A Cat's Eden
It's easier to be asleep than awake…because then you don't have to justify who you are. If you don't open your eyes-if you don't wake up, you're simply you…nothing more. No one can judge you when you haven't done anything to be judged for.
Smokey beams of light filtered in through my closed eyelids as I felt a cool breeze play across my skin making my hair brush against my face. The smell of grass and fresh dew surrounded me, and the only sound that could be heard was the rushed greeting of the wind and the sound of far away water.
I opened my eyes slowly, taking in how everything felt before actually seeing it. In so many instances the world is harder to accept once you actually see it…once you see what lies in the shadows, but here nothing existed within the darkness.
Tall shoots of grass rose above my body, swaying in the breeze as it whistled quietly through them. Somewhere nearby the sound of moving water could be heard. I glanced up to see the sky above me was a deep honey color accented with hues of warm red along the horizon. Thin, white clouds floated across my vision as a bird flitted past.
I looked over to my hand, which was extended from my body as far as it could go. The grass brushed gently against my fingers as it swayed in the breeze, and for the first time that day I felt calm and peaceful.
I took in a deep breath of fresh air before slowly sitting up, leaning over my legs as I glanced around. A tall tree stood only a few feet away, its trunk too large for a single person to hold. Sunlight filtered through the thick, green leaves in beams of misty light, and the sound of birds chirping could be heard from its long branches.
I looked the other way to see the source of the water I was hearing. A narrow river ran nearby, its current weak as it pulled fallen leaves along its surface and out of sight. My eyes followed its bank, feeling dizzy with the movement of the water, until I caught sight of something.
She stood several feet away, her toes resting on the very edge of the river bank as her eyes watched me. Her long, blonde hair blew in the gentle breeze, as did the toga-like white dress that she was wearing.
"Eve…?" I spoke for the first time, my voice sounding natural in the new setting.
"Train?" She asked, as if we hadn't seen each other in years.
I stood slowly, brushing the grass away as I did, before closing the space between us so that only the river stood between us.
"Why are you here?" She asked, her voice calm as she examined me carefully.
"I-I don't know…" I muttered, running my fingers through my hair.
"You are meant to be Adam…aren't you?" She asked warily.
"Adam?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"This is Eden," She explained, glancing around. "And I'm Eve."
"I know you're Eve," I almost laughed. "Why wouldn't I know that?"
"But if this is Eden, and I'm Eve…then you must be…" She trailed off as her eyes fell away from mine.
I watched her for several seconds as she focused her attention on the river that stood between us. It was as if she knew something that I didn't.
"I don't really understand…" I spoke again, breaking the silence.
"Did he send you here?"
"Who?"
"The doctor…"
"Yeah-yeah he did. How'd you know?"
"Because he sent me here too. I think he's the only one who can…and I think he's the only one who can let us out."
"We can get out."
"Are you so sure?"
"Have you tried?"
"No…"
Her eyes fell to the river again as she said this, as if she was ashamed. The sky around us darkened slightly, the golden hues seeming to fall closer to us. The red along the horizon rose higher, streaks mixing with the gold.
"Eve…?"
She looked to me, her eyes filled with what I could only describe as sorrow.
"Is anyone else here?"
"No," She shook her head slowly. "Just us."
I thought back to what Doctor had said when he had shoved that tube into my chest…when he had trapped me here.
"Eden needs an Adam…"
"Eve…" I breathed in, realizing what it had meant. "You're right…"
She simply looked at me as I said this, her eyes quivering as we studied one another. I wasn't sure what Doctors intensions had been when he had sent me here, but he talked about Eden only being complete when it had both Eve and Adam. Now that Eve and I were trapped here did that mean Eden's potential could truly be reached and released?
"Eve we have to get out of here."
"There's no way out…" She replied as her toes inched towards the running water.
"We have to try," I urged her. "Doctor said that once Eden had Adam it would be complete…and that once it was complete it would work to its fullest potential. He's killed people, Eve. He's used Eden to kill people and worse…and that was when it only worked halfway… Now that we're both here it can work at full strength…there's no telling what it could do."
