Finding Eden

by K R S McEntire

  Adam wondered what she meant but didn’t question it. “I heard rumors about this place. A safe place for people like me. But I'm not having any luck finding it.”

  Lilah sighed. “I know. The stupid map is useless.”

  Map? Adam cocked an eyebrow. “At least you still have your map. I think I lost mine.”

  “What?” Lilah asked.

  Adam took out his compass. “This is all I have.”

  Lilah took the compass out of Adam's hand, “This will be helpful. With your compass and my map, we can make sure we aren’t backtracking.”

  “See, I knew we could help each other out. Besides, these woods get mighty lonely.”

  Lilah shook her head. “I don’t get lonely. Besides, you already have company.”

  Adam shrugged. “I do, but Nate’s not as pretty.”

  Lilah's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. Adam could tell that she wasn't impressed or flattered, just unsure of how to respond.

  Adam had one last question for Lilah. He had limited experience with mutants, but he needed to know what type of powers he was up against. She seemed too much like a scared teenager, not a powerful evil vigilante. He didn’t want to cause any harm to an innocent teenage girl. But at the same time, he’d seen the violence mutants could cause firsthand. His neighbor Rion had seemed peaceful until he snapped. He knew that if she was a mutant, she could never truly be innocent. Still, the question remained: if she had any type of power, why hadn't she used it to defend herself against the creature in the woods?

  “So…you’re a mutant, too, then?” Adam asked slowly.

  Lilah glared at him warningly for a moment, then sighed.

  “Of course,” she said. “Why else would I be looking for Eden?”

  “Just wanted to be sure,” Adam said. “So, what's your affliction?”

  Lilah paused again. Adam offered a smile, hoping he didn’t seem too intrusive.

  “I'd like to keep my powers to myself, thank you very much,” Lilah said.

  “That's fair,” Adam said quickly, “same here.”

  “I guess I'm stuck with you then,” she said.

  “Guess so,” Adam said.

  Lilah hobbled back toward the spot where they had been sleeping. Adam offered his arm for support, but she dismissed his help.

  Once they made it back to camp, Adam wrapped himself in his thin blanket supplied by the Watch.

  He watched Lilah pull out her quilt. The moonlight illuminated the bright red thread holding mismatched dark scraps of fabric together. Remembering the spool of thread he’d found earlier, he wondered if she had created the quilt herself.

  Lilah looked at his blanket with pity as he shivered under it. Her face softened with sympathy.

  “You can share if you’d like.” She held her blanket open so he could join her in it.

  “Those are pitiful blankets. I would invite Nate and make it a party, but he’s already asleep,” she added.

  Adam hesitated. The idea of sleeping so close to a mutant made him feel uncomfortable. Would she attack? He thought back to the mutant who had attacked Olivia back home, how he had blended into town until he snapped and hurt someone. No matter how normal this girl may seem on the surface, she was dangerous.

  “I promise I don’t bite,” she said. “As long as you keep your hands to yourself.”

  Adam didn’t want her to suspect his suspicion. And the blanket did look soft and warm. He forced a smile and moved closer.

  “I’ll try,” he teased.

  Lilah rolled her eyes before turning her body away from him. She covered her nose with the corner of the quilt as he moved in beside her, then inched her body away from him to give him space.

  Adam lay on his back beside her and looked at the stars. He listened to her breathing as she slept, comforted by her presence as he fell asleep.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lilah

  When Lilah woke the next day she lay still, clutching her blanket to her body. The early morning chill clung to the air, and Lilah wanted nothing more than to warm herself beside a fire. But in order to start a fire, she would have to reveal her…what had he called it? Afflictions? She wasn’t ready to share her powers with Adam and Nate just yet.

  Sharing a blanket was one thing, but sharing her abilities felt personal. Her intuition was warning her not to trust them. Something about the way they looked at her reminded her of the boys who ostracized her back home. But there was something about Adam. She couldn't explain to herself what compelled her to share her blanket with him. She told herself it was just to pay him back from saving her from the wolf, but she slept better with him there.

