Fallen Angel - Chapter 1

Celestial Deceit

Fallen Angel

Chapter 1 - 16:10

Stories covering cultural clashes and projects unveiling archaeological discoveries saturate the news. As calls to establish certainties amplify over those to put aside differences, rival egotism fuels the fire. And now, feeling right has become more important than being safe. And those who pose themselves as morally higher through thought, reduce themselves to less than those they brand immoral by their own actions.

Safely at the sidelines, sits Genny. The soft-spoken, 22-year-old university student burrows herself in the comfort of the library, trying to discover a subject for her final year project. History, her former sanctuary, has gradually withered down into an unpalatable display of conflict and tribalism, and now remains scarred by the taboo imposed on formerly accepted facts.  Not a place for someone who doesn’t want to pick sides.

What this unassuming bookworm doesn’t realise, is that for wars like this, if you don’t pick a side, the sides will only more quickly pick them for you.

What Genny does know, is that she loves books. And books lover her too. An exhibition at the city’s library edges soon – A display of recently unearthed scriptures from the Dead Sea caves touring the continent now reaches her town. Though religion is of no considerable interest to her, the concept of seeing books older than nations, containing the story of all stories throughout millennia, does, however, pique some curiosity. Then again, it’s hard to ignore when the media is flooded with its presence.

Genny heads to the event, eager to witness the unveiling of the scrolls and other significant historical artefacts. Most have never touched the soil of any land other than those they were unearthed. History is about to be written, and Genny wants in on the story. For once, she feels it's time to abandon the written word, and finally venture out to gaze amongst what was once so important to write about, what caused a new world to be born from the ashes of the old.

Touring through the hallways, hesitant to her proximity to the group, so as not to involve herself in any social interaction, the event hall edges closer. A strange figure blocks her way, severing her from the class. Tall, young, familiar – yet unrecognisable, the man disappears into the crowd as frivolously as he emerged. A crew of gothic misfits stray Genny’s attention, making merry through the corridor, now invading the gift shop.

“Squuueawk!” – The sound of a toy bouncing on someone's head.

CRASH

The ceiling falls behind her. Screams, alarms and storms of dust ensue.

Scattered by the commotion, herds of people tear through the hallways, the current of crowds drowning any sense of direction. Frozen still, only a matter of inches separates Genny’s footing from the rubble of the collapsed event hall, and for her, what would have been certain death.

Clearing her eyes, powdered from the plaster, a figure is noticed in an ancient painting, slowly unveiled behind the cloak of falling dust. Amidst the disorder, onlooking people being pulled from the debris, Genny could only look upon with terror for what was almost her own fate.

Mortified by the accident, Genny retreats back to the solace of the library, shielding herself within her beloved books. Though now miles away, the wails of pursuit vehicles still tear through the peaceful tone of the library as they pass. Onlookers turn their attention to the library’s notification screens with angst. Already, calls from the media are all too eager to brand the tragedy as a terrorist attack, with accusations and paranoia already in full flight.

As time goes on, Genny eventually drifts to sleep amongst her scattered work. With even less of a clear direction than before, dinosaurs, medieval artistry and ancient tales paint the table with an assortment of both truth and legend. Pillars of books castle over the workspace.

“Boo Bitch! Blaaaaa!” yells a mysterious creature.

“Whoa!” Genny exclaims. “Who the hell are you?”

The woman, smirking, with blood orange dyed hair, and unusual red and black plaid punkish clothing, looks across the now fallen piles of books across the table.

“Just someone who needs a book. If you haven’t already hogged them all, that is!”

Genny looks at her blankly, emotionally drained and untrained for such interactions.

“You know, it’s more fun to make a fortress with pillows, right?” The woman giggles.

“Uhhhh….” Genny mumbles, half awake.

“Rubi.”

“Huh?” Genny murmured amidst her mental daze.

“I’m Rubi, it’s Genny Right? Were both in that old croaks mentor group.”

“Ohhh, yeah? Maybe. I don’t really go to those things much.”

“Well, I guess I'll see you around! If you ever leave this library, that is.” Rubi says cheerfully with a wink.

“Yeah… Wait, what book did you want…” Clambering over the falling books in her hand, Rubi disappears from her sight before she can finish her sentence.

Sometime later that day...

Genny spies Rubi slanted against the wall of her mentor’s office, checking her nails.

“You again…” she mutters under her breath, annoyed as she approaches the door.

With a body of books clutched to her stomach, Genny nervously entered the office, observing the other students already waiting inside.

