PEARL

As I slipped on my shoes and sat on the edge of the bed, I grumbled at my headache. François and I had stayed up late, along with Shadrach, who stayed for a bit for whatever reason.

François found a bottle of what she thought was wine.

It must've been, because we both got drunker than a skunk, practically spilling our lives to each other about what we were like before the end of the world. We chatted into the early hours of the morning, as Shadrach watched from afar, always in the room's corner and saying nothing.

I heard him chuckle a few times, though. Usually from what Francois said. Other than that, he kept mostly to himself, and it surprised me he didn't leave–the big guy had to tilt his head and hunch his shoulders to fit in certain parts of the living room.

Something is up with you, and that alien, isn't there? François had asked when I returned to the house after Dumuzi and I's... fight, make-out session, whatever you wanted to call it.

I told her everything.

The reason he was dying shocked her.

She assured me I should not be afraid, that these were 'good beings'. I mean, she was right, but only regarding Dumuzi. I told her that the rest of his kind despised humanity and would rather see us perish in our mistakes.

I told her I wanted to change that.

Almost as if she didn't believe me, she asked Shadrach if he felt the same way. Shadrach did not respond, wrapping our night up quickly. She was just as upset at their view of humanity as I was.

At least I had a new friend who felt the same.

I sighed.

It was a good thing I gulped down three tall glasses of water before heading to bed. Or I would've been dead on my feet this morning.

"You must wear boots."

My heart leaped as he startled me. Dumuzi stood in the doorway, ducking his head under the frame. He cast his eyes around my room and then focused on me. I blushed. All the bedrooms I've had reflected my chaotic mind; messy, somewhat organized, but not clean by any means.

I made a face. "Don't sneak up on me like that. For somebody who is so big, you move too quietly."

"Today, we are going for a walk outside. Your shirt is appropriate; it covers your arms. But you are going to need a hat."

I took in the dark grey of his shirt and pants as he approached. His long, white hair spilled, as straight as a needle, behind his back. His dark circles remained today, but they were not as purple. His eyes were just as frenzied as usual.

He was in a better mood than yesterday, but still not in a good one. He obviously didn't want to talk about what was bothering him, so I wouldn't pester him about it.

He opened the closet door and took out a pair of boots. Kneeling in front of me, he grabbed my foot and yanked my shoe off. He repeated the process with the other foot. He put on the boots and tightened the laces.

"I can dress myself." I frowned. "You could just give me a few more minutes to change."

"In my culture, dressing a mate is considered an honor."

"Oh."

He stood and smirked. He chose a drawer in the dresser behind him I hadn't yet explored. He fished a hat out and gently put it on my head. The hat was pink.

I hated pink.

"I enjoy this color on you."

I stared at his lips instead of answering, remembering the way they felt against mine. I beat back the urge to touch him, to ask to be kissed again, because of his mood; whatever he planned to show me was bothering him. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost. Please be assured, Pearl. I will leave your hair alone."

Something in his voice sounded like he was cracking a joke. I was getting better and better at reading him. To anyone who had never met one of his kind, they would come off stone-faced and cold. It was the little things that I learned to catch; a slight incline of the head, the twitch of the mouth, a subtle widening of the eyes.

Right now, Dumuzi looked... amused. I also noticed the more time he spent with me, the more he showed human mannerisms. Shrugging. Shaking his head. Was I truly rubbing off on him?

"My hair? I'm guessing it has something to do with your culture again?"

"Correct."

"What does doing my hair mean?"

"It is a precursor to intercourse."

I flushed, my pulse hammering in my temples. How could he be so formal and casual about this, yet still make me... aroused? I blurted the first thing that came to mind, focusing less on the sexual tension hanging in the air. "It would take me ages to do yours. There is so much of it."

"Long hair is a symbol of power and virality, but I do not care if you wish to keep yours short."

"Hmm." I hummed in thought, putting a finger to my chin. "I kind of like my long hair. Did you know Shadrach stayed here for a bit last night?"

"Yes."

"Could François and Shadrach be...?"

I wasn't sure why I couldn't finish.

"Mates? No. François is only attracted to females, and Shadrach would rather jump into a volcano than have a human counterpart. In fact, a Sohme pair is exceptionally rare for my species, as I have said before. Is it a gift, or a curse? We do not know, but it is honored sanctimoniously."

"Interesting."

He grabbed my arm, reached into his pocket, and slid a silver bracelet around my wrist. A gleaming jewel sat in the center. It was cool against my skin in contrast to the warmth of his fingers. He smelled good today; his scent was richer. Almost like a forest back on Earth—woodsy.

I titled my wrists. "What's this?"

"To protect you from the radiation." He dug around for something else inside his pocket. "Only this might work better. Open your mouth."

"Are you going to be shoving something in there?" I rose an eyebrow.

His hand froze, and his face was suddenly wiped clean of humor. He tilted his head and shockingly, with a swift movement, booped me on the nose with the tip of his finger. "What is it that humans say? Get your mind out of the gutter, dear. At least for today. Or can you not be patient?"

My voice was small. "I enjoy being in the gutter."

"And I like it when you listen to me, especially when protecting you from radiation."

Okay, he sort of has a point. Quit messing around.

He held what appeared to be a white pill. "Consume this."

I reluctantly took the pill and popped it into my mouth. After a few seconds, it dissolved, leaving a bitter taste on my tongue. "What about you?"

