Alice was surprised at how much food a garden actually gave you.
In a sense, it shouldn't be surprising. As a city girl, she had no information on which to base guesses. Thus, any answer whatsoever would not be what she expected, and she should have expected that.
She sat up on her knees, wiping her sweaty brow. That had made no sense. The sun was getting to her.
Alice was wearing a hat, at least. A nice big floppy hat, light and comfortable. Tom had woven it for her, from various plants. His failures at this project, done in the evenings around the fire while they rested from the day's work, had been many. The man had kept trying, laughing off the horrible tangles of long grasses. It still wasn't the height of fashion, but she loved it anyway.
In that way, it mirrored her feelings for Tom.
It was love. She knew that. Had to be. That he was the only man around wasn't really a factor, nor was his incredible ability in bed, or that his mature body was just getting more muscular, toned, with every working day.
No. It was love, and she was happy.
Maybe it was the pregnancy speaking. That was supposed to play with a woman's emotions, wasn't it? The unborn baby having its way with the mother's hormones. Alice put a hand on her bare belly. She was happy about that, too. Her child. THEIR child. Sometime after the new year, before the green of spring came. Both she and Krissy would bring life into this world. She wondered who'd be first.
"You done already?"
Zak's question brought her back. The boy was all energy. She looked over at the brown skinned lad, kneeling among the green tomato plants. He, too, was changing. Zak was still thin, but scrawniness had become wiry muscle. A boy, but working on becoming a man. If genetically he favored his father, Alice was beginning to see why Krissy's mom had strayed.
"Almost," she told him, looking down at the cucumber plants before her. "At least for today."
"Same here. Looks like tomorrow there will be more."
That was one of the things Alice had been pleasantly surprised to discover. Vegetables did not all ripen at once. They came in waves, not just some varieties being ready before others, but even among the same plants. Tomatoes just kept coming, more green ones hidden in there after you pulled off the red ripe ones. Corn, too. They had been able to pull ears off to eat long before most were ready. Almost as if all this had been designed with humans in mind.
Who was to say it hadn't?
Pushing up a prickly leaf, Alice reached in for the long cucumber revealed on the ground. Cucumbers had been one of the unpleasant surprises. They had thorns. The first time she had reached for one, she had let out a curse. Really? Thorns? The supermarket ones never had those. They came off easily enough, one firm brush of the hand, but picking them was annoying. The plants, too, were harder to deal with. For awhile she had donned gloves, but now she was used to it. Her hands were tough, and she knew how to grab the troublesome vegetable. Alice thought she remembered something about them, in fact, lacking any real nutritional value, so wondered why they were bothering. They did TASTE good, though, especially with a bit of salt on them, and pickles were good.
Enough reason, then, for them to exist.
****
Six large woven baskets lay on the grass, filled with the day's groceries. Alice wasn't sure if Krissy would be happy to see so much, or pissed at the work now ahead of her, canning and storing it for the winter. She was already bitching about running low on the glass Bell jars, the first batch of pears from the orchard filling surprisingly many. Tom was in town buying more, and sugar. Sugar was one of the things they as yet could not make.
That was a problem for another day. Alice lay down in the tall grass, tired muscles loosening. Zak lay down beside her, their shoulders touching. He let out a groan.
"Can't we go get the goats, let them carry this stuff back?"
"Wimp."
"I'm tired."
"Like I said."
"You have the baby to help you carry things."
"I honestly don't think he's helping too much at this point."
Zak reached his hand over, placing it on her belly. Alice laughed.
"Can't feel him yet. Still too small."
His hand patted what he sometimes called the baby house, before retreating back to his side. Alice put her own hand where his had been. She wanted to feel it. Feel the little guy kick. Zak shifted, turning onto his side, facing her. Surprised, she did the same. His face looked... worried.
"What is it?" Alice touched his hand. The boy took a deep breath.
"Alice... I... I need to ask you something."
"Sure."
