[ WP ] Eve did not eat the Forbidden Fruit because she was ignorant of the consequence , but rather because she knew exactly what the consequence was .

The Man was next to her. He always was. His body against her back, the tall grass of the meadow pressed flat beneath them. His breath was wet and slow on her neck. She shifted her body slowly, pulling away from him. His arm reached out, heavy with sleep, and pulled her back. His hips pushed forward, moving himself closer to the warmth between her legs. She forced her body still and stared into the twilight, studying the outline of the trees. Memorizing the golden glow of each shape. 
 
 
 She would wait for the dark to come, and she would walk again. 
 
 
 Woman walked through the trees, her ears heavy with the quiet that overtook the forest at night. She listened to her breath and wondered at it ’ s sound. A rustle on the path behind broke her peace. She started and turned. It was Snake. Snake slithered his way along the path, the moonlight catching his scales, shining in a way to make him look wet. 
 
 
 Snake curled at her feet and lifted his head toward her. “ Do you remember Rabbit? ” He asked. His voice was worried and hushed. The night was quiet between for a moment. Women knelt down and looked at him. “ Yes, I remember Rabbit. ” 
 
 
 Rabbit was always rushing. He was fast and nervous and quick. One day Rabbit was looking for clover in the meadow, and Snake came up behind him. Rabbit leapt from fright, and raced toward the brambles in the thicket. But his long back leg became tangled in the thorns. He twisted and squeaked in panic. There was a snap and Rabbit began shaking. He back leg stuck out at an old angle. Snake cried out “ Help. Help. ” Man and Woman were walking nearby. Man grabbed Woman and ran towards the noise. 
 
 
 “ I only meant to say hello ” Snake said, his tongue flicking in agitation as Man and Woman approached. Snake twisted on the ground in confusion. The three of them were staring at Rabbit when God walked out of the forest. They moved closer to the thicket as God sat down next to Rabbit. God placed a hand on Rabbit ’ s shaking head. Rabbit went still, his body wet and tangled in the thorns. They all stared. Man was upset. “ Why does ’ t he jump ”, man exclaimed. “ Why doesn ’ t he eat. ” God looked at Man, “ Jumping and eating, those are for the living. ” 
 
 
 Man looked at Rabbit, his eyes growing dark. “ Rabbit is dead ” he said. The word came to him from the air around him, a thing both familiar and unknown. Dead. 
 
 
 “ Yes, Rabbit is dead ” God answered. 
 
 
 Man took a step back out of fear, his heel almost striking Snake. Snake coiled and hissed. Man knelt down and took Snake in his hands, to comfort him. God watched quietly. 
 
 
 Man looked at Rabbit once more, lying still on the grass. “ Will I be dead, one day? ” 
 
 
 “ Yes ” God said. 
 
 
 “ And me ” said Snake, curling around Man ’ s arm in worry “ Will I be dead? ” 
 
 
 Yes, one day ” God said, so softly, that Man and Snake both strained to hear. 
 
 
 Both Man and Snake looked with worry at God, “ Why, we don ’ t want to be like Rabbit. ” They cried. 
 
 
 “ It is the way of this Earth ” God said simply. 
 
 
 “ Will you die? ” Said Snake, suddenly shy, curling his head behind Man. 
 
 
 “ No. ” Said God. 
 
 
 For a moment, all were silent, and the only noises were the that of the forest. Crow cried in the distance and Man looked back towards the noise. “ Crow is eating the berries you picked ” God said, his eyes still on Rabbit. Man placed Snake back on the grass. “ I ’ ve told Crow not too, but he won ’ t listen ” Man exclaimed, and he hurried back into the forest. Rabbit was forgotten. Snake turned his black eyes towards the brambles one last time, and slithered quickly away. 
 
 
 Woman walked closer the thicket and sat next to God. “ I want to hold him ”. God untangled Rabbit ’ s small body from the bushes and placed him in Woman ’ s arms. Woman stroked his head for a moment and whispered. “ Does he hurt? ” she asked. “ No ” said God. “ How do you know? ” She asked. God was quiet. Woman placed Rabbit on the grass, taking care to tuck in his legs, as if he were sleeping. As she walked into the forest, Woman did not forget. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The night was all around them and Woman was breathing heavily as she looked at Snake. “ I remember ”. 
 
 
 Snake curled on the ground. “ I don ’ t want to die ” he said. 
 
 
 “ That is the way of this Earth ” Woman said, remembering God ’ s words. It felt good knowing. 
 
 
 “ It doesn ’ t have to be ” said Snake. “ Man forgot about Rabbit, but I did not. ” Said Snake. “ Nor did I ” said Woman. 
 
 
 “ Follow me ” said Snake. 
 
 
 The path in the woods was dark, but Snake knew the way. The trees were tall and wild, with branches like hands that felt for you in the dark. Woman stayed close to Snake and they soon found themselves in a clearing. The grass was silver in the moonlight and rippled like water in the midnight wind. 
 
 
 Two trees were in the clearing. One tree was tall and beautiful. It was blooming, even in the dark of night. It ’ s flowers were fragrant and the fruit on it ’ s branches was fat and ripe. The other was twisted and bent, as if it grew against a raging wind. It ’ s branches were gray and pale, but they held a small fruit that shimmered in the dark. 
 
 
 Snake looked at Woman. “ God eats from these trees. I ’ ve seen it. And God does not die. ” Woman stared at the fruit thoughtfully. Snake continued “ The field is long and the branches are high. I can not climb fast enough. You must run and get us fruit. ” 
 
 
 “ Why must I run? ” 
 
 
 Snake turned his head. Off to the side of the clearing was Angel. He was sleeping, his head propped up against a tree root. His sword of fire sat next to him. A shudder of fear went through Woman. Snake coiled tighter and hissed. 
 
 
 Woman turned her eyes back on Snake. “ I will only have time to reach one tree, even if I were as fast as Rabbit. ” Snake blinked his eyes, she could see fear in them. 
 
 
 Woman stood, tense, ready to run. Angel stirred in the distance, his hand reaching out to his sword. “ There are things worse than Death ” Woman murmured, and she took off running. Her legs were strong and sure as she cut across the clearing. She heard a howl that was not for this Earth, and she knew Angel was coming for her. 
 
 
 The air stung in her lungs as she ran faster and faster. The trees were in front of her, and she turned left, racing toward the twisted branches. She could not worry about Snake. Or Rabbit. There were things worse than Death. She grabbed the small fruit from the twisted tree and bit down. It was sweet and sharp and it stung. It flooded her mouth and her throat and dripped down her chin. Woman tasted knowledge and knew herself. Her name was Eve. And Eve was good.
