Eden

One

THERE’S A PLACE WHERE A LITTLE GIRL WITH DARK BLACK HAIR PLAYS WITH A BUTTERFLY. The beautiful insect lands on the tip of her finger and flutters its rainbow-colored wings. Some of the scales reflect the light, giving it a magical glow. The little girl smiles. Then the butterfly flutters away.

The little girl is saddened as she watches the insect hover over the garden. Slowly, the existential dread that is the girl’s life, slowly lifts over her head as a metaphorical rain cloud that she so desperately wishes to be out from under.

This dread spreads like a virus, the grass she had been sitting in, turned black. Flowers nearby began wilting! The little girl gasps. She spent too much time watching the butterfly flutter upon her finger! How could she be so reckless!?

She rushed to the well, her white frilly dress spreading behind her, much like the wings of the butterfly she’d been admiring. How she wished that moment could last forever. She threw the bucket down into the dark well and began reeling it back up, heavy with liquid. The Waters of Life felt just as heavy as regular water, but she didn’t want to believe that now, as she heaved with all her might to get the bucket up over the lip of the well.

She rushed, trying her best not to spill the green, nearly glowing liquid, in the wrong spot. Life Water upon something growing healthily could cause the garden to become overgrown with that plant. She needed to be ever so careful! She made it to the blackening spot and poured the water without abandon.

She stood for a moment with the empty bucket, to catch her breath. She watched as the black dying blades of grass and flowers started to grown green and anew! She smiled after the chill of panic crawled up her spine and away. Another moment saved. An eternity to go.

The girl often wondered what would happen she didn’t use the Water of Life. What would happen if she’d just fallen asleep an never woke up? She hadn’t slept in years, though nothing showed on her face. The woman in the white robes had told her to keep the plants alive. Gosh! That had been so many years ago. “It’s a punishment!” Adam as said. “For eating that apple.”

The little girl wasn’t supposed to eat anything in the garden. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she ate. She grumbled to herself — or maybe it was to her only constant companion — a black snake that was coiled around her neck like a necklace. “I’m sorry Lucy,” she cooed. It was the only thing she ever said aloud. And she was sorry! All those years ago, she’d blamed the snake for telling her to eat the apple, when really, Adam had cut the apple into pieces while she was asleep to see what would happen. They’d both been told they could never eat anything in the garden.

She cringed at the thought of Adam. He left the garden soon after she’d ate the apple. She saw him once, years later, he appeared through the archway. But he was different! He was grown, not the same size as the little girl anymore. Though she knew, instinctively, who he was. She had been overcome with anger and hissed towards him, Lucy mimicking her. He did not stay long, though he spoke at her. She didn’t understand any of the words. She hadn’t spoken in so long, except for her apology, that she didn’t know words anymore. She didn’t even remember her name.

Forever awake. Forever hungry. Forever tending this stupid garden!

She sat upon a rock, trying to lure the butterfly to her finger again. Calamity hit in the far corner. A tree growing black and caving in on itself like it had been burnt to ash without the heat or fire! The little girl looked up at the tree. Sweat formed on her brows. That same nervousness. That same dread! Her muscles almost moved of their own accord. They wanted to take her towards the well. Her arms were coiling, preparing for the hoisting of the heavy bucket up from the dark depths. But the little girl sat — her attention intent on the butterfly.

<So many years,> she thought.

Why had she done this for so many years? Plants would die — and she would save them with the Water of

Life. Thick ripe fruits would grow over the summers. She’d shiver through the winter — but there were plants to tend to even then, even with snow on the ground! Why did she feel so responsible!? Was there ever going to be someone to come relieve her? Surely she couldn’t perform this job for all eternity! Though it had already felt like an eternity.

And that’s why, as the tree fell to a pile of black ash, that the little girl just sat and watched. Fear crawled up her throat — and she wanted to throw up, but she didn’t. She didn’t because, in that moment, as the blackness started to creep towards the rose bushes — the butterfly landed on her finger.

Two

THE EARTH LOOKED SO BRIGHT FROM SPACE. All of its water reflecting light. The astronauts floated passed their windows, as they did a thousand other times. They’ve seen the view. The initial wonder of seeing earth from outer space, had worn off some time ago.

But this time, Rebeckha stopped. She gripped her gloved hands onto the windowsill. She couldn’t believe her eyes! Something black was consuming the planet! It appeared to be coming from the Middle East and moving west! “Abraham!” She cried.

Her partner — and perhaps something more — floated towards her. “What’s wrong?” He stopped himself at the windowsill too — and gasped. “Oh my God!” He breathed. He was fumbling for his communicator.

“Houston!” Rebeckha was faster. “Houston!” She cried more desperately — but she already knew the truth. She knew she wasn’t going to get an answer. “They aren’t answering!” She said, frantic.

“Houston! We have a problem! Houston!” Abraham shouted into his own communicator.

They both watched on in horror as the earth was consumed by black. And then it just seemed to crumble like ash. One moment it had spherical form — then it didn’t. The black cloud, that moments ago was earth, seemed to just sit suspended in space for a moment. Then is gathered into a tight ball, like it was taking a breath. Then it exploded! The blackness clearly had substance. It blasted out, shaping like the rings of Saturn!

And whatever these particles were made of, were coming straight for Rebeckha and Abraham’s space station. There was no telling what the particles would do to them. And did it matter? There was no home to go back to.

“Brace for impact!” Abraham shouted.