Falsum Caelum

Chapter III

I open my eyes, welcomed by the sight of a small, warm room. There's a heavy blanket on top of me and a warm, inviting fire lit right across from the bed I'm in. I rub my eyes then sit up to take in my surroundings. The room is oddly furnished; there are no mirrors or bookshelves, and there's not even a stand next to the bed for a lamp. Instead, there's only a bed, a very fluffy rug made of a material I've never seen before, and the fireplace. Where exactly is this? Oh, that's right. That strange man saved me. But where is he?

I look around to see if he's standing somewhere in the shadows of the room, but he's nowhere in sight. Peeling the bedspread off of myself, I examine my legs. They're wrapped in bandages in some places and still very bruised, but they feel a lot better. Scratching at the back of my head in confusion as to how my legs healed so fast, my fingers brush up against something... gross. It feels like a large scab on the back of my head. I didn't hit my head that badly, did I? Well, I'm not in pain anymore, so there's no sense in worrying over it. Standing up, my bare feet come into contact with the fluffy rug on the floor. It's so incredibly soft, like what I imagine walking on a cloud feels like. Taking my first few steps forward, I end up buckling backward and gripping onto the bed for support.

Pulling myself back onto the bed, I notice something on the floor that must've fallen when I pulled the covers off of myself. It looks like a folded piece of clothing. I pick it up, and upon further examination, it looks like a dress of some kind. My current dress is bloody and torn up and too thin for the cold, harsh environment outside this room. I remove my tattered gown and pull on the new, thick one. It's black, has deep pockets, and is very soft despite being so heavy. I like this a lot. The sleeves are really big too. Who would give me something so nice? It couldn't have been the man. I felt such hate and anger coming from him that it's hard to believe he'd gift anyone something this nice. I ponder this question for a while, trying to think of anyone who would go out of their way to shelter, bathe, and clothe me, when the door swings open and a woman older than I've ever seen walks through the door.

"Oh ho! Did I startle you?"

She approaches me cautiously like the man did when he found me, but this woman looks more friendly and loving without an ounce of hate coming from her demeanor.

"No, miss, I was just thinking about something. Who are you?"

She walks over to me.

"My name is Lana, dear. And you must be Jophiel."

Her hundreds of wrinkles curl upwards into an inviting smile.

"How did you know my name?"

"Oh ho ho!" she laughs, "Abbadon told me that he found you. I took you into my care about... hmm what was it? Two weeks ago, I believe. You've been asleep for the entire time."

Two weeks? How on earth did I sleep for that long? And why would this complete stranger take me in? This woman is nice, but something about her kindness is untrustworthy. She takes my old clothes and balls them up in her arms,

"These could use some work... I'll fix them up nicely for you. Are you hungry? I made some breakfast but it's probably gone cold by now.. Oh dear.. "

"Yes. Thank you ma'am."

I follow her out to the dining room where a pot of... something... is on the table. It looks like a kind of mash made of grains. It smells really sweet though. I sit down to eat and take my first bite. It's actually really good, but the texture feels like chunky vomit.

"Um, ma'am? Where exactly are we?"

"Oh, this is a working village in the Eastern Province."

"Where can I get to Haven?"

She looks at me with wide eyes, and her wrinkles twist into a confused frown.

"Why on earth would you want to go back there?"

"Because it's my home."

She shakes her head in disbelief and sadness.

"Dear... You cannot go back. You were aborted from your city."

"Aborted?"

"Yes. I've seen it before when I was just a young thing like yourself. They send the bodies of the elderly down chutes outside the walls of the city to decompose. It was quite a shock to see..."

"What? Why would they do that? They say that the elderly pass on to Heaven, so why would they send them down the chute?"

"Dear, that place does not send people to Heaven. I know it may come to a shock to you, since you have lived there all your life, but the people here hate that place with all their might."

"What?! Why?!"

I don't know what to say. Sure, I wasn't the happiest in Haven, but I never hated the place. What on earth would make someone hate a place so peaceful and loving towards its citizens? Lana sighs mournfully,

"Dearie, I have been alive for a very long time. The horrors I've seen have been burned into my memory since I was your age... No... Maybe a bit younger.. But I digress. That place you call your home has committed some of the most heinous atrocities against the people outside of its walls, but now that you're here, I see that they have started going after their own."

"What are you saying? I've never heard anything about Haven being responsible for any crimes!"

Lana leans back in her chair and rests her chin in her hand and stares at the floor, as if debating whether or not to elaborate on her claims. Finally, she looks back at me and places her hands on the table,

"Do you remember how you ended up outside of Haven?"

"Yes. I do now. It was a little hazy, but I remember Father Uriel saying he was going to punish me but.. I ended up..."

My voice trails off as I realize what exactly Father meant by punishing me. I see the bit of hypocrisy that came from defending him. Lana's voice cuts through my thoughts,

"My memory isn't what it used to be... But I will explain the crimes of Haven to the best of my ability."

And so Lana began her story.