  It had been a while since Lilah had trusted anyone. Maybe she should accept that she’d finally found allies. And she had to admit, there was a small part of her that found Adam endearing.

  She looked over at Adam, who was snoring into her quilt. Nate was a few feet away, still wrapped in his thin, scratchy-looking blanket cocoon.

  Lilah sat up slowly and uncovered her leg to look at her bandage, now drenched in blood. It felt even more painful than before. She crawled over to her backpack and pulled out food. As she consumed her tasteless meal of stale bread and rotting fruit, she watched Adam and Nate sleep. She wondered what type of mutations they had. Had they been able to keep it hidden for most of their lives as she had? Why had she never noticed them around town before?

  With her injury slowing her down, she wasn’t sure if she would make it to Eden before the food ran out. She was surprised that Adam had been so eager to stay with an injured girl. Then again, with her map and his compass, it did make sense for them to figure out the way to Eden together.

  Lilah would miss solo travel. The days where she was traveling unaccompanied were lonely, sure, but at least then she could be herself. Now she was hiding her powers again, just like she had done in Chicago.

  She watched Adam’s eyes blink open. He sat up and stretched.

  “How’s your leg?” he asked.

  “Not great,” Lilah admitted.

  “I can rebandage that,” Adam offered, pulling his first aid kit out of his pack. Lilah wondered who had given Adam his compass and first aid kit. She was only given a hand-drawn map.

  “So,” Adam said while he was tending to her leg, “did you grow up in Chicago?”

  Lilah frowned. What type of idiotic question was that? “Where else would I have grown up?”

  “Well, I know they say some mutants live out here in the forest…” Adam said.

  Lilah giggled. “And you believed them? I’m not even sure I believe it now. Mutated animals, sure, but not Post-Humans. Of course I'm from Chicago.”

  “How?” Adam asked. “How were you able to get around with a mutation? Were you carded somehow?”

  Lilah narrowed her eyes at him. He sure asked a lot of questions. “How were you able to get around? Oh, that’s right, I’ve never even seen you around the settlement before. It’s like you appeared out of thin air, and now you expect me to trust you.”

  Adam smiled calmly at her. “Never said I was from the Chicago settlement.”

  “Where else would you be from?” Lilah asked. “Did you grow up in the City Below or something?”

  “I grew up in Indiana, actually,” Adam said smoothly. “It’s been a long journey to get here.”

  Lilah’s eyes widened. “You came all the way from Indiana? How is that even possible?”

  Adam dug into his pack, pulling out a small sheet of paper. He handed it to Lilah.

  It was a photograph of Adam’s family, though the background clearly wasn’t Chicago. Adam was standing in an unfamiliar city. He looked a few years younger than he was now. In each arm, he was holding a toddler, one boy and one girl. Two adults, who Lilah assumed were his parents, stood behind Adam and smiled at the camera. Her heart melted at the sight of his family. It made her miss her own.

  “I had help getting here,” Adam said. “To protect them, I’m not supposed to share the details.” />
  His tone and expression warned Lilah not to prod further.

  “I can see that you had help,” Lilah said. “With all the supplies you have, I’m guessing Indianapolis’ Resistance chapter isn’t doing too bad.”

  “I guess not,” Adam said.

  Lilah sighed. Why was she giving him a hard time? They were both in the same boat here. Two mutants who had run out of options, desperate enough to hold onto the last bit of hope. Maybe instead of being paranoid, she should try to trust someone for once. It had been a long time since Lilah had a friend. Maybe it was time to be a little vulnerable.

  A plane flew over where Lilah and Adam stood. Its contrails painted streaks of white on the cyan sky. Lilah gawked up at it.

  “Wow,” Lilah breathed. She didn’t know that working airplanes still existed. Maybe humanity was starting to rebuild.

  She turned to Adam, who was looking at her quizzically instead of marveling at the miraculous aircraft.

