Eden Box Set

by G. C. Julien

  Frustrated by my own uncontrolled thoughts, I storm across my office in search of something, anything to keep my mind busy, when a soft knock resonates from the door.

  I quickly wipe a loose strand of hair away from my forehead and clear my throat. “Come in.”

  Nola’s large head pops into view.

  “Nola,” I say, extending my arms from my waist. “Come on in, dear.”

  She nods, her poufy hair dancing up and down, and steps inside quickly before closing the door behind her.

  “Eve,” she says, her voice delicate as usual. But it’s those eyes that tell me she knows something I don’t. They keep shifting between mine, the floor, and the window. What’s going on?

  “Have a seat,” I tell her, and she pulls out the chair Freyda was sitting in only moments ago.

  An awkward silence fills the room as we stare at each other, waiting for the other to speak, until finally, Nola taps her fingers against the chair’s armrest and clears her throat. “You wanted to see me?”

  I’d been so preoccupied thinking of Freyda and Gabriel that I’d completely forgotten about Nola and Lucy. I lean back in my chair and let out a dismissive laugh. “Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, Nola. I wanted to let you know what you’d missed during our meeting. The man… Gabriel… Freyda’s gone with him to find new territory.”

  Though I don’t intend for it, my words come out sounding like I’m completely disinterested. The truth is, I don’t want to talk about Freyda, or Gabriel.

  Why is she looking at me like that? Her lips are sealed tight and her brows are furrowed close together. I can’t tell if she’s focused on what I have to say or if she’s judging me, analyzing every inch of my face.

  “Is something wrong, Nola?”

  She straightens her posture and crosses her fingers together over her stomach. She must be taken aback by my perception. “What? No, not at all.” Her lips loosen, and her dark eyes soften. “I’m just curious to know what’s going on.”

  I nod slowly, though I can’t say with full confidence that I believe her. I’ve known Nola for quite some time now, and over the last few years, I’ve come to see her develop an attachment like no other to Lucy. There is a bond between them, but I assumed my rulership would triumph over their relationship.

  Perhaps I was wrong.

  She shifts uncomfortably in her chair and scratches the top of her head. “What did I miss?”

  If she is hiding something, she is out of control. Women should know by now that they can trust me. I bite the inside of my cheek, infuriated at the thought of her choosing Lucy over me. I didn’t expect this from her. I would expect her to place Lucy’s well-being above all else, and if Lucy is acting out in a way she shouldn’t be, it’s important that I know about it. How can I help her if I don’t know what’s going on?

  I break eye contact when I realize I’ve been staring at her this whole time.

  “Oh, there’s a big change coming, Nola,” I say, scratching at the groove on my desk again. I’ve managed to scrape out half an inch of wood, and although I hate any form of damage on furniture, it’s the only thing that relaxes me. “Gabriel will be leading some of our women toward a safer territory. The goal is to have them inspect it before we start a mass migration. We’re hoping to make use of certain technology to simplify transportation…”

  “A mass migration?” Nola says.

  I stare at her but don’t respond.

  “Can I ask why, Eve? We’ve built such a paradise here.”

  Why is she questioning me? Is this where Lucy is obtaining her inquisitive, disobedient ways? Perhaps I had it wrong all along. Nola’s sweet and loving demeanor—maybe it’s all a charade. What lies has she been telling Lucy? I scratch even harder at the chipped wood, and the corner of my nail bends backward.

  “Eve?”

  I force a smile, though I’m growing tired of having to smile all the time. What reason do I have to smile? My Eden is falling apart. Everything I dreamed of is crashing down—drowning in a flood of impurities.

  When I look back up at her, she’s halfway across my office.

  “I’ll come another time,” she says. “I’m so sorry if I intruded on anything.”

  I’ve allowed myself to be seen.

  “No, no, sit,” I say, my lips stretching so wide my cheeks ache.

  “Are you sure?” she asks. “You seem to have a lot on your—”

  I shake my head hard enough to throw my stubborn strand of hair away from my forehead. “I’m sorry, Nola. I just—”

  I bow my head and take a sharp breath. “I’m just worried.”

