Arboreatum by Evans Light

Author:Evans Light [Light, Evans]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corpus Press
Published: 2013-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

“What do you think you’re doing?” Micah asked in a deep voice, startling the children as he stepped from the darkness.

Nathan was the first to answer, confident that he had the best shot at winning Micah over to their plan.

“The fruit fell, Micah,” he said, gesturing excitedly at the ground around him as though the carpet of apples wasn’t already obvious to anyone with a working eyeball. “We thought it would be a great surprise for our parents, a very nice surprise indeed, to have these bushel baskets full and waiting for them in the morning. Don’t you think so, too?” he asked, his face bright and expectant of praise.

Micah glanced towards Anna’s house and thought once again of her warm lips, of her silken inner thighs, of her full breasts that he was unlikely to see this evening, not now, with kids loose and prowling in the dark.

He let out a long sigh of despair at the thought. Nathan, assuming it was a sign of disapproval, looked crushed.

Micah’s youngest sister, Chastity, strolled happily through the shadows to where he and Nathan faced each other, each boy frowning for his own reasons. The little girl was oblivious to anything other than the magical wonder of a fragrant summer night. The full moon was bright on her innocent face, full of joy. She hugged Micah hard, looking up at him with love.

“Eat an apple, big brother,” she said with concern, her four-year-old voice as adorably high-pitched and squeaky as a little mouse. “It’ll make you feel better,” she insisted. “Let me find you a good one.”

She scanned the ground, searching for an apple for her big brother, the best she could find. There were so many to choose from, almost all perfect specimens. Finally she spotted the perfect one to cheer her brother up, about fifteen yards away near the trunk, and she scampered off into the darkness to fetch it.

Micah turned wistfully back towards Anna’s house, scanning for any sign that she might still be waiting for him in the darkness. Maybe if he got the kids settled down and back in bed - maybe, just maybe -they could salvage their plans for each other this evening. But the darkness held no trace of her, no promise of her desire for him waiting to be fulfilled.

At that moment a piercing cry shattered the night - a howl of fear melting into agony. It cut off mid-shriek, as though a hand had been clamped over the screaming mouth to silence it.

Chastity, Micah thought, and his heart seized with panic. He knew his baby sister’s voice anywhere. It had always sickened him to hear her cry. He bolted towards the place he had last seen her, frantically scouring the gloom as he ran beneath the trees. She had gone for an apple. She hadn’t gone far, but now she was nowhere to be found. The scent of fresh soil hung thick in the air, almost choking him with its dank, peaty fragrance.

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