Eve. The human soul

The painting

The sorrowful morning had arrived. A thick fog covered the forest and surrounded Lucifer’s castle as an enemy. Even the ravens seemed unusually quiet today.

Eve spent the night sleepless. She couldn’t stop feeling like a heartless evil creature. Worse than devil himself. Even more cold-hearted than Lucifer.

“Good morning!” screamed voice behind the doors. Soon enough, Eve saw Kiara opening the curtains and windows. The sound of heavy rain reached Eve’s ears.

“It looks like God would take a bucket and pour water on us himself” Kiara whispered. Then jumped and smiled. “Let’s explore the castle, you haven’t seen the half of it”.

While Eve let Kiara led her through mazes of the castle, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Lucifer was going to do next. Kill her? Keep her here forever? Give her away to be punished by God?

Kiara led her by many halls which, you could tell, used to be breathtaking and fancy until something happened.

“This is my favorite place” Kiara smiled and opened two large gold-framed glass doors. It was an orangery with beautiful swings in the center and somewhat abandoned but still welcoming a path through a sea of roses and tulips.

Kiara ran to the swings. She looked so childish yet still elegant with her pinkish puffy dress and pearls in her hair. Eve could not take her eyes away from her, swinging so high up on swings like a child with look on her face as a very old soul who saw God young.

“It is beautiful here” Eve said. She leaned down to smell big blossom of rich scarlet colored rose, but she was interrupted by same ironic laughter.

“They have no smell. This place has lost everything what is best in life” Luke opened doors to the orangery. “Rosses smell fake, we never get hungry, we can’t get drink or even feel the taste of wine, cigars smoke feels like empty steam.”

Kiara dragged her feet along the ground to stop swinging and turned to Luke looking aggitated.

“What? Can’t she know some truth of this castle?”

Kiara just shook her head.

“Don’t scare her with your negative speeches”.

“He won’t scare me that easily”. Eve replied. She stood with her arms crossed on her chest. Luke just walked pass her. He put his hands on Kiara and started pushing her high up on the swings. She screamed, but soon she started to laugh and smile begging him to not drop her.

Eve silently watched Luke’s hands touching Kiara’s waist every time swings come back to him. She felt odd. She kind of wish that it was her hands and her fingers landing on her back and feeling that pink dress fabric and the warmth of Kiara’s skin. That she would smile and laugh because of her, not him.

“Luke, stop, it’s too high” Kiara giggled. It seemed that if she got just a little higher, she’d turn into little white pigeon and fly away, but Luke stopped the swings and grabbed her by the waist to help her get off. He took her on his arms and started spinning around. She screamed and giggled again. When Luke finally put her down and her head stopped spinning, Kiara noticed that Eve was already gone. 

Eve walked through dark halls of the castle alone and without a purpose. Where could she possibly go? Suddenly, she recognized a staircase and a hall leading to the room where she met Lucifer yesterday.

She felt how her heart started to pound heavily and her palms got sweaty. Yet, as much as she wanted to run away, her curiosity won. The door was a tiny bit open and she peaked her head inside to see if Lucifer was there. He was.

Lucifer sat there with the curtains closed with not a single candle lighting up the room. A giant painting was hung above the cold fireplace picturing a clean-shaven Lucifer face with smiling eyes. He was wearing a red royal jacket with gold color epaulets and shinning pins. Eve couldn’t understand why she did not see this painting the last time she was here. It was surprisingly tasteful.

However, what actually stole her attention in the painting was the gorgeous woman next to him. Light, almost white, blonde hair, clear skin and deep blue eyes. She had most generous and heartwarming smile alongside strict queen-like posture and diamond-studded dagger in her hand.

“We look beautiful in here darling” a creaky voice bellowed out of the dark. Lucifer sighed so loud that even Eve heard him.

Eve saw two unnaturally white arms are wrapping around Lucifers shoulders. She almost screamed when the whole creature appeared. It did not look human, nor alive. She had two horns growing out from her hair. Her eyes were two deep holes. She had a deep gash on her neck which seemed still bleeding. Her torso was splashed by drops of blood, but the scariest thing was her squeaky voice full of grudge and as cold as winter itself .

Eve jumped when she felt somebody grabbed her from behind. She unconsciously struck the attacker with her elbow, quickly turning around ready to punch again. However, she was more than relieved to see Theodor holding his side along with a painful grimace on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, so so sorry” She apologized. “But don’t attack me from behind” she added madly.

“Shhh” he grabbed her hand and dragged away from doors. “You don’t want her to hear you, believe me.” He said with a serious look on his face. Theodor looked oppressively sad and a little bit terrified.

“Who – or What is that?” Eve asked. She was more than confused. Theodor was about to say something, but the doors burst open and Lucifer was staring at them.

“Theodor, She wants you to have dinner with us” he declared. Eve was scared that Lucifer going to say something to her, but he seemingly pretended that she was invisible. Theodor nodded his head without a single word. Eve then heard the same creaky voice coming from the hall.

“Theo, are you going to join us darling?” the voice questioned. Eve felt how the blood froze within her veins just from that voice carrying the very worst of this world: grudge, death, fear, and pain of loss.

“I’m coming, mother” answered Theodor giving Eve a look hinting for her to disappear before he stepped inside.

“Mother?” Eve whispered to herself. She couldn’t believe her ears. This monster was his mom? And Lucifer’s wife?

Theodor slammed the large doors somewhat dramatically in front of Eve’s face. She managed to catch the disdained look in his eyes.

“Theodor surely won a jackpot in parents lottery.” Eve remarked to herself.