The Garden

Acceptance

Eden wandered down a path into a wooded area. She had been lost for a while and couldn't remember how she got there or why she was on this path. She never hiked nor went on nature walks, and she lived in the hustle and bustle of the city, so why was she here?

The trees loomed over the path as it became darker and darker. Eden began scrambling for her mobile phone to use the flash light but couldn't find it in her pockets. She began to think she had been kidnapped and left out here to die.

Eden noticed an opening in a small fence. Maybe someone lives here and they can help me, she thought.

She almost stepped through the opening and tripped over a vine. Dirt and soil landed in her mouth and eyes. She repositioned herself on her behind as she rubbed her eyes trying to rid them of the dust, she noticed a man standing in front of her near a part of the fence that had become overgrown with trees.

The mysterious man watched confusion wash over Eden's face. There was an elegance in the way he carried himself. No large movements, in a way, stoic. She noticed beneath his furrowed brow were dark, slightly manic orbs watching her, as if he had been waiting a long time for her or someone like her.

"You... Girl, what is today's date?" He inquired, yanking her from her trance.

She stumbled over her words, "Uh... February 6th?" She guessed, only realizing she wasn't even sure of the date herself.

"Year?" He asked.

"Year?" She retorted but giving him an answer, "2019."

"You're earlier than I expected," he stated mildly puzzled.

"Early? What are you talking about?" she questioned, readying herself to either run or fight.

"Ugh... They said you would know," he mumbled, taking a step towards her into the shade of a willow tree that had grown over the fence. There, he stood momentarily searching for the correct words.

"You know what?" She blurted anxiously and added, "I don't know why I'm even talking to you. I don't know you!" She turned to walk away, but something held her back. A feeling in her gut told her that she shouldn't, and she stumbled backward, falling back down where she had originally fallen. Without turning back around, she asked the mysterious man, "Why am I here?"

Leaves and twigs crunched beneath his feet as he made his way towards her. He softly planted his feet, stopping in front of her, "Why does everyone ask that question? No one truly knows that answer." His eyes darted around, "But at this time, you're here because you accepted death and entered the garden."

He scanned Eden's face, trying to conjure the words he needed. The sound of a stream babbling in the distance momentarily distracted him as he waited for a response from Eden. 'I did kind of drop the bomb on her', he thought, crossing his arms. "You can speak now. It's getting a little awkward."

"I'm kind of trying to grasp the fact that I have accepted death. To my knowledge, I am still alive," she stated, getting up from the ground and started dusting off her clothes.

"That's how it feels," he began as he uncrossed his arms and seated himself on the top rail of the fence. "We don't feel dead, but we show up here to sort our matters with... Whatever Gus is." He waves his hand around at the thought of Gus, then added, "And we wait to see where we go, like we get categorized, or some shit." He nonchalantly began swinging his feet and looked Eden in the eye and sighed, "Some of us get stuck."

The lanky man hopped down from the fence, unable to stay in one spot long, and sauntered over to Eden, "Sweetheart, we seem to be in this together."

"I don't even know you," she hissed, standing her ground. Eden wasn't threatened by him, but she was frightened by the situation. "I am not dead, I can't be!"

"We don't get to choose!" he exclaimed, stomping a foot and causing his voice to crack. He collected himself, "Sorry, we don't get to choose, especially when we are, somehow, connected in a spiritual sense." He cleared his throat, "It's Owen, by the way."

Eden scoffed, "Spiritually connected? I'm leaving." She turned around to walk towards the entrance of the garden, hearing him mumbled something under his breath. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Eden walked towards the entrance, noticing it looked a little different. It was a lot darker and colder than it was before. She kept thinking that wasn't the same path she came in, so she turned around to check for another opening. Then she noticed the vine that tripped her. It was right at her feet, and she tripped as soon as she entered.

Turning towards Owen, who was now seated on the grass picking as his silk scarf, she pointed towards the dark forest, "That's not the way I came in. It-It was bright and colorful... Now, it's dark and cold."

"That happens too. It just disappears and changes," began. "It's a part of the process, Gus says." He paused, trying to stay in control of himself. Owen became overwhelmed by sadness and choked, "I've been here for an extremely long time, Eden. Waiting and waiting." His words tapered off as he glanced around, now playing with blades of grass.

"Gus never categorized you?" Eden asked, starting to wonder how long he has been alone.

"Of course not. Why would I still be here after 121 years?" he muttered, picking a blade of grass and smoothing it between his fingers. "He should be here soon."

"What about being spiritually connected?" Eden asked, stepping towards him. "Or were you trying to frighten me?"

"I'll let Gus explain it. He's the only one who said you were coming," he murmured, picking another blade of grass. "You are early. Gus said 2024."

Eden grew silent and took in the scenery. Nearby, there was a stream softly trickling across rocks leading into a shallow creek bed. The sound calmed her. She tucked her hair behind her ears and braided the ends of it as she followed the tree line and fence with her eyes. 'Has he really been here for 121 years? There's only 2 acres here', she thought.

Not too far away, there was another willow tree that had grown over the fence, engulfing the rails. Next to it, she noticed a shorter man yielding a small satchel, who was making his way towards the pair.

Eden glanced at him, then back at the man, "Is that Gus?"