Away From Eden

Heartbreak and Invitation

" 911 what's the nature of your emergency?"

" Help there are dead bodies in here. Oh my god! They're about three and they're pale, eyes open, and no blood!"

" Hold on sir...help is on the way!"

Minutes later rescuers arrived in an abandoned wide lot. The paramedics and autopsy team were also on the field, while other staff are placing the victims in a black bag. The place of crime was situated in an area that was far from the city. It is near the countryside. Vast, grassy area.

The bodies recovered appear to be in a state of decomposing.

" Wait for a while," Carsen appealed to the medics who were zipping the bodies. He showed his police badge to them. And so they allowed him to check the corpses.

Carsen reached the victim's hands. It looks like there's a circular patch around their wrists, like a trace of a wristband, and a round mark on its neck.

This one doesn't look like a simple bracelet huh? It's like a metal thing was attached around their neck and wrists. He thinks.

Later when they reach the office the Forensics confirmed that the victims might have gone to a party based on the substances found on their clothes and chemicals in their bodies and that the trace of a metal band on their wrists was matched to the kind of material in which one of the Castellans manufactured.

" It isn't a bracelet thing dude!" Carsen lamented. He was talking to his partner, Robin Mack. Unlike him who is a rookie, Robin was ahead in his position of him. The reason why he was partnered with him, is his IQ screening, and his undeniable skills. In a world where one hardly alleviates to the next ladder, Carsen must be thankful for where he is now - a rookie detective. At least he belongs to the Newman working-class type. Though at the bottom, at least with little dignity. 

" My hunch is telling me that they were participants of the party games!" Carsen exclaimed.

" Shhh!!" Robin stopped him.

He looked around.

" Save your talking bro...not here," Robin whispered.

Carsen sighed.

He understood. Now that the forensics had confirmed the wrists tracks are a match to those ones of the Castellan's products, they all know then it's a case close. And then, tomorrow there will be a statement in the media that the dead bodies found were part of the cleansing.

It goes on like that. It's always like that here in El Rotosi, and perhaps the rest of the world.

Carsen frustratingly shook his head.

Robin handed him a cigarette and then they both went outside for a smoke.

" There's no case for them," Robin initiated the conversation.

" Sorry? I don't understand?" Carsen scowled.

His brows were furrowed.

Robin took a deep breath and put out his cigarette.

" Look..if they are participants of the party games then how can we fight for those people who willingly sign up for their death?" Robin said.

Robin grab a coffee from the vending machine and handed it to Carsen.

" Don't be naive, bro. We are no longer living in the kind of world we had before. Sometimes people like us are just props," he said and patted Carsen on the back.

" If you don't want to stay being a rookie then just go with the flow," he added.

It was a day off the next day. Carsen usually spent days like these with Harpie, his long-time girlfriend. But today is different than his usual day off. Carsen had something in mind.

Good that the weather cooperates. He thinks looking at the clear blue sky. It was late in the morning. A good time for ending their jog at the park. He handed a tumbler of water to her. She was sweaty from the run.

" How's your week?" Carsen asked his girlfriend.

" Fine," she replied.

Harpie sounded like she's not into talking right now. She's not in the mood. And Carsen felt that but still, he ignored it. They used to do this anyway, some jogging days are sweet and fun, but lately, he felt like his girlfriend was distant from him. He thinks it may be because they were both busy workings, and with that, he thinks accelerating their relationship to the next level was the solution to this.

Harpie Allens was younger than him. She's 22, with black hair and brown eyes. She possesses a face one could be mistaken to be a Castellan. With just a nice dress and branded clothes, she would pass to be in the circle of the elite, but she's not. She's a Newman like him.

" Thanks," Harpie handed the water to him.

Then, Carsen pulled out a towel and tried to wipe her girlfriend's sweaty forehead, but she looked away and refused to give her face. Instead, Harpie simply took the towel from Carsen and wipe herself.

Carsen could feel the coldness between them, but he's decided to move forward.

" Hey, I've got a gift," he said smiling.

Then he pulled out a small red box from his sports bag. And he showed it to Harpie with that warm smile on his face.

He got Harpie's attention as he opened the small box and a ring was shown from in it.

" My love... I know things had been rough lately but even though there aren't times that I am not sure of you," Carsen said with much emotion in his eyes.

He was proposing to her.

Harpie felt like she was frozen on his feet. She could just stare at Carsen's face. She doesn't know what to say. If her answer is yes then it would just be easy to reply, but it's not.

Harpie sighed.

Carsen Adams was no doubt an attractive man, at his young age of 24, with blonde hair, hazel green eyes, and masculine and tall. He's the type that any girl would cling to if the world runs like how it was before. He wasn't enough. And that's why she's hesitant.

Harpie reached to the ring and closed its box, and give it back to him.

She shook her head.

Carsen's smile faded, seeing that expression on Harpie's face he then knows what her answer is. It's a no. And he wanted to know why.

" Sorry for hurting you...outrageous this may sound but I'm seeing someone else," Harpie said.

Hearing that, Carsen felt like his world was shattered into pieces. It was like his heart immediately went numb perhaps overwhelmed by the painful thing he is hearing now. Harpie has been his childhood sweetheart. They grow up together and went to the same school. They were inseparable, until this... Now, it was like she was not the same girl he used to know. Now he's seeing how far she had changed without him paying attention to it.

" Why?" Carsen asked in a distant, flat lifeless voice.

Harpie again shook her head, keeping her tears from falling.

" I had loved you," she said.

" Had?" he hissed.

Then, she cracks into tears.

" It's just that real love...you know romantic thing, is a luxury in this era," Harpie said in between sobs.

" Luxury?"

She nodded.

" I don't wanna live my entire life being a Newman, establishing a family, giving birth to children who would later belong to the same level of hierarchy!" she said.

Now, her voice was frantic.

Then she paused.

And sighed.

And looked at him once again.

" Sorry," she whispered

And she runs away.

While Carsen was left devastated gripping that engagement ring with teary eyes.

The next few months Carsen heard the news of Harpie's engagement to Barry Hansen. It was all over the city. Of course, who does not know Barry Hansen, he was the owner of Stanford High. He's at the highest ladder of the lord classes. The second level of the hierarchy. A Newman of the working class can marry someone from the second hierarchy, that's why Harpie's engagement to Barry has got no controversies.

" Are you okay, bro?" Robin turned off the television.

It is known in the office that Harpie was his ex, and how their relationship ended was no secret to them.

" Yeah, I'm fine," Carsen forced a smile.

" Oh...by the way, something here was sent for you," Robin handed him an envelope.

He reached for it in surprise, " What's this?" Carsen sked.

He's nPrologueot expecting a package.

" A card?" he gasped.

Carsen opened the small card with an engraved glittery metal bracelet on it.

Are you ready for a hangover?

You are invited to the class reunion of Stanford High.

Cheers and put on the bracelet for the life-changing party games that awaits you.

Carsen quickly closed the card with an unbelieving expression. He took a deep breath. Okay, there's still a chance this might not be final until a media announcement that includes my name. He thought to himself.

" What was it?" Robin grabbed the envelope out of curiosity.

He burst out laughing when he saw what was it.

" Whew! You're now tagged as one of the deserving bro?" he exclaimed.