Palindrome
Eden

The lake looked the same, but I wasn’t sure if it felt the same. I tried to think back to the first time William had taken me here, and how I had felt. It wasn’t that long ago, but it seemed like a different lifetime. I sensed him behind me as I stood staring at the calm water, his body radiating warmth and uncertainty.

“Hannah… What will it take for you to forget about what`s happening out there and get us to Eden?”

How was that even possible? My family and friends were being attacked by dead people, and I was out here, doing whatever it was I was doing. Finding Eden, to get the Holy Oil. Did I even know if that would bring the zombies back to where they belonged? Or was it all so Noah could get his precious oil? What was in it for him anyway, he was a bit too old for eternal love. Why had Lil refused to help them?

Soft lips against my ear stopped my never-ending line of questions. He smelled of apples and fabric softener. He`d came prepared and was now dressed in plain black jeans and a white shirt. I felt like a bum in my torn and dirty dress, my hair was tangled, my feet dirty and sore, and I sure as hell didn’t smell like apples.

“You look lovely. Like a woman who have fought a battle and deserves a break. Take off that awful dress.”

How did he know what I was thinking?

“And then what?”

His breath tickled my cheek when he whispered.

“Then I will take you to Paradise.”

One finger touched my shoulder, slowly pushing the sleeve of the dress down my arm, kissing every inch revealed. My lungs struggled to get enough oxygen, there wasn’t enough of it in the air I breathed in. A moan slipped out of me when he reached my elbow.

“And how will you do that?”

“I`ll show you, as soon as the dress is gone.”

I turned in one place, meeting him eye to eye. Still pale blue, but with a hint of purple at the edges. He lifted his left side of his mouth in a smirk, revealing a dimple.

“Or do you want me to do it?”

I had been so full of power earlier, filled with strength and light – now I could hardly lift my arms. His voice was like melted gold through my veins, making my body liquid. He didn’t wait for my reply, a finger trailed my left shoulder and pushed down the strap, leaving both my shoulders bare.

“Just relax.”

I`d forgotten how to breathe, how to think – how could I have these feelings now? Wasn’t it something I was supposed to find?

William used the index-fingers on both his hands to slip the dress over my breasts, making him swallow hard. The dress gathered around my hips, and his palms were warm against my back when he helped it all the way off.

He sat on his knees in front of me, cold fire in his eyes.

“You, my Goddess, need to cleanse. Get into the water and wash off.”

He was right, I needed to get all that had happened off me, the last days lingered in my aura. I was also dirty; my feet were almost black with grime.

“What about you?” My voice was barely a whisper.

“I`ll watch.” He matched me in volume, but the intensity was smouldering.

Without further ado, I turned to the lake, hoping the warm weather the last days had warmed it up some. The sun had risen over the horizon, and the birds were chirping in the trees, luckily unaware about what was going on below them. The water was clear, revealing the sandy bottom. When I reached the water, I stood still a minute to call on the Goddess, asking her to protect my loved ones.

“Oh, gracious Goddess of love and light,

Protect us now with all your might.

Watch over me and mine with care.

So that we may avoid danger`s snare.

Hail Fair Goddess, Protector of Night

Banish all evil from their sight.

Send it far and away from thee

So it is, so mote it be.”

I walked slowly out in the water, trying not to let William watching me bother me, but it was like an extra fire burning inside me wherever I felt his stare linger. He stood relaxed, hands down his side.

I mumbled while I washed my whole body, banishing bad energies from my mind and aura. I got rid of all that had happened, every bad word said, every evil sight seen. When I was clean — inside and outside, I made a swirling motion with my hands, unsure if it would work here, but it did. The water moved, spreading the badness around, diminishing it. I looked around me, feeling like a little girl with a new toy. I lifted my hands in the air and made a sweeping motion down, like a bird taking to flight, envision the water splitting. It made a path all the way to the other side, revealing the rocky bottom in the middle. Momentarily frightened by my powers, my mind slipped, and all the water fell back again, making it splash high up into the air— sending a roar of water all over me. I smiled with pure joy; it was like being cleansed again, but now by the Goddess herself.

I giggled when I exited the water, William smiled widely by the sound. The air was colder out of the lake, and I shivered slightly, rubbing my arms. A thought occurred, I had summoned earth, wind and water. Should I try with fire? I held out a hand to William, stopping him.

