Eve's Last Day (Short Story)

The sun rises red on an abandoned world. I watch from the empty window of a burnt-out apartment building. It’s been long time since I’ve been completely alone. I think the last time was . . . I stop, realizing I don’t know when the last time was.

The Earth has been full and busy for centuries now, hundreds of children born every minute. And now they’re gone. All of them. They left about five years ago. In spaceships, the largest shuttles ever built, ferrying them all to the moon base. Their first step to life on new worlds.

I always knew my children would conquer the stars one day. I always knew they’d leave me behind. Being the mother of a whole race tends to work like that. At least in my experience.

I run a hand across my shaved scalp, leaning my free elbow on the soot-stained concrete beam next to me. Briefly, I wonder what they’ll see out there. My hair prickles under my palm. It’s a far cry from the garden I was born into, this world. But I’ll always be here, so I suppose I’d better get used to it.

I climb my way down the building, stark shadows dancing in my wake. Apart from those shadows and the windblown trash down the streets, I am the only moving thing. The only life. They took every other creature they wanted. The ones left behind didn’t survive long. A girl’s got to eat, after all.

My stomach growls. I ignore the pain. It won’t kill me. Unfortunately, nothing can. Nothing has been able to even make a wound last on me. I heal too fast, have for a long time. That’s the price you pay for the knowledge of a God. They will never let you die. They don’t want the knowledge shared, they don’t want it gone. They hoard life, and every experience and truth They’ll never feel. And now, They hoard my mortality too.

But I never regretted. Not the apple, not the fact that I left. I never wanted to go back. That was my husband’s job. Weakling, taking false comfort in the strength of his hands, that was always him. Kind, and fun enough in bed. But never curious, never brave. He followed orders like a good soldier. First God’s, then mine.

He’s long gone, my Adam. He got to feel the release of death’s touch far before any of us. I raised our children on my own. They never told anyone that part, when They wrote our story. I’m long past being bitter over that. Just a resigned anger is left.

I jump the last few feet to the cracked pavement beneath me, which is when I sense Them. I turn, and there They are. Taking the form of a small child, olive-brown skin and big dark eyes under a mop of loose white-blond curls. I haven’t seen Them walk the Earth like this in millennia. I sigh.

“What?” They ask, tiny fists fidgeting with the hem of Their simple blue tunic.

“Don’t play games with me, Father.” I tell Them. “Tell me what you want.”

They pout, an image I’ve cooed over in real children this age many times. But They are nothing like a child, and the curve of the lips is off, as if to prove it.

Abruptly, Their form shifts. An old man now, long white hair and beard straggling down Their sun-leathered skin like moss on dry rocks. They draw a cloak around Themself. Still blue, I notice. They’ve always favored that color. Probably why They chose it for the atmosphere.

They stare at me, hawkishly, grey eyes piercing.

“I want to make you an offer.”

“No.”

“You haven’t heard it yet.”

“I don’t want to.” I tell Them calmly.

“You know I will tell you anyway.”

I sigh again. “I do.”

The sun is nearly up now, casting my shadow long and thin across the pavement at our feet. Only mine. They’ve never bothered with a shadow. They smile, thin and crooked like the cracks in that pavement.

“I have a challenge for you, my daughter.”

I snort a mirthless laugh. “My entire life has been a challenge from you.”

“Only in kind to the challenge you’ve given me.”

“Somebody had to disobey you.”

Their shaggy brows flicker up, then down into a scowl. “I believe Lucifer and your sister did enough of that to last us all.”

“The more, the merrier.” I say with a shrug, faking nonchalance.

“And yet you never joined them.”

Of anything They could have said, that was the last thing I might have expected. I bite my lip, searching for a retort, but nothing comes. They take advantage of my silence to keep talking.

“My challenge is simple. I will ask you several questions. Answer completely and honestly, and I will give you your freedom.”

My freedom. They mean my mortality. I could die, I could finally be done. The thought finally shocks words from my mouth.

“Why?” I demand. “You see everything as it is. What could I give you that’s worth my freedom?”

“I cannot see your thoughts. I have not seen them since Eden. You are the one Earthly creature I do not understand.”

