Written in the Stars of Heaven

When consciousness finally returned, I expected to open my eyes to Hell. I mean, I refused my entrance to Heaven, hadn't I? And I knew I was dead. I had to be. So that only left Hell. And at the realization, warm tears welled up behind my closed eyelids. Maybe I should have though of this place before I turned away from the angel... Damn me and my stupid ideas.

After allowing myself a few moments to prepare for eternal damnation, I finally noticed the freezing temperatures. Wasn't Hell really hot, with a lot of fire? And what was I lying on? It felt like a rough forest floor, similar to Yosemite where Kendyll and I played for hours during one of the few vacations we'd ever taken. But why would there be a forest in Hell?

Opening my eyes, I saw why it made sense that the ground felt like that of the woods, considering that's what was surrounding me in all directions. Under the light of the full moon, I was able to see dark green pine trees reaching for the black sky for miles. And that was all there was for me to take in. Just the forest, stretching on forever in the frigid air. I was utterly alone out here.

Shivering in my slightly dirty masquerade gown, I climbed unsteadily to my feet. There had to be someone, somewhere... Maybe if I just walked far enough, they'd find me and I would finally be safe. True, it wasn't much of a plan, but it was all I had.

With a sigh that I could plainly see in the cold, I trudged off to my left; the trees seemed the thinnest there.

Where was I? Had my kidnapper just dumped my body out here? Because I honestly didn't think this was literally the Hell anymore. But if I was still alive, where was my wound? I felt it before, saw the blood. It couldn't have just disappeared. That's not possible... But what other explanation was there? This was all just way too confusing, and my situation was tough enough.

About fifteen minutes of pointless walking later, I'd all but given up hope. Surely no one would live this far out in the middle of no where. I was alone, and the cold was probably do what my kidnapper's bullet had failed to if I didn't find shelter soon. The biting wind assaulted the bare skin of my arms and neck; my hair was still held in the up-do from the party, only slightly messier. It couldn't be much warmer than freezing...

At the sound of a breaking twig, I came to an abrupt halt. It was probably an animal, but I didn't want to chance it being a hungry carnivorous one and not doing anything. I held still for several heartbeats. If it was going to attack me, surely it wouldn't wait very long, especially if I wasn't giving it a run. Or maybe it would... What did I know about animals?

Still shivering in the cold, I wrapped my arms around myself. This was getting ridiculous. I just needed to find some place warm to spend the night. Who cares if the damn thing got me? I'd already given in to death once. What was one more time?

"If you're going to kill me, please spare me the time suffering and do it now!" I hollered, knowing that the thing wouldn't understand me.

"If you insist," a seductive voice called back, heavily laced with a French accent.

I was unable to stifle a loud gasp at the unexpected response. "Wh-who's there?" I stammered, shocked by the sudden arrival of a human being in this God-forsaken forest.

From the general direction of the snapping branch stepped a very attractive blonde man, his hair fashionably brushed to his left, falling to his matching eyebrows. His chin was very rounded and dusted with a feint shadow of whiskers, and the luster was all added to by his perfect aquiline nose, full pink lips, and stunning hazel eyes that twinkled in the moonlight.

"My name's Felix Debois. And your's, beauty?" he asked, cautiously moving closer to where I'd stopped between two, huge trees.

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask you that same. Now are you going to tell me your name?"

"M-Melani. Do you live all the way out here?"

"Yes, my cabin is not too far that way. Would you like to go?" he smiled, still advancing, and pointed in the direction I was heading.

I know what you're thinking, Don't Mel, don't follow the handsome man promising shelter! He's probably a psychopathic murderer. But I ask you, what choice did I have? I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, with hardly any clothes, and about to freeze to death. I'd figure out what to do about the stranger when I had more means to. For now, I'd just have to trust that I'd encountered a rare decent person and get my ass to that cabin!

"Is there heating?"

He elicited a melodious chuckle and closed the distance between us, placing a large had on my lower back. "Of course. And food too. I've advanced all the way up from the Prehistoric Era and even have the very helpful commodity of electricity! How positively futuristic of me, right?" he joked.

I allowed myself a small giggle as I allowed him to direct me toward said cabin.

It turns out, I was actually pretty close to his place. Apparently my walk in a random direction plan wasn't quite so terrible. I'd have found it if I kept going. But that didn't explain why Felix was out in the frosty night.

"Uh, what were you doing out here?" I asked, fighting off a whole-body-shudder. It was that cold.

"I was looking for the source of the bright light I saw while chopping firewood. I take it you don't know where you are." He said it like a statement, rather than a question.

"Not a clue," I replied as he pulled the door open to a cozy living area. A leather couch rest against the wall to my right, in front of it a large tv and a fireplace on the opposite one. Across the room, there was an opening in the wall, leading to a nice kitchen. Everything, the walls, floors, and ceiling, was made out of a stained wood and added to that classic rustic feel.

"Let's go inside and get you warm, and I'll explain it all."

That seemed fair enough, so I hurried in a placed myself directly in front of the blazing fire. Slowly, it melted the ice that seemed to have built up around my bones, thawing me from the inside out. Of course I didn't think I literally had ice inside my body, but it sure felt like it!

"I'm afraid I don't have any women's clothing, but would you like to wear something of mine? At least until we can get into the Herllow town?" he asked with a friendly smile. Odd, but that smile caused my chills to return, despite the flames dancing in the stove behind me.

"Herllow town? What's Herllow?"

"I'll tell you all about it, soon enough," he said, French accent heavy, as he moved down the hall by the couch.

I didn't know what it was, but something didn't feel right. My instincts were screaming that there was more to this Felix character than he was letting on to. And it was deeply unsettling...