I never imagined that the tree of Knowledge would become integrated with the entrance to The Garden of Eden. It was a bittersweet moment. On the one hand I had finally figured out the exact location of Eden but on the other hand I was still immobilized. I had started to think that Yahweh enjoyed teasing me.
Per usual during that trip, I had a ton of questions racing through my mind which would only continue to multiply with proceeding events. Though the tree was certainly breathtaking and intimidating, it hardly warranted a reason for anyone to try and hide themselves like David did. But then, just like the tree more of what was invisible unveiled itself to me.
The cherubim, three of them, had appeared, probably in response to David removing the book from the altar. Their description, I believe, in the book of Ezekiel was spot on. And even though their facial expressions remained the same, the stench of their anger permeated the air. David wouldn’t just be able to escape the cave, let alone his cubby hole with those beings standing guard. That book probably contained forbidden knowledge, and the thought made me think about what the voice had beckoned in my dream. “He will not be stopped. Only at the appointed time.”
Would David manage to escape? Is this the appointed time the voice spoke of? I didn’t know but for the first time I feared for my life. I was sure that a battle would ensue and even though I was technically not there, that hadn’t seemed to matter. I just hoped that I’d be able to escape the conflict, unscathed. I was just supposed to have been a spectator I repeated to myself again as if I were an innocent bystander. In truth, my reasons for supplying myself with the knowledge of Eden’s location were selfish. Deep down I really wanted to have a palpable experience with the garden. I wanted to acquire treasure that would’ve made me the wealthiest person to have ever lived — even wealthier than Mansa Musa. I just never wanted to be without again and with the power to manipulate time, I thought I’d be unstoppable. I thought my possibilities were limitless, but it turned out that there are greater authorities that exist to keep my power in check. The supreme beings that had hovered before me were living proof of that.
Staring into their eyes I felt ashamed. It was if they were judging me with their endless sight and I began to wonder if they had also unveiled themselves to kill me because they knew the desires of my heart.
Fortunately for me, David turned out to be highest on their radar. A confirmed fact when the three men David had guided into the cave reappeared. Now on their knees I could hear their cries for forgiveness. The tantalizing allure of treasure an adventure was an offer they couldn’t refuse. An enticing offer I understood all too well.
As I continued watching the three men pray with the voracity of a thousand breaths, I was caught off guard by the appearance of a flaming sword in front of the middle cherub. And before I even had time to process, the sword released a burst of energy that descended diagonally to my right. David had tried to slip out unnoticed and as a consequence, had to face a direct attack. Deep down I had hoped the attack would take him out. Mostly because a drawn-out battle might not have been to my advantage, but David managed to withstand the blast using his bare hands.
Even though the attack incapacitated him, I was astonished. How did he manage such a feat? One blast from the cherubim and my fight was over. So, how could he possibly defend against such creatures?
Again, there was no time for continuous thought. Another blast from the sword hit its mark. David couldn’t defend or evade because he had still been trying to fully dissipate the energy from the first attack. The sound of crumbling rocks and rising dust told me that David had made impact against the granite. After impact, I could hear grudging sounds coming from his vocal cords which told me that he was in pain. That’s when two more flaming swords appeared in front of the other cherubim, and I just knew that David was done for.
Without wasting time, the cherubim unleashed a combo attack. The energy from their flaming swords had combined, taking the shape of a giant fireball. However, instead of launching the fireball, a stream of fire protruded from it, toward David. I just knew that David was a goner and that I was witnessing my final moments. The energy being emitted was indescribable yet there was no question that when that attack landed, it would annihilate everything around it for miles. But before it could connect, the melodic sounds of a heavenly voice resounded all around. The melodies that came into existence were soothing but triumphant at the same time. It was a male voice that I’m pretty sure originated with David, though I could never confirm this. David was out of sight. Though as surprising as it was to hear David sing, it was even more astonishing when his voice dissipated the attack from the flaming swords. Simultaneously, the winged beasts were thrown into a state of confusion. Proceeding, singular attacks were being launched in every which direction. I was happy I hadn’t been hit but it was close a few times.
After a few more moments had passed by, David finally came within my eyesight. He was badly bruised. His clothes were completely shredded from the waste up revealing a stunning physique and the left part of his mask was torn revealing a blistered cheek.
He was human. Knowing that for certain bought me a sense of comfort and relief. Up to that point, I hadn’t met anyone with abilities. I thought I was the only one. In the place where I stored up a bit of anger toward David for immobilizing me, I began to feel desire. But not the romantic kind. I just wanted to know more about David. I wanted to know if he could me tell who I was. I wanted to know if we may have been related. I was raised in an orphanage and had never known my biological parents. Could he have had the answers I sought?
Unfortunately, I would never find out. He managed to escape, leaving me incapacitated. As he scurried by me, I caught a glimpse of the book he risked his life to obtain. It was a tome entitled “The Book of The Fallen.” An angelic being was on the front cover with wings wrapped around the title. Besides how ominous it looked; they were the only details I could pick up on.
Now that David was gone, the confusion the cherubim had faced turned to rage. This caused the ground to shake violently beneath my feet. The vibrations caused cracks in the Tree of Knowledge’ foundation and the walls and ceiling of the cave to crumble and fall. The smaller pieces of falling debris made contact with my skin and I thought, “This was it.” My life was about to end because I partook in the carnal sin of greed.
I was at peace with the situation until amongst the commotion I heard the three men still praying. I had never offered up any words to the Lord in submission, but I joined them. I prayed that the good Lord would spare me and in exchange I would do everything within my power to retrieve the tome David had stolen. I like to think that Yahweh heard my prayers and answered in earnest because that’s when the sky of the cave had opened up, revealing a heavenly light. It soothed the anger of the cherubim, and all movement ceased, aside from the three men still praying. Eventually the light in the sky faded and my focus landed on three green apples that were floating in the middle of the air, just above the three men.
Had they fallen from the tree? I guessed. I mean, it seemed obvious. It hadn’t really mattered. What was important was that they caught my attention. Caught the attention of the three men too. They had finally stopped praying and were now standing, their gaze on the apples, as well.
A loud, deep voice began speaking in a language I didn’t understand. You would think that as a time traveler I would’ve thought that learning different languages may have been a good idea. Too busy caught up in getting rich quickly.
The voice continued speaking. I listened intently without an inkling of understanding. Still, I wanted to be able to recognize the language. It could serve a purpose at some point.
Though I worried that the voice would go on and on and on, it spoke briefly and in the aftermath of its silence the green apples that were floating above began to glow. I watched in amazement as they became encased in a crystal-like substance. Once fully enveloped the apples descended and the three men reached out their arms to grab them. They then ate them, and the thought of rock candy came to mind. I mean, what else could they have possibly tasted like.
Once they had consumed the crystallized apples, the three men started glowing in the shade of a light green. They then disappeared and I was overwhelmed with a sudden fatigue. The next thing I remember was waking up next to a campsite that housed three tents.
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