Falsum Caelum

Chapter I

The chiming of bells echoes throughout Haven; Father Uriel will be making his appearance. He always takes a walk around the city every Friday, walking the same path, and asking us all, his children, the same question, "Are you happy, my child?" I think it's strange that he asks us that every time. Of course, we're happy; why wouldn't we be? We spend our days doing whatever we want, and everybody gets along. Although, I never really feel honest when I tell him I'm happy. I'm actually very annoyed; no one wants to answer my questions. I have questions about every aspect of Haven, from how the city functions, to what lies beyond the walls, to the cheerful ignorance of our society, to even Father Uriel himself. I ask these questions, hoping to get a shred of an answer from my family, but to no avail. No one else thinks the way I do. I feel distanced from the society that surrounds me. I am ostracized; people whisper about me. I've overheard them before, and I still hear them now. They are as annoyed with me as much as they are fearful, irritated at my constant questioning, and afraid of my curiosity. They all fear the unknown but refuse to understand it. If you know what is unknown, you have no reason to fear it anymore, yet nobody in Haven shares that same philosophy.

But I digress. Of course, I am happy. I am safe. I am cared for. Even if my siblings shy away from me, they are still kind and helpful. My father is gentle and forgiving. I have no reason to be discontent. I still cannot shake the feeling that something from my life is missing, something bigger than the little bubble we live in. Maybe something that is kept from our knowledge on purpose.

I become so lost in thought that I accidentally bump into someone, causing me to fall backward.

"Be careful where you tread, my child."

I look up to see Father Uriel's kind face, his hand outstretched to help me. His calm demeanor washes over me, making me feel warm and fuzzy. He is a beautiful man, the most beautiful man in the world. His black hair is long and glossy; it cascades over his shoulders like a waterfall. His eyes look like creamy, shiny pearls fixed onto his face. His lips are soft and produce the most gentle smile one has ever beheld. Sometimes I wonder if he is an angel sent by God to protect Haven. It is not unreasonable to assume so. He is perfect.

"I'm sorry, father." I take his hand, and he helps me to my feet.

"What could distract you so much as to hinder your ability to walk? Are you not happy?"

"Of course, I am happy, Father."

"Wonderful."

He pats my head with a smile and continues on his way. I still feel like I lied to him. I am happy, but I can't help but feel like something is missing from my life. I need to know what's beyond Haven. This can't be all there is, can it? I shake my head and continue on my daily walk. My path goes from the promenade dorms, across the front of the palace, and down the alleys into the South Side where Gate is. Gate and South Side are my favorite parts of Haven. Soldiers mainly populate South Side, so people avoid going there. I like going there because more exciting things tend to happen. Stray animals live there, so I'll occasionally see a fight between them which is always entertaining. The soldiers themselves are interesting as well. They are not like my brothers and sisters in the rest of Haven; they are crude, never leave South Side, and are the only people allowed to travel beyond Gate. However, they share one thing in common with my brothers and sisters that I can't stand; they refuse to answer any of my questions. I want nothing more than to see what lies beyond Haven, to travel into the world.

"Jophiel? What the hell are you doing back here?" I walk up to a soldier who I've seen a few times before. He's tall, with messy hair and tired eyes. This guy, in particular, has driven me away from Gate and even out of South Side entirely on multiple occasions. As a custom, we cannot know the soldiers' names, so we all call them "sir." Women are forbidden from becoming soldiers; I'm not too happy about that; I want to be a soldier.

"What do you think I'm here for, sir? I'm always here for the same thing; exploration."

"Get out of here, Jophiel. You know no one's supposed to go near Gate."

"I promise to go nowhere near Gate this time!"

"Fine," he says, with a long, annoyed sigh, "but be out of South Side before Sunset."

"Yes, sir!"

Success. I bound happily into South Side on the hunt for oddities. A shiny metal object catches my eye from one of the discard bins. Upon closer inspection, I find a knife! A shiny gleaming knife with a black handle. I quickly stuff it into the pocket of my dress. Weapons are forbidden in Haven, so having an item like this is incredible! I don't plan on using it; it's just another treasure in my collection. I've found lots of forbidden stuff in South Side; shiny clear bottles that look like crystals, some small pieces of metal in weird cylindrical cone shapes, and a few animal skulls. I keep all of my findings in a secret compartment inside my dresser so my bunkmates can't find them.

The soldiers may consider these things junk, but they are outlawed for a reason. They are treasures from the outside world. I spend the next few hours in South Side and decide to leave after seeing two cats coupling. On my way out, I stand in front of Gate at a respectable distance, feeling a draft seep through, blowing back my hair. Gate is impenetrable. The walls surrounding it are too thick. No one can escape unless Gate miraculously opens somehow. Although everyone is safe, I can't help but feel like a prisoner here. The soldiers keep us away from Gate, people are taught to fear what lies beyond Haven, and Father Uriel always makes sure we're happy and content.

