by G. C. Julien
Turning away from the window, I reach for a head of garlic and start peeling off its mesh skin. But then, something strange happens—something… incredibly strange.
At first, it feels like an earthquake. The table vibrates, and all of Mavis’s metal and wooden kitchen tools start dancing about beside her cauldron. Some of them even roll toward the cauldron, making a clanking noise against the metal and against each other.
I look up at Mavis, and then Perula, who both look like they’ve seen a ghost. What’s weird about this is that the shaking doesn’t stop. It’s not inconsistent—it doesn’t get worse and then better. Instead, it’s long-lasting and doesn’t change all that much.
So it can’t be an earthquake, right?
What’s going on?
I swing back around and stick my face against the window, the tip of my nose sliding over Mavis’s grease smudge. Only minutes ago, the women around Eve were all on the ground, holding down Loretta.
But now, they’re standing, and it doesn’t look like they’re wanting to fight. Instead, they all have hands over their eyes and heads tilted back as they point toward the sky. Eve, too, looks confused by what she’s seeing. I hunch forward to try to see above the Herb Shack at whatever it is they’re looking at, but the window’s too small.
Oh God. Is it a comet? A missile? Are we all about to die?
I rush past the Herb Shack’s long table, my feet stomping on the wooden floor planks, and blast the door open. Mavis and Perula hurry behind me.
“W-would you calm yourself, you monkey-brained lunatic?” Mavis barks behind me.
She stomps so hard the Herb Shack shakes even more than it already has; obviously, she isn’t accustomed to moving that fast.
I step out into the yellowing grass and gaze up toward the sky, blinking once, then twice, waiting for reality to set in. This can’t be real. It’s impossible.
“Holy mother of Athena…” Mavis shouts.
She has to shout, otherwise, no one would hear her. The plane is so loud, so powerful, that I can’t look away. It’s huge. Like, enormously huge. I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like there are weapons, or huge missile guns attached underneath, which means it’s a military plane. Its wings are as black as its metallic body, and they extend so far on either side of it that it almost looks bigger than all of Eden.
It’s bigger than the Airbus Z900 that came out a few years before all this happened. I learned about it in school, and about how it was revolutionizing passenger aircraft by offering something like 600 seats and going twice as fast as the old models. Clearly, we were too young for them to go into detail about the specs.
What’s so cool about this plane, though, is that it’s floating in the air like a helicopter. It has drone functionalities mixed in, which isn’t all that new, but it’s shocking to see in something this big. There are over twenty giant propellers spinning around so fast and blowing air down on all of us.
My hair flies everywhere—in my face, around my neck, and even in Mavis’s face who slaps a hand at it.
I watch Eve, not knowing who else to look at for comfort. Despite me thinking she’s crazy, I also think she’s the only one who can tell us what to do right now.
Is this thing going to kill us all? Are they from another country? Who’s inside of that thing? Eve doesn’t seem too sure, either—all she’s doing is looking up like the rest of us with a scowl on her face, which is pretty worrisome.
And then, the wind slows down as the propellers shut off one by one.
The plane makes a left turn, hovering away from Eden, and slowly starts to descend.
Whatever that thing is, it isn’t leaving—it’s landing.
CHAPTER 10 – EVE
“Eve, what’s going on?”
“What is that? Are we in danger?”
“Please, Eve, tell us what’s going on!”
I can’t speak. In fact, I can’t even think. I march my way down the main hall, through the countless women bickering about my decision to isolate infected bodies. I don’t care what they have to say—not anymore.
It’s Freyda, isn’t it? She’s returned. It has to be. Who else would it be? When I reach the entrance hall, Nola comes running down from the Medical Unit’s corridor. Her sneakers squeak and her breasts bounce up and down in her scrubs—something that looks like they’ve been taken off the corpse of a teenager. I don’t understand why she hasn’t had them resized.
She pulls her wiry hair out of her face, revealing a glistening forehead and sweaty cheeks, and ties a ponytail high on her head.
