I freeze.

“Eve” the voice hisses again.

I look around. Wrapped around the branches of the tree was a beautiful red and yellow serpent.

“What a wise and beautiful creature…” I mutter.

The serpent smiles wickedly.

“Did God really tell you not to eat from the tree?” he whispers.

“Yes. If we do we will die” I reply.

“You will not die! God is just hiding a great desire!  He knows both Good and Evil. If you eat of this tree, you will also know Good and Evil” the serpent continues.

I gulp

“Really?” I stutter.

“Yes Eve… Take a bite. They are delicious fruits”

“They do look quite pleasant”

I brush my hand against a bunch of the fruits.

“One bite won’t hurt” the serpent hisses.

I grab the fruit and slowly bite into its flesh. Delicious.

“I am not dead!” I cry.

I happily run to the tree where Adam is now yawning.

“Adam! Taste it! We will not die! I am not dead” I yell.

Adam looks at me with horror.

“Eve! What have you done?!” Adam shouts.

“Adam, it is ok to eat. It is delicious” I proclaim.

I put the fruit up to Adam’s mouth. Adam hesitantly bites into it too.

“See! You aren’t dead.”

I stop.

“But you’re naked!” I scream.

Adam stares at the sky.

“No! What have I done?!” he cries.

“Adam? Eve? Where are you?”

It’s Jesus.

“Come on!” Adam whispers and pulls me behind a bush.

“Adam? Eve? Why are you hiding from me?” Jesus asks sadly. “Did you eat from the tree I told you not to eat of?”

Adam stands up.

“Yes. We were hiding from you because we realised we were naked” Adam admits.

“So you did eat from the tree” Jesus cries.

“Eve gave me the fruit!” Adam protests.

“And the serpent deceived me!” I add.

Jesus frowns.

“For this I will place a curse upon the serpent. He will crawl on his belly and eat of the dust. He will bite the man’s ankle and the man will strike its head” Jesus states.

He looks at us with sadness in His eyes.

“And I must punish you too!” He says. “Man will have to work for food and it will be hard to grow. Women will have pain in childbirth”

Adam and I weep as we think of the terrible thing we had committed.

“I will not be visible to your eyes ever again. I am sorry friends but you did not obey my commands. I will set to angels at the gates and a fiery sword to circle the tree.”

And with that, Jesus was gone. Adam and I walked slowly out of the garden and into the hot dusty desert.

“Good – bye Jesus” I cry and hug Adam.

“We will have to make our home in the desert. We will have a family and accept the way we must live” Adam encourages and we disappear onto the horizon searching for a new home.