Seven Days with Hilel

When I opened my eyes, I saw a vast purple sky.

My entire body felt numb, so I laid on the soft grass for a short while, staring blankly at the vivid hue.

'Beautiful,' I thought.

Still, I found it too unnatural and strange despite marveling at its beauty. The clouds and heavens weren't normally painted in such a unique combination of lavender colours.

Dazed and confused, I began to wonder what this beautiful panorama was, and as I searched through my memories, I slowly began to realize that there was nothing I could remember at all.

"Who... who am I?" My words were but a mere whisper, but in the silence, it echoed clearly like a drop of water on a calm lake.

Wearily, I got up and looked around my surroundings.

Everything was dyed in different shades of red and violet— the grass, the trees, the sky and even the soil.

I had no recollection of anything that happened before I opened my eyes, as if all my memories had been wiped out, leaving me nothing but an empty feeling. My body felt so weak and feeble as if I had just recently recovered from a high fever.

Puzzled, I looked at my hands and my body before slowly, tracing my face with my trembling fingertips. I racked my brain for answers as to who I was and what I had done before coming here, but there was none.

At a loss, I looked around the vast space again and, finally, I noticed a tree with green foliage and brown-coloured branches and trunk. It stood out amongst the rest, like a smudge of black ink in a white canvas. It was the only thing which had a speck of normalcy to me.

Without thinking, my feet began walking weakly towards the tree as though drawn to it.

As I got closer, I realized how large the tree was, having lots of branches and fruits of different colours. Despite the tree being so tall, one could easily reach its fruits from my height.

Reaching out a hand, I tried to touch a red fruit from one of the lower branches. I was thirsty and, since the fruit looked so delectable and juicy, I was tempted to take a bite.

"He said not to eat of this tree," a voice suddenly spoke, causing me to jump in surprise.

My eyes searched hastily for the source of the voice until I found a figure lying on one of the tree's branches near the very top, her arms crossed behind her head in a relaxed fashion. One of her legs was dangling on one side while the other was outstreched. She was still too far away for me to see her face clearly, but I could make out her side profile and large physique from where I stood.

"Who are you?"

"If you manage to come up to where I am, I shall answer your question," the person spoke in a lackluster voice, not even sparing me a glance.

"Isn't it dangerous?" I eyed the huge branches and tall trunk warily.

Still, without turning her gaze to look at me, she said, "That's too bad..."

My entire body still felt weak and I knew nothing of this place or of who I was. The only living thing I've seen so far was this person resting on a gigantic tree.

I sat down for a moment to think of what to do, resting my weak legs on the soft ground. Looking around the vast open field that seemed to strength beyond the horizon, I thought that if I could walk that distance in search of other people, I might as well climb the tree to reach the person I could see.

Standing up, I made a calculative estimate as to which path I could take to climb up safely and as to how long I would be able to hold on before my body gives out.

'Slowly, but surely,' I thought to myself before starting to climb.

It took me one good hour before I made it to the branch next to the person who had been casually lounging all this time. By that time, my knees and arms had given up, causing me to flop down the branch in exhaustion.

Lying on my stomach, I tried to catch my breath while hugging the sturdy branch between my breasts. We were so high up that if one were to accidentally fall from here, that person would instantly die. I wondered why anyone would want to sleep from this height.

The woman was still napping on the same branch, her head situated a little higher next to me, so she couldn't see that I had already come up. One of her legs was swaying languidly on one side whilst the wind swept the long golden hair draped over her arms and shoulders.

"E-excuse me..." I spoke weakly. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you—"

The moment I spoke, her leg stopped swinging and her body visibly stiffened. Noticing her reaction, I paused as well.

The moment the woman sat up and turned to me, her eyes instantly narrowed. Strangely, she wasn't looking straight into my eyes. Rather, she was looking at my clothes?

"You've come," she said with an undertone of anger and surprise, causing me to freeze in place.

The voice that I had heard from far away earlier, was now closer to me and the masculine reverberation in his voice was as clear as daylight.

Now that I took a good look at the stranger, I realized then that he was a man with long hair. Avoiding his gaze, I felt a bit embarrassed with my own assumptions.

"Well, it's considerably brighter than the others..." I heard him mutter to himself, causing me to look at him in puzzlement. His eyes were still lingering elsewhere other than my eyes.

"W-what is brighter?" I asked nervously, as I looked at my own clothes. They were decent but were lined with specks of dust and it caught a few leaves while I was trying to climb.

I heard him scoff before saying, "Need I deign to give an answer? You're the first peasant to act so presumptuous among the others."

"The others? There are other people here?"

The stranger appeared as though he were suddenly struck, frowning as he met my hopeful gaze.

As if he had relinquished, his brows unfurled and he clicked his tongue before crossing his long arms over his chest.

"I am not in the habit of repeating myself. So cease pestering me with such questions." He sounded obstinate and unimpressed.

I was afraid I had offended him in some manner but I was completely at a loss. "I'm sorry... but I am a bit curious if there are other people here. I don't know where this place is. I also can't remember anything about myself. Even my name, I had forgotten..."

There was a deafening long period of silence before he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Is there anything on you?" he asked without looking at me. "Any object you're carrying which could help you jog your memory."

I tried searching for anything I could have on me, just as he said. But there was nothing I could find. "I don't think so? I have nothing."

The man faced me again, eyeing me with a strange look. "This is certainly a first. Are you certain that there is nothing?"

I swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. "Yes."

With his sharp gaze narrowed, his eyes slowly trailed down my body as if inspecting every inch of it. "Strange," he said, before uncrossing his arms and crawling towards me.

Without warning, he pushed me by the shoulders and pinned me down. I felt as though my heart would jump out of my ribcage when the branch began to sway with the sudden violent movement.

"W-wait. What are you doing?" The way he pinned me down made me feel like I was a bound cattle that's about to be slaughtered by its owner. The gesture felt too oppressive.

"Silence! I'm endeavouring to look for it. Be thankful."

"Look for w—" I was cut off when he grabbed one of my ankles and began inspecting my foot.

"You are even traipsing about barefoot." He frowned. Moving on, he grabbed the hem of my dress and to my shock, "Hmm... Nothing here as well."

I lay frozen in my spot upon witnessing this. I couldn't even scream from the shock. His hands slowly felt up my bodice and waist along with the embarrassment that slowly crept up my flushed face.

After all that, he made me sit up and shook me like a rag doll.

'Is this harassment?' I thought dazedly. But despite what he's doing being extremely inappropriate, he appeared to be searching in all seriousness. I couldn't even get angry nor push him away.

He hummed to himself. "I suppose... there is indeed nothing... But if you somehow find the object that I'm referring to, hand it over to me the soonest possible."

Although his words were phrased like a request, his tone made it sound like an imperative order. I reluctantly gave him a small nod in return.

As if losing interest on the subject, he suddenly changed the topic and grabbed a fruit hanging closest to us. "You must be hungry. Come on. Eat some fruit."

"You... said not to eat of it."

"No, I said, He forbid to eat from it." He smiled mischievously with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Who?"

"A random maker." After spouting an answer, he slowly took a large bite from the fruit.

The image of him savoring such a delectable fruit with his luscious lips was a feast for the eyes. My lips suddenly felt dry, and because of my attempt to climb up this gigantic tree with a weakened body, I felt more thirsty than before.

I gulped unconsciously as I watched him take a slow bite with his eyes closed. His long and lustrous golden hair and fair skin glowed picturesquely amidst the backdrop of green leaves and shades of purple lighting.

With slow, fluttering eyelashes, he told me with a mischievous smile. "If you want, you can take a bite from mine."

The scent emitting from the fruit was a mouthwatering one, but I didn't feel like eating it. No, it wasn't just a feeling; rather, I was afraid to even take a single bite. The moment the stranger told me that He, whoever He was, had forbidden it, it was as if every fibre of my being knew that I was indeed forbidden to eat from the tree. "I... would prefer to abstain."

For the second time, the stranger showed me a suprised and somewhat belligerent look. It was so unnerving to be stared at by a person you've just met with such a look of hostility.

"If this tree has an owner and has forbidden people from taking from it, wouldn't that be stealing?" I tried to explain in my nervousness. However, after realizing that I had just inadvertently accused him of theft, I carefully looked at his reaction.

Contrary to my expectation, the stranger laughed sardonically. "This is the first time in a very long while that I've felt so insulted." His tone was carefree. He appeared more amused rather than indignant. "It's a refreshing feeling..."

"But... why did you... stop me before?" I asked in between suppressed yawns, suddenly feeling sleepy.

"I did not stop you. I just told you what is forbidden so that YOU are aware," he interposed. "If you are not aware that it is forbidden then, you would not be guilty of sin, and punishing you would have been unjust. But if you are aware... Well, you must already know the gist of it."

"... I think I understand."

I was feeling tired and my eyes were starting to droop from exhaustion. But I was afraid that if I closed my eyes, the man in front of me would disappear and there would be no one left to answer my questions. "I think I'm lost..." I told him, blinking back the tiredness. "Where is this place?"

As I was trying to sit up, my vision of the man tilted to one side and my entire body collapsed. As I slipped out of consciousness, I felt myself falling and my body lightened by gravity, until something warm caught me in its embrace. The last thing I remember was hearing a few curse words and a warm feeling enveloping me.

After some time passed—I knew not how long—I awoke to a pair of eyes glowering at me in fury, they shone like precious gold.

"You," he called me the moment I opened my eyes.

"Y-yes?" I muttered, slightly disoriented.

"What were you thinking climbing up that tree with such a fragile body?"

'But you told me to,' I thought, but I stopped myself from saying it out loud. If I told him such a simple answer, it would probably make him feel guilty and it would seem as though I was blaming him.

"I... just thought that if you were inconvenienced from getting down from that branch, I would have to get to you myself. I'm the one asking for a favor after all."

"..." His gaze instantly became sharp and condescending. "Rest! Don't bother me if you want to plunge yourself to death, woman."

"I'm fine now. I feel well-rested," I told him truthfully whilst trying to stand up. The exhaustion I had felt earlier was now gone, and I felt refreshed. "How long have I been asleep?"

Instead of answering, he started walking away which made me almost cry out. I stood rooted to my spot, watching him march with angry steps.

'What do I do?'

I haven't got the answers I needed. Selfishly, I wanted to stay with him for a little while for a bit comfort from this strange place. But what right do I have to impose myself upon him? I've already incurred his wrath and would only further cause him trouble.

I felt cold standing there as he went further and further away.

But not a moment later, my heart almost leaped in joy when he turned with his eyes blazing in fury, saying, "Hasten yourself and follow me."