“D-did you hear that, Eve?” she asks, struggling to catch her breath. “The rumbling. Dr. Lewis heard it, too. I’ve lived through three earthquakes, and I can confirm that that was no earthquake.”
Without saying a word, I jerk my head sideways as a way of saying, Follow me. Though I despise Nola for what she’s done—for pulling Lucy away from me—I have more important matters to focus on right now.
She scurries behind me as I move, taking quick, uneven steps to keep up. I pass through the first set of doors leading to the main gates. The plane, or the ship—whatever it was—landed out there.
Swallowing hard, I open the penitentiary’s front doors—two heavy bulletproof doors that swing with a swooshing noise—and make my way out into the cold autumn air. A gust of wind sweeps between the prison and the concrete barrier, sending dust into the air and into my mouth. Nola lets out a whimper and throws two hands over her eyes.
“A-are you opening those things?” she yells, pointing at the massive iron gates.
“Not yet,” I shout back. “When I give you the signal, pull that latch over there.” And I point at the same latch Freyda’s pulled a dozen times over.
I climb my way up the concrete wall’s tower, my palms numbing against the ladder’s cold metal. My breath forms small white clouds every time I exhale, and I blow into my hands to warm them. The sound of the plane’s engines can be heard from behind the wall, and without a doubt, across all of Eden.
My women must be panicking.
Little do they know that their entire world is about to change.
Once at the top, I peer down, seeing the plane in its entirety. It’s the largest thing I’ve ever seen, with a wingspan of at least three hundred feet. It reminds me of large passenger planes my mother always promised to take me on, only bigger, sharp-edged, and black. Its nose is pointed, not round as I’ve seen on television, and its wings form sharp L shapes. There are massive propellers everywhere—on its wings, on its tail, and I’m sure, underneath its belly; these must be what allow the plane to hover the way it was doing moments ago.
The wind blows hard all around the plane, sending dust, debris, and even small stones flying into the air. The woman from earlier today—the one surrounded by men—is still standing outside of Eden’s gates, yet now, she’s standing far away with arms held over her face for protection.
Has she been waiting outside this whole time? Hoping I might change my mind and allow her inside of Eden? I would never allow men inside my paradise.
In an instant, the engines cut, and a high-pitched electrical sound lingers before a deafening silence takes over. An oversized door slowly opens, no doubt controlled by a hydraulic system, and continues to lower until it creates a platform capable of being descended on.
The moment I see her face, I almost drop to my knees.
Freyda is the first to exit. She pauses halfway down the platform, turns around, and encourages others to follow. Miller and Jada come out next, and then, Gabriel. I swing around, feeling a pleasant crack in my spine, and wave an anxious hand down at Nola.
“Open the gates!” I shout, wanting to jump up and down with joy.
Without looking at the plane again, I hurry down the ladder, careful not to slip and fall. The moment the gates crack open wide enough for me to fit through, I run through them and straight toward Freyda.
“Freyda!” I shout.
Her face lights up the momen
t she sees me. My heel stabs into the dirt and I nearly trip, so I kick them off and hurry to her.
“Oh, Freyda!” I say, throwing both arms around her.
She stiffens as if I spilled poison on her, and I realize I’ve never shown her any form of affection. I pull back, feeling embarrassed by my sudden show of emotion, and clear my throat. “I-I’m sorry,” I say. “I was beginning to worry that I would never—”
“I’m okay,” she says, a sweet smile embellishing that beautiful face of hers. She then turns toward the plane, and her smile stretches into a wide grin. “Can you believe this? I mean, it’s crazy. I didn’t think we’d actually pull it off.”
All I can do is stare at her. She must think I’m insane. I don’t care that they’ve returned with a plane, all I care about is that Freyda is safe and that she’s standing in front of me at this very moment. God, I want to throw my arms around her again, but I’m afraid she’ll pull away.
