Chapter IV: A Place To Stay

LES: Keira chapter.

Keira slowly woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. Why was she so sore and cold? I must've slept on the wrong side of the bed. Keira thought to herself, eyes still closed. She had the strangest dream of being alone in a strange city after going though the Precursor Ring.

Someone was trying to wake her up. "Go away, Jak…" Keira breathed. "I'm sleeping…"

"Excuse me, but I'm not 'Jak.'" An unfamiliar female voice said.

Keira opened her eyes and found herself looking into a pair of blue eyes; they could've been Jak's eyes, except that they were attached to a female. Keira immediately began to back away from the woman, possibly in her late twenties, early thirties. "Get away from me!" Keira cried. She didn't know this woman at all.

"Shh! Be quiet!" The woman ordered. "Do you want the Krimzon Guards to find you? Don't you know that the Baron is throwing all homeless in prison?"

"Krimzon Guard? Baron? Prison?" She asked confused.

"Well, I've seen a lot of strange things…" The woman said, "But never someone who didn't know of the Baron and his Krimzon Guard."

Keira was genuinely confused. "Can I ask you…" Keira paused. "Where am I?"

"You are in Haven City." The woman snorted in a disapproving way. "But it's not much of a 'haven' anymore since the Baron overthrew the Mar family almost five years ago. A proper name would be 'Prison City,' as the Baron is a tyrant who rules over us all with an iron fist and terror. The fortress used to be the only place of high walls and bars, but now the whole city is a prisoner."

"Haven?" Keira was slightly confused at the name and how this woman said it should be a 'haven.' "From what?" She asked.

"From what?" The woman asked incredulously. "The Metal-Heads, of course! I can't believe that there was someone out there who didn't know of the Metal-Heads! I can't say I don't envy you, though. I'd give anything to forget them. This city has been under siege for the past five hundred years!"

"Five hundred years?" Keira asked, that was a long time to be under constant attack. "What is the date?" Keira asked.

"March 17, 2267." The woman answered casually.

"What?" Keira asked. 2267? How could that be? It was March 16, 1767 yesterday! Exactly five hundred had passed if this woman was correct.

"You seem very confused." The woman observed. "Perhaps you should stay with me."

"No, I couldn't…" Keira began to say, but the woman interrupted her.

"No, I insist. I've have been rather lonely these past years."

"Lonely?" Keira asked, then forgetting that people don't like to talk about their private lives with complete strangers. "Why?"

"My husband disappeared years ago, though that is all too common here. The Baron is imprisoning people for no reason now a days. I saw the Guards take a young boy off the street yesterday, poor thing. I'd hate to think what's happening to him." The woman shook her head. "Anyway, my only son also went missing…"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Keira said, truthfully, getting off the hard ground.

"Don't be." The woman said. "Many have lost much more than me." The woman paused. "By the way, my name is Carla."

"Keira." Keira replied.

"Pretty name." Carla said. "We should get you to my house. Then we can find you some… er… more appropriate clothes." Carla said, referring to Keira's country garb.

Carla began to lead Keira though the dark and forbidding streets. They passed a speaker box that was projecting messages to the whole city in a cold, hard voice that Keira immediately disliked. "Serve your City! Sacrifice for your City and all will prosper!" The speakers boomed.

"Ignore those." Carla ordered. "That's our 'beloved' Baron trying to brainwash us all."

"Where do you live?" Keira asked, wanting to change the subject.

"In the Slums." Then Carla continued, seeing the confused look on Keira's face. "It's the poorest section of the city. Most widows live there."

"Where are we now?" Keira asked, looking at the waterway in the middle of the road.

"Main Town, where the Stadium is located." Carla said, as she turned and walked away from the waterways. After five minutes of walking, they came to a force field. Carla helped Keira though and into the dusty streets of Haven City's Slums. Keira watched in horror as a group of small children, no older than four or five ran by, throwing dirt clods at each other. Their bones were showing clearly though their skin.

"Only the rich have the assurance of a full belly." Carla said sadly, shaking her head as if it disturbed her more deeply than Keira. Carla pointed out a small house from the others. "There it is." She said, walking up to the small house, and unlocking the door. She led Keira in. The small house was sparely furnished, but it was better than hard, dirty ground.

"It's lovely." Keira said, sitting down on the slightly lumpy couch.

Carla looked like she wanted to ask something, but felt too embarrassed. However, she took a breath and asked. "About our meeting… you spoke a name… 'Jak.'" She paused. "Might I ask who he is?"

Keira blushed slightly. "He's an old, dear friend." Keira answered simply.

Carla smiled, like she was all knowing. "You blushed." She laughed. "You liked him, didn't you?"

Keira blushed deeply. "Maybe… there was something there. But he could never tell me…"

"Why not?" Carla demanded. "If you keep something as complicated as love bottled up, it will tear you apart!"

"He could not tell me…" Keira repeated. "Because he was a mute."

"Oh dear, poor boy!" Carla said. "I couldn't imagine what it would be like to love someone and never be able to tell them."

"I'm tired." Keira said, changing the subject. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Mind if I take a nap?"

"Go ahead." Carla said with a smile. Keira flopped straight down onto the couch, not even bothering to find a bed, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

LES: I know, short chapter. Shoot me. But, let's get back to Jak, shall we?"