East of Eden

Prologue

Emily Browning - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Ignorance is bliss.

It's no secret that the average person would choose to not know the inevitable rather than anticipate its arrival. People prefer turning a blind eye and saving themselves the expense of tainting their minds with something that'll later stay burning in their consciousness. Unless they have it in them to lay it to rest, to find closure and come to terms with its inevitability. Sage realized the cruel truth behind those words at the mere age of 13 years old. And unfortunately, in Sages case, it wasn't as easy as forgetting.

"Marissa!" Sage tried to keep her voice down, but she couldn't help it. She was growing tired of her friends antics. And while she wanted to return to the orphanage because it wasn't getting any earlier and the sky was only getting darker, she refused to leave her friend behind.

"Hello! Marissa you can come out! It's not funny anymore!"

They were only a few blocks away, so it's not like they were straying dangerously far, but still. Even being familiar with the neighborhood Sage knew nothing good can come from staying out too late. The head of the house will make sure they do chores all day tomorrow. Damn it, she thought. Sage squinted her eyes ahead, seeing shuffling in what seemed to be a pile of boxes by a street lamp not too far. Bingo.

"I'll cut you a deal. I'll give you tomorrows dessert if we can go home. I admit defeat!" She bargained, hoping the girl would give in.

"Alright, alright" Marissa slowly stood from the pile of cardboard with her hands up in surrender, "but you have to catch me first!" She darted further in the opposite direction, Sage running after her. She instantly regretted going after her friend, and thought about how if she had just turned around and started walking back, she most likely would've followed suit in fear of being left behind instead of continuing the game.

Sage lost sight of Marissa and came to a halt when she realized that she no longer recognized where they were. Sure she knew the neighborhood, but this late in the dark she can barely make out the street signs, especially without her glasses. Sage no longer heard her friends running footsteps, and instead was met with an eerie silence.

"Marissa..." Her voice trailed, keeping it low to avoid drawing attention. Now this wasn't good.

"What's the matter?" She nearly fell back as Marissas voiced scared the life out of her. "C'mon don't tell me you're scared of the dark."

Sage turned around, "are you done? We're going to have our heads on a stick if we don't head back now Marissa."

Focussing on Marissas face she noticed something was off about her friend. Her eyes turned abnormally dark, and she held a weird smile. It wasn't comforting Sage in the slightest. Suddenly the air turned heavy, and a strong chill went up her spine.

"No. I want to keep playing." Marissas voice cracked at the last word like a glitch. "And I want you to keep playing with me."

In a second the skin on Marissas face seared, as if it was slowly burning like newspaper. The embers consumed her friends face completely, turning it more sinister and into something far beyond recognition.

Sages breath was laboring as she continued taking steps back in disbelief. This can't be her friend. She needed to find Marissa and she knew this wasn't her. Her teeth started getting sharper, and Sage took that as her cue to start running. She tried keeping her eyes trained on the alley-ways, and sidewalk in case her friend was hiding, maybe hoping to see her running too.

I'm not leaving without Marissa, she stubbornly thought. Once I find her we can make a run for it and tell the cops before that thing hurts anyone in the neighborhood.