Eden

Chapter 3

     "This will be your home in this 'Paradise'," Ian stated pulling Ariana toward a slightly run down bamboo hut similar to his, "My house is the one just beyond the one beside us."

     "Wait, so does everyone have their own place?" Ariana questioned.

     "Yes, Mrs. Yoodle used to live here but as I told you earlier she was removed."

     Ian shuttled Ariana inside and started to walk her around the small interior of the hut. The floor plan was a small, hardly three room home consisting of a bedroom and a living room which was connected to the dining area that was meshed with a small kitchen. After Ian showed her all the house's features he walked to the kitchen and started to throw all the items out of the cupboards. He finally found some pasta and started to prepare it.

     Ariana flopped down into one of the stools by the counter as the water started to boil. Ian joined her after throwing the noodles in the pot.

     "I can't believe there's only 96 people here... That makes choices limited."

     "Yeah, it really does" Ian chuckled.

     Ariana opened her mouth but couldn't find anything to say. They sat in awkward silence for the next ten minutes. Ian got up to strain the macaroni and dumped about a quarter into the sink. He scooped up the noodles and tossed them in the trash and separated the noodles into two wooden bowls. Ariana grabbed one gratefully while Ian stretched to reach some cheese he had found in the top cupboard.

     They cleaned up after the meal and bade each other good night. Ian saw himself out and realized that they had spent several hours in her house because it had gotten dark out. He started to panic because he realized that it was way past curfew. As he swept his door open to see a piece of paper sliding out of his counter. Ian rushed to pick it up and started to read.

Dear Ian ,

     We believe you have have broken the rule of being in your house by nightfall. If you can give a legitimate excuse to why you haven't upheld this rule your punishment will be held for repeal. As it stands you will be extracted at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. You are not allowed to contact anyone. You will not run away or you will suffer worse punishment.

                                                                                                                                          The management

     Blood rushed to Ian's head. His thoughts raced faster than they had ever before. He had just met Ariana one of the few that had ever accepted him in the garden. What would happen to him if he was removed? Would he meet his family or would he be just thrown into the outside world with next to no experience? If he ran away what would be the 'worse punishment'?

     Ian's face screwed up in hatred for the institute that had made the garden. He couldn't simply give up and let them take him in. At this point it was more than just getting home he wanted to defy those who had caused all of this suffering. As he entered his room instead of peeling of clothes to get a good night's rest he started to put together a small pack of wearable items and items of importance. His mp3 player polished of the top of the rucksack. After grabbing his bag of belongings he passed through his shack looking for any other items he would want to bring with him when he ran. 

     He turned off all lights in his home as if he were going to bed and left through his bathroom window. Ian figured out of anywhere they would give the most privacy to a bathroom so he was less likely to be caught sneaking out if he acted as if he needed to go. He made for the outskirts of the garden hoping that they wouldn't be able to find him very easily in the wide circumference. He wouldn't venture very far into the bush wall at the edge if he didn't have to, other people once having resided in the garden had attempted to venture through and were never seen again. He wanted to find a way to escape with Ariana and come back to release others if at all possible.

     Ian came across a large willow tree about ten feet from the edge of the outer hedge. He climbed into the tree thankful for the cover that it brought. He dared not fall asleep in fear of being found in the morning before waking. Instead he opened his journal and began to record what had happened that day and included any plan he had for escape.

     Even as he put on music from his mp3 Ian could feel his consciousness slipping away from himself. Ian put his journal back into his rucksack in which he tied around his arm. No matter how many times he flashed the bright light of his music player's screen he could not stay awake. It was a little past three in the morning when Ian lost awareness in his body and fell into the warm embrace of a slumber.