"What the fuck is going on?" she cried at last, tears bubbling again. "What is this place? Who are you? Am I dead or not?"
"In about five minutes, the big man there is going to wake up. There's an eighty two percent chance he'll kill you, if you're not behind those walls," the man replied. He pointed to the fortress. "I am a fan of free will, so it's your choice. But if I was you, I'd start running." He stepped aside, happy for reasons she couldn't remotely comprehend.
Deidre glanced back at Gabriel. How did a serial killer get into heaven?
The smiling stranger's warning clicked. Whatever reality she fell into, it wasn't over yet. There were no other buildings, nowhere else to hide that might withstand an angry Gabriel. She ran up the gravel road leading to the wooden door in the fortress. The door flew open before she could knock to reveal a stern woman in a monk's brown robes. The gravity of her features fell away as she tilted her head, smiled then flung her arms around Deidre in a tight hug.
"I knew you'd come back," she whispered.
Deidre's insides were cold.
"Come on, come on." The woman said, tugging her into the convent. "We'll have tea."
Shaking, Deidre wiped her face and followed the severe woman through the simple, stone fortress outfitted with electrical wiring and occasional satellites. Did heaven need satellite television?
They entered a dark dining hall, where a pot of tea and two tea cups sat waiting for them next to a carafe of amber alcohol at the table nearest the entrance.
"Sit, dear! I made it the way you like it." The woman before her was truly happy to see her. "I'm Daniela." She held out a saucer and cup.
I dive off a building, and now I'm having a tea party?
Uncertain what else to do aside from have a mental breakdown, Deidre accepted the tea. The china chattered in her trembling hands. Daniela observed her for a moment then replaced the cup with a glass filled with the alcohol. Deidre drank it down, hissing at the burn of the harsh liquid. Daniela refilled the glass without asking, and Deidre drank more. The warmth of the alcohol filled her. It felt real, which meant this place was real.
"Where am I?" Deidre managed at last.
"Sanctuary. A place of refuge. You're safe here."
"Safe from what?"
Daniela shrugged. "Whatever you're running from."
"Gabriel," Deidre said. "He killed my boyfriend."
"Did he?" Instead of the horror Deidre expected to see, Daniela's face warmed even more, softening the skin around her eyes. "He really does care about you."