“Finn was chasing after you,” she said.
“I know. I can’t talk to him right now.” I realized this was the first time I’d ever had that thought. Finn was the one person I went to whenever I had a problem. He was always there for me.
“I don’t think he knows what Ava’s trying to do. You should talk to him,” she said.
“I saw the way he was looking at her,” I said, fighting my emotions. “We’re still young, and if Ava makes him happy, so be it. I won’t stand in the way. But I also won’t stick around to watch that crap.”
The next few days flew by, and I didn’t come into contact at all with Finn. But, as Tina and I headed toward the dining room for dinner one evening, I noticed a bunch of girls gathered in the hall. There were a few other guys hanging around, but at the center of attention was Finn. Then I saw Ava walk up and grab his arm. She whispered in his ear, and they laughed. The happy couple.
That was it. My heart strings were torn from my chest, leaving a gaping wound. But I was resolved. I wouldn’t allow this to crush me. I was stronger than this. I was a survivor. But right now, I had to leave.
I had begun to feel bad for the way I ran out on Finn, but after seeing how fine he was with everything, it placed a wedge between us. It was the first time I’d ever felt betrayed. My emotions had literally taken over, and I had no control over them. And now that I knew what heart-crushing pain and loss felt like, I wouldn’t let it control me again. I would never allow my emotions to run over or get the best of me.
I felt completely alone. I missed Finn. I missed training with him. I missed our friendly competitions. But most of all, I missed sitting and discussing the future with him. All of a sudden, after thirteen years of being together every-single-day, we’d suddenly become estranged.
In this place we were still surviving, but I was waiting, hoping for the day when we would begin to live. Really live, and not worry about being attacked.
I didn’t want to be told when to wake up, eat, or sleep. Yes, it worked in this place, to keep the hundreds housed here in control. But I wanted something more, and I was willing to fight for that.
*****
I woke on a day like any other. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Tina standing there, right in front of me. I gasped, almost smacking her.
“What?” my tired voice cracked.
“Guess what?” She squealed, too loud for this early in the morning.
She clasped her hands over her mouth, and her eyes were smiling.
“Tina, it’s too damn early to play guessing games,” I huffed.
“Okay!” Bouncing up and down, her excitement couldn’t be contained, “We’re going to the Garden of Eden today!”
“Yaaaay,” I cheered sarcastically. Her expression told me my reaction was not what she expected.
“Abi, you have no idea! No idea at all! I can’t wait to see your face.”
“So when will this face-altering event be?”
“After breakfast. So get moving.”
Her excitement pushed me out of bed, and had me stumbling towards the bathroom. After a hot shower, I was up and had changed into the awesome white scrub uniform-thing we wore every single day. Every drawer was filled with the same colorless clothes.
“This will be good for you, Abi,” she said.
“I hope so. I need something good.”
Pike was the guard at the dining hall, and as we entered, he and Tina had their little flirt session.
“Hi Pike,” she said with a wink. Her hand slightly brushing against his.
“Hey Tina.” His smile was so wide, the corners of this mouth were in danger of leaving his face.
I rolled my eyes.
“Hey, Abi,” Pike greeted.
“Hey, Pike,” I laughed.
I was nice to him because he used to let Finn get closer to me more than any of the other guards. He was our age, so I think he understood. I felt sorry for him because I knew he liked Tina, but liking her was dangerous ground, you know, with her being the General’s daughter and all.
Breakfast was oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar. Oatmeal was a staple breakfast, and we had it five times a week. They must have stocked up on oats, but I wasn’t complaining. It was food, and it was keeping us alive.
I waited and watched the door, and for the whole hour my eyes fell on emptiness. I don’t know why I was still anxious to see Finn. I still hadn’t talked to him since the day I’d given him back the ring. But he was still my friend, and those feelings would never change. I would always care for him.