Alice hoped he wasn't going to ask to kiss her, or some such. That... wasn't allowed. She had asked. Personally, she would have liked spending time with the boy that way. She liked him. Tom got to be with two girls, so why shouldn't she be with two boys?
Wisdom thought otherwise.
Zak let out a sigh.
"I've been talking to someone. A girl."
****
"Zak. Zak, Zak, Zak, Zak, Zak."
Krissy sat at the table, head in her hands. The baskets of produce were on the cabin floor behind her, ignored for now. Alice, sitting next to her, put her hand on her arm. Her other hand went to Zak, sitting across from his sister. She squeezed both her friend's arms.
"Just hear him out."
"Oh, I'll hear. Then he'll hear from me."
Zak let out another sigh, leaning forward, elbows on the table. His face was serious.
"I met her a few weeks ago. Bumped into her accidentally."
"You left Eden."
"Of course I left Eden. What the fuck did you think I was doing on those walks? This place isn't THAT big!" His voice was angry. Alice met Krissy's eyes. Never before had her brother spoken like this. Alice squeezed her arm again.
"We never SAID he couldn't walk past the border."
Krissy took a deep breath, reluctantly nodding.
"I know. I know." Her eyes went back to Zak. "Go on. You bumped into her..."
"And she ran away, of course. At first. But she was back the next week, and we talked. She..." Alice saw his entire body change. Saw his feelings for this girl reflected in his eyes, his stance. Whatever they decided, that had to be a factor. "Her name is Lilith. She's about my age, beautiful. Smart. Her parents died in a car crash over the winter, and she's living with a religious nut grandfather she really doesn't like that much. He doesn't do anything to her, but she has to do all the cooking and cleaning."
Krissy nodded, knowingly.
"Been there."
"I know. Last week, we... kissed. She kissed me. And, this week, we kissed forever it seemed like."
Alice sighed. He had found someone. That could solve that problem. Unfortunately, as sometimes happened, it created a whole set of new ones.
"Does she know about us?" she asked. Zak looked a little uncomfortable.
"She knows I'm from this area, and I said I lived with my family. That's about it."
There was probably more, she suspected, although there was not much more to know. Zak was not one to lie, conceal. If he'd been talking to her for weeks, details would have come out. He looked between them.
"I didn't tell her about The Lady. I didn't say that. But the adults she knows think this place is evil. Think there's something wrong about it, preach about it in church. So, they know SOMETHING is here, just not Her."
"Figures," Krissy scoffed. "Evil thinks that good is actually evil."
"I know," he said. "Lilith said they preach that evil is hidden in beauty, so everything beautiful is suspect."
"Bullshit."
"I know."
"So," Amy asked, "what is it you want us to do? You told us now for a reason."
"I want... Lilith to be my wife."
****
The three crossed the field, now empty of tents, towards the tunnel of trees.
Alice held the two freshly killed rabbits, limp forms gripped by the scruff of their necks. Dealing with dead creatures had become, not easy, but just the way of the world. Death was life, life was death. The one needed the other. Zak walked beside her, the coal from the cabin hearth held with metal tongs, slingshot in his free hand. That they had come across these two long eared creatures, Zak's sling finding its mark with both, told Alice they were on the right track. A sacrifice was needed, and had been provided. That the remaining goats on the other side of the stream were safe, including the two new kids, was a relief. She wasn't sure, yet, that this strange girl would be an even trade.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Krissy asked. She walked on the other side of her brother, looking nervous. "I mean, we've never gone up there without Tom."
"It'll be OK," Alice said, hoping she sounded confident. "We don't know when he'll be back, and we have to know this. Why have a God, if not to ask guidance of?"
"She's given us so much already, though..."
"We're not asking for a favor."
"We're not?" Zak looked at Alice, surprised. She shook her head.
"No. We're asking her what we should do, to stay in her grace. If she says you're never to see this girl again... that's what you do. Understand?"
The boy's nod was... reluctant. For all their sakes, she hoped Wisdom looked kindly on him.