Instead, she takes a step forward and gives me a tight hug, surely sensing what I’m thinking.
“I’m okay,” she repeats.
I let out a long breath, feeling whole—feeling as though I’ve been reunited with a severed limb. Freyda has always been my other half. If it weren’t for her by my side, I’m not certain I’d have succeeded in caring for all the women of Eden all these years.
“Freyda,” I say, remembering how I allowed things to end before her departure. “I’m sorry—”
She waves a hand and shrugs. “There’s nothing to apologize for.” She playfully punches me on the shoulder, and although months ago, this would have infuriated me, I can’t help but smile. It’s as if I’ve reverted to my teenage years. “I know you better than anyone here,” she says, her perfectly shaped lips hypnotizing me as they move. “You were scared.”
Scared? I, Eve Malum, was not scared.
“And unwilling to admit it,” she adds.
I glance sideways to ensure no one heard her. She’s right—I was scared. Terrified, even. It doesn’t bother me that she knows this, so long as she keeps it to herself.
“I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” I say.
She parts her lips to say something else, probably something along the lines of That’s how you are, and it’s okay, when voices coming from inside the plane capture my attention. They’re deep—too deep to be female voices.
I look at Freyda and she retreats into herself, undoubtedly aware that I’m about to flip out.
“Eve, please—” she tries.
“Are there fucking men with you?” I growl.
Suddenly, Freyda’s back to being my beta—not my friend, nor my confidante, but someone who is fully conscious that I’m in charge and she’s nothing more than a tool kept nearby for the sole purpose of being given orders.
Men are forbidden from entering Eden.
Freyda knows that.
How could she do this? How could she bring men back to my paradise? I feel completely betrayed. She takes a step back, surely sensing the rage building in me.
“Eve, I had no control—”
“I should have never trusted you with this,” I hiss, pointing a stiff finger at her face.
She pulls her face back and widens her eyes, looking into me as if I’ve mutated into a monster.
“Eve, you don’t understand—”
I raise a tight fist and she takes another step back, but when I see the fear in her eyes, I stretch my fingers apart and clench my teeth.
What don’t I understand? Are they prisoners? Was Freyda captured by these men? There’s no way. If Freyda were a prisoner, she wouldn’t have been the first one off the plane. Furthermore, her captors would be much closer to her to ensure she doesn’t run off.
She’s no prisoner.
She brought them here.
Fucking bitch.
Calm down, Eve.
Everyone’s watching.
Both Jada and Miller keep their distances, observing with confusion and curiosity. Then, from behind them, the voices louden and a dozen men come marching out with advanced-looking guns held firmly in their hands.
I turn to Freyda, prepared to kill her with my bare hands.
How could she do this?
How the fuck could she bring soldiers into Eden?
I’m going to kill her.
I’m going to fucking kill her.
I turn around to see Nola standing by the front door, mouth wide open and hand hovering over the lever. I’m surprised she hasn’t closed it already, but she must be waiting for my command.
The thought of running back inside of Eden crosses my mind, but there’s no time. I’ll never make it, and chances are, I’ll be shot the moment I turn my back.
“Nola, close the gates!” I shout.
“Eve!” Freyda growls as the gates begin to slide across the dirt, making a loud rumbling noise.
I turn around and with a full swing of my arm, slap Freyda across the face. She falls into Jada, hand pressed against her reddening cheek. Jada helps her up, but in an instant, the soldiers around her point their guns at me, postures hunched and eyes aimed down their sights.
“I trusted you,” I say, my voice breaking.
Freyda parts her lips to say something, but a familiar voice carries over all of us.
“At ease.”
At once, the soldiers lower their guns and split halfway in the middle, forming a path for whoever gave them the order to back down. Then, she comes walking out of the plane.
I stand up tall and stare at her, wondering if maybe I’ve been shot and sent to the afterlife. This isn’t truly happening, is it?