I knew he was training because the leaders were becoming desperate. The Arvies seemed to know exactly where the safe zones were. They were communicating, and unbeknownst to us, were staging their own attacks. Systematically taking down all the fuel stations, attacking the survivors coming from the smaller hives, and surrounding the government bunkers across the globe.
The government assumed if they sent out as many soldiers as they could now, they could keep the numbers of the Arvies down, and they’d be more manageable. The helicopters could only go air-bound once a day because of the fuel situation, and they were desperately trying to find and secure more fuel sources. Word was they found a big station, which the Arvies hadn’t attacked yet, and quickly placed about fifty soldiers there to secure it.
After breakfast, Pike agreed to be our escort to the Garden of Eden. He led us down a completely new wing to me, and then down a long new corridor. He even needed a key to unlock the door to the area. After walking for a few minutes, we came to the end of a hall.
There were doors on either side, but the one to the right had a hallway which led to a lime green biohazard insignia on the front of it. Two guards were standing on either side, looking like they were dressed for war. They had the full gear: bullet proof vests, helmets, and guns.
Weird. Did they seriously think someone was going to walk all the way back here and start a war?
Tina grabbed my arm and dragged me away.
When we passed through the door, she put her finger to her lips. I guess she didn’t want me to say anything, but I’d make her spill all the details when we returned to our room.
At the end of the hall there was a large door, hand painted with leaves and flowers. At the top read was written:
In the beginning was ~ The Garden of Eden.
Tina’s face instantly brightened up. She was shaking and I swear I heard her squeal.
Pike unlocked the door. “Here you are ladies. I hope you enjoy your hour in the Garden. Make it count and please, eat an apple for me.”
“They have apples?” I asked completely befuddled.
If they had apples growing in there, this was totally going to make this place worth it. I don’t remember holding or eating a real apple. We’d only eaten the dehydrated ones in the hive. My grandma would throw them in our oats or in desserts.
“Yes. Real apples,” Pike nodded. “The sweetest things on the planet, besides Tina.”
Tina turned to him, shocked, and then I saw her face turn bright red.
“Oh my God, let’s go!” I suddenly became excited, and only cared about going through the door and seeing a real apple.
“Thanks, Pike,” Tina smiled, and brushed against him as she passed. “Come on, Abi. We need to take advantage of every second in there.”
“I’ll be out here if you need me,” Pike said.
“We’ll see you in an hour!” Tina chimed.
We walked into a small tube like area, about ten feet long.
“Welcome ladies.” A low voice startled me from behind a white veil.
“Come on!” Tina pushed me forward and when we reached the end, we walked right through.
I froze, completely entranced by the multicolored fantasy world surrounding me. I blinked, and then blinked again, and it didn’t disappear. This was the real deal. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. It was a smell I couldn’t explain, because it was completely unfamiliar. It was sweet, and earthy, and cool, an
d fresh. It caused my senses to vibrate, and made me feel…happy.
Above us was a dome ceiling, which looked like it was panes of glass, which had been cracked open to let air in. The sun was warm and inviting, making it feel even more surreal.
I bent down and ran my fingers through the soft, light-green blades of grass. Real grass. Not the plastic turf that was installed in the old hive’s playground. It was like I was being reborn, experiencing all of this for first time. Without asking, I kicked off my shoes and stood barefoot in the grass. This was what I had dreamed of. What I had longed for. Touching it felt as if I was connected with this small piece of paradise.
When I arrived in the old hive, I was just a kid, and I didn’t remember much. Most of everything I knew came from books. But this was a hands-on experience. Something books could never teach.
The Garden of Eden. The beginning of all things imagined. Magic realized and sprouted into being. The tangible evidence of what could be our future. I was given a glimpse of something precious and beautiful.
I slowly scanned the room, taking in every single minute detail. There were flowers, of every color imaginable, shimmering beneath a fine layer of mist. Some were vivid and strikingly intense, while others were muted in softer pastels. I was standing in the midst of a miracle. A magnificent, delicate miracle. And my senses were bordering on overload.