****
Alice watched Zak stoke the fire.
The flames burned bright, wood burning down to hot cools. All was ready. As ready as could be. Nodding to her, the boy stepped back, dropping down onto his knees beside his sister. Alice braced herself. Tried to remember what to do.
"Oh, great Lady, Wisdom in all its forms. We come to you today, in search of your guidance. Your Wisdom. Zak has found a companion, outside this land you have provided us. He wishes to bring her here, to make her his wife, to bring forth children to live and grow under your loving gaze. We wish to know, Lady, your will. I offer this sacrifice in your name, to show our love and obedience to you, our Goddess."
Good enough, she hoped. Taking Tom's knife, she slit open the belly of the first rabbit. Blood came out, pooling on the flat altar. She made more cuts, the handle becoming a bit slippery. Alice knew she should have paid more attention to how Tom did this. They would not be taking any of the rabbit back with them, thus instead of cutting out the lean meat she lifted the carcass up over her head, the last bit of blood running down her arms in long streaks.
"Accept this gift, our Lady." Alice brought her hands down, body turning to place the rabbit on the sacrificial coals. She repeated the offering with the second creature.
Smoke rose into the sky. Blood ran down the stones into the ground. Alice stood there before the altar, eyes raised. A sign. They needed a sign...
A gust of wind blew past her head. The smoke swirled, seemed to gather. It smelled of cooked meat and burnt fur, of pine and oak.
Alice felt Her.
There was a sense of... well, Her. That was the only way she could describe it. An otherness among them, comforting. Loving. Protecting. She shivered.
"Oh!" Zak's voice startled her. Alice turned. The boy's eyes were wide, seemingly focused on everything and nothing. She resisted the urge to go to him. Krissy touched her brother's shoulder.
"Zak?"
"She told me!" He turned to Krissy, a grin breaking out on his face. "The Lady told me! She was pleased with the sacrifice! The next time I see Lilith, I'm to ask her to come home with me. If she says 'yes', just one word, no questions, then the Lady will accept her! Anything else, and I can't see her ever again!"
****
That Zak could put one foot before the other as he made his way through the forest was a miracle.
Today. Today, he confronted the girl he loved. Today, he either had a wife, a lover, to be with him forever, or he was once again alone. Heartbroken.
Oh, Shaddai, Goddess of Wisdom, give all your blessings to this unworthy servant...
He was early again. Tom and the others had seen he wasn't going to be much use, telling him to shoo and go meet her before he broke something. Spilling some of the milk had been enough damage for the day. He had NEVER spilled any before. God, he had felt so ashamed. The look Dad had given him had been worse than ANY spanking. To disappoint Tom like that...
Zak stopped, making sure his sling was secure in its holder on his walking staff. Losing the store bought weapon, with money becoming tighter, would NOT be the way to get back in Dad's good graces. If he was able to bring back a few rabbits for dinner, caught outside the Lady's lands and thus preserving the warren there, that would help. Especially if he was adding a fifth mouth to feed.
The thought came to him as he was about to move forward. His bed. Lilith would have to sleep in his bed. They only had the two, and Dad and his two sisters shared the one. Lilith...
His dick hardened to the point of pain. God, please, let her say yes...
****
Zak was there.
His eyes went to the large rock seat. Seven days ago, he had sat there next to Lilith, arm around her, hand caressing a cloth covered breast as her tongue touched his. His other hand had touched her bare leg. His brown hand, on that silky white skin...
Zak shook his head. There was no point getting worked up over it. Either tonight would surpass that, or... well, he didn't want to think about the or. He had to take his mind off this. He looked around, staff shifted to his left hand as his right took the sling from its holder. He had not remembered seeing any rabbits in this area, but truth be told his attention had always been elsewhere. It wouldn't hurt to look. Maybe there was a small deer. The metal slugs were made for hunting, after all, and the package had said they could take down something like a year old deer with a lucky shot. That would make Dad forget about the milk. He leaned the staff against a tree, testing the draw on his weapon. He still couldn't pull it back as far as Dad, but he could just edge him, accuracy wise.
