Finding Eden

by K R S McEntire

  The air inside the tunnel felt colder the deeper they descended, and the ground under Lilah’s feet was damp. Lilah took in her surroundings—concrete walls, concrete ground, darkness, and more darkness.

  There were faint sounds echoing from further inside the tunnels. Lilah heard what she thought was laughter, followed by what sounded like a growl. Large, mutated rodents would occasionally scurry by. Lilah shrieked at the sight of a three-eyed toad and shuddered at an oversized rat with blood-red eyes. Despite the critters, she kept going. Until she saw something that shocked her so much that it stopped her in her tracks.

  Lining the walls of the tunnel were seven dead bodies. Lilah screamed when she saw the first one: a rotting corpse surrounded by hungry three-eyed mice.

  “What’s wrong?” Jesse turned his flashlight to Lilah’s face, causing her to squint.

  “You don’t see that?” Lilah exclaimed, pointing at the body.

  Jesse shone his light in on the corpse. Then, noticing that there were more, he shone his light over the decaying faces of all seven.

  “Oh God.” Lilah’s stomach twisted. “That's vile.”

  Jesse moved his flashlight back to the closest body. He was male and thin; his skin was a ghostly white color. His body slumped over itself, half-sitting, half-lying on the floor. The fabric of his clothing had been gnawed through by the rodents, and what was left of it was stained with crimson blood. Lilah couldn't determine much more than that, as his face had been consumed by the critters. His age remained a mystery.

  “Do you think a mutant did this?” Adam whispered, moving closer to the corpse.

  “Maybe,” Jesse said, examining the body closer. “If it was a mutant with a gun. I see a lot of blood and bullet wounds on him.”

  “It could have been the Watch,” Angela said, “when they raided the City Below.”

  “It must have been,” Jesse agreed. “That's a little extreme, even for the City Below.”

  Lilah looked at Adam, but he refused to meet her eyes. He slid his hands in his pockets and walked away.

  “We should keep going,” Jesse said. “There’s nothing for us here. I know a place where we might be able to get some help.”

  As Lilah descended deeper into the City Below, she could see a dim light up ahead and started to hear faint voices. Light, laughter, and conversation came from around a corner.

  “Customers approaching,” Jesse called out. The voices grew silent.

  They turned the corner, and Lilah saw two men and one woman holding candles and flashlights. One of the men had green skin. Lilah knew he must be a mutant. The woman had deep brown skin and long hair in locs, and her eyes had no pupil or iris in them. The last man didn’t have any visible mutations. He was bald, pale, and unassuming. On his lap was the rotting head of a dead alligator.

  Surrounding the men were dozens of wooden crates. Inside the crates, Lilah saw tattered clothes, a small amount of food, a jug of water, and other knick-knacks. Some of the crates were missing a side or two, as if they had been smashed into. The contents spilled out onto the ground.

  “Al,” Jesse said, lowering the hand that held his gun so the man could see that he was not a threat. “Do you remember me?”

  “Course I do.” The man’s voice was raspy. “You’re the kid that took Trace out of this dump. How is Trace?”

  “He’s good,” Jesse said. “He’s working with the Resistance now.”

  “Glad to hear it.” The man started stroking the rotting alligator's head. His overgrown yellow fingernail caught on a chunk of eye, pulling it out of the skull. Lilah grimaced.

  “The Resistance has been doing good work,” Al continued.

  “What happened to Allie?” Jesse motioning toward the dead creature.

  “Those damn Wardens came here and tried to shut down my shop. Allie died defending my honor. She was a real hero. Of course, I avenged her death. Took down three Wardens with my bare hands…and a few other special abilities.” He winked.

  “What happened to… the rest of Allie?” Jesse asked, motioning to the head.

  “A man’s gotta eat.” Al offered a grin that revealed two missing teeth.

  “Right…” Jesse said. “Wow, things have changed around here. Last time this place was so busy.”

  “Kane’s Wardens killed so many of the mutants living down here. The Wardens shoot them dead and leave their bodies to rot. The mutants living down here are hiding.”

