Trapped in the Garden of Eden

Blinding light

RIGHT AFTER

Eve.

The light is blinding, so vibrant and white. Once my eyes adjust I see the sky is a beautiful blue. The grass is smeared green and flowers, so many flowers, all in full bloom. I release Adam's hand and spin around back to the gate but it's gone. The gate to Eden disappeared once we stepped through.

"We can never go back."

"No Eve, I think we are locked out of Eden now." There is a tinge of humor in Adam's voice. I can only assume he is trying to make me see the bright side of things. "Look at this beautiful land." He spins in a circle, arms outstretched, mouth gaping open. "I think it's all ours." He stops spinning and holds my face in his hands. "We will make this land just as wonderful as Eden. You wait and see." He has such determination and energy. I wish to worry about the future, about the past. But I look to him, smiling and dancing around the fresh new land in front of us. I can worry later, but right now, we are safe.

Being trapped in Eden did give us some skills for living outside of Eden. We begrudgingly, learned to hunt. God provided seeds and crops, already luscious and leafy. We had learned to take shelter and create a new shelter. That was the first thing to do.

"Let's make a place to call our home. A place where we can raise a family." I look at the vacant land, so many options for this blank area.

"A home." I repeat, and point to a clearing. Half covered by shade from the big oak and cotton wood trees. And the other lay in the sun, the rays beaming down as if to say; 'here is where you shall lay.'

"Alright," Adam starts walking towards the patch. Once he reaches the area for our new home he stops and jumps up and down.

"What are you doing?" I question confused at his actions.

"It's sturdy, and seems level. Wouldn't want to build a house on uneven land. That could be a horrible start to our new life." He pulls me towards him and drops me down to the ground. I stay quiet as we lay and look up at the sun. I have to squint and see little white dots when I look away but, it's just so beautiful. This world is so clean and pure, like we used to be. This world is a fresh start for us.

"Do you think...?" I can't force the words out; I don't want to think about it. But, I can't help but worry. After everything we went through in Eden, and our disposition with the serpent and God.

"What Eve? Do I think about what?" Adam sits up and his body blocks the dun from my face.

"Do you think we will be alright?"

He doesn't hesitate when he says, "yes." I look back up to the sky just in time to see a cloud moving across the sun. "Yes," Adam says louder. "We will be alright. Because now we know we are never alone." The cloud moves beyond the sun, blinding me once again. "You believe me, don't you?" He's still looking down at me and I want to believe him, I really do.

"Of course Adam, of course I believe you." I can't believe that right out of Eden, I'm already lying to him. I don't want it to be a lie. I want to believe him, but God said that evil always exists. The serpent could never die because it lives on in all of us. He lives on to push questions upon humans about God's power and ability time and time again. The fear that the devil can't be killed forever, not until God comes back for good. We only suffered the serpent's wrath for a small amount of time, but what is stopping him from coming to get us again? To take away this new world. "I believe." I say simply and give Adams arm a squeeze, I believe that God will protect us; I believe that we will be alright.

The King

The clouds, the weather, the crops, everything, will change over time. Adam and Eve will have to go through the changes and not see them as a punishment but, as a new way of living. They will need to learn to harvest the crops and save for colder times. They will need to hunt and learn to cook the meat properly over the fire. They will need to make new clothes to help protect them from what the weather has to offer. I will help them along, by slowly giving them new changes in weather and animals. And by helping them adjust with this new world, they will be able to build upon it and make it grander than I ever could have imagined.