The City

All his life, Eden had been taught to follow the rules of his village. It wasn’t too serious if they were broken, depending on the severity of the rule. The minor ones, the punishment could be to repair damaged buildings or other small tasks no one really feels like doing. The more serious could lead to time locked in the empty building in the center of the village for a few days or until the people decided you learned your lesson. They were quite simple rules, really. Don’t go out after dark, don’t trust outsiders, and so on. But there was one that never sat well with him. Don’t go to the city on the other side of the forest.

Why this was a rule, and considered the most important of them all, Eden could never be sure. He had gone into those woods multiple times, coming close enough to catch glimpses of the great city beyond. It looked fascinating, bright lights that never burned out in the rain and buildings that rose taller than the trees themselves. It seemed like such a wonderful place! How could his people not want anyone venturing there, even just to visit? There must be so much to learn from the people that lived there.

He spoke to his dear friend Emily one day about his infatuation with the strange, forbidden city. “Why don’t you and I go there? Just once, to see what it’s like! We don’t ever have to tell anyone. It’ll be our own little secret.”

To his dismay, she was not so keen on the idea. “Are you crazy?! If we get caught do you know how much trouble we will be in? Look, you need to get your head out of that forest and forget anything you saw about that place.” He had expected this, though. Emily was never one for breaking the rules. It wasn’t that he was a huge rule breaker, he really did try to follow them. Most of the time.

“Em, come on! Aren’t you curious why they never tell us anything about it? There must be something out there they don’t want us to see!”

“Eden snap out of it already. You and I both know that each and every one of those rules is there to protect us. Even if that means we can’t know what from. Do you forget about what happened that night you tried to stay out late enough to see the full moon at midnight?”

 Eden rubbed the scar on his hand from that very night. “Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to remind me.” A beast, not quite animal but… something otherworldly, was prowling in the woods that night, and had seen him trying to find a clear view of the sky, deciding he would make an easy meal. Luckily, his scream had alerted the concerned Emily, who then lit a torch and helped him back to the safety of the village. The wound wasn’t horrible, just enough to leave a scar where the beast’s teeth pierced his skin. “I’ve seen the streets, though. It’s actual people that live there. Humans. Like us. Not monsters.”

Emily rose from her seat, not bothering to hear his side. “Sometimes monsters can have a better disguise than you might think.” Leaving him to decide his own fate, she left his cabin without looking back.

 That was hours ago, and Eden now found himself on the edge of the woods, that mysterious town mere feet away. He gave in to the temptation. If he sensed danger, he would simply run back to his village and never speak of it. Except to Emily. She may hate that he breaks the rules, but he knows deep down she loves to hear his adventurous tales.

Steeling himself, Eden stepped out from the brush and found himself walking down one of the smooth streets of the forbidden city. He thought he might try to blend in with the residents, but quickly discovered that it would be impossible. There were multiple people walking the streets as he had always seen when he spied from the forest, but now that he was closer… There was definitely oddness, but nothing threatening.

Maybe they just have a different culture than we do back in the village! He thought, excitement and adrenaline flowing. Everyone seemed to be wearing the same clothing, gray hoodies and black pants. Their hoods were on their heads, concealing most of their features except for their faces. But of course, the masks they were wearing did a pretty good job of that instead. The masks were gray as well, almost perfectly matching the tone of the hoodies, with slits for the eyes and a strange, wider than natural grin painted on where mouths should be.

Eden tried his best to send smiles back, trying not to seem threatening as an outsider invading their town. Despite this, heads turned in his direction and stared. No one was talking, there was not a word in the entire area. If he had one, he was certain he’d be able to hear a pin drop. He continued walking straight, acting as if he knew where he was going to avoid suspicion. As he passed, more and more people turned and stared, some stopping what they were doing altogether to do so.

Chills began to take over him, his instincts telling him to run, but his curiosity getting the better of him. He had to know why it was forbidden to come here. There had to be some reason-

 Eden came to a sudden stop dead in his tracks. The many people, possibly hundreds he had passed on the streets now formed a circle around him. He turned around, panic taking over. There was no possible way to escape. So he decided to bargain. “What do you want?! I’ll give you whatever it is if you let me go! I won’t bother you again!”

Silence.

“Can you understand me?!” He continued turning in place, trying to find at least someone that might help him, or at least respond to him. Instead, the circle of people began closing in slowly, all of them taking steps in perfect synchronization. Eden turned towards the way he had come, running as fast as he could and trying to shove past to freedom. It was like trying to push past a brick wall. Without warning or knowing what hit him, his vision went black.

Struggling to open his eyes again, Eden discovered he was in a sitting position. He tried to move, to feel the spot on the back of his head that was throbbing so badly, but he couldn’t move his hands. There was rope tying them together behind his back, as well as his legs. It felt as though his heart hadn’t stopped pounding, begging for him to flee even during his unconscious state.

He was in a room. Of what kind, he couldn’t be sure. He was on the floor, a wall the only thing keeping him sitting up. It was strangely cold and smooth, he could try to drag himself across it to the door straight ahead. There was a bright white light shining on him, which was puzzling. It wasn’t flickering like a fire would, and much brighter. Movement in front of him brought his attention away from the strange light. There were two of those strange city people entering through the door, their movements stiff. They took the place of two other people he hadn’t realized were also in the room, in chairs, one on either side of him. They were staring at him, even as they stood up and backed out through the door. The new watchers took their seats, watching his every movement. He wanted to know what was happening, why he was here, what they were going to do. But the words wouldn’t come. You really did it this time, Eden…

Several minutes passed of tense silence, Eden trying to get at least one hand free while not moving too much so the guards wouldn’t notice. Then something strange happened, which was really something, considering the situation he was in.

The door opened again, wide open this time so he could tell that the outdoors, and freedom, were on the other side. A silhouette stood there, taking in the room. It looked like the other people of the city, but moved differently. It was less stiff, less formal than these people moved. The two guards immediately turned their gaze onto the new person.

The person walked inside, holding an odd object in their hand, and swung it at one of the guards. Eden gasped, cringing against the wall as blood sprayed. It wasn’t a human’s blood. It was dark blue.

The attacker didn’t hesitate, didn’t stop to take account of what they had done. They turned to the second guard, who slowly stood up from their chair. The mouth of the mask began to open, and Eden realized in horror that they weren’t wearing masks at all. It was their face. The mouth continued to open slowly until row upon row of razor sharp teeth, as thin and sharp as a snake’s fangs were revealed. The attacker, or should he call it his possible savior, attacked with the item they were carrying. Eden was able to process that it was an axe, decorated as they decorate their tools in his village with feathers and rope, drenched in blue blood that was surely from more than just its latest victim’s. The two began fighting violently, and Eden was forced to avert his eyes.

After several seconds passed, the sounds of the fighting came to a stop. Eden hesitantly opened his eyes again, seeing a second body and more blue blood on the ground. The person holding the axe was crouched in front of him, holding out a hand. “It’s okay. I’m here to help you.” There was a cut on the person’s palm, blood leaking out and dripping to the polished floor. Red blood. Eden would have collapsed in relief, if he weren’t already on the ground.

The person, the real person, used their axe to cut the ropes holding Eden hostage. He quickly climbed to his feet, sore from not moving for what felt like at least a day or two. “How did you find me?”

The person lifted a hand to the mask that was really a mask, and took it off. Eden’s heart dropped to his stomach, but not from fear. From shock. It was a face he knew all too well, and the last he expected to see. He was grateful all the same. “You really think I could let you wander in here by yourself? You really are insane. C’mon we should get out of here before they find out I’m not one of them.”

“...Emily?”

The End