  “It’s a freakin’ airplane!” Lilah said with joy.

  Lilah limped over to Nate and shook him awake, wanting him to have the opportunity to see the spectacle as well. His eyes blinked open, and when he saw Lilah, he recoiled backward at her touch.

  “Hey!” he snapped. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

  Lilah rolled her eyes at him.

  “A freakin’ airplane!” Lilah repeated as he groaned, then her voice grew dark. “But it has the fake flag on it.”

  “Kane has been fixing planes up. And it’s the New American flag,” Nate corrected her, sitting up. Lilah saw Adam shoot Nate a warning look.

  Lilah turned to Nate. “That will never be the American flag, new or otherwise.”

  Nate rolled his eyes. “Clearly the old America is no more. It makes sense for President Kane to do some rebranding.”

  Lilah’s mouth fell open in shock. “President? Kane was never elected. He was just the richest man to survive the Bio Wars. He has resources overseas, where there is less contamination. Just because he has access to resources that we don’t doesn't give him the right to rule over us.”

  Nate opened his mouth to respond, but Adam spoke first, silencing his friend. “Still, that plane was a sight to see.”

  “Do you guys really think it’s Kane’s?” Lilah’s voice was a whisper, as if she was afraid the pilot above could hear her words. “It makes sense. I don’t know who else could possibly afford a plane.”

  “It will be best if whoever is in that plane doesn't see us,” Adam said. “Let’s try to stay covered by the trees and figure out where we’re going.”

  As Lilah pulled her map out of her pack, the bushes around them started to rattle. Lilah glanced up from the map and took a step back.

  “What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

  “Shh. Don’t you hear that?” Lilah whispered.

  They waited in silence for a few moments.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Nate decided.

  Lilah heard the sharp snap of a twig and the sound of light footsteps inching closer.

  “See,” Lilah whispered. There was a low, throaty growl coming from the bushes. They tiptoed backward as a familiar, wolf-like creature crept out from where it had been hiding. Lilah’s knife was no longer stuck in its unnaturally thick skin, but its head was covered in dried blood.

  Lilah groaned. How was it still alive?

  Eyes sharp and hungry, it bared its teeth and growled.

  “Forget the map!” Nate said. “Let’s get out of here!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Adam

  Adam ran through the forest as fast as he could, periodically glancing back to ensure Lilah was keeping up with him and Nate. He swallowed the bile that came climbing up his throat and pushed through his fatigue.

  He considered stopping to shoot the beast with his gun, or even just his tranquilizer, but his weapons were in his backpack, and the creature was a hair away from Lilah. The time it took to aim could be enough time for it to catch up.

  He could hear Lilah cry out as she moved, each step putting pressure on her injured leg.

  Now that he and Nate had found Lilah, they were so much closer to finding Eden. To gain the notoriety that would come with taking Eden down, he had to keep Lilah safe. But she was trailing behind Nate, and the creature seemed to realize she was the weakest prey. It focused its efforts on Lilah, snapping at her heels.

  Adam slowed down. “Lilah, grab my shoulders.”

  “What?” she gasped.

  “Now!” Adam demanded.

  Lilah cried out as she leapt toward him and grabbed the back of his shoulders. He lifted her by her thighs, carrying her on his back as he continued running.

  He needed to find a safe place—and quick.

  He saw a large, stone boulder in the distance that appeared to be hollow. Adam found it strange, given the fact that it was the only cave he had come across during his adventure. This cave looked unnatural. Placed there by someone like a gift. Could it be connected to Eden?

  Adam knew if they ran inside, they could be cornered, but he was running out of options. He couldn't carry Lilah forever, and bullets clearly wouldn’t kill this creature. They'd tried that before. He didn’t dare try the tranquilizer gun because he didn’t want Lilah to realize he owned one. Tranq guns were something only Wardens generally owned.

  Maybe they could use this cave to build some type of barricade, separating themselves from the creature.

