Rainbow Colored Lies (Under the Veil Part 2)

As I walked up to the group, the Man in the middle approached me and said welcome back. I asked the members if that had seen you. They told me, that you walked into the forest with a serpent. The man then stood in silence as if waiting for my reply. Smiling with his eyes closed, such a joyous look on his face, but something in me triggered my anxiety. A serpent? I questioned. What is that? I did journey over there with a animus that moved on its belly. Is a serpent what we decided to name him. The man stepped closer, has he always been this tall. I’m a decently sized man at about 6’4”, but this guy is towering over me at the moment. Is it my imagination making him bigger, I rubbed my eyes, then when they reopened we were eye to eye. He was looking into my eyes as if he was peering into my soul, which he may have well been doing. The man then stepped a bit closer and sniffed me,

"is that a hint of fruit that I smell on you. When you were out in the forest did you happen to eat anything."

No, I answered.

Really he said in a bit of shock. We have many edible objects out in the woods, you must have at least tried one. After all their fragrance is really enticing. We often eat from there. Maybe you were worried that you didn’t know what it was.

I felt as if he was beginning to trust me again, seeing at how he went back to using these vague expressions.

I see next time, I wonder over there I will be sure to try a few.

Yes, you should. Now shall we get back to the group, they seem to be making a breakthrough. You naming the first animal, dog was it? Has led to them to begin naming another.

As we walked back I recognize the snake slither over. It was the same snake that showed me the fruit. It was similar to rainbow colored snake which was rare even in my world let alone here. In fact now that I’m thinking back on it, this is the only animal of that type I have seen in this world so far. I’ve seen multiple variations of every other animal, but why only a single snake. It slithered towards the Man and went up his leg to his shoulder. The man stopped for a moment and it looked as if the snake was whispering something in his ear. The snake finished slithered down and looked over at me. I swear I saw a grin appear across his face. The man stood there for a minute. I was scared to ask him what it was the snake mentioned. I didn’t know what to do the man simply stood there not moving. Finally I cracked.

Ok, I ate the fruit that was on the altar, I just couldn’t take not knowing, it was driving my head wild. It felt as if my mind was going to split open seeing all these things I knew, but couldn’t say. I was curious, if you want me to I will leave everyone alone and live in the forest myself.

The man still did not turn around. Next thing I know I blinked and he was suddenly right in front of me, both of his hands on my shoulders and his eyes were wide open yet they were pitch black. The man spoke and his words echoed throughout my entire head.

“You will live in the forest, is that a promise. You see the snake did not tell me of your miss deeds. He simply said if I stand still for a couple minutes, I will be told something shocking. It seems as though he was right. I guess, guilt is one of the things that you now remember.

I was paralyzed unable to move or fight back, I felt blood coming from my eyes, my mouth, my ears. I couldn’t take it, but I couldn’t scream. As if my mouth was welded shut. The man continued.

Since you want to know so much and you dream of living in the forest don’t worry let me assist you.

I blacked out, next thing I know I was in a world that resembled earth. That resembled the land that I am from. Perhaps the man took pity on me and decided to send me back to land. If he was going to do that anyway was such a severe punishment truly necessary. I began to look around at my scenery, I was in a forest, it seems he kept his promise. I began walking, it was good to feel the breeze again, the warm sun shining on me. I have not felt such at peace in a long time. It is unfortunate though, even though I remember so much of my old world. I can’t remember who I was then. I have no memories specific of my past life. My family, friends, children. That old couple on the bench I wonder what their relation to me was. Seeing how they were sent there before me, perhaps they were my parents. If not for that rotten world I could have had a decent conversation with them. Maybe even catch up on old times. Still I’ve been walking for a long time and I have yet to see anything else. A animal, a bug, there’s not much vegetation either. Simply grass and trees. The trees seem to have something growing on them, when I took a closer look, it seemed to be the same fruit that I ate in that other world. Is this his form of a cruel joke. I climb up and took the fruit, as I went to take a bit the man appeared in front of me again.

“What the fuck”, I yelled out. Why can you not just appear normally, does it amuse you to scare me.

“Nothing about you amuses me”, the man said. I came to simply tell you one thing. Feel free to explore my garden as much as you want. However, do not ever walk beyond those cherry blossom trees over there and never eat anything that grows from these trees. If you can follow these rules, maybe you will be forgiven.

“What are with those dumb rules. To you expect me to starve.”