"I will be fine."

We gazed into each other's eyes for a bit. Even on one knee, he towered over me in a sitting position on the bed. He was a giant, but I thought back to how yearning and raw he was last night.

A stark contrast.

"Will you be?" I asked, but I wasn't really meaning the radiation from the sun. I was asking about him in general.

He seemed to realize that. "It is you I worry about."

"There's nothing that can make me think differently of you."

"We will see."

I stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom first."

"I will gather some things while you do."

I left him, making my way to the bathroom. After doing my business, I stared into the mirror, washing my hands, wondering why my reflection looked so glum. Shouldn't I be excited? I was about to know about our creation and our reason for being.

I was finally getting to sate my brilliant mind. Dumuzi was honoring his promise of showing me things. I should be excited. Yet, my furrowed brow remained stuck in place, haunting shadows dancing in my brown eyes.

***

"It's hotter than a witch's titty out here," I growled, wiping my brow of sweat.

He gazed down at me. "Peculiar choice of words."

I shook my head, adjusting the hat atop my hair, glaring around the purple landscape that shimmered with heat under the angry sun. One of his strides was three of mine. I tried to keep up with him, even though I knew he was probably going as slow as he could.

I unscrewed the cap to my water jug and took deep gulps as I eyed the horizon.

The sky was a dusty rose today. The rocks beneath my feet crumbled like chalk. The landscape consisted of small shrubbery, strange plants that had cupped leaves adorning spikey-looking cones, and a ton of dust that coated the bottom of my pants.

Dumuzi had instructed me not to touch the plants; many of the plants dissolved protein. A touch would burn like hellfire. Your skin will melt, he had said. I brought remedies in case of this scenario, but there will still be pain for you.

I did not notice any birds, but I noticed small, pink-skinned creatures hopping from one tall shrub to the next, gliding through the thick air. They were so quick one might chalk it up to imagination. I found nothing that resembled insects when I inspected the world under my feet.

I kept my eyes peeled, questioning absolutely everything. Dumuzi sated my curiosity, giving me names I could understand, telling me if it was safe to get close enough to look. Most of it wasn't.

He had told me that his home world, Nibiru, was more friendly. They had to forge a new Nibiru after the old one was swallowed by their sun. Then, some kind of war happened, which almost annihilated their entire kind.

Something I would have to delve into more at a later time.

"Look around you. You should see notable landmarks from here. This is the highest peak."

I wiped more sweat above my lip and did as he said, struggling to see through my burning eyes. A glistening, pulsating dome sat in the distance, as if the dome itself was made of glowing storm clouds. The swirls moved at a fast pace. The dome was enormous, perhaps the size of the city I came from.

"Whoa." I blinked away the burning sweat in my eyes. "What is that?"

"What Shadrach has named New Dilmun, in lieu of us visiting humanity again. It is a sanctuary."

"A sanctuary for what?" I pressed, my eyes darting to his face. It was smooth, but his eyes were wrong.

When he spoke, his voice was deep, lapping at my awareness like gentle waves. "In Dilmun, no cry the raven utters. Nor does the bird of ill-omen foretell calamity. The lion kills not, nor does the ravening wolf snatch away the defenseless lamb. Unknown is the wild dog who tears the kid. The dove does not conceal its head. No one here says my eyes are sick. No one here says my head is sick, or I am an old woman or man."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

"The maiden walks here in innocence. No lustrations need to be poured. The somber death priest walks not here, by Dilmun's walls he has no cause for lamentations."

"The garden of Eden?" My mouth must have been hanging open. My heart raced at the connection. "That sounds... an awful lot like the Garden of Eden."

"It has been called many things. I will take you there soon." He nodded. "Another thing I promise to show and teach you. Shadrach is bringing François there today. I think he has embraced the friendship between the two of them."

"Really?"

"Yes. She amuses him."

He caught a wave of his hair in the wind, casting it over his shoulder. His hair had to be longer than my height. How did he manage it? It was always perfect unless the wind was blowing.

"From what I could tell last night, it seems he thinks the same as the rest of your kind." I paused, licking my lips. "What should I call your kind, anyway?"

"Enuki is acceptable."

"Right, right. You've told me this before. Enuki it is, then."

We kept walking. I took the heat minute by agonizing minute, feeling as though I was melting. I didn't even have to touch plants for that. His words about Dilmun echoed around in my head. I had just... too many questions about it.

When he stopped, I bumped into him. I had been watching my feet, deep in thought. "Oops. Sorry."

"It is here," he said, reaching out a hand. I took it, lacing my fingers with his. My hand looked like a child's hand compared. His tan skin was nice in contrast to my milk-white.

Before us was a circle of stones embedded in the ground. The stonework had three rings; the center being the widest. A pedestal stood out of the dirt in front of the rings. It was stone, too, but darker, as if it had withstood storms for centuries.

With a wave of his hand, the pedestal came to life, glowing a brilliant white. It flashed a few times.

"That's cool." I took a step back, flinching. "It's so bright, though. I should have brought sunglasses."

"It's harmless. Let us stand in the center."

I followed him, holding onto his hand, until we stood in the center circle. The ground shook and rumbled underneath my feet, dust flying around the edges of the ancient device.

I clutched into his arm, my heart pounding, as we dropped until the ground was above our heads. I knew that in one way, at least I was physically getting closer to the truth, but my insides twisted.

Do I really want to know why we were created?