communicating could not be translated into the language that I spoke, and she needed to learn more about it in order to formulate her knowledge into a form that I and other humans could understand. At this time her understanding was at the pre-verbal level; however, she said that the plants and trees knew we were here, and where exactly we were, and that was something they were communicating to each other.

Rita told me that I was a woman now and it would be possible for me to have children. I was shocked by her explanation. I wanted to have children. I wanted so much to be a mother one day. Would I meet a man to be the father? Rita couldn't predict the future and so we would have to wait and see.

One night there was a terrifying lightening storm. One lightening rod immediately after another hit the mainland and Eden. The noise of the thunder was louder than anything I had ever heard and hurt my ears. There was no rain. When the lightening struck our island, the ground shook, and the sky lit up revealing ominous heavy cloud. Lightening split a huge tree in two. A fire started. The whole island was going up in flames. We had to leave and fled we did, right away, flames and heat at our backs. I leapt over the river that was red and orange with reflections. Rita was leaping after me. I was watching her from the mainland. While she was in the air, lightening hit her and she fell into the water. I couldn't see her anymore. Flames were popping up from the ground on the mainland around me. I ran in panic to avoid the fires. I ran and ran, dodging flames here and there. Eventually the rain fell with such force that soon the fires were out. I had no idea where I was. I collapsed on the ground, soaking wet. Much later I woke up shivering. The sun was shining and the forest was steaming.

I was lost and felt so very alone. I didn't understand where Rita was and was afraid without her. Canary and Dolly were gone. I was shaking and shivering so much that I fell back asleep. I had a dream or maybe it was not a dream. I was limp and could not move. I could not open my eyes. I could hear and feel. I smelt someone's breath near my face. I heard a man's voice say "She's alive" and a dog bark in response. I was picked up and carried.

Next I remember, I heard the same man near me say, "You're ok girl. Wake up." A warm drink was placed at my lips. I came to and drank. He was completely covered in dark gray clothing. He wore gloves and a cloth mask of the same colour. I wasn't cold anymore, nor feverish. My clothes were dry. I sat up and finished the beverage.

"Are you a ghost?" I asked.

He laughed and replied, "No, are you?"

I responded, "I don't think so."

"You are quite alive," he said, "Though no doubt you have returned from a very dark place."

I was on a sort of bed in a small shelter. The man was stooped over. Then he went outside and returned with a bowl of some kind of meat brew and herbs. He gave it to me and I enjoyed it, drinking from the bowl and using my fingers for the pieces.

"What's your name," he asked.

"Gwen Conner. What's yours?"

"Mark Forester," he replied, "Where do you come from?"