The Snake Of Eden

Participants:

s_corbin_icon.gif s_kaylee_icon.gif

Scene Title The Snake Of Eden
Synopsis Temptation awaits Kaylee in the Garden of Eden, even as her dream gets an unexpected guest in the form of Corbin.
Date December 31, 2009

Dreamscape Garden of Eden


At first there is only darkness around Corbin, lifting his hands, he finds that he can see them, but everything else is… empty. Slowly, though the world around him lightens to a soft twilight and he finds himself surrounded by a thick rolling fog. If he squints he can make out shapes in the distances, which slowly become clearer as he tries to move forward. There is a freshness to the air, tainted with the smell of apple blossoms, it tickles the nose tempting the man even further into the fog.

Something brushes his cheek and when he turns to look, he finds the thick green fronds of a vine plant falling from a branch above, small tear drop shaped flowers cascade down the length. It's like no plant he can remember.

When he looks ahead of him again, the fog spreads and splits apart like the red ocean did for moses, the tendrils of puffy white pulling back into the greenery around him, until he's left in a garden like no other.

At the center of it all is a large apple tree, it's branches spread out into a large canopy, heavily laden with blooms and deep red skinned fruit. Gnarled roots flow from the base in large knots and twisted bark.

Something seems wrong about it all, but it doesn't take long to figure out that there are no animals, no birds singing and flitting through the thick branches.

There is however, a lone figure is sitting at the base of the huge tree, clad in only a white gossemer gown, with her back to the rough bark. Golden blonde hair falls in a curtain around her face, obscuring the owners, face from view. In her long and delicate fingers, is a red apple with light shining off of it's perfect surface.

Gardens and flowers and long blonde hair. Of all the dreams that Corbin would have seen for himself, the details are off. At least it's not cold. To refect the lack of cold in the air, he's wearing one of those disgustingly tacky tourist shirts, complete with bright colors and a floral design that matches the delicate garden. It's not the gossemer white, so it stands out a bit more than it probably should. His pants are loose jeans, simple shoes, and for some reason his hands slide over his shirt as if looking for something.

It doesn't seem as if he found it, either.

The ground doesn't crunch as loudly as it probably should with each step, another problem to go along with the lack of animal life. Things seem to disappear at the edges and seem bright and detailed in the center. Which all seems to radiate out from the the apple. It would make more sense to him if he didn't feel so lost.

"Um— where'd you get that apple?"

The woman startles out of whatever thoughts she was deep into as she stared at that perfect apple. Lifting slowly and then turning, Kaylee's face comes into view from behind the golden curtain. It takes a long moment for the telepath to realize who has joined her in the dream this time. Yes, she knows it's a dream, but…..

The hand holding the apple moves to hold it out to him, a small smile tugging at her lips. The tendrils of fog slowly slide along the ground covering the wood's floor in a shallow white froth. "Is it not perfect?" Her words are soft, as she slides a foot under her and levers herself to her feet with supernatural grace. Her barefeet make no sound on the mossy floor, white mist tries to curl around her legs as she passes. In the distance is the sound of something slithering trhough leaves, it's faint but growing louder.

When she's within touching distance of the reporter, she whispers softly, a small mischievous tug at her lips and something in her blue eyes, even if they seem a bit unfocused.

"Would you like…. a bite?"

"Oh, Kaylee, I— I wasn't sure that it was— what are you doing out here?" Corbin asks, glancing around at the edges of the world. The garden is unlike anything he's ever seen before. The sun's brighter than the sky in New York usually is. It's too warm. There's no clouds or snow or ice… It's not dreary. That's wrong. Too perfect. Yet the one thing that isn't perfect isn't the setting, or the apple.

"I'm not really hungry, but it does look pretty good…" Perfect apple, perfect garden, perfect weather. He's a little rumpled, with hair ruffled and windblown, face scraggly and not quite shaven, and one of the buttons on his tourist shirts is broken off.

"There only seems to be one, though, and I wouldn't want to take the only one."

