The Garden Of Eden

The story begins with lee and Ame. Lee's fathers farm is currently controlled by a invader but at the moment he is very oblivious to it. He would rather have fun Lee: 11 years’ old Ame: 12 years’ old

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'I've been around these parts before, but I don't know you. I have seen you before, felt you; somewhere. I'm not sure where though. I recognise you, as a half-remembered thing locked out of my mind. You're not someone, are you? But something'.

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Two People stood on a hill, with the sun at just the right angle behind the clouds to create streams of god rays. They took shelter from the brisk wind. Standing in the shadow of a great apple tree.  All three now watched over a vast area.

"Ame, are you watching?" Lee asked. A slight twang of a Californian accent was heard in his voice.

The rice in the field was tall but lime green, a contrast from the golden wheat of the west. Rice crops stood in a small layer of water. It somehow capturing the red hue of the setting sun and reflecting it into the sky. China at this time of year was gorgeous. The crops were bountiful. The seasons though, would soon change. Autumn was coming, trees would lose their leaves and rain would rot the ground. But at this very moment in time. Here and now. A boy and a girl, could easily be lost forever in the vast meadows. For them, it was a natural playground.

 Ame and Lee lived on a large homestead. The place was so large, Lee, would find himself alone, completely isolated from the outside world. His mother would often try and do her best with keeping him active. They weren't rich like Japanese family where. So, couldn't afford much. He found himself outside most of the time. By 11 years old, he mapped the vast acres surrounding his homestead.

This late afternoon, like so many others these past few months, his new friend, closest and most loved friend, would come over. Playing in the fields entail the worming smells of food brought them home.

"So why are we here?" Ame said. Her long black hair blew in the wind.

He smiled, "just wait! It's almost time". She looked at him in that puzzled way.
"for what?"

He checked the horizon. Everything he could see was his father’s land, if they hadn't taken it away, he thought. But his concentration was broken by a muzzled sound, much like a buzz of a bee. Then he got excited, "Shush, can you here that". A rumble, a grown more, and the distinctive sound.

Ame turned to the sound, she was surprised to see a dozen bi wing planes. The sound made perfect sense, the propellers! Roaring with passion and now defining. The strong wind hit them both as the planes zoomed overhead head. Their eyes followed the flying mechanical beauty's. Turing on their heels they saw each one was built with two wings stacked on-top of one another. Spanning the width of a tractor, and yet, they were flying.  Maybe out of date for their time but they still moved like birds in the sky. There dark navy blue, and red stripes. Stunning.

"But what are they doing?" Ame shouted over the raw of the engines, even though they were getting further away.

"Just wait!"

The plains split from one another and headed towards the setting sun. “Is that it Lee, Cool planes and all, but I see them flying above the farm at harvest time anyway.”

 

Lee pointed with his finger but remained silent.  Ame squinted to see that  just before they vanished into specs, each plane turned around. Then, in perfect symmetry, they released something onto the crops below. It created a hazed field of view, "there dusting the crops down, ready for harvest tomorrow morning." Lee said. "The mist is a chemical spray". The hays were stunning; the water droplets had created a rainbow.

They finished their swoops and arcs. Turning back towards their base to refuel. After a few moments, had passed. For them, the mist gently falling on the crops was a musical orchestra.  Lee did something he didn’t normally do, he was thinking out loud, "Beautiful!”

 

“The plains should have stopped dropping water, right?... I think they should have stopped by now". The planes were still releasing water and getting ever closer to them. “At least by now or” he chuckled, “maybe now”. Nothing would happen, maybe a chemical rain would be itchy? It certainly wasn't time for their shower... So, they turned, and had to run and run until they couldn't anymore. Ame tripped and fell down hill. She was holding his hand tightly, so dragged Lee down with her. Both of them rolling down and down.

They landed at the bottom with a thud. Neither complained about the searing pain from landing on the hard ground. Laying there, soaked to the bone. Giggling to a joke not needing to be said. Both to worn out to move. So instead remained laying down, to catch their breath form playing. Secretly Ame was not wanting to move from their position either, valuing her time with him.

 

 It seemed like a long time had passed. The setting sun had turned into a sky full of stars.  On their backs looking up they saw the impossible vast expanse of the night sky, a dramatic place. Filled with history and legends. The brightest lights and the lowest blacks. Lee was interested in the stars. The stories they told. Many nights would pass with him and his father, looking in mystery. They saw through a telescope the secrets space contained. The colures of the cosmos. They had even built a tree house to camp out on clear nights. It had packed him full of aspiration. He recalled what his father had once said.

 

"Look over there." He began, with no intentions of sounding smart he spoke for the love of astronomy. " The star sign of Achilles heel. A love story between a mother and her son. She had thought hard many days and nights on how to prevent her loved sons 'Achilles' death. So, she took Achilles to the one place that could grant immortality. A place called the River Styx. It was supposed to offer powers of invincibility. She dipped his body into the water. But what she didn't realize was that she held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river. Many years passed and Achilles grew up to be a man of war who survived many great battles. But one day, a poisonous arrow shot at him, lodging itself is his heel, killing him shortly after."

He told Ame these legends. She always listened intently. Filled with many impossible questions that he could only guess to answer them to the best of his knowledge. But often that wasn't good enough and so a long conversation was sparked. Theories and wonder mixed with imagination.

 

Author's Note

Tell me what you guys think of this tale. All feedback is welcome!