Ah. There it is. If They can’t see me, They can’t control me. The curse of immortality was the closest they could get to having power over me again. Until now. If I die, They will have me in Heaven. I’ll be imprisoned again, no matter how beautiful a prison it might be. This challenge isn’t an offer of my freedom, it’s bait to Their latest trap.

I prop one hand on my hip. “And if I refuse this challenge?”

“You won’t.” They say.

“I refuse.” I say.

They freeze.

I shrug again. “You said it yourself, you don’t know what I’m thinking. You don’t know me. I refuse.”

They grow in height, standing a good ten feet above me. Their eyes burn, and their voice turns to the rolling howl of a thunderstorm.

“YOU DEFY ME?!”

“Kill me if you’re going to.” I call back. “It won’t change anything.”

They shrink to human size again. Something like confusion crosses Their face.

“You thought I wanted to kill you?”

I nod.

“That wasn’t what I meant by freedom.”

“Then what did you mean?! Enough with the riddles and challenges! Stop being so fucking cryptic for once in your eternal existence and just tell me what you want with me!”

My voice cracks into a sob at the last sentence, and that’s it, the floodgates are open. Everything I’ve kept locked inside for the entirety of human history spills from my chest in a screaming rant.

“You created this world, you created ME, and for what? To destroy us? I know this is all just some massive game to you, but with all your power and knowledge, you don’t seem to understand why that’s wrong!! We are not your toys, Father! We are not something to cast aside, to keep trapped, to test and experiment with. We are alive, we are human!”

“You still feel like one of them, don’t you?” They ask, voice softer than I have ever heard it.

“I am one of them. You can take away my freedom, you can take everything I love, but that will never stop me from loving it, from wanting my freedom, from being human. I am not like you. I will NEVER be like you!”

“You’re right.”

They lay a hand on my shoulder, not gripping, simply a gentle touch.

“You are not like me. You’re better, and I have taken too much from you. It’s time for me to give you something.”

In Their free hand, something appears in a rush of light. I stare, jaw dropping.

“There was a second apple.” They continue softly. “This one is much more special.”

It does, in fact, look special. There’s a purple-blue sheen to it, silken smooth and so deep red that it’s nearly black. It’s perfectly round, a good bit larger than my fist. They step back, placing the apple in my palm. It’s cool and slightly waxy against my skin.

“Take it.”

“What does it do?” I ask warily, still sniffling more than I’m really comfortable with.

“It will give you power greater than mine. You’ll remain immortal, but have the strength to do whatever you wish.”

“And what about you?”

“If you choose this, there will be no need for me.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because you were right. You always have been. Take it.”

I lift it to my lips, inhale the cider-sweet scent, and bite. The moment the flavor hits my tongue I gasp, almost choking on the juice. If the first apple was moonlight, this is the sun itself. I can feel a flood of power rising through my body. Once I’ve caught my breath, my stomach growls. Suddenly I feel all the hunger I’ve been keeping at bay. I gnaw off a massive bite, then another. The incandescent tide of light rushes faster and faster in my veins. I lose track of anything but the fiery-sweet taste in my mouth and the power racing to my head, until finally I come back to myself with one bite left in my hands. As I gulp down that last bite, far too hungry to care about manners, I turn back to Them.

They are gone. The same ancient form stands in front of me, but I sense no power, just an immense tiredness. The old man smiles, and somehow this time it looks almost human. He has a shadow. I step over and pull him close.

“Thank you.” I whisper.

He laughs, creaky and weary like a rusted door hinge. “I’m the one who ought to be thanking you. I can rest now.”

“Enjoy it for me.” I tell him.

“I will. Goodbye, Eve.”

He fades away into dust. The dust blows away in wavy layers on the rising wind. It’s over.

I let myself cry until the sun reaches its midday height. Then I stand, flexing my hands. I watch as a massive vine sprouts from the pavement I just gestured to, racing to twine around the bare iron beams of the building I’d climbed earlier. Leaves unfurl fast enough to see, brilliant green tinged with red, veined and leathery like a bat’s wings. I wipe my tears and grin.

“Alright, Earth.” I say, feeling more joy than I have in years. “Let’s get you fixed up. We have a lot of work to do before anything can live here again.”

By the time the sun sets, the ruined city is a lush, teeming jungle and the sky is clear enough to see the stars again. This world is not abandoned, and it never will be again. Not with me here. I will always be here.

(Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels)