Inside the walls

Looking around me, everything seemed strange. I didn't know what most of the buildings were. But I also didn't have time to think about it, at the moment my priority was to find a place to wash myself and my clothes to remove this horrible smell and to find a place to sleep.

I went towards what appeared to be a fountain. There was a sculpture on top of it, it looked like a man in his 60s with a beard, and his clothes looked like a cassock. It would probably be someone famous from Drefor Church.

I got close to the fountain. I looked at the tank to see if the water was clean. I could see everything at the bottom, full of small objects with a round shape, it seemed to be coins that we offered to the church every month.

I undressed and started to wash my clothes, even after rubbing, the smell continued. I had to find something to change the smell or try to find other clothes.

I got into the tank, the water was cold, and as time passed, I could barely feel my feet. when I had finished washing, something caught my attention. I could see a light coming out of one of the stone houses that was beside me.

"Did I wake someone up?"

I hurriedly put on my clothes and ran behind a tree that was across the street. A few minutes passed, and the light was still there, but no one had left the house. I was relieved for a few moments until a lady with brown hair and a grey dress came out, she had what looked like a candle in her right hand, but yet the light just pointed in one direction, it was strange. But I couldn't get distracted. I was afraid that she had heard something and was going to call a guard. She looked around and started walking towards the fountain, luckily I had dressed in time and had left nothing behind. When she arrived at the fountain, she put her left hand in her pocket and took out what appeared to be a copper coin.

"What is she doing?"

She started to whisper, unfortunately, if I got any closer, she would be able to hear me.

After she stopped whispering, she took the coin and threw it into the tank. After that, she turned and went back to her home.

When she entered the house, I went towards the window that was on the right side of the exit door. I couldn't see very well because there was something like a blanket covering it.

"If I can get in, maybe I can get some food ... I'll try to open the window."

The window was different from the ones I was used to seeing, and it looked like it had an opening in the middle, it was like a door, it had a vertical handle on the inside. It was impossible to enter without having to break it.

I tried to go around the house, but it had a wooden fence that surrounded the entire garden at the back. I went back to the window and tried to see through the blanket again. Suddenly I heard a noise coming from inside the house. Unfortunately, I couldn't see what was going on. I heard the door open, and it was all so fast that I had no time to hide. The same woman left the house and looked directly at me. I was so scared that I couldn't move, all I could do was speak in a trembling voice.

"Please...don't shout, I can explain."

The lady quickly replied.

"Get in before anyone sees you."

She stretched out her arm, grabbed my right arm, and pulled me into the house. I couldn't see anything, because everything was dark. After a few seconds, she let go of my arm. I could hear her walk away until she stopped a few meters in front of me. * click *

I heard a noise, and out of nowhere, a light from the ceiling appeared. It was so bright that for a few seconds, it looked like I had gone blind.

"Where does all this light come from ?!"

The woman looked at me and said.

"What do you mean? It's the Lamp."

"Lamp? What is that?"

"Did you hit your head somewhere, boy? Well, forget it. What are you doing on the street at this hour?"

The lady sat on a chair that was positioned in front of a wooden table. I didn't know where I was. It seemed to be some kind of kitchen. The walls were white, and there were wooden planks stick to the wall with objects on top, there was a fruit basket in the middle of the table, and some forks made of metal.

I couldn't tell her the truth... I had to find some way to make her think I was from there.

"I went out to get some air, and I saw a light coming from this house, so I came to see what it was."

She didn't seem to believe what I was saying, but her face showed no reaction.

"Hm ... Who are your parents?"

"My parents live across the street."

The lady got up and approached me.

"Do you think I will believe your story? You smell like shit, your clothes are torn, and you don't even have shoes. Are you a slave or something?"

Maybe it was better, to tell the truth, she didn't seem like a bad person, because if she were, she wouldn't have brought me into her house.

"I'm not a slave...I come from the village, which is at the bottom of the hill.

A smile started to appear on her face. She sits down again and laughed as if she had just heard a joke.

"Hahaha, that was a good joke boy. But if you don't want me to call the guards, you better tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth. I come from the village. Please, let me explain everything."

The woman didn't seem convinced. She probably thought I was a slave who had run away from somewhere.

"Hm...Well, I wasn't sleepy either. Tell me everything, but if I see that you're lying, I'll call the guards, sit in this chair in front of me and start telling me everything."

I approached the table and pulled up a chair. When I sat down, I felt something extremely comfortable. It felt like I had sat on a straw blanket. I have so many questions to ask her.

But I couldn't risk it. I had to tell her everything and hope she would believe me.

"My name is Salvor, son of Eli and Mark, I'm 17, and I was born in the year 2500."

I told her all about me and why I started up the hill.

She continued to listen, she did not speak, and she did not move ... she just continued to look at me while I was telling her everything.

"And that was it ... I told you everything. Do you believe me now?"

She leaned against the chair and said.

"Come, I'll show you the bathroom, go in the shower and wash yourself. Meanwhile, I'll get you some clothes."

We went up a ladder to the top floor. There were two corridors, and we crossed the one on the right. There were doors on either side of the hall and a huge carpet with a reddish colour in the centre. Reaching the end of the corridor, she stopped and opened the door with what appeared to be a key like the ones my dad showed. When she opened the door, I couldn't see what was inside, because it was dark.

She entered and reached for the wall on her left side * click *, as soon as this sound was heard a huge light came out of the ceiling, I still didn't know what it was. For now, I will just do what she says. Maybe later, she will be able to tell me what all these things are.

When I looked at the room itself, it was huge. I didn't know what to say, what were those things?

"Get in here and open that little knob, the water will start to come out of that little tube on top of you. Take this soap, and see if you can get rid of that smell. When you're done, you have this towel here, dry yourself with it. And then call me, and I'll bring your clothes."

After she said that, she went out of the door and locked it.

"It looks like I'm going to have to obey if I want to ask questions later."