An old man sits behind a decrepit wooden desk. Rubi and the other students sit on plastic chairs, gleefully holding onto papers of their current work accomplishments. Genny sits timidly, opposing her mentor.

The old man sits rigidly, arms flat on the table with a wide arch in his back. His stern face looms over his students. A hardness as strong as iron.

“And, Rubi. How is your work coming along?” His eyes glaze over to her general direction.

“Well, I have gathered five new scan copies of found pre-renaissance biblical segments…”

Meanwhile, Genny’s mind fell blank, thick with static. Trying to grasp how she will piece together her fragmented project idea, the professor seems to smell her uneasiness.

He glares, disconcertingly, viewing her from his smudged lenses, no longer viewing Rubi as she speaks.

The room is drained of soul, unearthly quiet, yet the sound of her heart pounds in her head. The old man’s mouth slowly opens, leaning forward as his chair creaks.

“What project have you got for me?” he growls. “The term is near the end, and my patience has become tired from dealing with you.”

Click.    Click.  Click

The sound of his pen slowly taps upon his desk, uneasily slipping from the evenness of his mantle clock.

“Well… I’ve been thinking about…”

“You have been thinking!” he snarls sarcastically.

“I have been thinking about dinosaurs…”

“Dinosaurs”, he interjects, the smugness washed from his face.

“Yes!” Anxiously, she scrambles through the sheets of paper slipping out of her hands. “And how discoveries of previously unknown remains may have influenced myth and legend of various folklore creatures through the early ages.”

“Good! Good. Then it is settled. The study of biblical texts and their effects on early European social norms.” He looked away in a dismissive manner, fronting the next student in line.

“Well… no…” Genny mumbles.

“Something actually useful in this time of need”, he scorns, raising his arms to entice the next student to progress.

“But. But the… dinosaurs…” Genny is stiffly removed from the office, ushered by his dismissive demeanour, as he locks the door on her way out.

“Dragons…” She continues, cast away without any further notice.

Walking down the hallway in a slump, footsteps can be heard approaching. “Looks like we will be working together after all, heh”, Rubi states with bliss into Genny's escaping lifeless face. “Aww, don’t mind the old croak. At least you know what you will be working on this year!”

Genny walks away in a huff, trying to distance herself from the stranger.

The next day, Genny approaches the library. With the knowledge in her current collection spent and void, it's time to gather the new material for her appointed project.

“Goodbye dinosaurs, it was good while it lasted”, she mutters as he puts the books back on the shelf.

“Heyyyyy!”, a soft voice can be heard.

Walking to the other side of the library, through the main lobby, Genny is stunned by the sight amidst the vending machine.

She walks closer in disbelief. A small crowd hangs around casually beside the side of the machine.

“Heyyy youuu….” - The muffled words coming from behind the glass. Rubis wide faced grin only inches from Genny’s from the other side.

“Heyyyy…. What on earth are you doing in there?”

“Uhhh, there's never anything in these things that I want”, a stranger groans, as she aimlessly presses buttons on the control panel.

“This!” Rubi squeaks as a flood of snacks and drinks comes flooding out of the machine.

“So, stealing?” Genny’s eyebrow raises.

“Wha, What? No! It just didn’t have change for a thousand.” She blurts as she tries to climb out of the machine.

“How... did you get in there…”

The glass door flies open as the lock breaks, with Rubi tumbling out.

“ANYWAY!!! Meet Voy, Sera, and Zad.”

A small band of misfits gather close. Voy, a strange young goth woman masked in white makeup, black clothes, heavy piercings and littered with jewellery and trinkets of various markings upon her clothing. Her satchel bag covered in the same crystals as Rubi's.

“Yeah, whatever. Hi.” Voys' interest grows thin; attention steers towards the snacks splattered out across the floor.

Sera stood tall, close by, dressed in winter colours with long flowing white hair, feathery earrings, and softly clasping books in her arms.

Lastly, stood Zad, a tall but gentle-looking man, and strangely, somehow, the most odd one of the bunch. Styled black hair, with white and violet highlights streaking through. A black leather jacket covered over a basic t-shirt, inscribed with a cheesy inspirational slogan. Feminine features, with a masculine stance, his cheerful face could charm the coldest of hearts.

“Voy, Sera, Zad… Are these even your real names?” Genny smirks.

“Hahaha. No, silly.” Rubi rolls her eyes. “Besides, with friends like these, who wants to be normal?”

“Uh.. Wha.. I have friends…” Genny rebukes.

“Do not be afraid, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Rubi chuckles, staggering over the mess on the floor. “Plus, books don’t count!” Rubi lures the group to follow her.