  “I wondered why the Watch was attacking so much. Mutants have lived down here for years. Why worry about it now?” asked Jesse.

  “They were looking for you,” Al said. “They wanted to find the mutants who caused the incident. They couldn't find them, so they took down whoever they could find. Now the City Below is too quiet. They are barricading themselves in their homes.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jesse said.

  Al let out a deep belly laugh. “That was nothing compared to your latest stunt. Tranqing Kane. News got out that Kane was tranqed, that he left Chicago, and that he found a cure for mutations. Now, a lot of people have been leaving the City Below in hopes of getting that cure.”

  “Yes, the Resistance has been helping with those efforts,” Jesse said.

  “I know. I know everything that goes down, remember?” Al said, “So why'd you kids come back here. I know you’re not coming to the City Below for a vacation. Are you trying to escape Chicago again?”

  “We're done escaping. We're trying to find a woman and a little girl. They go by the names of May and Miracle.”

  “Ah, yes,” Al said. “They’ve been barricading themselves. Had a run-in with a couple of Warden’s the other day.”

  Jesse raised an eyebrow. “I thought the Wardens had been leaving the City Below alone after they found us?”

  Al shrugged. “For the most part, yes. But the Wardens still have to get their rocks off somehow. Coming down here and terrorizing mutants seems to be their favorite way to do it.”

  “How can we find May and Miracle?”

  “They live right up there.” He pointed further into the tunnels. “Built a big barricade. You won't miss it.”

  “Thank you.” Adam nodded, taking off down a new tunnel.

  After a couple of minutes, they came across a wall of debris arranged in a small rectangle. It was about the size of Lilah’s queen bed.

  “May?” Jesse called over the rubble.

  “Get away!” a female voice shrieked. “I’ll kill you!”

  “We’re with the Resistance,” Jesse said. “We want to help you.”

  “Liar!” she screamed.

  Jesse turned to Angela, who gave him a sweet smile.

  “Let me talk to her,” Angela whispered, walking closer to the makeshift barricade.

  “Hello May.” Her voice was sugar sweet. “My name is Angela. I’m with the Resistance.”

  May let out a blood-curdling scream and reached through her barricade, a knife held tightly in her trembling fist. She jabbed it at Angela, missing her leg by less than an inch as Angela jumped back.

  “That’s what they said yesterday! They tried to hurt my daughter! I don’t know who to trust anymore. Just go!” May said. “Go!”

  “May,” Adam spoke up. “I know you are scared. The Wardens have given you a lot to be afraid of. I should know. I was one of them.”

  “Adam!” Lilah whispered. “Are you trying to scare her even more?”

  “No,” Adam said. “I’m trying to be honest with her.”

  “You were a Warden?” May asked. “Leave!”

  “We could leave you here to live in fear, but I know you want to give your little girl a better life.”

  “I just want her to live to see another day,” May said. “I can worry about a better life later.”

  “Would you come with me if you felt a little more…protected?” Adam asked.

  She was silent for a few moments. “Protected how?”

  “I’ll give you my gun. If any of us tries to hurt you, you'd be able t
o defend yourself.”

  “No, Adam,” Jesse said. “That's not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Adam asked.

  “You are not giving a gun to a terrified woman. She’s already said she wants to kill us,” Jesse pointed out.

  “Then leave. I’ll give her my weapon and escort her back alone. Go wait with Freedom and Rain.”

  “No!” Lilah spoke up. Her heart was racing. “Don’t be an idiot. She could hurt you. Please, stop trying to play hero. You don’t have to prove yourself to me, okay?”

  Then Adam turned to Lilah. She could see anger flashing in his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was careful and controlled.

  “I’m not trying to prove myself to you. Or to the Resistance. Or to my parents. Or to anyone,” Adam growled. “All I’ve ever wanted was to help make this world better. Now I get a shot at that, and you tell me just to leave a little girl in a place like this. If I want to prove myself to anyone, I would want to prove myself to me. If I die helping someone, then at least my life matters.”

