Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (24 page)

   The woman's loosely fitted black transparent gown leaves nothing to the imagination. Julianna tries not to look anywhere strange, but the woman's distance from her makes it impossible. And the one thing she notices is how the woman's bosoms are identical to her own. It causes Julianna to linger a little too long as she envisions herself in the mirror.

   The mysterious stranger notices the girl's wayward eyes.

   “I'm sorry. I don't have many visitors,” she explains.

   Julianna's embarrassment amuses the woman. She approaches the visitor and offers her right hand, “Hello, my name is Lilith.”

   “That's right, dear. Relax and breathe deeply,” Martha coaches while gently placing the girl's hair over the table's edge to hang freely.

   “Dat child be calmin' hurself well,” the priestess observes, “As strong as yurself be makin' dat cocktail, I did not be thinkin' she could calm so soon.”

  
4:30 p.m.

   “Five minutes. Not bad, Jules,” Martha turns from looking at the clock hanging behind her on the wall. She pats the girl’s left arm before walking to the table's foot-end. The woman with red hair checks the strong blend's work.

   “We still have a few more minutes here,” Martha confirms.

   “I must be prayin' now, Mrs. Martha,” the voodoo priestess informs. The skinny woman glances over to the artwork's center upon the floor. She double checks the Lilith dagger's location in relation to where she will soon be with the rooster.

   “I'd be needin' dat bowl, Mrs. Martha.” The dark woman pauses with a slight grin, “And yurself be needin' to collect dat rooster for me as well.”

   “You could at least pretend not to enjoy it so much, Lady Lanecia,” Martha playfully scolds her friend of so long. She listens to her friend chuckle while she turns to retrieve the wooden bowl.

   Lady Lanecia pushes the play button on her retro-style cassette player. Musical drum beats begin filling the room with the thump of rhythmic intensity.  The priestess begins her dance and prayer.

   “Lilith?”, the teen questions, “Like the carving on the box?”

   The gorgeous woman retracts her offered hand and uses it to tap her lower full lip thoughtfully.

   “Box,” she pauses for a few seconds before recalling the item, “Ah - yes. Your ancestors made one out of stone a very long time ago. The box you're speaking of is a replica.”

   Julianna's head retreats, “You don't look that old.”

   The woman examines her own arms. Her tan skin which wraps them is youthful and tight. She smiles with adoration before lowering them to her side. The woman's green eyes locks gazes with the disbelieving girl.

   “I do not have a body in your realm,” Lilith gives her answer. Her low-toned smoky voice continues, “Just as you do not have a body in this realm.”

   Julianna inhales nervously.

   “Relax, young one,” Lilith attempts to calm the visitor, “You are safe here.”

   Julianna nods and takes a few deep breaths – slowly exhaling each one with closed eyes. Lilith patiently watches the girl finish with her breathing exercises.

   Julianna opens her eyes slowly, “I'm sorry. I don't understand.”

   Lilith's green eyes emanate with reassurance, “Try to remember, young one. Where were you
before
you were in this place?”

   “By a strange-looking train,” the teen uneasily recounts. Lilith's lack of response and never ending stare sparks her to rethink her answer.

   “I-I can't remember,” the girl begins to panic.

   “Tell me about your train, young one,” Lilith directs calmly.

   Julianna spills out her story about the boxcars made of bones, feathers flapping on each side, the depot station, and the saloon doors. Lilith's intrigue causes Julianna to become animated with her arms while she describes flapping wings.

   “That is spectacular,” the woman declares. She throws her head back and laughs.

   Julianna begins to relax while she runs through her story. When she finishes, Lilith smiles.

   “I have heard many, many stories about someone's journey to my beach,” Lilith explains, “But never one as wonderful as yours.” The woman winks with her right eye. “You are even more than I could have ever hoped for, young one,” Lilith's raspy voice decrees.

   Julianna still feels uneasy about her lack of memory, but her new friendship has brought peace with it.

   “What was your train's name?”, Lilith questions knowingly. Her centuries of experience have taught her many things about the complexities of the two realms. One of which, is that her visitor's first time always has a name attached to their entry scene.

   The girl forms a smile.  The question immediately opens her lost memory bank.

   “The Chicken's Bones Laughing Train Machine,” she happily reveals.

   Lilith laughs even louder than before. When she calms again, she looks at the girl adoringly, “It is a perfect name. Given by one who has a perfect heart.”

   Julianna withdraws from Lilith's last statement. Visions of a funeral race through her mind. She looks down at the white sand covering her toes. A tear makes its way down her left cheek.

   “What was his name?”, Lilith's compassionate voice envelopes Julianna.

   The teen doesn't care that Lilith somehow knew her sadness was over a boy. She moves her right foot deeper into the sand. The brokenhearted girl's other eye fills with unwanted tears. The water quickly escapes its temporary prison and runs down her right cheek.