“I expect you to listen. You seem to think that I’m being unreasonable. You are the foreigner to my world, yet you think that you can treat us, based on your own previous knowledge.” In your world there’s a saying isn’t there. When in Rome do as the Romans. Pretend this is Rome and do as I tell you.”

“What is in it for me to listen to you.”

“Again with this arrogance. If you listen I will allow you to know what you want to know. And I will prevent you from knowing what you do not want to know.”

“What exactly is it, that I don’t want to know.”

“Hopefully you never find out”

Then he was gone, I didn’t even blink that time, the Man just disappeared. He will prevent me from knowing what I don’t want to know. He chooses now to speak in riddles. I looked at the fruit in my hand and tossed it aside. Eating that fruit last time brought me nothing but trouble anyway. There is probably something else around here. I began my walk through the forest, trees and grass as far as I could see and nothing else. Every tree had the same fruit. There must be something, I kept going until I reached the edge of the forest. Marked by cherry blossom trees. I walked towards the edge and peeked out, it seemed to be more forest. I want to walk out there, but he told me not to go. Also what he said keeps replaying in my mind. He will prevent me from knowing I don’t want to know. Is it about my past life. Was I that bad or was my life that bad. Was I murderer, did I kill my parents. They someone kill me. What the hell do I not want to know. I sat with my back to one of the trees and stared at the forest beyond the cherry blossoms, I wonder what’s over there. Is it simply more of the same and he’s trying to trick me. I don’t know if he’s God, but he definitely is divine considering his abilities. He’s probably watching me now. Then as I sat there contemplating, I felt a familiar sensation on my arm. When I looked it was a snake, the same snake that got me put here in the first place. I throw it off my arm against a tree.

“Why the rough treatment”, he said

“You are the reason that I was put here in the first place. Actually why are you here, did he find out you were the reason I ate the fruit and punish you as well.” Serves you right’

“Don’t blame me for your mistakes. I led you to the fruit and told you what it was. You chose to eat it, knowing that he would not approve.” I simply gave you the information what you did with it was your choice.” You could’ve turned around and ignored the fruit.”

“You knew I was struggling with not remembering and took advantage of that for your own amusement. At least I know your stuck here with me for however long he decides to keep us here.”

“Do not think of me as the same as you. I can move across planes as I please.” You are the only one stuck.”

“Whatever”, I said, then I sat and ignored the snake. Yet he kept talking

“Now, Now, don’t think of me as all bad. I did help you after all, I may be a bit mischevious, but I’m not a bad snake.” After all, I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t think a little provocation would cause you to spill your guts out on the floor like that. We didn’t even need to cut open your stomach. It came out your mouth”, the snake said with a laugh.

“I have to admit he is right, it was my nervousness that got the better of me. Perhaps I’m being to hard on him”, I thought. “Ok, you are right, it is not entirely your fault and you are the only other thing in this forest, it would be best not to ignore you the entire time. I need someone to talk to.”

I then continued strolling through the forest with the snake conversing. It seemed as if we walked for a long time, but I’m not sure. The sun has not moved a bit and I’m not feeling the fatigue either. Just mental fatigue of the continuous wondering. The snake then muttered some words.

“We’ve been walking quite a while, have we not. You must be thirsty and hungry.”

Now that he’s mentioned it, why haven’t I felt thirsty nor hungry. Was that fruit in the other world that filling or is it that the events has my body in a state of shock. Either way I ignored what he said, the snake is just trying to play another trick on me.

“Afraid that I’m tricking you again. Trust me I’m not. As you saw in the other world, that person as mystical as he is does not know everything that goes on. Had you not told him earlier you would still be in the world above.”

I guess that is true, if he truly knew everything why even bother to take the time to ask. At least that’s what I thought.

The snake continued, “He knows you plucked one fruit, because he saw you with it, keep that one on the ground. I’ll go get you another.

The snake quickly climb the tree and bit the stem of one of the hanging fruits, causing it to fall to me.

“Hurry and eat it, in case he comes back to check on you.”

I don’t know why, but I quickly ate the fruit. I wasn’t even hungry, but the snake saying to hurry In case he comes awoken something in me. It was that feeling of doing something bad, even though I wasn’t directly involved. The snake spoke as if me and him planned this together. As I finished the fruit, I looked up at the snake and it stayed in the tree laughing.

“You humans, are so easy to deceive.”

Then all I heard was a whisper, “Again. You defied me again.”