awhitecrow | First Prayer

[The words are written carefully, and he takes his time in penning it all.

Jonathan Hollom writes from the safety of the room he is staying in at House Seven. Like a few days ago-- and every day after-- he made breakfast for the women of the house early in the morning, covered it to keep it warm and to prevent anything from getting into it, then retreated back to his room.]

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
...
I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
Jonah, Chapter 2, verses 1-7, 9.

This place, with its houses and food and wings, must be a gift from God. There is still evil here, so it is not Paradise, but there are no lakes of fire. It is not eternal darkness. So it is not Hell.

It must, then, be a kind of Purgatory. A place for souls to prove their worth, to earn their redemption or damnation.

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
Psalms, Chapter 37, verses 4-7

I was brought here with nowhere else to go, and I begged the Lord for hope and for His help, for the strength and courage only He can give.

But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalms, Chapter 66, verses 19-20

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Y'know, where you're from? Or maybe I should more accurately ask about a where.

I'm from London.

I've never been.

[ she tries to coax the man out. get him talking more. ] What's it like?

It's... busy. [He's not used to being asked to speak. Usually, when he speaks, it's to convey a report. Specific words told for a clear reason. But speaking about himself?] No one looks around, really. They don't notice anything but what's on their mind. It's... easy to get lost, among them all.

Not always a bad thing, really.

...Sounds a little bit like L.A., only -- y'know -- the complete opposite. [ she's come to rest her shoulders against the wall just inside his bedroom door. leaning. casual. arms crossed. ]

There, it always feels like everyone's looking at you. What you're wearing, where you're eating, whose dental clinic you just walked out of.