A chuckle fills the air around them, it almost sounds like two voices for a moment, but Kaylee seems to be the only one doing the chuckle. "Corbin… silly… the apple is for you." Her voice has a breathlessness to it. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you here." She still sounds rather pleased that he is, fingers lightly touch one of the buttons on his shirt. Her eyes drift down, a brow lifting as she seems to finally see the print of his shirt. Fingers trail along his chest and to his back as she moves to circle around him, studying him clothing as if judging his appearance.

When the blonde comes to stand before him again, around her neck is a black choker. "The shirt is cute…. I like it." When she says the last she leans in lips moving to press to his cheek, up close like that, he can hear the murmuring whisper of something, but he can't make out the faint words. "Take a bite, the fruit is sweet." Kaylee's words should send off alarms in his head. She had talked to him about her nightmares before, while holding a book.

The place has a good echo. But there's nothing around for it to echo on. As her fingers trail along his shirt, and she moves in closer, his head tilts a bit, fingers wrapping around the apple. Corbin can't help but start to move away after her lips touch his cheek, stepping back and taking the apple with him. "Hey, this— " Wrong. But right and perfect. But also not right and not perfect. While he flirted with asking her out, he hadn't actually been too serious about it.

And she admited to being hopelessly in love with someone else she couldn't have. He probably shouldn't remember this right now, but he does. "This apple isn't for me— you weren't expecting me to be here. I think the apple was supposed to be for someone else." He glances back behind him, toward the blurry edges of the garden, trying to spot someone else who might be there. "Maybe he's late?"

There is a soft hiss from the young woman as he steps away, "N… no… It's for you." Kaylee stumbles over the words, though the hiss is still there in the back ground. Her eyes are on the apple, watching it intently. He might see it then, the softly glow of red in the shadow of her hair. "Just…. take a bite." Stay here with me. The last seems to float past like a whisper on the wind. Help me.

"Yesss… eat… it would only take a bite. Ssshe would be yoursss."

The words a thick and silky, like rich chocolate on the tongue….. Oh so tempting. They draw on the person emotions. A small black head with blood red eyes, slides out from under blonde strands.

"Jussst a bite."

Stay here.

The apple is tempting. For a moment Corbin can feel the taste of every apple he's ever had in his mouth. Juicy, sweet, with just a little bit of sour. It almost feels like his mouth is dry, making it even more tempting, but the second voice attracts his attention, pulling him away for a moment, looking for the source of it.

Does someone need help?

"Did you hear something?" There's a push in the back of his mind, another voice that seems just on the edge of hearing. A familiar voice, trying to tell him something, but he can't quite make it out.

"It sounds like someone needs help…" And something about her voice, her— "Kaylee, something doesn't seem right about this. The apple's really tempting but… what did you mean by she?"

There is suddenly a weight coiled around his arm, a hissing chuckle in his ears. A midnight black viper is curled around Corbin's arm, the diamond shaped head hovering there, red eyes staring at him.

"Ssshe could be yourss." The silken words seem to be coming from the snake, wound tightly there, belly scales rough on his arm. The black tongue, flickers out to taste the air. "One bite of the apple isss all it takes." Corbin can feel the tug of temptation on his mind. It would be so easy.

Slowly, Kaylee's feet carry her forward again to close the distance, a small sway to her hips with each step.

The distance closes, and there's something much heavier on his arm, trying to weight him down. Corbin spots the snake, tilting his head to the side in surprise, and he's reminded of something that the young woman said in the bookstore. Like Eve in the Garden. "This is your dream," he finally realizes, perhaps helped along by the familiar whisper in the back of his head.

"The snake is the temptation you mentioned. Like Eve and the apple."

For a moment something seems clear, and then he steps back again, taking the apple and holding it up. "You don't need this, you know. You can get what you want without it." There's a quiet tone to his voice, simple, but meaningful, as if he believes it completely. Probably because he does. "And I know what you want isn't really me."

