IT IS BELIEVED that when one falls, it feels as though it is never-ending. On the way down, you nearly burn up in the sky. That being said, the trip down is incredibly tolerable and generous compared to the landing, where you would be lucky to have at least one unbroken bone in your new physical body. It is no wonder why thwarting The Great Plan is considered a distasteful option by many of the Sky Realm’s people. The consequences of disobeying leaves little to the imagination.

However, there are a limited few who have still chosen this path despite the terrifying tales of falling to Earth. Anthony, Anita thought, was unfortunately one of them. While she recognizes she should not have pity for him, she can’t help but look back on memories they shared before he fell. He just seemed so good, so….well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?

Anthony was one of The Fallen who loudly debated the tales of “falling out of the sky”. According to Anthony, that only happened a handful of times; (1) during a catastrophic elevator malfunction (a technical issue he claimed to have ranted to the Higher Ups about months prior) and (2) An accidental slip and fall down the steps, possibly after a drunken night out at the pub (Heaven has never had a “pub”, and the only other explanation to this would be a sheer lack of coordination).

When asking Anthony how he fell, he refuses to disclose that information. Come to think of it, Anthony would rather not disclose anything. This has been mildly infuriating for the Sky People and is part of the reason why Anita believes they should just cut their losses. Afterall, there was no reason to transport Anthony back to the realm after he had already fallen. He was of no use here, hence the entire concept of falling to begin with.

But Anthony was dangerous, the Higher Ups had warned. He’s too cunning, you never know what he might be planning. They were thoroughly convinced that he wasn’t just working with Hell, but that he was also working amongst the humans. Poisoning their minds, They’d say. To her, he just seemed like a bloody fool that had no place to go and no idea what he was doing.

Alas, Anthony had been locked away in Confinement, for fear that he had some proverbial trick up his sleeve. Anita couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that very thought.

Confinement wasn’t all that bad- you still had decent living quarters, and the surrounding guards provided plenty of company to make sure you weren’t alone. Confinees could still eat, socialize in a common room for approximately 30 minutes each day, and participate in “Uno”, a human card game. They’ve tried implementing “Monopoly”, however far too many scuffles have broken out during it. The game was then deemed the work of the Devil, as it would surely tear apart friends and families alike. Anita never understood the concept of a shoe buying property anyway.

Anita shuffled down the bright hallway, following behind two of the guards. Cell 32B, Anthony’s cell, was not too much farther. The Confinees were divided between two units. Unit A was mainly composed of individuals who simply began associating with the wrong crowd, but were actively working to get back into God’s good graces. Unit B…well, that unit hosted individuals like Anthony. Unit B consisted of traitors and treasonists, those who were beyond redemption. Those who had fallen, but were considered an imminent threat to the will of God, too dangerous to be let loose on Earth.

Anita and the guards rounded the corner, stopping in front of the cell that read: 32B. Anita took a deep breath, mentally preparing for the interview. The Higher Ups had been sending numerous officials to interview Anthony over the past several months, but they have consistently turned up empty-handed regarding intel. She was no stranger to the interview process, however she was doubtful that the outcome would be different this time around.

She heard the click of the door as it flashed green, allowing entry into the cell. She braced herself as the guards pushed through the door quickly, causing Anthony to stand up from the bed abruptly in confusion. They began grabbing Anthony by the arms without warning.

“Rise and shine,” One of them said smugly, roughly maneuvering him through the cell door. Anita looked Anthony up and down, realizing how long it has been since she last seen him. He was a completely different person. Between the rugged complexion, the wild, untamed hair, and Earthly clothing, she didn’t even recognize him. It absolutely shocked her.

“Grace,” He said quietly, nodding in acknowledgement to her, addressing her presence. She looked away from him sternly as they walked quickly down the hallway, Anthony restrained by the two guards. He had always been the only one who had referred to her by the meaning of her name.

“Anthony,” she said cordially, not bothering to look his way. “Please address me properly.”

“Glad to see you haven’t changed a bit.”

“It’s a pity to see that you have. You look ridiculous,” she advised, glancing at his clothing. They were both silent for a moment as they continued to walk.

“It’s been a long time,” he said casually, as if he was talking about the weather.

“Indeed it has,” she agreed, guiding him to the interrogation room. She held her hand out, gesturing him to walk inside. “We’ve much to talk about.”

They stepped inside the white room, filled with nothing but some chairs and a table, sleek walls, and florescent lighting. The guards escorted Anthony to a chair on one side of the table, securing him to it with cuffs and chains. Anita sat down across from him, folding her arms across her chest. The guards left the room just then, shutting the door behind them. The sound of the door clicking signaled that they were alone. Both of them were quiet for a moment.

“What brings you here, Detective?” Anthony calmly inquired.

“I could ask you the same question,” she quipped.

“Here to pick my brain? See what I’m ‘planning’?”

Anita folded her hands and set them on the table, watching him intently. She refused to be intimidated by his own questioning.

“We have reason to believe you’re a threat,” she said seriously. “If so, that’s a huge problem for you. Make no mistake that we do not take this lightly. Do you understand?”

“Oh, I understand, Detective,” Anthony said lowly, matching her tone. “I think I understand a lot more than you do.”

Anita looked away from him, focusing down at his file instead.

“What exactly are you doing on Earth?” she asked him after a beat. “The humans…they’ve begun to do more and more unspeakable things. The past several decades, our documentation has been piling up. You can’t be doing this alone. Who else did you recruit to corrupt them further?”

Anthony looked up at the ceiling for a moment, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m not doing anything. The humans don’t even need someone like me to intervene; they think of these things by themselves. Humans do have free will, after all. I’ve just been living on Earth.”

“That’s a lie,” Anita called out.

“Is it a lie because They say it is?”

“You would not be spending your days in Confinement if you were simply ‘living on Earth’!” she snapped back. Anthony tensed, lowering his voice to a whisper so that only Anita could hear him.

“You’re right, I would not. Except that I know something. Call it what you will. Perhaps, ‘your people’ feel threatened by the humans,” He whispered venomously, gritting his teeth. “Years of technology, evolution, advancement….perhaps, They are worried that humans may evolve to the likes of which They have never seen, nor could They handle.”

Anita remained silent, listening to his words. Anthony looked around wildly before continuing, making sure he could not be overheard. His eyes bore into hers, pleading with her to understand.

“Grace, They want to depopulate the Earth,” he warned. “They want to get rid of the humans, and They do not want anyone knowing why. They don’t want an equal; They want to rule.”