  “You shouldn't do this.” Lilah's voice cracked as she spoke. Her hands were trembling. “There will be other people to help. It’s not worth your life.”

  “I’ve failed one mission, for good reason,” Adam said. “I’ve been given another. This is a mission I really want to complete.”

  A tall brunette woman moved around the barricade and stepped out of the darkness into the glow of Jesse’s flashlight. Her hair was messy and, in parts, matted, and her clothes were tattered and worn. A little girl with red hair and freckles on her face was in her arms, watching with wide green eyes. Her tiny thumb was in her mouth.

  “Her name is Miracle,” the woman said. She clutched her daughter to her chest.

  “Nice to meet you, May,” Adam said. “Hello, Miracle.”

  “Gun,” the woman demanded. “You said you would give me a gun. Put it on the ground.”

  “Right after my friends leave,” Adam said, locking eyes with Jesse.

  Jesse nodded and took Angela’s hand. “Come on Lilah.”

  “No! I won’t let him do this.”

  “You will,” Adam said. “It’s my choice to do so.”

  Lilah turned away so that Adam could not see the tears slipping down her cheeks. She tried to blink them away.

  Angela put her hand on Lilah’s shoulder to guide her. “He’ll be alright,” she whispered.

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I don’t,” Angela said. “But I have hope.”

  Lilah walked ahead of Angela and Jesse, eager to get out of the City Below. She was afraid of what she might hear if she walked too slow—a gunshot, or Adam’s last cry of distress. Her body was shaking all over, and she could barely hold up her weight as she moved forward. She allowed herself to drop to the ground when she made it back to Freedom and Rain.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Adam

  Adam knelt down and sat his pistol on the ground. His eyes were fixed on May, who was clutching her daughter so tightly he wondered if the child could breathe. He lifted his hands to show May that they were empty as he backed away from the gun, then offered her a reassuring smile.

  May was frozen in place. Her wide brown eyes gazed into Adam’s as if trying to peer into his soul.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” Adam said. “I’m just here to help.”

  May sat her daughter on the ground. Adam saw just how small the child was. She couldn't be older than four.

  The child raised a tiny fist to rub her eyes, squinting at Adam through red strands of curly hair.

  “Hello there.” Adam smiled and waved at the child.

  “Don’t talk to her,” May barked. “Just to me.”

  She walked over to the gun and picked it up, then grabbed Miracle’s left hand.

  “You walk ahead of me,” May said, aiming the gun at Adam. “Go toward the dim light. Straight down the hall to Al’s shop.”

  Adam didn’t want to show fear, but it was hard to turn his back to May while he knew there was a gun pointed toward him. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he turned around and walked back to Al. When they made it back, Al was still petting the alligator head.

  “Ya’ leavin’ me, May?” Al asked, still looking down at the head. He hadn't looked up to see the gun aimed at Adam’s back.

  “Is this the boy who helped Trace?” May motioned toward Adam with the hand that held the gun, causing Adam to flinch. Al finally looked up and frowned at her.

  “No,” Al said. “But he came here with them.”

  “He said he was a Warden.”

  “He was.” Al grinned at her. “That's the one who tranqed Kane.”

  May gasped and looked at Adam with newfound trust and respect. “You did that?”

  Adam nodded. “Now, will you let me take you home?”

  His muscles relaxed as she lowered the gun. Hope filled her eyes as she looked down at her daughter.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Lilah

  Lilah didn’t greet Freedom or Rain when she made it back. She sat on the ground with her knees to her chest and rocked herself back and forth.

  “Where’s Adam?” Freedom asked.

  “Getting himself killed,” Lilah said.

  “He's trying to get May to come with him,” Jesse interjected. “She was a little shaken up.”

  Freedom placed her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed at Lilah. “You left Adam alone?”

  “He insisted,” Angela spoke up, explaining the situation to Freedom and Rain.

  Freedom sighed. “So he wants to play hero.”

