That You May Live Again
by
Josprel
Part Two
The First Couple returned from their chore and handed the skins to Jehovah. After inspecting them, with infinite precision, he tailored one into a garment obviously intended for Odom. He finished it, laid it aside and fashioned another in Chevva's size. Logos then presented Jehovah's handiwork to The First Couple.
"Remove your aprons of leaves; wear these."
Odom grimaced, but dared offer no protest. Chevva, remembering the recent bloody condition of the skins, balked.
"Please let me keep the one I have."
"You must wear the coat Jehovah provides; your covering is inadequate. It soon will wear out. The Three disapprove of it. Remove your apron of leaves and put on the coat Jehovah prepared."
"Yes, you must wear the coat," The Ruah said.
Reluctantly, Chevva joined Odom behind a clump of trees. Both returned in obvious discomfort.
"Please, Logos, this coat is so uncomfortable; it's very stiff. Let me wear the apron," Odom begged.
Chevva nodded. "Yes; please let me wear my apron, too. This coat scratches my skin and it smells awful. "
Jehovah shook his head.
"You will grow accustomed to them. The smell will wear off."
"But why do we need these in The Garden?" Odom inquired.
Jehovah said, in a tone tinged with sorrow, "You shall no longer be in The Garden. You must depart now; you cannot remain here."
Chevva took on a look of stunned disbelief; Odom groped for words. "B...B...But, th...th...th... this...!"
"You must leave The Garden Reserve," interrupted Logos, "You believed the lies of Lucifin the Deceiver, and disobeyed the commandment of The Three. You no longer can remain here."
The First Couple turned to flee, but The Ruah captured them. "You cannot remain here. Your disobedience has disinherited you, but someday The Promised One shall come. He shall regain your inheritance for you. Come, you must leave."
Chevva was carried bodily by Logos, as she kicked, screamed and pounded his back with her fists. Odom also resisted vehemently, but was pushed along between Jehovah and The Ruah. With resolute firmness, The Three delivered them at the gate. Waiting there was one of the Shining Ones who, previously had been with The Three on their frequent visits to the Garden. Now, however, he held a long, flaming device, the likes of which Odom and Cheeva had never before seen. After The Three deposited them outside The Reserve, the Shining One positioned himself before the gate, his flaming instrument oscillating in all directions to prevent their re entry.
The Three vanished, leaving the pair standing before a thick, thorn vine wall that separated The Garden Reserve from its surroundings. This was the first time the First Couple had been outside The Garden Reserve. Screaming with terror, Cheeva darted toward the Shining One, bent on running past him into the still open gate. The Shining One aimed his instrument at her and a small bolt of light jetted from it. It struck Cheeva on one of her legs, sending her sprawling to the ground. She made another attempt, with the same result, then crawled on her hands and knees to join Odom.
Trying to control his panic, Odom sat cross legged under one of the numerous clusters of trees that receded from the surrounding forest. He felt abandoned, forsaken and vulnerable.
"We can never get past him, Cheeva. It makes no sense to try again. Lie down and get some rest, for we must leave this place soon."
Chevva placed her face on her arms and cried herself into an exhausted sleep.
Through his daze, Odom noticed that, beginning at the gate, the barrier stretched as far as he could see in both directions. Composed of thickly woven thorn vines, its height did not appear insurmountable. He thought of going further down its vast length, away from The Shining One, hoping he and Chevva could climb over it. Then a strange phenomenon caught his attention a glow that covered the entire surface of the barrier. Pulsating from dim blue, it increased to intense red, and then diminished to blue again. In continuous sequences it pulsed until, from one of the trees, a small monkey one of a troop of monkeys attracted by the recent strange events attempted a leap to the barricade. When its reaching fingers entered the mysterious luminescence, the glow intensified to a brilliant white. At the contact point, a splashing explosion of multi colored flashes repulsed the unfortunate creature, hurling it backward to the ground. In screeching terror, its fellow troop members swung a disordered retreat into the forest, abandoning their stricken companion to its fate.
Odom, all thoughts of scaling the wall seared into oblivion, sat staring at the limp creature. At first he thought that, like the lambs, the monkey had suffered death. But then the creature began moving its head from side to side, slowly at first, then more rapidly, as though attempting to clear its senses. Regaining its feet with a stagger, it stood dazedly, arms hanging limply, head rhythmically nodding on its chest. Finally, hands dragging the ground, it weakly limped into the forest, disappearing from view. And, with it, went Odom's hope of regaining his former paradise.
The sun was arcing into evening before the man rose from his resting place under the trees. Softly, he shook his mate awake. The woman, stupefied by the day's events, appeared muddled and hopelessly exhausted. Even the incident of the monkey had not wakened her. Kneeling, the man helped her to a sitting position. With a delicate embrace, he lifted her to her feet.
"Come, Chevva, we must find shelter; darkness is falling."
Slowly, clinging to each other for support, the dejected, desolate pair departed the vicinity of The Garden Reserve to locate shelter. Reaching the forest's rim, they stopped and, before entering the ominous gloom, both turned to gaze again at the impenetrable barrier that, glowing eerily in the shadowing dusk, separated them from the joys they had known. Reluctantly, they turned and entered the obscurity, yearning for that New Day, when The Promised One Jehovah's Lamb would be offered, that we might live again.
-30-
© Josprel
josprel@verizon.net
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