Illusive Eden - He Pretends He's the Hero

Lanterns in the hold of the hands, blurry seeing through the route of rock-strewn, secret tunnel, the people once in the shelter, underground the country church trail their way to the cave in the shrouded turf of the woods.

Neva walks alongside the ladies, accompanied by thumping strides—beside her saunters along Anna and Mrs. Barlowe.

Her crestfallen eyes mirrors the melancholy in the chest. The blues in the appearance of the country people, resonates in their hushed, dejected sighs and heavy toiling strides.

The hour around four in the morning, the heat of the tunnel was burning Neva. She has her hair tied in a messy bun, damp, free hairs strands falling down the side of her face and her nape.

The tunnel was bordered on the underground shelter. The explosions pummeling upon the church were intense, before the assailants could have collapsed the four-storey shelter with the people, they marshalled out unscarred.

Rhett approached Neva, before she gave on to the tunnel. She had to lead prior without him, but he was behind with the men, following along the path.

During the short while in the company of him, he briefed her about the abrupt violence besieged on the church, forcing their aim to kill the people in the shelter. And there, Neva apprised him concerning the hidden treasure grandma Gracie told her about.

It's contradictory, no one else seemed to be informed regarding the treasure. Did only Gracie had the familiarity about it, or was the old woman bluffing?

However, it made sense for the troop of gangsters to target the countrychurch. Perhaps it was a secret, preserved between the chosen. There was a traitor, but the person should not be amongst them at the moment.

The gang strolling around the church were rubbed out by Rhett. Few hours later, the church had been mercilessly bombed down upon. The thugs were later, precised concerning the people in the shelter. Thereafter, they aimed to send the country folks into damnation.

The church would be battered by now. Do they know about the cave in the woods ushered through the tunnel? If they are, the obscured cavern wouldn't be a secure space anymore.

Around two hundred people, elders, children, men and woman, more with the babies channeled to the cavern in the woods. They were exhausted, sweat dripping off their bodies, the tunnel was awfully, sizzling hot.

They reckoned it to be a great long voyage. An endless walk with cramped up people, rushing to be out in the safe.

Nevertheless, there's always a light at the spire of the dark tunnel. At the end, they had made it to the gravelly cave.

The sun drifting up, the day arises. The cavern deep, large and dark. The people seats themselves down with a thump, heavy breaths, soaked clothes, exhausted sighs out the parched lips.

Neva endeavours to peek outside the cavern, holding her bearing down baby bump. The sky deep blue, faint orange hues surging in the clouds. It was soon to be twilight. The inky green of the woods, fortifying her weary soul. A caress on her wrist draws away her consciousness from the enchanting woods.

"It's dangerous by the opening." Rhett says, as she glances at the hold on her wrist and the face of her husband.

He takes her further inside, laying out the towel in the bag, which they had used to dry off the moisture after the swimming, he has her rest on the ground.

"Water?" He asks, Neva nods in reply, adjusting her burdensome form to sit with her stretched legs. He hands her the bottle of water. "Thank you," Neva grasps it and drinks big gulps of water. She was severely dehydrated. Rhett sits down beside her, his eyes glued to a greedy for a drink Neva.

She gasps out a sigh of succour. She glances at him, offering the bottle in her hand. He gladly accepts it, swilling down water with the bottle held in the air, his adam's apple going up and down, cooling down his form.

Neva tears her eyes away from him, her cheeks heated and scarlet. She looks around, Mrs. Barlowe and her family had reunited altogether. Anna and her father sat with them. Mr. Lonan being Mr. Barlowe's cousin brother.

Neva huffs out aloud, shifting on her seat. Rhett looks at her, "What's wrong?" Neva huffs again, "I'm terribly uncomfortable!" She sighs, threading eyes with him.

He smiles softly, "The ground is hard, it'll be alright, we'll be home soon." Neva shakes her head in response, "It's my belly, it's so... uncomfortable. The ground's wet and hard, but I can endure it." Neva says, mumbling the closing of words.

His eyes mellow, he's emphatetic of her condition. It's unfortunate he can't do anything to ease her discomfort. "Come here," he says, tapping on his lap. Neva's eyes widens, she shakes her head, "No, there's a lot of people here!" She exclaims in a hushed tone.

"There's nothing to worry," he returns, grabbing hold of her waist.

"No!" Neva presses him away, peeling off his hands. Rhett sighs, he can never win a squabble with his wife.

Neva roams her gaze around, searching for something. "There's the old lady." Says Rhett, aware she's looking for Mrs. Adams.

Neva glances at him, following his gaze on grandma Gracie. She was wrapped up in a white sheet. She lay on the ground, without a breath, without a heartbeat, in the abscence of a soul.

"She was sweet and kind." Neva says, leisurely placing her head down on his shoulder. Rhett glimpses down at her, bubbling up an urge to kiss her.

He softly kisses her head. Encircling his arms around her.

She looks up at him with her tender and sleepy eyes, garnering a smooth, gentle peck on her lips from him. She smiles airily at him, as he mirrors the parallel, delicate curve up of the lips.

She puts her head on his shoulder again, veiling her eyes, hoping to steal a quick nap, heart warm and comforted with him close to her. He soothingly tightens his arms around her, pulling her closer.

The weather fresh and cool, chilly breeze swirls inside the unfurled cave. Black clouds gathering up, storm and lightning rallying in the gloomy sky. Droplets of shower dribbles on the cave, and the moist trees and bushes in the woods.

Jayden shortly afar, ganders his somber orbs on the affectionate couple, a tug of chain in his heart, gradually burrowing his heart.