In a Realm of None

Chpt 2: Tsuba

The man gasps and jolts up from Isla's lap. He can hear the ocean hitting the sides of the shipping yard docks. It's dark and the light of the full moon illuminates his surroundings. He looks around and can see containers as far as the eye can see in the dark.

"You're actually alive."

He turns around and sees Isla. Her body is full white and lightly glows in the night and her eyes glow violet. She has soft facial features and six wings, two look as if they're melded into her shoulders, another two protruding out of her back, and the last two protruding from her lower back. She looks ethereal.

"Who are you? No, what are you?"

"I'm-"

"Wait how long have I been here for?"

The man stands up suddenly.

"I don't know how long it's been since I brought you out here."

The man follows the blood trail from when Isla dragged him outside back into the tin shed. Isla follows him.

"Where are you going?"

"Has anyone else came around here?"

"No, no one has."

He rushes into the shed, past the bodies and through the pool of blood that he left in his wake. He opens a door at the back of the shed that leads into an office and he starts to search for something. Isla watches him as he throws paper and books everywhere, until he finally finds what he's looking for. He walks out of the room, back to the pool of blood and picks up his katana. He then walks up to one of the men on the floor and pulls a wakizashi out of his chest, then continues on outside while Isla follows.

Not a word is said between the man and Isla as she trails behind him while he walks home. He goes to open the front door but stops.

"You should leave."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"You can hear and see me. You're the first person that can since I fell."

"Fell? You didn't answer when I asked you before. What are you?"

"I'm an angel. My name is Isla."

"An angel that fell from heaven? That's real?"

"Yes, but heaven is not what you think. It doesn't matter now anyway. Us angels were expelled. We can't go back. And even if we could, I used my Halo to heal you, so I'm locked out of heaven now."

"Well, you should leave me."

"Why?"

"My life is no place for an angel. I'm sure that if I died, I wouldn't even go to heaven."

"I have no place to go. And you are the only one that can see me. I'm stuck by your side until I know what will happen to me or where I'll go."

"If you insist."

As he opens the door, he finally introduces himself.

"Nice to meet you Isla, I'm Tsuba."

The house is a small studio apartment. There are dishes everywhere around the sink and bags of garbage surrounding the door. The only light in the apartment doesn't even light the whole room. On the floor is a futon. Tsuba places his katana and wakizashi on the table and begins to wipe the blood off of them.

"Do angels sleep?"

"No. We can, but it's not needed."

"Make room where ever you want if you want to sleep."