There was movement over by an oak tree. Zak swung towards it, weapon raised, shot pulled back beside his ear. A squirrel. He released the tension. It would take too many squirrels to feed five of them. Their fur was nice, though. Maybe once the harvest was over, and they had time to tan fur...
The footfall of a much larger creature came from behind him.
Zak turned, his heart stopping.
Lilith was nude.
The girl stopped as his eyes fell on her, letting him take her in. Her left hand held a small bundle of cloth, held rigidly at her side, her right hand her staff. On her sock-less feet, blue sneakers. All else was bare.
Her breasts. They were lighter than the rest of her, looking almost white compared to tanned neck, arms, and legs. Brown circles, almost like targets, topped them, large compared to the small mounds themselves. Lower, below her white skinned stomach, a triangle of brown hair almost as curly as that on her head.
She spoke. Zak's entire brain and being was frozen, yet she could speak. He tried to focus on her words.
"I, um, I didn't think I'd be able to do it, in front of you, so I took it all off after leaving home..."
Zak took a deep breath. He had to do it. Had to say the words the Lady had given him. That had to be the FIRST thing he said to her. Anything else, and it was over. Forcing himself, Zak moved his eyes up to hers. Those beautiful glass clad blue eyes looked back, uncertain. He squeezed the grip of his sling painfully.
"Lilith. I must ask you a question, and you must answer without thought. Without asking anything of me. Just yes or no, or I can never see you again:
"Will you come with me NOW, this moment, to be my wife, never to see your Grandfather agai-?"
"Yes!"
He blinked. Yes. She had said yes. Did she know what he had said? Had she understood? How could she? Lilith knew nothing about the Lady. Nothing about them. She couldn't...
All thought and reason vanished, her body thrown against his, kisses raining down on his face.
Instinct took over. Sling falling to the ground, forgotten, Zak pulled her against him, hands grabbing bare flesh, sliding over smooth skin as his hard cock throbbed against her belly. One hand dropped to her ass, squeezing a butt cheek for the first time. She groaned. Zak felt something worm between them, fingers a moment later grasping his dick.
"Lie with her."
The Lady's voice echoed through his mind, but the prompt was not needed. Zak guided the girl onto the ground, her back resting on a patch of dry earth. His hands went to her knees, spreading the virgin's legs. Zak knew about foreplay. Knew about seduction.
Now was not the time for that. He thrust.
"Ah!"
She went ridged beneath him, fingernails digging into his shoulders. Her thighs squeezed, whether to hold him in or force him out he knew not. All Zak knew was the incredible hot wetness engulfing him. The pressure was almost painful. He pulled out, part way, thrusting back with all his might. She took him in completely.
Reality vanished. All that existed was her velvet grip on him. All that existed was the rhythm, the heartbeat of life. He almost didn't notice when he came. His senses were so overloaded, more pleasure could barely register.
Lilith reacted. Her body tensed. Legs and arms wrapped around him, trapping the squirting teen. A low, prolonged groan came from her, even as her body squeezed his cock to the point of pain.
Wisdom's voice whispered.
"She is yours."
****
Zak did not know how long they lay there. Time did not matter to such as they, lovers under Wisdom's sky. Leaves rustled above, the trees conversing, unconcerned with life below them. Birds chirped, amused at trees who could not reach half as far into the sky as they. Teen lovers gazed into each other's eyes, scoffing at all who needed sound to convey all that needed to be said.
He was still inside her, hard enough to feel her pulse and caress. Zak moved slowly, now making love, primitive need satisfied. Her body moved with him, blue eyes behind her glasses almost caressing his face. Nothing else mattered.
****
A man's voice echoed through the forest, destroying their solitude.
"LILITH!"
Blue eyes morphed from love to terror. Her hands shoved up at his body.
"Grandpa!"
Zak knew fear…