  Seconds felt like hours as Lilah waited for Adam to return. Lilah stood and started pacing in a circle.

  “If she shot him, we would hear it. Right?” Lilah asked.

  “Not if she stabbed him.” There was a mischievous sparkle in Freedom's eyes as she spoke.

  “Freedom, it’s really not the time for your morbid sense of humor,” Jesse said.

  Freedom rolled her eyes, but a smirk stayed on her lips. “Sorry. Bad joke. Look, I wouldn't be joking around if I truly felt he was in danger. He was a Warden. I’m sure he can handle himself.”

  Lilah sat to the ground again to wait. Why was she heartbroken over this? He made the choice to give a stranger his only weapon. He would live, or die, with the consequences. But when she tried to picture a world without Adam she started to cry again.

  “Look up, Lilah,” Angela whispered.

  Lilah looked and saw Adam strolling back with May at his side. There was a gun in her hand, a smile on her face, and her daughter walked next to her at her feet. May and Adam were chatting like old friends. Lilah let out a sigh of relief.

  “Adam!” She leapt up and walked over to him. She couldn't resist wrapping him in a hug. “You’re back. And in one piece!”

  “Like I said I would be,” Adam said. His eyes softened as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “Were those tears because of me?”

  Lilah felt embarrassed and turned away. Adam pulled her closer, wrapping her in a warm hug. Her labored breathing slowed to a normal pace.

  “I told you I'd be okay,” Adam said.

  “Just never do anything like that again.”

  May walked over to Freedom. “Thank you,” she said. “For your kindness. For taking us in. You have no idea how exciting and terrifying today is for me.”

  “It’s our pleasure. Come with us,” Freedom said. “We’ll get you squared away.”

  The woman hesitated, looking back once more at the door to the City Below. Jesse shut the door and locked it, causing May to turn away and follow Freedom back to the Resistance.

  They made it back to the ladder leading to the trap door. May climbed up and into the Resistance, then peered down at Miracle as the child pouted.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart,” Angela cooed as she lifted the child and handed her to her mother.

  “It's bright!” the little girl cried out as she was lifted into the control room.

 
The room was illuminated by no more than a couple of cheap lamps. Angela chuckled. “Wait till she sees the sun!” she said as she climbed into the room.

  Jesse, Rain, Freedom, May, and Adam followed. Lilah was last to climb in. Adam offered her a hand to pull her into the room when she made it to the top of the ladder.

  She reached up to take his hand and felt a jolt of electricity at his touch. Adam locked eyes with her as he pulled her up, and she could feel her face grow hot.

  “Thanks,” said Lilah, putting her hand in her pockets the moment they were free. She turned from Adam to look for the child.

  Miracle took off the moment May put her on the ground, waddling over to a computer desk and wrapping her arms around one of its legs.

  Lilah couldn’t help but grin as she watched the child explore her new surroundings, but May's pasted-on smile revealed her nervousness. She drew in a breath as the child wrapped her arms around one of its legs and lifted the desk off the ground. The computer started to slide to the edge of the table.

  Lilah gasped. That table had two large monitors and heavy equipment on it.

  May rushed over in a panic. “Put that down!”

  The child obeyed just in time to save the monitors.

  May lifted the little girl back into her arms. “She’s four times as strong as she should be. I moved below to keep her safe, but I don’t want to hide her anymore. It’s not a place for a child to grow up.”

  Rain spoke up. “Do you have any mutations you'd like me to remove from your daughter? We have a formula, but we’ve only used it on adults. There are some flu-like side effects, but so far, we have been able to cure all of the Post-Humans who’ve requested to have their mutation removed.”

  May was silent for a moment, considering. “If she wants to remove it someday, that should be her choice. Her father left us when he saw her abilities, but I think I'm getting the hang of keeping her mutation under control.”

  “Well, hopefully someday soon, she won’t have to hide who she is,” Freedom said.

  Zinc came over with two CitCards in hand and passed them to May. “Fake IDs. Use them wisely.”