Eden: Chapter One: Youth Group

my name's beth. i'm about to turn 16 and i have no idea i'm actually a child of eden

It is a story we all know well. God created the world, and then he created all things in the world and so on. And on the sixth day he created Adam and, from Adam, Eve. He instructed them to take care of the Earth and they could eat from any tree except the one at the very center of the garden. 

            And one day Satan himself took the form of the snake and tricked them into this forbidden fruit. And God cast them out of the garden. These where the first exiled children. They were an example for the rest of us, here in the Garden of Eden. You see we are the part not told in the Bible. We are the chosen. We are the pure. Only one has left our community since the exiled children and he saved humanity from the wrath of God two thousand years ago, however this is not his story. This is mine. My name is Beth. I was born in San Diego California, almost sixteen years ago. And my life is about to change forever.

 

“Mom!” I yelled up the stairs for the hundredth time it seemed. “I’m not going to some stupid youth group at some stupid church.” She appeared at the top of the stairs, a harassed looking smile on her face, we have this argument almost every week.

            “And why not Beth?”

            “They all look at me strange, I don’t belong there.” Which was really only half true, no one looked at me strange, but I for sure didn’t belong. I was agnostic to a tee, and almost completely skeptical about this dude name Jesus! Not to mention singing songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Died on the Cross for Me” simply did not float my boat.

            “What about your friend Alex? Does she look at you funny?” I rolled my eyes pretty dramatically.

            “No.” I admitted in defeat. She always brought up Alex, my one week spot. I would do anything for my psycho of a best friend. I looked back up at my mom on the top landing, “Low blow dude!” I scoffed. She had won the argument.

            “Alright dude.” My mom was funny that way. She didn’t like using the hip lingo that kids used, she liked using mine. My stupid slang like dude and flip nuggets. And the thing is, she wasn’t bad at it. I probably sounded just as stupid as she did when I said them.

            “I’m not gonna be happy about it though!” I muttered as I returned to my room in the basement. If I was going to this stupid thing full of Jesus freaks, I was sure gonna not stand out like a sore thumb. Attention was the last thing I needed in that place.

 

The thing is youth group wasn’t really that bad, half the time we played dodge ball or some random goofy game in the church gym, then yah the singing was pretty bad, and the lesson almost never applied to me, but it was fun hanging out with Alex, who by the way, was completely into the whole Jesus thing.

            Today was dogeball. It was about the only game that the youth groupers liked for some odd explicable reason. Today we were split into teams by birthday months. Spring and summer on one team, fall and winter on the other. So naturally me and Alex where on opposite teams. We were born one day apart, I was born March first, she was born February 28^th, so in a way every four years, like this year, it was two days, but leap year was kinda like a red headed step child in the family of days of the year, so we never counted him.

            Anyways, I was on the blue court, she was red. The leaders had us all line up touching the wall and they laid the doge balls in the very center of the floor. Then the whistle blew and pandemonium broke out. I was the first to grab a doge ball, I snatched it up took aim and fired on my target all before anyone else. I was pro at doge ball. I hit some stupid stuck up rich girl who gave me a look of pure hatred and astonishment at being hit and sulked off the floor even though she didn’t want to play anyways. Now everyone else had balls and I was stuck at the front of the game defenseless. The only thing to do now was to run to the back and risk getting hit in the back or to stand my ground and catch a ball.

            As always I took the stand my ground option, the boys always thought it was funny to through balls at defenseless girls and I was a prime target. Riley himself took it upon himself to get me out of the game, but he was a poor thrower and I caught his ball easier than I could write my own name. He was out and I had a new target. All the way in the back, trying to stay out of my line of site. Alex. She knew I was coming for her, I always did. It was much more fun to get your friend out than random people you barely knew.  I took aim and missed, I accidentally headshotted some poor bloke who ran out in front of my ball. He looked dazed and I marched off the game. Headshots were automatic outs at youth group.

            And so it went. There were many misses, hits, catches and the occasional jail break, all to soon the game was over, no one had really won. I think it was to keep the everybody’s a winner mentality, which just so happens to be the lamest invention of adults everywhere!

            We moved into the three tiered amphitheater where we would sing and have our lesson. Oh lord the singing! I tried to block it out but every once in a while some horrendous lyric would shoot through my mental wall. Some thing like “his blood has cleaned my soul” I mean eew! First of all blood does not clean, you usually have to clean it off something. And blood, gross, and the tune is so pretty and sweet its kinda like all these people are psychopaths and stuff…I involuntarily shuddered and Alex looked over at me.

            “You ok?” she mouthed.

            I gave her an eye roll that said “Seriously? Why are you doing this to me?” She smiled, of course knowing exactly what I meant. We could read each others thought sometimes, we where that close.

            Finally that awful cheery someone died for me death music ended. We all sat down for a prayer. Now this was awkward. I never knew what I was supposed to do here. Bow my head yes, but what was I supposed to do, just be quiet and listen to the words, was I supposed to say the words in my head too? No one ever told me this and I’d rather shoot myself in the face than ask someone! After a few seconds of awkwardness that ended too.

            

Author's Note

so i need a good story from the bible...a story about a dream, and i'm thinking about using one but i have no idea where to find it, i only know it takes place in the veggie tales movie "the ballad of little joe". anyone know where to find that? or really any good suggestions about biblical dreams

Reviews

[Pendantry]

Many typos (see below) makes it hard for me to appreciate your writing fully -- arguably a flaw in me, but: eliminate the typos and you widen your audience.

Your description of a youngster with a strong will but much to learn is well done; her misunderstanding about the blood, in particular, made me chuckle.

As for finding 'the Ballad of Little Joe'; is Google no help to you?

Typos:
s/These where the first/These were the first/
s/this dude name Jesus!/this dude named Jesus!/
s/my one week spot/my one weak spot/
s/Today was dogeball/Today was dodgeball/
s/some odd explicable reason/some odd inexplicable reason/ *
s/me and Alex where on/me and Alex were on/ **
s/laid the doge balls/laid the dodge balls/
s/grab a doge ball/grab a dodge ball/
s/pro at doge ball/pro at dodgeball/
s/funny to through balls/funny to throw balls/
s/my line of site/my line of sight/
s/Some thing like/Something like/
s/read each others thought/read each others' thoughts/
s/we where that close/we were that close/

* I assume this is a typo. I can't see how the reason could be both odd and explainable.
** Congratulations on not making the (all too common) 'Alex and I' mistake!

[Ryzo]

Cool story, i like the way you think. Erm im not a bible reader but i think a dream came up with joseph in one of my primary school classes many moons ago. Sorry i aint much help. but keep writing! ;)