The Forgotten Eden

by Aiden James

  “‘No...’ I looked around. Simply amazing. The lush green carpet of fresh-cut grass was indeed what I loved to see. It even smelled like it’d been cut just minutes before. I decided to test just how much of a magical garden it could be.

  “‘I don’t see any animals, Genovene. I suppose you’ve figured out by now that I really like animals. So, why ain’t there any dogs and cats around here?’

  “No sooner than I said this, a high-pitched growl emerged from a fern bush I stood next to. A white tiger cub came pouncing out from behind the bush and playfully attacked my leg.

  “‘What? Whoa—hold on there, boy!’ I cried out, surprised, trying to back away. ‘Uh, Genovene...it won’t bite me, will it?’

  “‘No, sweetie, it won’t,’ she said, snickering while I attempted to climb over the wall. ‘How’s that for a kitten?’

  “She walked over to me and picked up the tiger cub, setting it down a few feet away. After patting the animal gently on its butt, she watched it disappear into the bushes. She then turned her attention back to me, smug satisfaction on her face.

  “‘Do you believe me now, Jack?’

  “I nodded, shyly. She reached out and took my hand again, leading me to a path that ran through the flowerbeds and plants. We followed the path until we reached the waterfall that fed the garden’s stream. We sat down together on a small golden bench beneath a tall willow that overlooked the pool this waterfall emptied into. The roar from the crashing water overwhelmed any other sounds in the garden. Genovene leaned into me again, speaking loud enough to be clearly heard above the water’s din.

  “‘This is our wishing pool. If you’d like, take a look down into the water, but be careful not to fall in.’

  “I leaned over the edge of the pool and saw hundreds of gold and silver coins, and even some copper, steel, and nickel coins from more recent years, including a couple of quarters and a half-dollar lying near where we sat. The water so clear, it looked like I could simply reach in and scoop the coins up with my hands.

  “‘The water’s a lot deeper than you think!’ she warned. She bent down and stuck her arm into the water all the way up to her elbow, but it seemed like she’d barely broken the water’s surface. ‘See what I mean?’

  “‘I would’ve never figured that, everything in there looks really close!’

  “‘Things aren’t always as they seem, or how we want them to be,’ she said. ‘Like this pool…. Some wishes come true for those who make them here, and yet, many other wishes don’t. Perhaps, as some say, it has everything to do with the purity of the heart and soul of the person making the wish. I, for one, believe it’s pure luck. Why don’t you make a wish for something you long for, Jack?’

  “I almost declined to wish for anything at all. Yet, the thing that mattered most to me and haunted every waking moment wouldn’t let me pass up this opportunity. Even if a far-fetched desperate attempt for an answer or resolution to whatever became of my parents, I’d try anything. I needed to know what happened. I couldn’t formulate a true purpose for my life until I did—even if it meant finding out they were dead.

  “I pulled a dime from the deep recesses of a pocket and flipped the coin into the clear water, watching it drift to the bottom. It rested on a pile of other coins, and felt like a futile exercise. It left me feeling more alone and empty than before.

  “Genovene gently massaged my shoulders again, so I knew it was time to leave. She led me away from the stream, heading toward the garden wall nearest the staircase. We walked together quietly through more exotic plants and flowers, and soon found ourselves directly below the colossal statue of the woman. It towered in splendid elegance. I stretched my neck back to get a better look as it sparkled in the sunlight, thinking this must be what it feels like if you’re a bug about to get squished.

  “The feet alone were nearly as big as my bedroom. An amazing work of art, so many minor details, like the striations on the toenails and small lines around the knees were plainly visible from where I stood. Even details I couldn’t quite see must’ve been carved into the torso and head of the statue, because it really seemed to look down at me.

  “From the head, arms, hands, torso, and knees surged jets of water which alternated and crossed one another in a variety of patterns. The affect of the sunlight reflecting off the water and the jeweled statue created a multicolored halo that surrounded it. I figured it took years to construct.

