UNCONSCIOUS IN EDEN Or Adam, Eve and the Time Machine
Written by: Marquel Andre
Edited by: Amanda Iglesias and Lana DiCostanzo
They were both dying to live. Both in their mid-twenties, these two young adults. They felt like they weren’t advancing, almost as if they were pet hamsters on a never-ending treadmill. Sure, they were working and pursuing school in hopes of landing a career, but that wasn’t the fulfillment they were seeking. That was too played out for them, already done before. They felt that they weren’t in control and were under too much pressure, yet no one was waiting on them in for anything in particular. As far as they were concerned, the movie was going to keep rolling with or without them. They found this as a relief. All the indifference, the monotony, the foul and vile things happening in the world- they simply didn’t have to be apart of it.
Then they found each other.
He was Alex and she was Erykah. He held an umbrella out for her in the rain one dreary afternoon, then spent the rest of the day at a local bookstore. They were all over the place with their conversation from their favorite books, to their most vivid dreams, to their favorite religion, politricks, society, being flawed, crying, belonging, what’s missing, integrity, and goals. They were like electricity. They felt like they truly knew one another. In one another, Alex and Erykah felt like they had found something rare and unparalleled by anything else they had ever experienced.
Amongst everything, they had a huge fascination with art and the artists behind their works. They didn’t necessarily make any themselves, but they were huge enthusiasts. They both collected the same art magazines, visited the same sites for updates and new postings from their favorites. The two of them were going to visit the museum that evening, but they had spent all their time at the bookstore engulfed in rapturous conversation. It wasn’t until they were politely asked to leave so the shop could close down, that they realized how late the hour was.
“My, where has the time gone?” Erykah said while glancing at her watch, ”we’ll have to visit that museum some other time, Alex.”
Alex assured her, “We will make a perfect fit there, my sweet Erykah.” She smiled as she savored the thought. “Please, allow me to walk you to your car,” he offered.
“Please do! I actually parked a little ways from here and wouldn’t mind the company.”
They began the trek back to Erykah’s car, talking, laughing and toying around with each other the entire way. The full moon beamed down brightly on the young, attractive pair. It was as if the streets were their own. It was as if they were children again and they reunited with their best friend they hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Then they saw it.
It was a lit up alleyway with a beaming “Open” sign providing the light that grabbed the couple’s attention. It extruded from the wall with the help of a metal rod and hung from it in the shape of an arrow pointing towards a door.
The two stopped for a moment and looked at each other. “Let’s check it out Alex, I’ve never seen this before,” Erykah grabbed his hand and pulled him with her to the door. As they crossed the threshold, soft music flooded into Erykah and Alex’s ears. They enter to soft elegant music and are surprised to see the entire room surrounded by paintings. They were hanging on the walls, one on top of the other with a peculiar style that was abstract, yet concrete, with colors that were psychedelic and subject matter that was reminiscent to the art you would find in theological books, or work on the occult.
The paintings were awe-inspiring to Erykah and Alex. They were astounded and had never seen anything like it. What a day these two were having! What an impactful event, known only to the two of them. Imagine meeting your soul mate, out of an act of compassion, and in the same day, the two of you get to share a completely new experience together, being exposed to something you never knew existed before.
Then he showed up.
“I’m pleased you are enjoying the work,” said the mysterious stranger, dressed in clean, slick attire. “This is a very special exhibit, it has been traveling the entire country. This is Exhibit Now, and I am it’s curator”. He had such suaveness to him, as though he was inherently just this smooth guy. He was as cool as a snake. His presence made Alex grab a hold of Erykah’s hand. Noticing the reaction, he continued to explain. “All these unique pieces come from a single source.”
“This all came from one person?” Asked Erykah as she gazed around the room.
“Well, something like that.” He took a pause and looked at his watch. “If you have a moment, I’d like to show you.”
Alex and Erykah both looked at each other. It felt like they, themselves, were a work of art in the exhibit. It was just all too surreal. “You’re not going to kill us are you?” Alex joked, nervously.
“Quite the opposite! I’m trying to rejuvenate you!”
The charming stranger opened a door that was disguised as a painting of an Adam and Eve type of situation that led to a hallway, and Erykah and Alex hesitantly but bravely walked through. The door shut behind them. The soft, soothing music that was playing in the main room faded behind the door, and they were met with dead silence in this hallway. However, just like in the room prior, there were these fascinating paintings on the wall following the straight path that the hallway was revealing.
“It will actually take us a little bit of time before we arrive at our destination,” explained the curator.
“Wow, from the looks outside, I didn’t expect for it to be this spacious within.” replied Alex.
“Oh, yes. To pass the time, I’d like to share a story or more so a theory with you. I’m sure the two of you are familiar with the tale of Adam and Eve? Here is another version of that tale. An Alternative.”
In the beginning, there was God and simultaneously, there was this timeless place, this perfect place that was not of this Earth. This place was Eden. Inside of this timeless place was all of time. This has been known as the Forbidden Fruit. Then came the animals, and finally, Adam and Eve.
When Adam and Eve bit into the apple, they went into a coma like sleep. During their sleep they have been digesting time and all of time has played out as a shared dream between the first man and woman. Everything up to literally right NOW has all been the product of a dream shared between Adam and Eve. Being kicked out of Eden was their shared guilt for disobeying God, so they expected the wrath of their creator. Meanwhile, outside of this dream, God is patiently waiting with open arms for the two of them to wake up. Back in the dream…Well, you read the bible.