A small patch of sunflowers were ablaze and as a soft wind blew, they danced in the rays of sunlight. Further, toward the back, I noticed rows of trees. My heart started to sputter knowing that they could be carrying sweet treasures. Their leaves were colored in the most beautiful variations of green.
It was like opening my eyes for the first time. My black and white world suddenly burst into color. This is how Dorothy must have felt when she awoke in Oz. I knew this was something I would never forget. Something I would dream about.
“Abi?” Tina asked.
“Yeah?” I breathed.
“You should see your face,” she giggled.
“I don’t need to. I can imagine how goofy and dumbfounded it looks.”
“Welcome! Welcome, ladies!” announced a man in a white suit and lab coat. His hair was white, with a few gray patches. He also had an accent, but I couldn’t figure out where it was from. It wasn’t American. Maybe Russian? He sounded a little like, Anya.
“The Garden is yours to roam in, and please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. There are fruit trees near the back. Tina will show you which ones are ripe. You can eat one of each fruit. Just shout if you need me.”
“Thank you, Titus,” Tina answered.
“Yes, thank you,” I repeated.
“You’re very welcome,” he said. “Beware of the serpent!” He laughed and walked away.
“Serpent?” I gasped.
“Don’t worry. It’s Bible humor. He does it to everyone,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh. Okay,” I said, exhaling.
“Come on, Abi! Let’s go sample the goods.”
I quickly slipped my shoes back on and followed after her, nearly tripping over my own feet because I was so excited.
A small man-made river snaked around specific trees and bushes, probably as a water source. This place was visual ecstasy. I couldn’t get enough, and my thoughts went instantly to Finn. So many days we’d sat in our fake park and discussed what the future would look like if all the paintings were real.
I knew now. I was standing in it. The scientists had created life on this dead planet. There was great hope for a glorious new world. This simple experience made me excited for the future; well, except that we just needed to eradicate the Arvies first.
As we neared the trees, I paused in one area. I did a double take at a bunch of plump, bright red berries attached to low bushes. I bent down to get a closer look and gasped.
“Tina!” I yelled, halting her.
“What?”
“Are these --?”
“Strawberries,” she finished. “You can have one, but hurry up, there’s so much more.”
“Oh my God. Strawberries? Are you serious?” My eyes were set on the biggest, reddest one. It was shaped like a heart with a crown of green.
“Go ahead,” Tina urged, crossing her arms over her chest.
As my fingers wrapped around the fruit, it easily popped off into my hand. I raised it to my nose and took in a deep breath. It smelled so sweet.
“Abi, we don’t have all day. Eat the dang fruit.”
“Easy, Satan. I’m a virgin, and want to make it memorable.”
“Tick. Tick. Tick. You’re wasting precious time on one berry.”
I lifted the berry to my lips and sunk my teeth into it. It was soft, and juicy, and melted in my mouth. It tasted like heaven, and I savored every bit of it.
“Mmmmmm,” I hummed. I had fallen in love with this heart-shaped fruit.
“You’re hilarious,” Tina giggled. “Now let’s see if the serpent can make you bite the apple.”
“No tempting needed. I’m biting!”
I followed her down a small stone pathway until we reached the back where there was an orchard of apple trees. They appeared so perfect, almost like they were fake. The smells were very distinct. Still sweet but different from the strawberries. There was no other word I could use to describe it.
The trees were filled with beautiful red and green fruit.
“Can we pick any one?” I asked.
“Yes, these are all ripe. Go ahead. I don’t think you can go wrong.”
I walked up to the tree and picked what I thought was the perfect apple. Its skin was bright red and polished. I lifted it to my nose and smelled. It smelled like candy.
“You ready?” Tina asked, holding her perfect apple in her hand.
