Chapter 5
7:17 a.m.
Abel was running as fast as he could, anger in his eyes. He was running to Rina's home. The buliding that she was being kept in. Abel played in his mind over and over again the interview that was taped on the disk. The way Rina looked, how she spoke, and the complexity of her features. It puzzled him on how she could turn into something out of cave so fast. Her eyes were so different, once so bright and cheerful, now dull and cold.
"Do you like puzzles?"
"Sure do!"
"How?"
"Hehe! I remember when a lady started throwing rotten veggies at this guy for looking up her skirt! She was so funny!"
"How did this happen?!"
"Umm.... I like to talk to people. Well, not all the time, but being around them is good too cause then you can make friends! I have lots of friends!"
"Who would want to do that to her?!" Abel felt his cheeks getting hot, his eyes were getting wet.
"So I hear you like to draw? You want to draw a quick sketch here for me?"
"Sure! One sec..."
"Oh! That's so nice!"
"This was my first time in a garden like that! Isn't it so pretty? I love going outside! All the pretty flowers... I hate seeing things die!"
"Why would anyone want to hurt her?!" Abel yelled suddenly. The people that were scattered looked towards him, alarmed. He bursted in through the doors, marching with a foul temper. He kept his face down, knowing that tears were flooding out his eyes.
"So, the caretakers here have made friends with you, and from what they say you're really well behaved! Can you tell me the name they gave you?"
"I think it's Rina."
"Do you know why they call you that?"
"No... but it's a pretty name! I like it! The first couple of names they tried out were ok, but I didn't really like them. Like one was Susu. Another was Evanjolean. I didn't really like them that much... Rina was simple, they said. But it's sounds so cool! Rina. Like a bird sort of! Rrriinnaa!" She laughed.
"Haha! That's a good point you make out there! Now... you do know the reason you're going to live with the Vatican right?"
"Yeah... there's something wrong with me. Somethin that can turn really bad and hurt people. I don't want that to happen... I have friends that were hurt a lot cause of the bad things... It broke my heart whenever I saw something in pain!"
"Yes. That's right. Do you like you room? The place you're staying at?"
"Oh yea! It's got a big window where I can look out to the gardens! The nuns and people who come in to take care of me, they give me little activities I can play with and some even bring really good books! I love looking out the window... you can see everything! Some cathedrals, pretty flowers, a fountain..."
Abel wiped his eyes and took in a few deep breaths of cool air. The nun was standing by Rina's door, waiting patiently. He looked up. She smiled softly and opened the door. Abel just barely set a foot in the door when a pad of paper flew at his head.
"TRACTUS FORAS! Get out!" Rina yelled. Abel blinked.
"Wh-what??"
"TRACTUS FORAS!! NUNC!! Get out! Now!" The nun who stood by Abel took raised her wrist, a watch on it, and whispered something into it. She walked in the room.
"Rina, dear, calm down. You know you're in no condition to yell like this!" She said in a pleading voice. Rina was standing, holding onto the back of her chair for support. Abel could see braces on her ankles, leading up and under the robe she wore.
"Mea facesso non cura, TRACTUS IS FORAS! I don't care, get him out!" She screamed. The nun tried to calm her down. Another nun came in.
"What's wrong?"
"She's beginning to go mad again." The new nun bit her lip.
"Shoot! Rina, sweet heart, calm down now. You know you'll get all worked up and then you might end up losing all feeling in your legs!" Rina growled.
"Eo procul! Go away!" She spat. The two nuns were working to calm her down. Abel picked up the pad she threw at him. He flipped through the pages and stopped on one. It was ragged, like it was done in the dark or in a hurry. It was dark in the picture. A figure with long black wings and grey hair that stood up was across from another. His face was scratched up and wasn't drawn to make a face, but Abel knew who it was. He was standing across from another who was hanging from a cross shaped structure. Their feet were a few inches off the ground, a broken pipe jutted from their feet. Two broken pipes struck out from their hands. Abel's eyes widened. Was this Rina?
"IS MORS DE MEA!! MAKE IS EO PROCUL! He is the death of me! Make him go away!" She screamed. The two women were desperate to calm Rina down. Abel sighed and smiled.
"Rina, how did you come up with insperation to draw this?" He asked. Rina was stopped. She glared at Abel.
"Meus somnium. Meus somnium istuc semper verus! My dreams. My dreams are always true!" She yelled. Abel blinked.
"Dreams? Hmm... So when exactly does this dream take place?" He asked. Rina stopped. Her legs shook a little.
"Mea tractus non scio... Omne mea scio ecce iste ed voluntas venio verus! I don't know... All I know is that they will come true!" She said. Abel smiled.
"And how do you know that this person is me?" He asked. Rina stared at the floor.
"Mea... mea tractus non scio... I... I don't know..." She muttered.
"Hmm?"
"MEA AIT MEA TRACTUS NON SCIO! I said I don't know!" She let go of the back of the chair and staggered as fast as she could to Abel. The two nuns were frantic.
"Rina! No! You can't walk!"
"Stop it! You're hurting yourself!" Rina grabbed Abel's coat.
"Cur tractus qu perdoleo mea? Qu istuc beatus mea tam multus tumultus! Why do you bother me? You're bringing me so much confustion!" She hissed. Abel smiled gently.
"Well... I'm not a normal human... I'll tell you that." He looked out of the window.
"You know, today I thought we could take a little walk outside. In the gardens?" He said. Rina's face shifted into surprised. She took a small glance to the window.