  She seems intrigued. She hunches her shoulders forward as if limiting the space between us will allow her to hear me better. I have her right where I want her.

  “It’s Lucy,” I say.

  “What about her?” Nola asks.

  I tap my fingers on my lips to give off the appearance of deep contemplation. “I… I don’t know what to do anymore.” Then, I quickly slide to the edge of my seat and lean my elbows on the desk. “Nola, I have to tell you something.”

  “O-of course, Eve. Anything.”

  She sits back down again, her eyes never leaving mine. My mother always taught me that if you give someone a little, be it information or a gift, they will, in turn, want to give back. It’s human nature. And I know Nola is a good woman—she only wants what’s best for Lucy, which, if approached correctly, may serve me advantageously.

  “No one knows this,” I say, “so please, can you keep it between us?”

  She nods.

  I pause for effect, then say, “Lucy and I knew each other before we arrived in Eden. I was her mother’s best friend.”

  I can’t quite read her reaction. She looks both confused and shocked, but I’m not certain why. Is it because I revealed a secret? Or is it the secret itself?

  She parts her dark lips and scratches her temple. “Why are you telling me this?”

  I fight off the urge to glower at her. Her reaction isn’t what I was anticipating. I opened up to her about something I’ve kept secret from everyone in Eden, and all she can do is ask me why I’ve told her?

  I swallow my rage and reach for her hand, even though the thought of touching her repulses me. “Because, my sweet Nola, I need you to understand why I’ve asked you about her. I mean, you must have thought I was being a little crazy”—I let out a forced laugh—“asking about some little girl in Eden and all.”

  She stares at me and I squeeze her hand.

  “Nola, please look out for her. I trust you more than I trust anyone.”

  This seems to have caught her attention. Her lip twitches at one corner and she shrugs with one shoulder, clearly embarrassed by my compliment.

  “I know you love Lucy as much as I do,” I say. “I also know how rebellious her mother was, and some days, I fear Lucy might turn out the same way. I only want what’s best for her.”

  She pulls away from me. Why is the smile on her face disappearing?

  “Her mother? Rebellious?” she asks.

  She’s staring at me as if she’s caught me in my lie—as if she knows that Ophelia was a woman who followed rules and avoided conflict at all costs, that Ophelia wasn’t rebellious in the slightest. Did Nola know Ophelia? That’s impossible. How on Earth would they have known each other?

  I clear my throat. “Y-yes. In the last few years,” I say, hoping to save myself. If she knew Ophelia, which is highly unlikely, she knows that describing her as rebellious couldn’t be further from the truth. “She used to be such sweet woman. She never disobeyed the law. But before her death—before her tragic accident—she changed.”

  Nola nods slowly, looking almost heartbroken.

  “Lucy can’t know this,” I say, shifting my eyes from side to side. “But Ophelia’s behavior is what got her killed. I tried to save her—”

  I pinch the skin between my eyebrows and lower my head until my chin almost touches my shoulder. I let out a whimper. “Oh, Ophelia.”
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  “Eve, I’m so sorry,” Nola says. “But you don’t have to worry about Lucy. I don’t think she’s getting herself in harm’s way. She’s just a teenager. You know? She likes to question things.”

  But the moment I look up, Nola looks away.

  “What I mean is,” she rambles on, “is that Lucy isn’t causing any trouble.”

  But she’s questioning things? I wipe the excess moisture from my eyes—something I’ve always known how to produce voluntarily—and clear my throat. “Oh, goodness. I hope she isn’t questioning me. After everything I’ve done for her and Ophelia. After—” And I turn away again, waving a hand in front of my face as if trying to erase my emotions with a gust of air.

  It’s apparent Nola’s uncomfortable, and with good reason. Never once have I shown any form of emotion to the women of Eden. But I need answers, and if emotion is the way to Nola’s heart, then that’s precisely what I must show her.