  “‘You’d be surprised at how long it didn’t take,’ offered Genovene, nodding proudly.

  “She led me to the garden’s wall and waved her hand above it. As before, the wall melted away and we moved back into the noisy plaza. I looked back to see if I could watch the wall mend itself, but as before, it’d already finished.

  “We reached the staircase and began our ascent to the courtyard. Like its sister on the other side, the warrior stood within its own sprinkler-fed rainbow. The realistic detail frightening, it seemed to stare sullenly at us.

  “‘You’re wondering why they look so real, aren’t you?’ observed Genovene. ‘Our personal icons must be believable. We call the male statue Morylan. He represents courage and our desire for excellence. The woman, Lavonia, represents our proud heritage and emphasis on true beauty.’

  “We continued to the courtyard. My eyes were immediately drawn to the golden pyramid, and I’d guessed its height fairly accurate from the hill. But it turned out to be a lot wider and deeper than I originally thought. A long, steep row of steps led to its very top, where the fire’s billowing smoke obscured much of it. Rows of strange hieroglyphs covered the pyramid’s sides.

  “Several fountains dotted the courtyard, each one featuring gold nymphs in provocative poses. The floor tiled in white marble, a crimson carpet fringed with gilded tassels ran from the staircase to a pair of crystal doors in the tower’s base.

  “To the right of the carpet sat a long wooden table covered with serpent carvings similar to the ones on the game table in the arcade. This table flanked on either side by a dozen high-backed chairs, each featured the same designs. At the head of the table near the tower’s base sat a large throne chair, by far the most ornate furniture piece here. Its elongated back covered in crushed velvet of the deepest purple I’ve ever seen, and what looked like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds had been embedded in the fabric.

  “A long white tablecloth with lavender tassels covered the table, already set with golden plates, utensils, and large goblets. Fancy, with elegant napkins folded and stuffed inside the goblets, and large gold trays overloaded with a wide variety of fruit on each end of the table.

  “To the right of the table stood a row of twelve, tall and narrow, juniper trees—each one decorated with gold and lavender ribbons. They sort of reminded me of Christmas trees that’d been stretched thin and stripped of the usual lights and ornaments.

  “‘As you can see, it’s almost time for the festival to start,’ she said, slipping her arm around my waist. The courtyard was full of busy servants hustling back and forth from the tower to the area surrounding the table. ‘I’ve saved the best for last, Jack! Are you ready for the final phase of our tour, to visit my house?’

  “‘Are you kidding? I’ve been ready for that from the moment I first saw it from the woods!’

  “The main thing I’d hoped to do all along was visit the magnificent tower, and now I stood on its threshold. Twelve steps to the colossal building. On the way to the entrance, I heard the sound of horses snorting. Near the far end of the tower’s base on my left I saw Malacai’s carriage and horses. The carriage unattended, its door stood wide open with a footstool underneath. Even from this distance, I could see the carriage’s plush red and gold interior.

  “A high cupola supported by a row of marble columns ran along the length of the tower’s base. Two huge muscular guards stood at attention on either side of the entrance, and as Genovene and I approached, they bowed before her while pulling the doors open.

  “We walked inside the tow
er and the guards closed the doors behind us.”

  ***

  “So, now you were inside the tower,” said Peter, who had quietly followed Jack’s tale, only occasionally jotting down additional notes in his journal. All signs of his earlier breakdown vanquished, he seemed refreshed, perhaps enlivened by the fantastic details of Genovene’s world. “From what you remember, please offer as much information as possible about this place. What you’ve related so far has been great, but for reasons I’ll reveal later on tonight, I’d like you to now be as candid as possible. I assure you it’s that important.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” said Jack, wondering why this part of his story would be more important than any other. “It still might be tough to get through the more personal shit I went through inside that place.”

  “I must insist you give me everything you can,” said Peter, seriously, and then he motioned for Jack to pick up where he left off.

