Dragonfly Dreams, Part Nineteen

There are moments in our life when time seems to speed up, bringing each new day crashing into our existence without reason or mercy. Then, there are those when time seems to stand still…almost stop. This was one of those moments for Frank Mason. Slowly….carefully….he led the way deeper and deeper onto the lush green floor of the inner temple. Supposedly, this was the Garden of Eden. At any other time, he may have been ecstatic to make such a discovery. Of course, at any other time, he wouldn’t have had a murderer holding a gun toward the back of his head.

Janet Jones let out a small grunt from behind him. “Don’t try anything foolish or your other pal here will get it!”

Frank knew what she meant. Janet had already killed one person…Harry, the shapeshifter. She had put a bullet into his brain as easily as a kid putting quarters in a gumball machine. He knew that she would probably end up just killing both him and Chuck anyway. But he had to stall for time. He had to think of some way out of this mess.

“Mate,” Chuck whispered from his left, “I can’t believe that you are actually leading her to the Tree of Life! Come on mate! You should know better than that.”

“I’m trying to come up with a plan,” Frank whispered back.

A shot fired and a bullet whizzed over their heads. “Stop that whispering!” Janet ordered.

As they entered the Garden of Eden proper, Frank got a better sense of the place. At first, he thought that the trees and plants were just growing up between the stones in the floor. The soft cushion beneath his feet told him differently. There was actual soil underneath there! He wondered if this temple was built by man or angels or by God Himself? So many unanswered questions!

As if agreeing with him, the swarm of monkeys in the branches overhead started their squawking once more. They kept their distance, but Frank could tell that the band of monkeys was following them. He wondered if they were going to attack them like the huge monkey outside the temple had attacked and killed Gordon Jones. Maybe these monkeys would rip the head off of Ms. Jones.

“Excuse me,” Chuck called out so that Janet could hear him, “In the Bible, doesn’t it state that the Tree of Life is guarded or something? How do you even know that you are going to be able to get near it?”

“I don’t,” Janet said, “But that is where you two come in. I need Frank to find the Tree…and I need you to test the waters…so to speak. To see if there really is a trap.”

“Oh,” Chuck said, “Glad that you’re keeping me around for something.”

“Don’t worry,” Janet said, “I just want the fruit. Once I get it, you two are free to go about your business. I won’t have any further use for you.”

Somehow, Frank didn’t think that she was telling the complete truth.

On they trudged through the Garden. For some place which hadn’t supposedly had any human interaction for thousands of years, the grounds were remarkably well kept. The grass was cut short, the trees were trimmed into a pleasing shape….even the flowers seemed to be well tended.

“Hey Chuck,” Frank whispered, risking the wrath of Janet Jones once more, “Have you noticed how well kept this place is? Who do you think does all of that?”

“I don’t know mate,” Chuck whispered back, “But I see what you mean. This place doesn’t exactly look deserted…does it?”

And then, the music started. Soft at first…and then it quickly grew louder and louder. Frank could recognize it anywhere. It was the voice of Billie Holiday. Once again, he was lost in the song.

There’s a saying old, says that love is blind
Still we’re often told…seek and you shall find

And suddenly it became effortless. Everything else disappeared for him. In his mind, he wasn’t thinking about Chuck….or poor dead Harry….or even Janet Jones with her deadly gun. Everything in his mind focused on one thing…the great and powerful Tree of Life. And then his feet started to move….almost seemed to float on the grass as they carried him first in one direction and then another. Deeper and deeper into the Garden he traveled.

And then, there it was in front of them. The most beautiful tree that he had ever seen in his life. The leaves were so green that it hurt his eyes just to look at them. The branches curved out from the great and sturdy trunk so gracefully that they seemed to be about to break into a ballet at any moment. And the fruit….so full, so ripe, and so golden. And it wasn’t just appetizing to the eye….the scent was full of wonderful things….honey, spices, and a touch of zest that he couldn’t quite identify.

Instantly he was struck with a hunger that he knew nothing on the planet would ease…except for this fruit…this fruit of the Tree of Life. His mouth began to water. He glanced over at Chuck and Janet Jones and saw that the Tree was having the same effect on them. They both had a glazed, faraway look on their eyes.

Shaking her head, Janet suddenly snapped out of the daze that she had been in. She took two steps toward the Tree….anxious to get her hands on the Fruit. But then…she stopped. She looked around at them and grinned an evil grin.

“You know…this is all too easy,” she said, “And I DO think that there will probably be a trap.”

Her hand snapped like a cobra…holding her gun toward Chuck. “I need you to go and be my gatherer. You are….expendable.”

And as if to make her point come across even more, she cocked her gun.

“You have until the count of three,” she said, “One….two….”

Until next week….class dismissed.