However, it didn’t end there, the dream is still advancing. It was written in that book that they lived to be very old, and they eventually passed. But their spirits are alive and jumping from host to host, coast to coast. As the dream went on to progress, they took on many forms and lost one another. Adam and Eve broke up, you could say. What was at first this harmonious symmetrical dream, now split and became this discord of duality, with masculine energy going one way and feminine energy going the other. This has been represented in time as the Tao/ yin-yang, and as a result came this dissonance that currently plagues the world. Because of this split, this is why it is so hard for us to trust one another, the cause for all the confusion, the wars, the attacks, and the separation of the sexes even. No love.
Mean while, back in Eden. God is doing his best to problem-solve and troubleshoot. God is all knowing, as is the law. The challenge was the goal. Thus, his precious creations eating the forbidden time fruit, was all in accordance of the divine plan. He shows himself in the details and progression, and is doing his part to connect things the way he can as revealing himself through technology. That’s why computers, mobile phones, facebook, instagram, snapchat and the likes exist, to connect and unify. But it’s still not perfect and brings more issues than solutions. It plays its part. The challenge doesn’t come without its consequences, evidently. God’s whole plan is to make Adam and Eve like him. He truly feels bad about the many children that Adam and Eve have created throughout the years and how there won’t be anything for them.
Well, most of the children, at least. There have been occasions when certain “enlightened” ones got an opportunity to escape the dream and visit this tranquil land. These Bodhisattva’s, Buddha’s, Christ like figures. These overall awakened beings that discovered and understood the world around them and thus forged through many challenging hardships, to escape the illusion.
It’s been a long time coming, but our two originals are on the verge of waking up. The story is about to catch up with itself and finally come full circle.
They were coming close to their destination when the curator explained that the whole tale is a tragic romance, really. Would they be able to handle it when they eventually woke up? Could they survive the shock? Did they go through all of this for nothing? Will the love still be there?
Alex and Erykah were holding hands tightly.
“You know,” said Alex. “ Sounds familiar…Like.. I feel that”
“Me too,” said Erykah. “Makes a lot of sense.” The two of them were still holding hands.
They finally stopped at the end of this abnormally long hallway with a wall at the end with two doors parallel to each other.
“Before I show you what I’ve promised, I want to show you this.”
The curator opens the first door to reveal a lab with scientists in white lab coats and goggles working in columns, with a glass cylinder the size of a medium sized bookshelf in the center of the room. They walk closer to the mysterious glass cylinder, and as they come closer, they see bubbles surrounding what is contained within fizzling and popping, and wires connecting it to larger computers from the outside. It is revealed that inside is a half eaten apple the size of a head, with super tiny particles forming together to complete it.
“We were trying to recreate it. This was supposed to be plan B. The proverbial lifeboat. We were getting exceptionally close, too. Just look at it!” The curator had a big grin on his face, truly excited. “But unfortunately, the best laid plans go awry as it would seem.”
“This feels like –“
“Hold that thought! We’re going to the next room now.” They exit the room and the curator aligns himself right next to the door, ready to present the main attraction. “Behind this door is the biggest secret known to man. This is where all the art comes from. All the beauty, all the pain, the grotesque, and the joy.”
He opens the door and it creaks wide open. Beyond the door, it’s dark, with fast whirling winds and what looks like ruined buildings and skyscrapers. It looks like another universe, another realm. The only source of light comes shining from this ginormous dome, producing lightning from all around, with thunderous waves pulsating from it as well. They weren’t alone either. They had walked into a party that has been going on for a while it would seem. There were all types of people from different generations dressed in the attire from that specified time, all bystanders of this uncanny spectacle. As they drew closer to the dome they saw this massive figure within, hunched over writing or drawing something, totally oblivious to what is going on around him. Falling to the floor were pages he’s already completed. Erykah and Alex were ushered to the outside of the dome, where the many tiny people were scavenging what was being delivered.
“They’ve been using all of this to shape the world. This is the reason why secret societies, conspiracies, illuminati’s, and the like, exist. This is the source. This is Adam. You are witnessing the long love letter to Eve. They’re doing their best to make impact; doing their best to get the message across, so hopefully, they’ll be remembered when Adam and Eve finally wake up.”
Then it happened.
A lone page flew from the dome, shrunk down to size and landed in front of Erykah and Alex. As soon as they both grasped it to read what was on the page, the both of their swelled up with tears and they shared an intimate kiss. They were literally glowing. Their glow was so bright and radiant, all the eclectically dressed people turned away from Adam to stare in Awe at what was developing in front of them. Alex and Erykah were forming together into this enormous female form. Their light was so bright; it engulfed all those surrounding them.
She has returned.
The giant male figure stopped what he was doing, looked up and saw his lost love. The glow softly faded and suddenly the two huge female and male forms found themselves in a white room. It was just Adam and Eve. They stood there hand in hand, looking at each other, staring deep into one another eyes, smiling.
“I’ve missed you, my love,” uttered Adam.
“And I, you,” replied Eve.
“What do you think was the problem?” asked Adam.
Eve pondered thoughtfully for a moment then answered, “We were looking for the answers. You?”
Alex took some time to think about it and finally looked at Eve chuckling, and says, “You know what? My mind draws a blank.”
The whiteness in the room begins to dissipate, like a veil being lifted while the two figures continue to gaze into each other’s eyes. All that they thought they had left behind, and also, some new ideas they made along the way surrounds them with a sense of love and completion.
They have finally awakened.
Artist: Marquel Butler
Genre: Other
Bio: Hello, I am Marquel! I’m just this young man out in the world doing my best to make an impact. I’m hugely influenced by the arts and wish to penetrate the art world either with my stories, illustrations, music, concepts, whatever I have at my disposal, and impregnate that mother. I’m still in college, pursuing my bachelor degree and am living and enjoying life.
Piece: Unconscious in Eden
Piece Description: This is my romance/sci-fi/surreal short story about finding love and it being the big one!
Web:
Marquel Butler – Website
Marquel Butler – Twitter