“I just want to try something.”

He nodded, patiently waiting for me to be done with playing around.

If I had all the magic in my body, then I should be able to wish or command myself to be dry, but how? William took a step closer, the blue in his eyes gone. I became aware my naked body as he caressed my skin with his look, making me burn inside. I held on to the feeling, spreading it all over myself, feeling the cold disappear wherever I concentrated the heat to. I let my hands glide through my hair, drying it with a gust of warm wind. William applauded slowly and I blushed while I bowed teasingly. William came even closer, and I got hypnotized by his lips moving. I shook my head, embarrassed.

“I didn’t listen, what did you say?”

He let a small laughter slip, “I was just saying it`s a shame you went through all that work when I`m about to make you all wet again.”

I frowned confused; did he want to go swimming after all?

He let his middle finger slide down my stomach, stopping just before he reached the place already throbbing for him. Right, I got what he meant.

“Spread your legs for me, Goddess.”

I did as he told me to, but he didn’t go where I wanted him to, instead he kissed everything else. When he reached my neck, I waited longingly for him to end up on my lips, they were tingling with anticipation. He had one finger under my chin, lifting my face up to meet his soft lips.

“My Eden will always be wherever you are, you know that?”

Finally, he kissed me. It felt like years since he touched me this way, I wanted this to last forever, and at the same time I wanted him to hurry up with what he was doing with his fingers. How could I be so calm yet so impatient at the same time? It was like an itch I couldn’t reach. I wanted him closer, and I wanted to touch him. My lips curled into a big smile when I felt the buttons on his shirt pop open, doing my command. William paused long enough to stare perplexed down at his now bare chest, and muttered amazed, “I don’t know if I should be scared or even more turned on.”

I yanked him back to my lips, undoing his zipper with my thoughts, I was getting the hang of this.

Eden, Paradise, Nirvana – whatever you would call it, I was there. Not only because William was there with me, but it was the birds, the flowers, the trees. The sunlight reflecting on the water, the feeling that we were the only people left on the planet. William lifted me up, his jeans – barely hanging on, were rough against my skin, but not rough enough. I slipped his shirt down his shoulders but couldn’t get it all the way off since he was carrying me.

“Where to, miss?”

“To the stars.”

I giggled at my little Titanic joke, but the need in me soon overtook the humour. If this was MY Paradise, was I then able to adjust the surroundings?

I envisioned a soft bed made of grass surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the exact same flowers behind William. I didn’t mention anything to him, just nodded towards the spot, pressing myself closer to him.

He put me down ever so gently, like I was made of glass. I wanted to beg him to be harder, rougher, but I knew he needed something as well. He stood over me, removing the white shirt slowly, never letting his eyes slip off me, the want in him evident both in the purple shine and on his body. The mild breeze played in his dark hair, and the sunbeams lighted up his toned body, making me envious that they were allowed to warm him.

“You`re a sight for Gods, Hannah. I wish I was Michelangelo so I could paint you, just like this.”

I didn’t answer, just smiled, eager for him to come down to me. Damn him, he knew exactly what he was doing. The small smirk playing on his lips as he slowly tugged off his jeans told me he was well aware of the effect he had on me. I pressed my thighs together, relieving some pressure, but it didn’t do me any good. William was finally naked in all his glory and got down on his knees before me. He grabbed my ancles and pushed my legs apart, looking at me through his long eyelashes.

“Now, will you behave?”

I widened my eyes, “Of course…” Without further ado, he dived in like a starved man. The first flick of his tongue made me gasp loudly and I dug my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer or away from me, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. With the next move, I knew I wanted him closer.

“Sweet love…” I moaned and continued on garbling words without meaning. I bucked my hips up, unable to keep still. William put his left arm over my lower stomach, pushing me down and looked up. His lips were swollen and red, he had a strand of dark hair falling over his right eye, the colour dark purple.

“Be still.”

I swallowed and nodded, breaking my promise the second he put his lips back down again.

“Yes, yes, yes, there, please, yes, there, yes, yes.” My voice was hoarse, small moans slipping out between every word.

“Shut the fuck up, Hannah.” His warm breath following the words embraced me, egging me on.

