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Chapter 12 : Eden

[Raleigh]

Together, Ed and I ascended the rungs. At the top of the ladder is a small platform that is level with the top of the fish. After wearily pulling myself to the top, I offer a hand to Edward.

“Haha, I'm fine, thank you, don't need your help.”

Once we are both standing at the top, I turn away from the ladder to have a look.

“Wow… I…I did that?”

Below us is a circular hole in the fish so big that Edward and I could stand next to each other, arms outstretched and not touch anything. With a “thump” I fall to my knees. "I..did this, and yet..I can’t remember a single thing. How. I don't understand."

“Raleigh? Are you okay?”

The acidic taste of bile burns my throat.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Raleigh?”

“I’m just shocked. Let’s go back down, I've seen enough.”

“Fine with me.”

The quiet journey back into the mountain is a fuzzy blur in my mind. After having returned to the banquet hall, I politely excuse myself and head past the guest suites that we are staying in and out into a small garden that Is shared with the neighboring suite. The fresh air is exhilarating especially after what felt like days in the confines of the tunnels. I lean on an ornate grey marble guardrail and look out across the lake. The world is so big and I am so small. Tears start to slowly trickle down my cheeks and nose, dripping slowly onto the marble. I can taste the salt on my lips, angry at my own sadness and confusion I wipe the tears away with my sleeve. Why am I so upset? I’ve taken a fish’s life before and I've never felt like this. Around me dead leaves are blown about by the wind and on the distant horizon dark storm clouds gather. It looks like the weather will pick up this evening. As I turn to leave I stop dead in my tracks. There is someone leaning on a wooden garden post upholding vines laden exotic looking fruit. Curious I approach. “hello, my name is Raleigh, I don't reco… The person who I can now clearly see is a girl turns towards me. She is the most beautiful looking girl I had ever seen, fair skin with a sprinkling of freckles and long silky black hair. But what catches my eyes the most is her eyes, deep blue like the sky after it has rained. I clench my jaw to stop myself from gawping. The sudden stop in the middle of my sentence makes her giggle. “My name is Eden.”

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“..Ah.. Nice to meet you Eden.”

“Nice to meet you Raleigh..

you look like you’ve been crying."

Taken aback I don’t know what to say.

She reaches out and takes my hand and leads me to a small pond where we sit down.

“What hurts?”

After what only feels like a few minutes to me the thunderous sound of the storm announcing itself arrives and we are forced to finish conversing. I feel much better for getting my thoughts out. Before she leaves I thank her for talking to me and then I say my farewells. As she walks away from me I can’t take my eyes off her, it feels wrong. Just before ducking into a dimly lit tunnel she turns and looks back at me standing alone in the pelting rain. It Is far too windy to try to shout so instead she mouths it. “Raleigh, we will meet again, I promise. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye Eden.”

And then with a sad smile she disappeared from my view.