Vespers (Fields of the Nephilim: Interlude)

Chapter 2

The chamber where I woke up to was much bigger than the first one where I was originally kept. It was made with the same brick stone which made me think that I was in the same place I was before. It was warmer though. There were numerous torches lighted on each corner yet the place was remarkably dim. It made me think that the room is really quite vast. I looked up and all I saw was darkness. I don’t see any ceiling of some sort. I tried to listen as well but all I could hear was the soft crackling of the fire from the torches and my own breathing…and other breathings. I wasn’t alone!

Then I saw a girl across me. She was propped in a corner just across me. Her eyes were staring straight into mine; a startling mix of blue and amethyst. I could see it clearly despite the dimness of the room, must be my angel-blood. Her androgynous feature was so soft and yet so cold that I could almost freeze from the look of her eyes. Icy, but I know she wasn’t there. Those eyes were vacant.

“She will not talk to you either. We tried but we all failed” someone spoke from behind me that I almost jump or scream out of fear. I spun around to see four more companions in that chamber. The one who spoke is a brown eyed boy with dark brown hair in stubborn curls. If we were truly mortal, I’d say he was about my age which was around thirteen. He smiled and there were crinkles formed at the side of his eyes. The other two crawled nearer to where I was sitting and I was able to get a closer look at them as well. The second one is another girl, I wasn’t so sure at all but I believe we all had this thing called instinct towards our own kind. She was around eleven years of mortal age with pretty strawberry hair and dimpled cheeks.

“Glad you woke up. What is your name?” this second one asked as she sat beside me with her back leaning on the wall. The angel across me kept on staring blankly..

“Hey, you with us? I said my name is Lotuz and this is Cerise. What is your name? Don’t you have one?” Lotuz with his doe-eyed stare tugged at my arm as if to wake me up from a dream. I looked at him distractedly. He’s right, I don’t have one but that is impossible. I could’ve forgotten it. Lotuz seem to understand my thoughts or it could’ve shown in the expression on my face. He just smiled knowingly.

“Don’t worry, it really happens within the first few days or weeks but you’ll soon remember at least something from the past if not your name. Well we can give you a new name, can’t we? Or perhaps once we go outside someone will recognize you and call you by your rightful name…“ Cerise said, her eyes darting from me then back to two more companions in the dark. With these words, the auburn haired beauty with deep blue eyes that reflects rage and obvious hostility stood up as if to strike Cerise.

“They’re going to kill us all here!” she snapped out with gritted teeth. Her eyes seem to be afire with hate and fear. Lotuz stood up as well to calm her and lead her back to where she was sitting.

“Shayne, that is enough! Don’t you see we don’t need to speak about fear here? It’s the least that we need now!” the light from the torch seem to dance across the eyes of Lotuz as he kept his gaze locked unto Shayne’s.

“But Lotuz, I’ve seen them do it! I saw how the others died. We saw it! Mina did as well and now look at her!” Shayne pointed towards the girl across me who still sat silently, almost crouched on the floor hugging her knees. Mina….

It was then I saw the traces of blood splattered on her left wing, and some on her filthy rag of dress. A surge of alarm suddenly went through me. Is she hurt? But she just kept on staring at me like some mute child. I could hear Shayne’s broken sobs and Lotuz trying to console her. I tried to console myself as well, keeps repeating to myself that everything will be fine, while I try to wash away the image of Kahel and the taste of his sputtered blood on my lips.