"Hortus... Gardens..." She murmured. Her legs shaked violently, she let out a small cry of pain. Her knees buckled. Abel grabbed her arms softly and lifted her up into his arms. The two nuns rushed over to Abel.
"I'm so sorry, Father Abel. Rina has to have her rest."
"She just went through a trauma, she needs to recover."
"No, she just needed to calm down! Just get me a wheelchair. I'm taking Rina outside today!" He said sweetly. The two nuns were stunned to silence. Abel turned and walked down the hallway slowly, making sure not to hurt Rina in any way. One nun lifted up her watch and clicked a button.
"I need a wheelchair please..." She said.
Abel pushed Rina slowly through the path that lead to the first garden by the institude. Rina had a dark umbrella over her head. She was very sensitive to the sunlight from years of being in isolation and forcing herself to live in the dark.
"Rina, I know today is probably a big day for you, one with a lot of stress on your body, but I'm going to have to tell you a few things that I learned about you," He said. Rina shifted slightly, pulling her feet in farther from the sunlight.
"Uh... well.. I don't really know how to say this... but... I'll just say it straight forward," Abel stopped the chair and faced it towards a large fountain.
"Two years ago, you entered here, you were so happy. You're appearence was that of a normal little girl, so happy and cheery. I saw the file on you, and also the file that contained you recorded interview of when you were entered into the Vatican. Your voice was even different. You were so happy. I thought it was just some random little girl from off the street, but it was you. I could hardly believe it... you've changed so much... Now you're afraid of caretakers, fearing for their lives. You're isolated yourself from everyone and it scares me because you're missing so my precious time of your youth right now. How did you change? Please Rina... I have to know... how could you have changed so drastically?" Abel whispered his question, trying to hide the emotion that was overwelming him. Rina was silent. Abel moved the wheelchair down another path, into another garden.
"Si qu dehibere scio, mea voluntas narro qu. Postquam copulo racemus de cryptari habere morticina, mea contenebrasco metuo. Quandoque mea somni, mea somnio de viae id morticina. Tunc quom novus cryptari convenit, mea somni de vias id morticina. Ea pavefio mea. Mea desideiderabilis idus ad vivo quia mea scire idus habeo cohabitator. Illuc tamquam rarus moto rexiad ad pereo placide. Mea utra ens cruciare. Mea mox sumo ad reor iste altera.... deforis... altera invisus meas tam multus nam rei mea fio. Sed mea nequeo forma motu. Tam mea nata meus vivum intra, mea seponere meum tam mea nonforte tractus ad scio quplus cryptari, tam suua mortis utinam consum minus gravis. Id utinam numquam laboro. Tunc mea haud somnus aput omne. Olim, e cryptari adgredid mea ac pono e acus in mea; meus nonfaci pugna. Meus scire mono is quasi post. Meus quasi patiens ob mors. Magis... meus peragereous susum amissus plurimus utor de mea crurale... Id mono e morbus... Idcce cuncticus comedo mea... sed nullemress in mea ecce demissus id deorsum.... Meus necessitas ad formae foras utra....
If you must know, I will tell you. After the first couple handfulls of caretakers had died, I grew afraid. Whenever I slept, I dreamt of the ways they died. Then when new caretakers came, I dreamt of the ways they died. It scared me. I wanted them to live because I knew they had lives. There were few who managed to die peacefully. I was being tortured. I soon began to think that someone... outside... someone hated me so much for something I did. But I can't figure out what. So I made my living inside, I isolated myself so I wouldn't get to know anymore caretakers, so their deaths would be less painful. It would never work. Then I couldn't sleep at all. Once, a caretaker attacked me and put a needle in me; I did not fight. I knew what he was after. I was patient for death.
Instead.... I ended up losing most use of my legs... It was a disease... It's slowly eating me... but something in me is keeping it down... I need to figure out what..." Abel's eyes widened.
"Mea necessaria ad formae foras ut id beccam tam mea arale probo e morbus tendo ac denique occido meas... I needed to figure out what it was so I could let the disease spread and finally kill me..."
"NO!! You are not meant to die Rina!! There are people here who care for you, you are a person! Your life has its own meaning! You are not meant to die yet! Not until your time expires naturally!" He crouched down in front of her.
"If your body is keeping the disease from spreading throughout your body, then your time isn't here yet! You have to live until the last second!" He said with pleading eyes. Rina looked down on him, her eyes amazed, but her face cold. She closed her eyes, shaking her head.
"Qu justus fractus non scire. You just don't understand." Abel growled and grabbed the umbrella.
"Ut istuc qu benefactio?! What are you doing!?" Rina yelled. Abel yanked the umbralla off the wheelchair. Rina cringed at the sun, rasing her arms up and bending down to cover her face. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Rina, look! Look out into the garden!" Abel said. Rina shook violently. She whimpered in pain. Abel sighed and lightly placed his hand on her back.
"Look..." He pointed out. Rina turned and slapped him. Abel froze. Rina's eyes were furious.
"Qu istuc attentatio ad occido mea! You're trying to kill me!" She screamed. Abel grew sad. He placed the umbrella over Rina's head again and sat down on the path. Rina gained control over herself and looked at Abel.
"Fool," She said. It was one word, but Abel's expression changed completely. His eyes were wide, he slowly turned his head to stare at Rina.
"Mono? What?"
"English..." He whispered. Rina looked to the side and shrugged. He jumped up in the air.
"YOU SPOKE ENGLISH!! YES!!! YEA!!!" He hollared happily. Rina rolled her eyes.
"Domus. Nunc. Home. Now." Abel smiled pleasently and wheeled Rina back towards the institude.