  “I’m so sorry, Nola.” I blink repeatedly and look up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what’s come over me. It’s only, I knew Ophelia better than anyone. Lucy wasn’t around when Ophelia spoke of being spied on by hidden cameras in her walls… When she spoke of voices telling her that her doctor was part of some big conspiracy to have her killed. She did everything in her power to keep that from Lucy.”

  I don’t know where I’m coming up with these ideas, but they’re flowing out so easily.

  “I-I don’t want Lucy developing the same… problem,” I say.

  Nola’s lip curls up over her teeth. “Are you saying she suffered from schizophrenia?”

  I arch an eyebrow. “I don’t know. She never got a diagnosis… You know how it was, Nola. Doctors stopped wanting to treat women.” I sniffle up excess moisture from my nose. “I loved Ophelia like a sister and Lucy like a daughter. I still do. I don’t visit her as often because I want her to have her own life with her own friends. If she’s seen being favored by me, it won’t go over well with the other children.”

  Nola nods and brushes the back of her fingers along her jawline. It’s working. Those eyes are searching for something.

  “I know you’re looking out for her,” I continue, “and I can’t thank you enough, Nola. You’ve become like a mother to her.”

  Her cheeks darken a shade and she averts her eyes. I maintain a look of distress—slanted eyebrows, droopy lips, and tear-filled eyes—though what I want to do is smile from ear to ear. I can’t believe how easy she is to manipulate.

  “You don’t have to tell me anything. I understand you two have a special bond. All I ask, Nola, is that if Lucy is coming up with wacky ideas about certain people being evil, or if she’s snooping around, listening for voices… Keep an eye on her. Don’t encourage the behavior. That’s how it all started with Ophelia. It all started with conspiracy theories.”

  Nola doesn’t respond, but it’s obvious she’s mulling this over, which means Lucy has in fact been exhibiting this behavior. Why is she so keen on digging for answers? She doesn’t need to understand my methods. Is she hoping to find out what happened to her mother? No one knows that but me and a few other women who were present in the Oval Office, but they didn’t follow me to Eden.

  What is she looking for?

  Nola scrapes her chair backward and stands up. “Don’t worry, Eve. I’ll watch out for her.”

  CHAPTER 20 – LUCY

  “Is everything okay?” I ask, but Nola shakes her head and offers a fake smile. I know it’s fake—her eyes don’t get all small and shiny like they do when she’s genuinely happy to see me.

  “Are you ready?” she asks.

  I’ve been ready this whole time. She’s the one who said she had to talk to Eve to get it over with before she brought me to visit Emily. I probably have a face full of attitude because she wiggles her fingers at me and says, “All right, let’s go.”

  “What happened?” I ask. “What did Eve want? Was it about the man? Or… the boy? Zack? What’s she planning, Nola? No one tells me anything around here.”

  Nola stops walking almost too briskly and wraps her fingers around mine, pulling me back.

  Why’s she being weird all of a sudden? She’s looking at me funny, too. Like I’m back to being my young twelve-year-old self. Like I’m too young to be involved in matters discussed by adults. This is ridiculous. Fifteen minutes ago, she was on my side. And now she’s looking at me like I’m too dumb to understand anything.

  What’s her problem? I frown and pull away from her. “What’s up with you?”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” she says. “Nothing’s wrong. I simply want you to stop stressing so much about everything.”

  I glare at her. “Eve put you up to this, didn’t she? She turned you against me!”

  Maybe I’m making things worse. She tilts her head and pets my shoulder like I’m precisely that: a pet.

  “No one’s turning anyone against anyone, Lucy. I’m on your side. I always have been.”

  “Then what’s this about? Why won’t you tell me what Eve talked to you about?”

  She guides me out of Division Five’s corridor, probably because my voice is getting loud and it’s carrying throughout every cell.

  “There’s nothing to get all worked up over. You don’t need to know everything, Lucy,” she hisses, and her eyes dart from side to side. A few women give her an awkward look, but they keep walking. She straightens her posture and brushes her dress with her hands like she’s trying to flatten out the ruffles. “Would you like to go see Emily, or not?”

  I don’t know what Eve said to her, but it had an impact. The more I ask, the more she gets upset, so I’m going to shut my mouth and act like everything’s fine.