"Eat of the apple and your eyesss shall be opened." The black viper hisses softly, as it tightens it's hold around the man's arm. "You will see her in a new light… ssstay with her." The purrs almost seem to purr from the snake.

The blonde stops when he backs up, Kaylee looks confused by his actions. Those unfocused eyes, look at him, but not at the same time, "Of course, I do… you won't stay otherwise." Hands lift, held out pleading, "Stay with me? I'm tired…" Tired of fighting it ".. of being alone." Again while she speaks other words carry to him on the voice of the wind.

"Yesss." The word come out with an edge of viciousness, the snake seems almost like it's losing patience. "Ssstay with her. Be with her…" Scales catch and pulls on fabric as it moves to drape over his shoulder. "It only takes a bite. Take it." The last practically snapped at him.

"You're really freaking me out. I don't like snakes," Corbin says, trying to poke the head of the snake with said tempting apple. "Especially evil talking ones that seem to want to get under my shirt. Can you help me get rid of it?" He doesn't knock it much longer, with his free hand reaching up to touch her shoulder instead. Not the snake, but her. "I'll stay with you, but you don't need this." He adds on, before hefting his free arm and trying to throw the apple away. It won't get the snake off him, but it gets the apple further away. Or so he hopes.

The way dreams sometimes work… He'll just hope it falls quite a distance away, even if he threw it like a girl.

Poking snakes with apples is never a good thing, it jerks back with a vicious hiss mouth opening showing a glint of needle like fangs. The diamond shaped head follows the path of the apple, "Fool…" The word is practically spit at him, "You think it isss so easssy?" After a moment the apple bounces back rolling over the rough ground till it taps against the side of Corbin's foot. "Sssshe will give in and make you hersss. She will fall like so many women before her… it isss in the genesss."

The snake seems to suddenly go poof into a mists of black, which reforms around Kaylee's neck. That black head, presses against the telepath's cheek, "Make him yoursss Kaylee." It whispers softly, it's tongue flickers against her skin. Her eyes almost seems to glaze over and her hand lifts fingers splayed.

"If I make you mine, I won't be alone anymore." The words lack any emotion, as if she's just repeating words given to her.

Oh god… kill me.

Damn apples. Corbin doesn't attempt to kick it away, no matter how much he might wish to, even if the snake leaves him for her. It's so sudden. The burden leaves, and wraps around her instead, touching her cheek. The hand on her shoulder slides down, away from the black thing, grasping to her elbow. "If you make me yours, I wouldn't really be yours. And you'd still be alone."

The flick of a tongue, the voices in the back of his head— some of them belong to the girl in front of him, he's very sure. And the one that filters through, the final whisper…

He suddenly reaches out, grabbing the black snake with his bare hand, trying to grasp it it. He's risking getting bitten, he knows it, but it's a risk he's willing to take.

The moment he reaches for it, the snake rears back, tensing for the strike, something seems to snap in Kaylee. Blue eyes clear as they widen in panic.

NO!

The black viper strikes, but it isn't Corbin's flesh those needle like fangs sink into. The void like coloring of it's scales wind around Kaylee's arm, her fingers clasped around it's head. Her other hand comes around and she gives a yank, creating an audible sickly snap of it's neck. It goes limp and she throws it away from her.

"You… have to get out of here Corbin." Panic laces Kaylee's voice which sounds more alive then it's been. "Get out, before he takes over again…" Bare feet start to snuffle backwards. "I have to do something before he makes me do something bad to you… or anyone else." Hands lift to keep him away from her, as a tear slides down her cheek.

Behind her the woods start to shift and move, trees shudder and slide making room for the young woman to pass. The trickling sound of water starts to fill the air along with the scent of moisture. Just beyond the trees is a pond with a little creek running into it. One foot sinks to the cold water and then the other.

"Go!"

That turned out different than he expected, but Corbin's hand pulls back at the snap, half expecting to find teeth dug into skin. He doesn't. Instead his hand is clear. There's a ring around one finger, one he doesn't notice right away. A silver ring, thick, with a stamp in the middle of some kind of Chinese character. It looks cheap, simple. Like something one would by at a thrift store, or an county fair booth.

