Before the Fall

                                                    Before the Fall
                                         A Garden of Paradise Prequel

   In ages past Man lived in a lush paradise world. He was on the verge of great revelation and many nations worked together, ever striving towards enlightenment. The world had been dying, but great advancements in technology allowed Man to repair the harm he had done to his home. Then one day a final test would come from the heavens. Man in his quest for knowledge had ever looked at the stars and one day saw terrors, great wrath, come to pass judgment. The fist of God was preparing to smash down upon him. From somewhere dark and cold it came, and the nations of Man in their newfound utopia banded together, in hopes of proving themselves worthy, and just. In a great council Man decided he would use all his might, the very “fire of God”, every last weapon, to drive off the hand that came to swat him from existence.

   As an appeal to God met with Man’s doom, the fist smashed upon wave after wave of holy fire and God chose Mercy for Man, and Man was grateful.  As the world struck out against fate, one nation, letting the old ways of greed and selfdom creep back inward, let loose what weapons they had held back, seeking to destroy a fellow people.
It seemed that they would destroy their old rival and become rulers, no more just a part of the whole. Alas, Man, never fully let go of his distrust and the nation that was doomed had also held back its own weapons, and they fought back. As the very same weapons that saved them began to rain down over the world, God saw he had not judged rightly. He then sent fragments of his wrath upon the earth, causing yet more destruction, and sealing Man’s fate. As Man was cast out of Paradise, God set yet more of his wrath in the firmament, as a reminder to man. A fiery serpent was set to guard the way, ready to once again rain down God’s fury at whim.

    Yet God was Merciful, and planted the seeds for Man to grow strong again and redeem himself with the very hand He used to smite the world. Man was left to toil upon the land and for a time there would be great suffering and much knowledge was lost and he was few.  In time he would go forth and multiply and would grow and nurture those seeds of God. Man would, one way or another, once again step foot into the Garden of Paradise.