The beginning

Eve

She was bored. Only she didn't know there was such a word for what she was feeling. Perhaps, it wasn't even boredom, rather restlesness. She’s been in The Garden for as long as she existed and it was all she ever saw or knew. The Garden was wast, more beautiful and full of all kinds of life than any gardens on the planet ever have been. Together with her mate she’s been exploring every part of it, and yet, it still felt like there is so much more to it. Maybe that’s why he was always somewhere, tending to an animal or thinking of a name for another plant he discovered.

She felt a tug at the back of her consciousness. Ever since she was told about The Trees in the middle of The Garden she hasn't stopped thinking about them. Many times she found herself wondering mindlessly towards them only to be called by her name and reminded of what she was supposed to do. Even at night she couldn't stop thinking about His words “Any other tree but those two…”. Curiosity was building up inside of her and soon she could not make herself stop thinking about that place and what it held.

Her mate, on the other hand, seemed completely comfortably and happy with their lifestyle. He even told her the other night how perfect was the life they’ve been given, how exciting was their work they’ve been assigned and how much he is looking forward to the next conversation with Him. She agreed with him, of course, but somewhere deep inside her brain the question seeped in — is that all it’s going to be? Is this why I am here?

She decided to take a walk. The surroundings could only be described as ebullient with life. Colours so vivid, sounds of every possible animal and bird that have ever existed, calling each other, praising Him. Everything around her was a celebration of His infinite wisdom and beauty. And she was part of it. The most beautiful and perfect woman that will have ever existed on the face of the Earth. The first one ever. Molded and made by His hand. However, still fully unaware of her beauty, like a child, who does not have a concept of beauty because everything around her is more fascinating than proportions and features of her own body.

“Is it true?”. The voice startled her. She looked around and swiftly realized that in her daze she has wondered into the very middle of The Garden. Her curiosity took better of her and dragged her unwittingly to the Forbidden Trees. A thought flashed through her head “He’s not going to be too pleased about it!” but she suppressed it and lifted her head to see the owner of the voice. The Creature was sitting on The Tree. She’s seen an unimaginably great deal of different animals not to be startled by its looks, but the fact that it could TALK was so astonishing that she could only stare at it. Everything in the creature spoke of its animal, reptilian origins, everything apart from its eyes. They were a dark abyss, inside them was something she’s never felt or knew before — anger and coldness. She shivered and looked around hoping that maybe her mate would be around somewhere, looking for her.

Suddenly, the creature spoke her name. She felled compelled to look at it again and it looked like it was smiling, if only the expression on its face could be desribed as a smile. “Is true, that you’re not allowed to eat from any of the trees in this garden?” The question was so provoking and fatuous that she could not resist answering it : “Of course, not! We can eat the fruit from ANY trees apart from The Tree that is in the middle of The Garden”. She remembered it so vividly — the Rules. Right after he gave her her name, he warned her not to go anywhere near the trees in the middle of the Garden, otherwise she might die. And at that very moment a question was born — WHY? She didn’t understand what it meant to die. In her short existence she never witnessed the death of anything. And as much as she tried to imagine how it could feel to stop existing, she could not understand the gravity of the threat. That is why she was there, in the middle of the Garden, under The Tree.

“And why is that?” — the creature clearly wasn't finished with its questions. She decided that the best way to explain it would be to quote the words that were spoken to her “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“Is that so?” — there was an intonation in the creature’s voice that she’s never heard before. She suddenly felt like she should leave, but part of her, the part that kept asking this “why” question, made her stay. “You will certainly not die!”, it said the honey-like voice. She lifted her eyes and looked at the owner of the voice curiously. Never been lied to before, there was no trace of suspicion in her mind, no disbelief, no sense of fear. All she ever wanted was to find the answer to her question, and suddenly something was telling her that she could have an answer. And it came, so incredibly simple that she suddenly thought she understood everything around her: “it’s because He knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Him, knowing good and evil.”