"But there's NO WAY OUT!" She yelled suddenly, her fingers over her ears as she tried her best to ignore me.
The red along the horizon suddenly shot upwards, replacing the honey color with a deep, bloody hue. I looked up as the colors of the world changed to a deadly tone-as if nothing alive existed there.
"Eve…" I reached out towards her, her fingers pulling at her hair as she tried her best to ignore me. "Eve stop…"
Her breathing slowed slightly as her fingers fell away from her hair, but the sky barely changed.
"Eve…?" I stooped down as I tried to get a look at her face. "Eve are you al-"
I gasped and stepped back as her head rose up, her eyes locking on mine. Her mind seemed to calculate my existence as I wavered, unsure of what to do. The mechanic look from before had returned, the image of her attack in the warehouse flashing through my mind.
"Eve," I stammered through my surprise. "Eve…snap out of it."
Something seemed to flicker across her face before her features softened and her eyes shifted back to normal. The tone of the sky changed, lightning back to the way it had been when I had first opened my eyes.
She blinked, obviously confused, before glancing around.
"What did you just…do?" I asked, my eyes scanning her cautiously.
"I don't…know." Her hands rose as she examined them before looking at me with worried eyes. "What happened?"
I shook my head, not sure myself, before stepping towards her again. In a single movement I leapt over the stream that separated us and landed beside her. She looked up at me before turning to face the rest of Eden-the part I hadn't yet explored.
"What's out there?" I asked.
"It depends on who you are." She replied, her knowledge taking my by surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Eden forms to each person in it-at least that's what Doctor said," She shrugged slightly. "It'll show you what you want to see-or what you don't."
That didn't help my nerves ease. I had already been subject to seeing things I had never wanted to see again, I didn't need to repeat that experience here. I honestly wasn't sure if I could deal with another run-in with Zagine's memory.
"How do we get out?" I asked. "Any clue?"
"No." She shook her head resolutely.
"There has to be a way out," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as the other hand rested on my hip. "We just have to find it."
Without a single word passing between us we moved forward, step after step, through the windy grassland that was Eden. The clouds floated lazily through the yellow and blue sky, casting cooling shadows on the earth beneath them.
When we finally took a break from walking it felt as though we had been going for hours. I sighed as I fell back into the tall grass, staring up at the brilliant sky above me.
The shoots of grass swayed above me as they had when I had first awoken here in Eden, and I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Eve lay beside me, her golden hair splayed out around her as she stared at me questioningly.
I turned, my eyes meeting her, before giving her a questioning look.
"Do you think we'll ever get out?" She asked quietly, as though she'd been fighting to keep herself from asking that.
"Sure, princess," I winked before reaching over and messing up her bangs. "It can't be that bad."
I felt her stiffen under my hand and I pulled away, afraid she was reverting back to her machine-like self. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, her eyes looking around, and I saw that she was the same Eve…but something was wrong and she was sensing is.
"What?" I asked, but my question was answered as a dark shadow cast itself over us.
I squinted against the sunlight that shone blindingly around the form that towered above me, raising my hand to block it.
A pair of strange, red eyes looked down at me with such conviction I felt my body go rigid. He was about my age with hair just like mine were it not sandy blonde. He wore an outfit similar to Eve's, only more masculine, and a strange smirk played across his face to no avail.
"Who are you?" I asked, my hand still shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight.
"I'm Adam," He spoke softly, his smirk widening. "Who are you?"
Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I hope you haven't given up on me since I'm so horrible at updating. I know this chapter didn't go very far, but I figured I should finish at least something so you could read it. You deserve it; you've been such wonderful readers and reviewers! I love you all! X3
The story is winding down, but there are still at least five chapters left I would say (don't quote me on that). Eden is going to be a bit more drawn out than it was in the anime, and since it didn't exist at all in the manga I can go wherever I want with it. No boundaries! Yay! I'm not sure exactly what will happen, but I haven't been sure what will happen the entire time I've been writing…lol. It's how I roll, dawg.
Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the story. I'm hoping to not be so lame in the next week or two and write more of this. Things have gotten busier with my internship now, so I have less time/energy, but I promise to try harder!
Well, plan on hearing from me soon!
Train