  “Yes, I would,” I say, and without a word, Nola turns on her heels and takes me through the main hall and toward the Medical Unit. I watch her shoes as they click hard on the tiles.

  What the heck did Eve tell her? She’s even walking differently. I don’t know if she’s upset with me or she’s stressed out. Nola’s never acted like this before. Did I do something wrong? Maybe I shouldn’t have told her about everything… About Emily, and about what we overheard in the storage room.

  And why’d she go see Eve so quickly, anyway? She could have taken me to see Emily first. Was it to tell her what I’ve been up to? Maybe I can’t trust her like I thought I could. Maybe Eve truly is up to no good and Nola’s in on it, too.

  I hate this feeling. I feel like I’m going crazy. Everything is making me paranoid and I can’t stop thinking. My mind keeps racing all over the place, trying to figure out what Eve is up to if she is up to anything. Just the other day, I decided to give up on this… To have faith that Eve would do what was best for everyone.

  But there’s a feeling in my stomach that I can’t seem to shake. It’s a gut feeling, and Mom always told me that gut feelings pretty much always mean something. They might not be right, but they mean something.

  Nola turns around to make sure I’m following. I don’t look up at her. To be honest, I’m a little hurt right now. An hour ago, she was sitting by my side in the secret storage room bonding with me. For the first time, it seemed like we were on the same page.

  And now she’s being all weird. I think of Emily and a lump forms in my throat. She’s the person I need right now, but there’s no telling how she’s going to look when I get there. What if she got worse?

  I follow Nola’s heavy footsteps down the Medical Unit’s narrow hallway. The room that I saw earlier, the one with the four women staring at me through the window, is still blacked out with the same curtain over the window.

  I don’t bother trying to understand what’s going on. Every time I question things, I get myself in trouble. I look up at Nola’s frizzy hair as she knocks on Dr. Lewis’s door. A few wild curls are sticking out over her ear, and some strands are stuck to the sweat on her neck. Mom’s hair was always perfectly combed. It was nothing like Nola’s.

  Right now, I miss Mom more than anything. She’d be on my side.
She wouldn’t be basically telling me to shut up about my crazy ideas. That’s what it felt like when Nola was glaring at me. Like she was telling me to keep my mouth shut and stop questioning everything. Like she didn’t want to hear about any more of my stories or adventures with Emily.

  The door creeps open, and Dr. Lewis’s dark, glistening forehead is the first thing I see. Her bright, chocolatey eyes follow and she looks confused when she sees Nola.

  “Nola,” she says. “I thought you were taking the day off.”

  “I am,” Nola says, and she must have shot her eyes in my direction because Dr. Lewis’s attention turns to me. The second she looks at me, I can see every single one of her teeth.

  “Little Lucy,” she says. “How’re you doing?”

  “I’m not that little anymore,” I say, smirking.

  “I bet you’re here to see your friend,” she says.

  I nod.

  Barely cracking the door open, she slips her slender body through the small space and closes the door behind her. The doorknob makes a soft clicking noise. Why’s she stepping out into the hallway? What’s going on? Why isn’t she letting us in? My heart starts racing, and I swallow hard when I notice the smile on her face disappear. She slants her dark eyebrows the way a worried mother does when their child is hurting.

  “Emily’s okay,” she says quickly. Maybe she noticed I was panicking. “But she isn’t doing well.”

  “What?” I say. “What does that even mean? How’s she okay if she isn’t doing well?”

  I’m not trying to be rude, but she’s not making any sense. If she isn’t doing well, she obviously isn’t okay. I think what she meant to say was, “She’s alive, but I don’t know for how long.”

  “Lucy,” Dr. Lewis says, resting her long bony fingers on my shoulder.

  I yank away.

  “I’m not a kid!” I say, my voice carrying down the hallway. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  I’m so sick of this. So sick of being treated like I can’t handle anything. This is bullshit. I clench my fists and breathe out through my nostrils. It’s not Dr. Lewis’s fault. She’s only trying to help. But I can’t stop the rage that’s building inside.