Ch. 2
The Tree of Good and Evil
Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 NLT
He was born on a day of sunshine and sadness, fashioned out of sin and earth. The third child of God, he is hated for who he is and what he represents. Though millennia have passed, the day is clear in his mind, recalling his birth as though it were yesterday.
Green. The world is awash in it. Everywhere he looks is coated and covered and made of green. It is a beautiful sight, the green. He feels as though he can swim in it, taste it, feel it. Green. So distracted by the foliage, it takes him a minute to see the man and woman. He smiles at them, and they look upon him in horror.
"His name is Sheol."The Shining One says behind him. "And he is your punishment for sin. For no matter how far you run, he shall find you. For you were made from the dust, and to the dust you will return."
Thrilled by his new name, Sheol looks upon his new companions. Their skin is the same deep colour as the bark on the trees, their hair a rich black. Startled, he sees green leaves on their bodies, so he looks at himself to see if he grows leaves as well. His skin is not the warm brown as the others, but an icy white, smooth and unblemished. He is not adorned in leaves, but is fully naked for the man and woman to see. Unembarrassed, he examines himself closely, taking in every detail about himself.
Sheol looks up again to find The Shining One clothing the man and woman in animal skins. He waits patiently, and soon The Shining One adorns him in skins as well, but he is given something that the man and woman are not.
"These gloves protect those around you from your powers." The Shining One said, putting the strange, black skins on his hands. "For you take life, not give it. You did not eat of the tree, so you shall not suffer from it, but are death. You shall live forever."
Sheol nodded, unable to decipher what The Shining One was talking about. Take life? Remove it from the body? He smiles at The Shining One, biding him goodbye as he leaves the world of green.
It takes weeks before the man and woman trust him, though he does not mind. He learns of their names, Adam and Eve, and he learns of their story. The first and second children of God, they were born without sin.
"As was I. I am like you." Sheol mistakenly says, happy of their companionship. They sneer at him.
"No, you were born of sin." They tell him, "Sin and Destruction. You are not like us."
It is several days before Sheol talks to them again.
When he does, he learns that the woman, Eve, is with child. Happy at the prospect of new friends, Sheol forgets the harsh words of Adam and Eve, hoping that this new child will accept him more readily than it's parents.
And he does. Little Cain looks up to Sheol as a friend and brother. Sheol finds joy in Cain, and later Abel, and he believes that they shall live forever in peace and joy.
It isn't until several year's later that Sheol discovers the true terror of The Shining One's gift.
A/N: I can hardly believe this story has followers! Thank you so much for the faith that this story will go places, and I hope I didn't disappoint so much that you all disgustedly hit 'unsubscribe.' Thank you for the reviews, they made my day absolutely wonderful. And I promise I won't go through the history of the entire world before bringing Sherlock to John. I'm just as impatient as you. Keep being wonderful!
Naturally,
Robottko