“Oh yeah,” I chimed, placing my mouth around the flesh. As soon as my teeth punctured the skin, there was a burst of flavor. It was cold, succulent, sweet, and crisp. The second bite was even better, and in no time, I’d devoured the whole thing, seeds and all.
Next she took me to the oranges, and then the bananas. We also picked raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. The Hatch’s grew blueberries and raspberries in the hive, but they didn’t taste nearly as sweet as these.
By the time we tasted one of everything, I was filled to the rim. Tina and I sat in the middle of the garden, on a soft spot of grass, and I tried to take mental pictures so I wouldn’t forget. I knew I’d be able to come back in three months. But these days, three months was a long ways away.
“Did you ladies have your fill?” Titus asked.
“Yes. This place is beyond amazing,” I said. “I have a question.”
“Sure,” he nodded.
“How long did it take you to create everything here?”
“We started planting the seeds about ten years ago.”
“Wow, ten years is a really long time,” I said.
“Yes, it is. We had to get the right formulas for everything to grow correctly indoors, but now we know it is possible.”
“Thank you for allowing us to come in here. This will go down in the books as one of the greatest moments of my life.”
“Well, we want everyone to experience this little piece of heaven. Especially with all hell breaking loose outside, right?”
“Right,” Tina and I said in unison.
“Well, the next group will be coming in an hour. I still need to fertilize the orange trees before they come. Oh, and I do have a little something for each of you before you go,” he said. He held out his two hands. We placed ours under his, and he dropped a large ripe strawberry into each of our palms. “Just don’t tell anyone I gave this to you.”
“You’re the best, Titus! We won’t. We promise,” Tina said, popping hers in her mouth.
“Wow! Thank you so much,” I said.
I held on to mine, and delicately wrapped my fingers around it so it wouldn’t smash. Even though I wanted to ring his neck right now, I’d save this one for Finn.
When w
e exited, Pike was standing there. A wide smile graced his face as soon as Tina stepped out.
“Have fun?” he asked.
“I wish I could live in there,” Tina chimed.
“I think everyone here has the same wish,” he chuckled. “One day, we will all be able to have our own Garden of Eden.”
“Yes, we will,” Tina said, gazing into his eyes.
I totally knew there was an infatuation, by both parties, but they barely even touched each other because of the stupid rules. I nudged her and when she looked at me, I used my head to motion for her to get closer. She shook her head, and I gave her the eye. She blushed, but she walked up to him and linked her arm in his.
“Tina,” Pike said, a little surprised by her touch.
“I’m sorry,” she said immediately disconnecting from him, putting her head down.
“I don’t get it. If the two of you like each other, just say it already. I know it goes against your ‘protocol’ here to touch, but damn it, rules like these are meant to be broken. How can you put a leash on love? Love is meant to be shared, and shouldn’t be kept secret. Okay, maybe it should in this case because your dad is the General, but instead of beating around the bush, the two of you should just hook-up. You can still keep it quiet, but at least you won’t have to walk around giving each other goo-goo eyes and guessing if you like each other. Everyone around you already knows. It’s smeared all over your faces, every time you see each other.”
“You can see it?” Tina blushed. Pike also blushed, but stayed quiet.
“Umm, yeah.”
They both looked at each other.
“Abi, is that how you felt about Finn? You know, whenever you looked at him?” Tina asked.
I smiled. “Yes,” I breathed. In my mind’s eye, I could see his handsome face, smiling at me. “Finn was my best friend growing up. Our lives were intertwined from the start. He and his mom were last minute additions to our hive, and I still believe he was sent there for me. I’m stronger because of him. For the past thirteen years, he gave me a reason to live. A reason to survive.” My heart began to ache. Horribly.
Tina and Pike locked eyes, and for a moment I saw a familiar glimmer in his eyes. The same glimmer Finn had when he looked at me. I held back my emotions. I tried to put a wall up. I just hoped Finn didn’t hate me. I really wanted what was best for him. I wanted him to be happy.