Vrin, looking the very same as she did the last time I saw her, extends her arms on either side of her body, cocks her head to the side, and smirks at me. “What’s wrong, Eve? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
CHAPTER 11 – GABRIEL
Eve looks pissed.
Not the obvious kind of pissed, though. The kind that sits right below the surface, waiting to burst out. She forces a smile and welcomes Vrin as she approaches, but it doesn’t take a genius to see she’s disgusted by her long-lost friend. And why wouldn’t she be? Without warning, here we are with a bunch of men. And I know exactly how Eve feels about men.
“We heard you were in trouble,” Vrin says. “Are you okay?” She reaches for Eve’s shoulder but Eve pulls away.
“I’m fine,” Eve says. And then, it’s like she realizes everyone’s watching her. She clears her throat, forces a smile, and touches Vrin’s shoulder. “Thank you for coming.”
What’s she going to do? Send us away? Eve asked me to locate Area 82. She wanted this. She wanted out of Eden. Is she seriously going to throw all that away because of her hatred for men? I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Is it true?” Vrin asks, leaning into Eve.
Eve pulls away with her neck tucked as if Vrin’s breath smells worse than four-month-old tuna.
“Is what true?”
Vrin playfully taps her on the shoulder and Eve’s eyes roll toward where she’s been touched. If she had a lighter, she’d likely try to burn off the spot where Vrin touched her.
“The all-female colony,” Vrin says. “A lot of rumors have been floating around, Eve. The women of Elysium are dying to meet you. To be honest, I didn’t think you’d made it. You were so young…” She stares at Eve like she’s trying to see what’s inside. “They call you the Queen, you know.”
Vrin looks like she’s about to laugh. Like she can’t believe how ridiculous it all sounds coming out of her mouth.
“The Queen?” Eve says.
Her posture stiffens a bit. It’s obvious she’s intrigued. The anger, the resentment… It’s all gone now. It’s like all she cares about is recognition.
“Yeah,” Vrin adds. “You have to realize, Eve, that people have been talking about you for five years. You’ve become a bit of a myth.”
“This… Ela—” Eve tries.
“Elysium,” Vrin corrects, planting two veiny hands on
her waist.
“How many women are there?” Eve asks.
Vrin scratches her chin. “The last time we did a headcount, we were at two thousand and forty-three.”
Eve’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of her head. And with good reason. Aren’t there something like 300 in Eden? Give or take? That’s a huge difference.
“Women?” Eve asks. “And what about—” she glances at me, and then at the soldiers behind me, but it’s like she’s too disgusted to even say the word men.
“One hundred and twelve,” Vrin says. “Thirteen, if we’re counting Gabriel.”
I swallow at the sound of my name. Does this mean I’m staying for good? Am I finally going to be somewhere I belong? Five years of surviving wastelands is about all I can take.
Everyone watches Eve now. It looks like she’s doing mathematical equations in her head. Why’s she so interested in knowing how many men and women there are?
“Who’s in charge?” Eve asks.
Vrin gives her a crooked smile and raises her chin. “You’re looking at her.”
Eve’s stare becomes hollow. It’s like she isn’t even in there, or she is and she’s talking to a dozen voices at once. What’s she thinking about?
Vrin clears her throat. “Look, Eve, I’m not here to step on anybody’s toes. I’m here on a rescue mission. Now, if you don’t mind opening up those gates, we’d like to start bringing women up onto the plane.”
Everyone watches Eve, no doubt waiting for her to snap. Freyda, especially, looks worried. There’s a silence so heavy that it reminds me of a twig being bent. It’s quiet, up until the pressure is too much, and then there’s a loud snap.
Why isn’t she reacting? Is she going to freak out? She’s protective of her little paradise, after all. She’s made it damn clear that she’s worked her ass off to get her women to where they are today… That she’s the reason they survived. I can’t imagine her handing all that over to Vrin, even if it’s for the best.
But then, without breaking eye contact with Vrin, Eve shouts, “Nola, open the gates!”