In The Beginning

She had no idea how she had come to be in this place. The last thing she remembered was setting the controls to take her back to the time just before first historical record of The Black Plague. Everything was worked out; she was to go back there, vaccinate as many people as she could via the new airborne vaccine medical science had discovered. In so doing, they anticipated at least half of those who had died from the plague would now survive thus leading to the birth of how many people who might have the answers they needed now to help the human race survive this latest plague. It was their last hope as even the most genius of the genius were getting nowhere back in her own time.

This though... this wasn't England. At least not any version of England she had ever studied. She had been stuck here for eight days now. Her food had run out over twenty fours hours before and she was starting to feel afraid; very afraid.

Where were the people? She had traveled at least a ten mile radius over the past days and hadn't seen a soul. All she could see was never ending vegetation, a series of sparkling streams which while beautiful and helpful in keeping thirst at bay, never seemed to lead to any larger recognizable body of water. All of it seemed to be surrounding one large tree. Her remote didn't seem to be working. She had signaled to be taken back at least once an hour but nothing had happened. She was stuck here... wherever here was.

Up ahead she heard a rustling emanating from the forested area. She ran towards it, not worrying that it may be a wild animal or even a possible enemy. All the animals seemed strangely tame and showed no fear of her presence and at this point even someone intent on harm would be better than nothing. She was convinced she could defend herself.

Before she got very far into the forest, a large man burst out and ran towards her. He was completely nude and while looking much the same as any other man did, the look on his face; part anger, part relief and partly a deep desperate longing, frightened her enough to cause her to start running back the way she had come, all her bravado gone.

He caught her easily. He carried her back to a small lean-to made of mud and branches as she struggled to get away. The only thing her struggling succeeded in doing was tearing her clothing and leaving her name plate in the forest behind her, it's shiny silver surface glinting in the sun that broke through the trees.

Once they entered the lean-to, he blocked the entrance and began to talk to her in a language she couldn't comprehend. The words were strange but the hand gestures and body language made his meanings quite clear. She was his now... she had been given to him as a gift. As he smiled gently and came towards her she understood one word he said as the one that must be his name and she began to scream.

At the edge of the forest, a Hyena cackled as it nosed a shiny silver nameplate that simply said "Eve".