Prompt: Guardians of the Tree

Jostain holds the apple in his hand, pulling enough for the branch to sway down, but not enough to tear the stem. If it breaks free, if he pulls just a little harder, he will be a dead man. But first, oh, but first, he could taste it. All of it. Standing guard around the tree, we all watch. And wait. And wonder.

Did Eve pull the apple loose? Did the snake coil around and squeeze it free for her? Did she give a morsel to Abel before he died? How did she and Adam survive the madness? Were they immune, the original innocents? Standing guard around the tree, we watched. And waited. And wondered.

We are the last sons of Cain. We guard the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The knowledge of everything that is in the world. The knowledge that drives men mad. Knowledge worth sacrificing our lives to protect. Knowledge worth dying for. We guard the tree with the promise of a taste on our dying lips.

But some forswear. If the knowledge drives men mad, the possibility of knowledge does even moreso. Jostain, second only to his father, Lesteth, Leader of the Guardians, broke the circle this morning and walked under the tree. Standing guard around the tree, we watched. And waited. And wondered.

We do not guard to keep people from the tree. Only to keep those who taste the knowledge from leaving. From carrying that knowledge, that burden, that madness out into the world.

We wait for Jostain to choose. If a Guardian decides to taste the fruit of the tree, his oath demands he sacrifice his own life. With a swing of his arm, Jostain pulls the apple free and up to his mouth. He takes a big bite, chews with relish. His eyes grow wide, the pupils darken. His face goes still, his hand falls down, the apple drops to the earth. It shrivels and rots in seconds, disintegrating into the bare dirt. No leaves fall from the tree.

Jostain’s face lightens with a smile of pure joy. He pulls his dagger from its sheath, presses the blade against his neck. Standing guard around the tree, we watch. And wait.

Lesteth turns his head. Weakness? Sorrow to lose his only son? With no change in expression or posture, Jostain throws the knife into his father’s heart…

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And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

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Prompt: The map (app) doesn’t show what’s right here

Carrie had her hands tucked in her coat pockets, fingers still feeling the sharp bite of winter wind. She walked quickly on the broad sidewalk, eyes scanning the ground for dark icy patches at the same time she kept track of the pedestrians moving around her. Minneapolis wasn’t New York, but she still practiced her Big City habits.

She noted the young man approaching, head down, looking at his phone. Idiot. She stepped clear of his path, closer to the building. Without looking up, he suddenly veered in front of her and walked right into her. She fell back on her butt and her backpack, trying to pull her hands out of her pockets.

“Oh shit! You’re real!” she thought she heard him say, as she shook her head and took a deep breath. She wanted to cry, or scream at him.

He was pulling her up by both hands. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Are you okay? Jeez, we’ve got to move. They’re looking…”

He tugged on her hands, and she was dazed enough to let him pull her to the side of the building, and around the corner. She realized they were in an alley and started to pull away. He pushed her against the wall and leaned close to her ear, hiding her face from the street.

“Please! I’m not going to hurt you. They’re passing us now. Just hold on for one more…”

She pulled her hands free and shoved against his chest. He stumbled back and she darted out of the alley.  She turned left and ran, her heart thundering in her ears. Would he follow? Grab her?

She gasped in the freezing air and slowed her pace to a fast walk. No one paid her any attention. She was afraid to look back. When she reached the corner, she turned and dared a glance. She almost stumbled. He was following her. She leaned against the building, trembling. No. What had she seen? He was walking behind three business men, pointing to them with his phone. He’d seen her. Mouthed something. Help me…

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Author note: Are you playing Ingress? If you’d like an invite, email me. I opened the app on my way home tonight, and though it showed the streets and buildings, it never resolved to show XM lights or portals along the way. I had a sudden vision of the world as I saw it superimposed on this dark, lifeless world. What about cars moving on the roads? I didn’t actually see any people out – it was dark and cold.

Anyway, I was playing with this idea, when all of the sudden, I thought, “Oh FFS, it’s the Matrix! :(”

So what do you do when you have an idea, but you’re not sure it’s original, or original *enough*…

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And so, with a loving heart, I offer you

Namaste

I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

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