  “In here!” Adam called to Nate, charging toward the cave. He looked around once he made it inside to see what tools he had at his disposal but only saw rocks and debris on the ground.

  Lilah slid off his back. Adam spun around to face the creature the moment Nate entered the cave. He grabbed his gun from his pack, hoping a gunshot would spook the creature even if it didn’t kill it.

  He aimed his pistol toward the beast. Before he could pull the trigger, the creature whimpered and peered into the cave with its tail between its legs. It swiftly turned and ran back into the wild.

  “I guess he’s claustrophobic,” Nate said through labored breaths, clutching at his stomach.

  “Or it remembers my gun from last time,” Adam suggested. “He’s smart.”

  “I guess,” Lilah added between deep breaths. She collapsed on the ground and pulled up her pants leg. The cloth covering her wound was crimson.

  “Looks like that got my blood flowing,” Lilah said with a grimace on her face.

  Adam examined the cave. He noticed a small metal pot in the corner and a chipped bucket full of water—telltale signs that someone had recently been here.

  He was surprised at how large the space was. Rather than the tiny nook it appeared to be from the outside, the entrance seemed to lead to a long tunnel that dug deeper into the earth. He could tell that this tunnel had been man-made. Could it lead to Eden?

  He peered into the dark tunnel and reached for the flashlight in his pack but paused before he pulled it out. The type of flashlight he had was typically owned by Wardens. His eyes shifted toward Lilah.

  “You know what sounds like a smart idea?” Lilah said. “Walking deeper into the ominous tunnel.”

  “Would you rather try your luck with the mutant wolf outside?” Adam asked.

  “Yes!” Lilah said. “Yes, I would.”

  “Come on,” Nate said. “This tunnel might lead to Eden.”

  “This tunnel might lead to hell,” Lilah spat back, but she hobbled along behind the two boys when they decided to venture deeper.

  “This is so strange,” Adam said as he ran his hand along the walls of the tunnel. The walls were made of slabs of cement and stone. As they descended deeper, the tunnel grew wider. Adam took note of the various stone textures mismatched together to create the structure. It almost looked as if someone had scavenged old buildings from the city and used bits and pieces of what they found to build this hiding place. Whenever Adam thought they might be approaching the end of the path, they turned a corner and there was more to explore. />
  “Adam!” Lilah whispered. “I don’t think we’re alone.”

  Adam slid to the right where the shadows were darkest and looked ahead.

  Deep in the tunnel, a man sat with his back against the wall, his head tilted down toward the ground. A small lantern was in his lap, illuminating his body and the walls around him. As they crept closer, Adam noted that he appeared to be sleeping.

  Nate pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man.

  “What's wrong with you!” Lilah’s whispered tone was sharp.

  “Put that away,” Adam whispered. “We don’t want to scare him.”

  “I’m not trying to scare him,” Nate whispered. “I’m trying to kill him.”

  “What if he’s with Eden?” Adam shot back.

  Nate rolled his eyes. “Fine, let’s just collect every freak we come across.”

  Adam saw Lilah glare at Nate.

  “What should we do?” Lilah asked. “Try and sneak past?”

  There was no way of knowing if the man was actually asleep. Adam pictured the man stabbing him in the back as soon as he crossed his path in the narrow walkway.

  “We should go back,” Adam decided.

  Nate rolled his eyes. “This is the most interesting thing we’ve found since coming out into this boring forest. We’re not going back.”

  Adam's heart pounded as Nate put his gun away, crept over to the sleeping man, and tried to squeeze past. Before Nate could cross, the man’s eyes blinked open.

  “Wait…what!” the man said with a start as he looked up at Nate. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

  “Exploring,” Nate said. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”

  The man grabbed Nate’s leg.

  “Let me go!” Nate tried to kick the man, but he held Nate’s leg firmly.

  “Leave now. It’s not safe here.”

  “Gladly,” Lilah said. “Please, just let us go.”

  Nate looked at the man defiantly. “We have just as much right to be here as you.”