Eve stared at the tree again.
Rubbed her eyes, and then with trembling fingers reached out and took hold of the fruit.
Had it been like this before?
Had it been…so…?
The skin was shriveled and soft, (covered by black tundra so fine it was like black powder that fell on her skin in alarming patterns of spot and hair,) so that her mere touch made it peel away from the flesh which was almost liquid beneath.
It smelled of something that choked off her breath when it presented itself to the air.
And its juice stained her hand with a smell that would take weeks to remove…Had it been this way before she’d sunk her teeth in it? Had it been like their nakedness? Hidden from her understanding until her eyes were open?
Out of all the fruit in the garden she had desired and chosen that which had the least for her – and she had doomed them all.
The grace that fell to David fell to her. For she would not die – yet. She still had work to do.
She dried her tears on the back of her hand. She would bear children. She laughed even at the thought. It wound through her with a thrill of joy and dread.
…She had seen the way He had looked at her when hed said it. A groan of anguish had pulled Him into the soil at their feet…and..what was this? He wept and as he wept drops of red color fell to the earth!
…wept…first tears shed on earth by God….
She blinked at the brightness of the sun coming again now, through the trees. But even in the silence she could not wipe away the sound of the wail of anguish He had made.
.
She shook her head and stared again at the decaying (-yes, that was the word) fruit in her hand.
While a whole cornicopia had been available shed chosen this… It quickly dried once plucked.
It curled from the edges of the cracked skin and shrank in on itself, until she could crumble it like dirt between her fingers – her palm stained a deep purple grey even as the dust drifted off… She watched the flakes on the wind settle on the ground and shrubs nearbye.
The whole cornicopia…but she had chosen this and so damned the whole planet to the futile attempts of man.
Adam sat unmoved, head in hands nearbye where he had fallen at the Lords statement of pain and curse.
He was still trembling, although from grief, or fear, or hunger now – she had no idea…For the knowledge and the words came to her even as the dull empty pain had come after shed swallowed the fruit…
She remembered the crisp breaking snap as her teeth had entered the fruit…
It had filled her whole mouth with a sharp taste so clear and so sweet and so satisfying that for a second her body responded the way it had to Adam.
She trembled remembering that moment…
And then shed eaten it ravenously, laughing, and as she swallowed its pulpy flesh hunger so fierce and strong seized her and ..shed quickly plucked another and given it to Adam whose face was a mixture of awe and curiosity.
And she saw from his face that at the first bite he too experienced what she had – and she’d reached for another, even as she saw his face change…ravenous.
The word bit into her consciousness even as he devoured the fruit in a way that appauled and shocked her…and…and then.Then pain. And fear. And Him! He was coming now, with the soft breeze and light of the afternoon.
The whole world was as it had been, but no. No! It was not!
With a gasp of horror the pain gripping her in the deep part of her stomach Eve saw as she had not seen.
She saw – and saw that Adam too was seeing.
And horror. Horror.
They must hide.
All of the knowledge was coming and with it horror.
What had they done?!
And then, the groan of God.
A groan she could not erase with all the prayers her tongue could ever form.
The groan that had sent quakes through the whole earth. That had dulled the very colors of the planet.
God had fallen here, near where they still sat. And He had put the dirt on His head. And He had grieved.
Spoken to them, wept, and then ran from the garden. Leaving them to the beauty He’d created for them.
And now they waited. Waited for the peace only He could bring to them.
He would.
He was.
Eve sank to her knees as His soft approach came to her ears.
“Adam, Eve,” His low tender voice came as He appeared and there was the red stuff again. It was in drops on his garments.
He held thin and lifeless beasts in his hand…or…no.
Eve realized. Fur. He held fur. And the realization came to her like the tumbling force of a waterfall.
She felt her throat tighten even as she gasped.
“Here,” He said. And His eyes were sad, but kind. He touched Adams head, it was a carress and Adam looked up with a sob and took the garment.
Eve took hers and slipped it over her bare flesh. It was soft, very soft. And dead.
She looked at Adam, who stood in his garment listlessly inspecting himself.
“Come,” the Lord said. And they followed without question.
He led them out of the garden. His footsteps seemed resolute but forced.
When he stopped it was dusk and the garden lay far behind them.
Eve saw upon looking back that one of the light ones stood at the edges – a flashing sword in its hand.
The Lord turned, and there were tears on His cheeks. “My beloved,” He reached out and cupped their faces in his hands. “oh my beloved. You must make your way from here. You cannot go back.”
Then, with bowed head He turned and led them further out. “Come, i will show you how to make your way.”
“Wait,” Adams voice sounded scared.
“We cant go back? How shall we survive?”
“Come,” the Lord said. “I will show you.”
“But…but the garden!”
“You cannot return to it. It is forbidden to you.” the Lord turned and a look of compassion burned in His eyes.
“Trust me Adam. Trust me, i will go back at the proper time. And i will restore the garden for you. Just trust me. And when you return, you will have access to the tree of life. But for now, you cannot. Or you would forever be banished from my sight.” and at His words Eve shuddered. And she felt Adam besides her shudder likewise.
“Trust me, come.” He said again.
Then they followed the Lord into the desert.
