The End of Eden

III

I woke up to someone knocking on my door. I had only slept for a few hours, but the drool on the pillow was indicative of how deep of a sleep I really had. The knock sounded again, and I sat up, straightening my clothes and hair. I had at least kicked off my shoes, and padded to the front door.

"Hi Ellaria!" Annabelle said, her voice high pitched, and grating on my frayed nerves. "Did you have a nice nap? I went back into our garden after I left you here, we have a huge garden here, this place is 800 acres-"

She abruptly stopped talking, and I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Sorry, I didn't give you a space to talk," Annabelle says, and I wave my hand.

"You're fine, I promise," I say. "Let me just put on my shoes." I leave the door open and return to the room I slept in, and slip my sneakers on, and then pull up my hair into a bun as I walk back to the door.

"I didn't get a key," I comment, as we step out through the door, and into the cool evening air.

"Oh, we don't have much use for keys here, but the doors lock from the inside for your own privacy. The commune is very safe, nothing bad ever happens here," she says, guiding me along the path. Her clothes, pale shades of pink and cream, and flowy, and I feel out of place in my leggings and three times too big t-shirt.

"Do you guys have a uniform or something?" I ask. I don't mean it to be rude, but it comes out that way anyways.

Annabelle turns and smiles. "If you stay here long enough, you end up getting clothes. We are pretty self contained, making all our clothes here, medicines, food, things like that."

I nod, and we step up to an open air dining hall, filled with people already dishing out food onto plates and then passing it along. Annabelle points me to one table, and I take a seat next to her. She immediately begins chattering, stealing the show from everyone, but I am too focused on the food to pay attention to her.

There are so many vegetables and fruits that I feel like I am in vegan heaven, until I spy the mashed potatoes and chicken passed on after it. Annabelle heaps food onto my plate in front of me, and I thank her before picking up my fork to stab my food.

A hand stops my fork, and it's Annabelle looking at me. "Vessel has to praise Sleep and give an offering," she said, smiling kindly.

"Uh, okay, fine," I say, setting down the fork. I turn my head all around and notice not a single person has begun eating yet. There is one other person in outsiders clothes, and he wears a T-shirt and jeans, and his eyes meet mine. I nod once, and then a hush falls over the dining room.

I turn to find four figures stepping into the area, and my hands go sweaty in my lap. The one in the front has the same exact mask that I saw in my dreams. The blood rushes in my ears as I take him in. He wears a robe thats open to display black body paint covering his entire torso, over his abs down to his trousers.

The other three figures are all clad in black, each wearing a black face mask with the weird design in white on their faces. They have black pants on, with long sleeve tunics on, and when they turn around, the same emblem is on their backs.

The one in the white mask steps up onto a dais, where a bowl sits on a pedestal, and he turns to face everyone.

"My family, my friends," he said, and his accent is so lovely, I forget that I'm there because strange dreams have lead me here. "Praise Sleep, and all he offers us. I make this offering in return to him."

He takes a bundle of poppies from the pedestal and tucks them into a bowl, and one of the other masked figures approaches with a torch. The flame is tipped into the bowl, and the poppies ignite in a fragrant smoke.

"My family, we have two new friends joining us," he said, and my stomach flopped. He pointed to the other outsider. "This is Jonah."

And then he pointed to me, all eyes shifting to focus on me. "And this is Ellaria, who has seen Sleep himself."

The rushing in my ears is back, and I turn my head to my lap, my hands clasped together there, the blood rising up in my face. I can feel eyes on me, know people are whispering, and I feel sick to my stomach. Annabelle gently touches my hand under the table, a slight squeeze that brings me back to the table.

"Let us consume," the masked man finishes, before bowing, then stepping from the dais. He and his three black clad buddies follow out into the dusk.

The commotion of eating and chattering fills the air, and Annabelle's hand slips from mine, only to return a few moments later. I stare at my plate, my stomach roiling, my hunger gone.

Annabelle doesn't ask me about what the man said. They only carry on conversation about God knows what, but her hand stays tucked into mine, squeezing every so often.

Eventually, Annabelle leans over to me. "Did you want to try a fresh roll? Serra makes them daily, and drizzles honey onto them." I want to smile and say no thanks, but I don't, and she puts a roll in front of me.

My stomach growls, and my hunger wins. I pull one hand from hers to pick at the roll. It was delicious, the honey sweet on my lips, and then I pluck up my fork to clean my plate. Every bite was as good as the last, the fruit salad sweet, the chicken moist and flavorful, the salad crunchy.

When everyone finishes up, we all carry our plates and silverware to a trough for someone to carry off, and I startle when Annabelle shoved her arm through mine.

"I didn't know you were visited by Sleep when you rested," she said, smiling at people and waving as she ushers us into a circular courtyard where people settle onto the ground in groups to visit with one another. I have to do a double take, because there is a couple obviously making out in the torch light.

I avert my eyes, and look aside to Annabelle. "I would prefer to not talk about it," I replied. "The dreams are very unsettling, and I don't like them."

"But it's an honor to be visited by Sleep," she said, stopping by a group of people, who turn their heads up to me in awe. "Everyone, this is Ell-"

But I don't listen. I walk away. I can hear them yelling to wait, and to come back and have a seat, but I don't want to talk to anyone about my creepy dreams that led to to this weird commune cult thing.

It takes me nearly an hour to find the room that I have been given, but before I can throw open the door, a voice stops me.

"Tired again?" It was Serra.

"Uh, yeah," I lie, my hand on the doorknob, I turn to face her. She's a few feet away, her flowy clothes glowing in the setting sun. "Thanks."

She smiles kindly, and nods. "Vessel has mentioned he would like to meet with you tomorrow around midday. He is very interested in what you have seen in your dreams while you rest."

I twist my lips up. I don't want to be standoffish, especially if he is the leader of this... commune. But I also didn't want to talk about my dreams with anyone, let alone a stranger. But I only nod. Surely I can dodge out of it.

"Yeah, that's fine."

She nods again. "Well, if you need any help at all Annabelle is just there, and she would be more than happy to take care of you. Goodnight, Ellaria."

I wave awkwardly, and Serra turns away and walks back towards the courtyard. I watch her retreating form until it rounds a corner, and then let myself back into my room.

I'm back in the bed feeling jittery and anxious, thinking about how strange some of the people here acted, and how they talked. Everyone was so cheerful and nice, but it didn't seem fake, like they were happy to be in a commune like this.

My eyes heavy from the jet lag, I shut the lights off, praying that I wouldn't receive any dreams that night.