“I can`t, please just let me…” I didn’t get to finish the sentence, he used the tip of his tongue on me, concentrating on the most important piece, and I fell. I fell from the sky, the gravity taking me, centring around my core, exploding inside me.

William rested his weight on his arm, studying me when I came to. I reached down and caressed his steel slowly with one hand and touched myself with the other.

“William.” His name a thrill to say, like I was a damn teenager. He blinked in response.

“Do you think we were meant to end up exactly here at this exact time?”

He eyelids fluttered briefly while he pressed himself closer, hinting to me to go faster.

“Love, we were meant to be in any way. You were meant for me, and I was meant for you. And I think we were meant for eternity. We were meant to be since the age of dawn, since the beginning of time. Not just because of the prophecy, but maybe we are meant to get the love Eve and her Beast never got. Maybe we`re meant to set things right. It took me nothing at all to realise I would sacrifice my every believes just to make me worthy your love.”

He stopped to kiss me. Tenderly and slow, heartbreakingly soft.

“You are what`s holy to me. Your soul, your heart. And when I`m with you, I feel holy too.”

How could I respond to that? He was supposed to be the Beast; wild and raw, and I the witch in contact with myself, but he amazed me so often. Was it plausible that he`d turned his back on his family just to be with me? Then again, I had looked past the fact that his family had killed mine, I was in love with William anyway. I pushed William over, straddling him. He held his hands loosely on my hips but didn’t move them.

“I love you. You are holy to me too.”

I lowered myself slowly, watching his every expression as he filled me completely. I hadn`t thought much about it before, getting lost in the moment, but it was like magic to see him unravel under me, by my doing. The exquisite feeling of him gliding in and out, him breathing loud, the smell of flowers mixed with our lust, I could stay here forever, but need and want took a hold of us both. William flipped me around, his body heavy on mine. He watched me as he hammered into me, I wrapped my legs around him, meeting his thrusts eagerly. I clawed at his shoulders, wanting something to grip or use as leverage.

“Hannah. Hannah.” He moaned my name— was he as exited as me, just to say my name?

His hand moved in between my legs, circling my clit. Together with his steady rhythm, it was what I needed to push me over the edge. I felt him pick up speed, the movements getting sloppier as he emptied himself inside me at the same time I shattered.

William panted heavily on top of me, our bodies slick with sweat, but that didn’t bother me. He tossed his head back to get rid of the hair falling into his eyes. I couldn’t get enough of him, he was glorious. I smiled just because I was happy.

“Goddess. I bow to you. Do that to me again, and I`m dead.” William laughed down at me, before he snuggled his head into the crook of my neck. I laughed too, and put my arms around him, holding him tight. Maybe we could just stay like this, forever and ever. But how long were Adam and Eve in Paradise for? And was it really Paradise? I sighed, I`d wished for the outside world to stay away for just a little longer, but they were my friends and family. William was right, I couldn’t blame him or Belinda and Benjamin for their Fathers faults. They had seen the light, so to speak, and chosen to go another way. If it was meant to be, or just a coincidence, I didn’t know.

William felt the shift in me, it was tangible in the atmosphere in our little bubble.

“What`s the matter, Goddess?”

I wiggled uncomfortably below him, “You shouldn’t call me that, I`m only Hannah.”

He caressed my chin gently, and followed with a quick, but fierce kiss.

“You can control all the elements, make dead people come alive, you, a Palindrome, cannot be killed by the mighty Beasts, and you made one fall irrevocably in love with you even though I`m supposed to hate you.”

He lifted his head and looked around.

“Not to mention you can create a whole new world while fucking my brains out. I`ll keep on calling you Goddess.”

I snorted before his words sank in. New world? I rested my body on my elbows, pushing William out of the way.

The lake was still there, but it was bigger than before. Mighty trees surrounded us, along with flowers in thousands, they were mostly unknown to me. Where it had been a wide area around the water, it was now grass down to the edge.

“Sweet mother… Where are we?” I asked amazed. William shook his head and smirked. “If you don’t know then neither do I, I think this is your Eden?”

I stood on shaky legs, had I created this? William had gotten up as well, he stood facing the forest when he touched my arm to get my attention.

“Hannah… We`re not alone.”

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