  “Well, okay…. After my eyes adjusted to the dimness, I noticed the center of the enormous room was illuminated brightly from above,” resumed Jack. “The walls and floor appeared to be made of some kind of dark granite, and like almost every other surface I’d seen, polished to high-gloss.

  “We stepped toward the light and then I instinctively looked up. The immense base opened up into the hollow spike of gold soaring to dizzying heights. I couldn’t even see the top from where we stood, as if the tower had grown much taller since my last good look at it from atop the plaza.

  “I started to lose my balance, looking up again. Magnificent, not only was the spike incredibly high, but also several hundred feet in diameter. A marble staircase with gold rails and banisters spiraled up as far as I could see. The crystal windows I’d seen earlier followed the staircase’s ascent, channeling sunlight as refracted rainbows within the tower’s shaft.

  “A crystal tube stood in the very center of the room, running from the floor to what I assumed to be the very top of the spike, not visible from where we stood. The entire length of the tube glowed.

  “When I looked over at Genovene, her countenance was serene. But her eyes glowed like a pair of cerulean fires.

  “‘Welcome to my home, Jack!’ she exalted, the echo of her lovely voice bouncing from wall to wall as it resounded throughout the temple base. She began to shimmer again.

  “‘This is really your...house?’ I asked, incredulous.

  “She nodded, swinging herself around with her arms out and her fingers pointed away from her body. She threw back her head in ecstasy as she twirled around me, dancing as a skilled ballerina might’ve done. Her gown floated lightly above the floor as she moved. Spinning around me several times, she relaxed into a curtsy. Slowly, she raised herself up, her eyes less ablaze.

  ‘Jack, this place is the temple of my people just as surely as my home!’ she proclaimed, as if in some Shakespearean play. ‘It’s been my house longer than you could ever imagine, and is my father’s creation!’

  “She paused, making sure I followed her words.

  “‘My father’s name is Talusha, the protector of my people! He’s the one who gives us life! He keeps us content and happy, and ensures that no hostility befalls us, ever! That’s why very few have ever seen our wonderful village!’

  “I stood speechless, trying to understand why she acted so strangely. She nodded and smiled again. She sauntered closer while holding me in her gaze.

  “‘As I said, this is our temple,’ she said, reducing the volume of her voice to a sultry whisper. ‘The people here worship Talusha as their lord and savior—their god! In this hallowed place, they let their voices ring out in adoration, because without him, our very existence would end!’

  “‘Okay’ I thought, ‘she’s fucking nuts!’

  “A ‘god’ other than the One I prayed to every night for my mom and dad to finally come home? I seriously doubted Reverend Meyers, the preacher at the local First Baptist church Grandpa sometimes took me to, ever heard of ‘Talusha’. But I considered the amazing things I’d experienced up until then…. They all meant something, right? Still, the leap to the absurd notion her daddy was anybody’s ‘god’ seemed so…well, absurd.

  “‘Jack,’ she said, interrupting my thoughts. ‘It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. Before today is over, you will know him!’

  “Her smile never faded despite my possible insult to her father. Uneasiness briefly touched my awareness and then was gone. Other than the intense sadness I experienced at the garden’s wishing pool, I still wasn’t able to hold onto any feeling or thought for long. They easily slipped from my mind’s grasp like water through a strainer.

  “She moved closer with her consistent disregard for my personal space. I thought she might kiss me when she closed the gap between us to less than an inch. My manhood began to respond, embarrassing me. The smile on her face mischievous, she took a step back and deliberately looked down at my crotch. Awkwardly torn between self-consciousness and the raging fire of my adolescent desire, I was mostly relieved when she turned her intense blue eyes back to meet my own.

  “‘There’s some unfinished business between you and I that’ll need to be addressed before much longer,’ she said. ‘For now, follow me to the chalube’at. It’ll take us up to see the most incredible view in the entire world!’

  “She turned to lead me to the crystal tube in the middle of the room. When she realized I hadn’t moved yet, she stopped walking and looked over her shoulder with a mock pout on her face.

