EDEN

It was the serpent that saved her. It called her Future, and named itself Past. In the beginning it wrapped itself around her, crushing her, yet always some sense of self remained, and later its gaping jaw would swallow her whole, and she'd be swarmed in darkness, until she dissolved.

"Yes, I was in Eden,
So were you.
You are growing inside me
That we may we remember."

The more the snake devoured her the harder it was to resist.

"The apple was rotten, not yourself.
Temptation is your nature,
It is your joy."

The snake could soon not find her unless she called. She would see it sliding this way and that, unable to see her 'til her voice directed him.

"Now you eat me.
This is love."

The snake no longer moved. It lay in its coils unresponsive to her calls. Only when she opened its mouth would it swallow her.

"Gratitude is my sustenance."

And the snake was in her belly.

Silent. Now.