Fallen From Grace | ✔

Chapter Fifteen - "The Truth Is A Terrible Thing"

               No-one said anything to stop her.  Half glared, the others... well, I couldn't tell what they were thinking.

               “I'll tell her.  You don't know her.”  Balt said, interrupting everyone's stares.  This time, the attention was turned on him.  I raised my eyebrows at him – he knew and he didn't tell me?  I felt a little offended and upset.

               “Why, so you can spew lies into her?”  Caroline hissed.  From what I thought would be a simple question seemed to be turning into a full-blown argument.  “No way.  We'll do it.”

               “Yeah, and then you'll brainwash her.”  Balt retorted back.

               "And you won't?  You're only here until she gets her wings back.  How do we know you won't just force her, so you can leave?  Or even give her over to Dimtri?  Huh?"  Gustav interrupted.

               "Gustav, are you worried I'm going to take your experiment away?"  Balt asked, his voice was laced with venom.

               Everyone then started to argue, insults were thrown and I found myself slumping on a large wood box.  I could only catch snippets of what seemed to be the truth, but I wasn't sure.  All I could hear were accusations and insults.

               All I wanted was the truth, and it seemed like I wasn't going to get it.  The only person who wasn't arguing was Saria but her face was set into a deep scowl, aimed right at me.  It seemed to be getting deeper as every degrading word was shouted.  On a scale of one-to-ten on how frightened I was of Saria, it would be a hundred.  She seemed to be mentally giving me a death wish and I was scared.  She seemed like the person who would murder and not feel guilty.  Actually, I was sure she would murder and not feel guilty.

               It took only a few mere seconds before Saria exploded.

               “Everyone shut up!”  She screeched.  Her face showed that she was furious.  The room descended into silence, and it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.  “You are arguing over a pathetic and weak angel!  What is wrong with you all!?”  Angel?  Angel?  She wasn't talking about me, was she?  “Immi,” she turned to me, snarling my name, “you wanna know the truth?  I'll tell you the fucking truth.  The fact is, you're an angel.  Whether you accept it or not, I couldn't give the slightest shit.  You had your wings ripped off and now you're Miss. Amnesia and Miss. I'm-So-Innocent.  There you go.  Are you happy?  There's the fucking truth, now enjoy it.”

               I was frozen.  I didn't know if what she was saying was true.  It made some sense but... I don't know.  Something inside me was telling me that it was the truth, that she wasn't lying.  Although she could have been saying it so that everyone would quieten down.

               “R-Really?”  I stammered, still feeling unsure.  Emily nodded.  I felt slightly queasy, and tired.  “I-I'm going back into the room, I-I-I need some time to think...” I mumbled before sprinting out of the room.

               Finally coming across where I woke up, I shut the door gently and I slid down into a sitting position.  I was supposed to have wings, I was an “angel”.  I still didn't know who I was, or what I did.  Harmony said that I was some sort of helper...

               Closing my eyes, I let the darkness take over.  At least I wouldn't have to think about everything...

               I could feel myself running.  Where to, I wasn't sure.  I just felt the need to hurry to this place, wherever I seemed to be taking myself.  Weirdly enough, I knew I wasn't running from anything dangerous.

               Running past the silver doors, I tried to stop myself to take a look at my surroundings.  However, I didn't.  Something was stopping me from moving.  It was almost like I was on autopilot.

               It turned out, I was running to get to a room, where I saw that other people were using.  It was extremely silent.  You couldn't even hear anyone breathing.  I found myself feeling relieved.  It was odd because it felt like I was in someone else's body, looking through their eyes and feeling their emotions but at the same time, I was feeling mine?  It was weird.  I had no idea what was happening.

               The door opened, and an old, frail man stepped in.  He looked like the person you never wanted to annoy, never wanted to get on the wrong side of.  Even though he was small and looked frail, there was something... powerful about him.

               He studied everyone in the room, before his eyes narrowed and hardened at an empty chair.  After carefully looking at everyone and observing the room, he started to speak.

               “Eyes up.  Look at the board, and only the board.”  His sharp voice rang out.  I felt my back stiffen and straighten itself, and found my eyes locked on the board.  I had no idea what I was looking at – it was just white nothingness to me...

               A bang broke my concentration, and I found I wasn't the only one.  In the doorway, stood a young girl.  Beads of sweat dropped down her face and she had a frightened look on her face.  The old man didn't look impressed.

               “Brittany, so glad you decided to join us.  Do you have an excuse for being late?”  He asked, his voice hardening.

               “I-I-,” she stuttered, before being interrupted.

               “Being late isn't an option.  There are no excuses.  Your charge or cause would be dead, or left for worse, by now.”  He snapped at her.  Tears welled up in her eyes.

               “I'm... I'm s-s-sorry.”

               “Sorry isn't good enough.  Does your dead charge want to hear your sorry?  That you couldn't save them because you overslept?  Save it.”  He snapped.  She stood frozen in the doorway.  He turned back to her, his eyes full of anger.  “Sit down Brittany and stop wasting our time.”

               Brittany stiffly nodded and sprinted to the empty chair.  Everyone turned away from her, and back to the man.  It seemed that his face was always set into a scowl, a frown or just looking unhappy.

               “You all failed that test.  But well done to those who were early.”  He addressed to everyone else, his face lighting up very slightly, before hardening again.  “The first rule of being a good angel is that you aren't distracted by anything.  Your mind should be set on your charge, and your charge only.  Now, let's try again shall we?”