"You don't have to stay here. You can fight him, Kaylee. There's— there's people who can help you." Where is the other blonde girl? Where is Hokuto? Why is he in this situation?

Running away seems quite nice, but she's moving toward the water.

In her dreams she drowned. In her dreams someone tried to kill her. A man she wanted to make hers.

Instead of running away, he moves after her, reaching for her hand. "This is your dream. If you can make someone be what you want, then you can make the dream what you want." He's not an expert. "You don't want this— you'll drown."

Each step back makes her sink deeper, the white fabric of Kaylee's dress floats effortlessly on the surface of the water, the mud squishes between her toes in the way it always has in the past. "Stay back.. I have to do this.." Her teeth start to chatter some, her arms wrapped close to her body… despite the warmth of the air, there is a bite to the water.

"I… don't w-want to give in… but I'm t-t-tired of fighting." Kaylee's speech chatters just like if she was sinking into icy water. "If I do this now…. he can't make me hurt anyone."

Around Corbin's feet, the ground heaves and moves as roots of the giant apple tree try to get in his way, slowing his progress to her, it's obvious she does know how to manipulate her dream to some extent.

"Oh…. Kaaaylee."

That smooth voice of temptation floats through the woods, but hadn't the telepath broken the neck of that damnable snake. Her eyes widen. "S-s-see…. I c-can't stop him." Her voice even with the chattering, is laced with panic. Only her head is above the water at this point, "I have to do this.. I'm s-s-sorry. I have to get out of this nightmare."

It's not clicking with her, like it is him…. She suddenly sinks below the surface, into the murky depths of the water. The roots suddenly drop lifeless at his feet.

"Kaylee! Damnit," Corbin yells, fighting each step as she disappears under the water. It's difficult, until suddenly the roots die and his feet break through. He stumbles forward, falling into the water. His tropical bright and flowery shirt gets damp and wet as he reaches down and grabs at her again, pulling at her until she's out of the water. "Don't die on me, I can't take care of the store on my own and I don't want to change the sign back," he says loudly, firmly, but with more worry than the words themselves might seem to convey.

He pulls her against him and tries to back out of the water, wishing— wishing— that they were somewhere else. Somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe and somewhere dry.

Like the bookstore. It's familiar and known to him. A few steps back and his feet hit solid floor, the dripping of water from clothes fall onto piles of books, threatening to ruin them. But somehow he managed to pull them somewhere else.

And the little voice in the back of his head might have helped with that.

She seems at peace with what's happening, Kaylee knows it's the right thing.. .she has to end the cycle. So when Corbin grabs onto her and starts to pull her out of the water, a cry rips through his head.

Noooo! It wails.. Let the Nightmare end.

But of course, even if her mind cries out, her body is lifeless in his hands as he drags her out of the water. White dress clinging to her pale skin, arms moving limply as he waddles his way out of the water carrying her. Then the strangest thing happens…. When they land in the bookstore, Kaylee seems to wink out of existence, leaving Corbin wet, cold and empty handed.

In the real world, Kaylee's eyes open to the sting of salt water and the numbing cold of it against her skin. Her mouth starts to open, but it fills quickly with water, making her realize that she is really in water.

Oh my god!

Thrashing and flailing, Kaylee come to the surface gaging and choking on salt water. "S-s-shit." The words are chattered out between her teeth as she quickly makes her way to the shore, until she crawls out of the water. She's freezing and shivering wildly as she stumbles and shuffles out of the ice cold waters.

Wiping saltwater from her eyes and glancing around she recognizes where she is immediately, Kaylee is still on Staten… not too far from the safe house. It takes work, but she slowly gets her feet to obey her, she has to get warm quickly. Shambling forward, Kaylee shakes her head slowly. The conversation about the Nightmare Man finally worms it's way into her brain, making her realize her mistake.

Corbin had been right… and she could have died if he hadn't pulled her out of the pond.


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