  “‘Would you rather take the stairs, sweetie?’

  “She winked at me, and then awaited my response with her hands on her hips and her shapely butt upturned ever so slight. She was driving me nuts, man…. Since the moment I first laid eyes on her, I’d been enraptured by her physical beauty. But, now I felt overwhelmed with tense excitement and incredible horniness. I guess, like Jeremy would say, I wanted her real bad…to ‘plant’ her right there on the temple floor!

  “She straightened up and waved her index finger at me.

  “‘Not yet!’ she laughed again. ‘Remember what I told you earlier? Play your cards right and you just might get some!’ She glanced one last time at my noticeable boner. ‘Are you ready to finish your tour?’

  “Cruelly, my lustful feelings gave way to shame, and I’m sure my face was beet-red. Despite confusion that I feared might lead to insanity if it kept up much longer, I followed her like an adoring puppy to the crystal tube, this ‘chalube’at’ as she called it.

  “Craning my neck as far as I could, my gaze followed the tube’s length. But like the very top of the tower where it supposedly led, the tube’s end remained a mystery to my eyes. I looked down at the chalube’at’s base, wondering how it worked since there wasn’t a visible doorway for getting in and out of the tube. There wasn’t a place to sit inside it either. But walking up the staircase seemed much worse.

  “She moved up to the chalube’at, and crossed her hands, palms toward her. The tube separated into a series of panels that folded and crossed on top of themselves, forming a narrow doorway. This happened so swift and silent that if I’d not paid close attention, I’d have missed it completely.

  “Genovene stepped inside and I followed. The panels quietly slipped back into place. I looked closely at the tube’s wall, but couldn’t detect the slightest seam or line, as if the doorway never existed. She moved to one side of the tube and directed me to stand across from her.

  “‘Hold on tight!’ she cautioned.

  “‘To what?’ I wondered.

  “In the very next instant we were jolted into the air, flying up the tube at incredible speed. The granite floor below shrank rapidly until it vanished altogether. My feet dangling in the air, we rose higher and higher. For the first time, Genovene looked a lot like a witch, though a sexy one with her hair blowing in the air, her eyes a pair of flashing sapphires, and her black gown tapered to a point just below her feet.

  “The thrill indescribable, as you can surely imagine, I
embraced the rush that filled my entire being. When we neared the top, our ascent slowed dramatically. Refracted sunlight obscured the view below beyond a few feet. Just as well, since I doubt we’d have seen much else anyway. A hole opened up in the spike’s ceiling and we were slowly pulled through it into near blinding light. The hole closed, and we landed gently on a solid floor.

  “Genovene stepped away from the tube’s wall and moved toward the center. Her outline vague, she motioned for me to join her. Once I stood with her in the center of the tube, the panels slid open again, though I only sensed this. The intense light’s heat embraced me, and she firmly grasped my hands to lead me out into the room. My legs like rubber, it took a moment for normal feeling to return to my limbs.

  “I could barely see in front of me, and then only if I squinted painfully. She let go of my hands and moved a few feet away. Again, I glimpsed her outline, while she appeared to move her arms over her head in a circular motion. Like she held a pair of invisible lassos, getting ready to rope an unseen steer. As she did this, the light dimmed until it no longer hurt my eyes and I could see my surroundings clear enough. We stood within a hollow crystal cone roughly sixty to seventy feet in diameter.

  “The floor was a golden circle with engraved symbols on one half of it while the other half smooth. The chalube’at somehow joined to another large triangular-shaped crystal that bisected the floor, it reminded me of the sundial that stood in one of Grandpa’s gardens. Incredibly spectacular, the sun’s rays poured through the crystal in a brilliant array of colors.

  “Genovene walked around the room, watching me marvel at its contents.

  “‘Some ride, eh?’ she said, moving over to me. ‘I’ll bet you’ve never been on an elevator quite like that before, have you? Just wait for the trip back down!’