Sometimes I feel like everyone around me is an i***t. They don't know they're trapped here. But I digress. Maybe I'm being a bit over-dramatic. I could be in the wrong here. Besides, Father Uriel must have a very good reason to protect us all. We really do live in paradise. I smile, thinking of the warm nights spent dancing and feasting with friends and head back to the promenade. Haven always looks so pretty at dusk. The purple haze of the sky contrasts beautifully with the city's golden glow. All of my brothers and sisters look like angels in the night in their white clothing. My own dress has become dusty from running around in South Side all day. I go back to my dorm to hide the knife and change my dress to go party.

Parties are another one of the few interesting aspects of Haven. I wouldn't say I like talking to anyone; I like to observe the pettiness of fights and the foolishness of the drunken dancing. I change into one of my clean white dresses and walk to the pavilion. There's already loud music and singing by the time I arrive. People are dancing in circles. Girls are throwing drinks at each other. Men are flirting with the women. Usually, behavior like this is inappropriate, but people tend to party hard on Friday nights. I plop myself down on a comfy lounge chair, piece of cake in hand, and silently watch the chaos that surrounds me. Two men have a drunken fight over a woman, causing them to fall onto a table. People topple over each other from a combination of drinking and dancing in circles. It's utter chaos, and I love it so much. Everyone is so stupid.

"Hey, what are you doing sitting there all alone!"

Oh, for goodness' sake- a drunk guy. I should have picked a spot further away from the crowds.

"You... You're Jophiel, eh? The girl who always asks way too many questions... right?"

He slurs his words disgustingly. Judging by his teetering, he must've drunk quite a bit. Maybe four drinks? Five?

"Yeah. I'm Jophiel."

"You know, for being so weird, you're kind of cute," he slurs, placing his foot on the edge of my lounge chair, "you wanna go dance?"

"Sorry. You're asking the wrong girl. I believe the skanks are over there," I say, pointing at a group of young drunken girls, "Why not ask them instead? They probably are more willing to shake their ass for you."

I hate being asked to dance; it's so humiliating. I don't try to present myself as a woman who enjoys sleeping around and hooking up with any cute man who comes along. I despise that. But watching the men and women fight over each other- something about seeing my siblings act out of character like this puts a smile on my face. The drunk man walks off to talk to the gaggle of girls. Thank God. Everything is peaceful now. I eat my cake contently, watching the fools dance around me like my personal jesters. I love my siblings, I do, but they are clowns. Ignorant clowns. They do not want to understand anything-

"OPEN THE GATE."

My train of thought has been interrupted by the piercing scream coming through the loudspeakers. Something happened, and now Gate is opening. I never thought I would be alive to see the day, but it's finally here. The outside world is in reach. Everyone who was formerly dancing is now running away to their homes in a fear-filled panic. I run back home too, not to hide, but to gather my things. I take my backpack, filled with emergency supplies, and make a beeline to South Side. What I see when I arrive is disturbing. Soldiers are running out of Gate in organized formations. I wait in the shadows of the alley until the last of the soldiers exit. As soon as the last formation leaves, Gate starts to close. I start running towards the doors as fast as my legs can carry me, but I don't know if I can make it in time. I want this. I have to make it. This is my only chance at freedom. I make a running jump towards the doors, seeing out into the open world; oh what a sight it is to behold! I can only see a glimpse of the terrain muted by the darkness of the night. I made it. I'm free!

A hand catches the back of my dress, jerking me back from Gate as it shuts in my face.

"My Child..."

Those words terrify me. Never before have I felt so unnerved, so horrified by the person in my presence.

"Are you unhappy here?"

I turn to face Father Uriel, his face full of disdain and disbelief. He doesn't look angry; he looks disappointed and sad; I have never seen him this way before. His once warm, fatherly demeanor has vanished. I feel as if the wrath of God is upon me.

"N-No, father..." is all I can manage to say. I try to explain, but my words fail me. I am at the mercy of Uriel now.

"I am... So disappointed in you, Jophiel. Do you not appreciate everything that I have done for you? Everything I have sacrificed for you?"

I start trembling in fear. Cold tears start trickling down my face. I can't move.

Father Uriel strokes a tear from my eye. "Come with me, child. I will punish you properly."

He takes my hand, leading me into the darkness. My eyes start getting heavy, and it becomes hard to walk, and just as I fall to the ground, everything goes black.