   “Johnathan,” Julianna reluctantly utters his name. Her nose begins to drip. She raises her right hand to make use of the bottom of her palm.

   “Don't do that,” Lilith kindly objects to the visitor's actions.

   Julianna's arm stops in mid-flight. She raises her head to convey her confusion as her arm lowers back to her side. Lilith's face is full of streaming tears and a nose which now drips.

   The woman's smoky voice speaks tenderly, “Whenever you hold back your emotions, you rob me of all of the enjoyment you can give to me.”

   Julianna stares blankly.

   “Where is your body at, child?”, Lilith approaches from a different angle.

   “At the Lady Lanecia's house,” the teen answers.

   “Yes. And my body stands before you now,” the woman observes, “But yet, you're also here.”

   “Some people call an experience like this a vision or a dream,” the woman of many braids continues, “But they do not truly understand the way our two realms exists together.”

   Lilith points out towards the stormy ocean, “What do you see?”

   “A storm, lightning, black water, and...” the younger girl pauses because she doesn't want to sound stupid.

   “And what?”, Lilith arches her right brow.

   Julianna can feel the disgusting nasal drainage over her lips. She can't stand even the slightest thought of it slipping inside her mouth. The girl pretends to take a deep breath for calming purposes. When she exhales, she forcefully blows the grossness away from the middle of her lips.

   “I-I don't think there's anything alive in there,” the sixteen-year-old admits while staring over the vast ocean.

   Lilith lowers her hand and smiles. She shakes her head in wonderment, “You
are
special. I am truly impressed.”

   Julianna glances at the woman – a little surprised by her response.

   “Come with me,” Lilith instructs while turning to walk towards the water's edge.

   The teen nods and begins walking behind the woman.

  
Just my luck. I have to dream up someone that looks like that. As if I didn't have enough problems. Now I have to beat on my self-confidence? And why even bother dreaming up clothes on her? Geezus. Talk about slutville.

   “Would you prefer I take it off for you?”, Lilith turns and faces the visitor by the water's edge.

  
Oh, hell no!

   “No?” Her smile fades while her head cocks slightly to the right, “And where is this Slutville you speak of? I am not familiar with this place.”

   “Sorry,” Julianna looks down at the woman's feet while shaking her head no.

   “Oh,” Lilith makes the connection the girl has just insulted her. She looks at the water and then back to the regretful teenager.

   Lilith kneels and waves her left hand towards herself, “Come over here.”

   Julianna would question the woman's intentions, but she feels as if she's already burned up
that
card. Instead, the girl walks over until Lilith nods for her to stop.

   “Don't be scared,” Lilith reaches out to touch the teen's face, “I will not hurt you.”

   Julianna's head retreats, “Uh - yeah. This is never going to happen.”

   Lilith lowers her hand – her brows narrow.

   “And what is it that you think is going to happen?”

   Julianna senses anger from the woman. It doesn't take her long to realize she has misjudged the woman's intentions.

   She shakes her head, “Never mind. Too many movies.”

   Lilith remains silent as she watches the girl with a genuine curiosity.

   “Um. Okay,” Julianna isn't sure how to proceed. The awkward silence is grueling. She takes a step back from the staring woman.

   “Why follow me to the water and then refuse?”, Lilith's smoky voice questions innocently, “Is that not a waste of your time to do so?”

   Julianna nods with no good argument in mind.

   “Fear can empower you, young one. Or it can consume you,” Lilith speaks, “But you do not get to choose when fear will appear itself to you. It is only in how you choose to face it outwardly that will govern its outcome within you.”

   Julianna listens carefully. Lilith remains silent as the visitor reasons out her words. Finally, Julianna nods.

   “I understand...I think,” the teen answers honestly while her green eyes lock gazes with the woman.

   Lilith smiles comfortingly. Julianna takes a deep breath and closes the distance between them. The woman's left hand reaches up non-threateningly and wipes away the mucous from her nose and lips. The girl's eyes widen.

   Lilith's touch fills Julianna with a surge of warm goose bumps. The tingling sensation flows up her spine to the top of her head. The girl grins with delight as the surge of electrical energy envelopes her entire being.

   “You loved this Johnathan very much,” Lilith speaks while removing her hand from the girl's face.

   Julianna stops smiling. Her brows narrow.

   “Why would you say that to me?”, Julianna's eyes begin stinging. They quickly water as her mind races with the images of the car wreck.

   Lilith dips her hand into the black ocean water. She stands up and uses both hands to wipe away the girl's new tears. Julianna's eyes widen as the surge of energy races through her once more. The longer the woman's hands touch her, the longer she finds herself desiring that they would stay. Lilith bends down and dips both of her hands back into the water.

   “Do you know what I am doing, young one?”, the beautiful woman inquires as she stands upright.

   Julianna feels like she has been doped up by some serious medication. She grins awkwardly, “You are taking away my sssadness.”

   Lilith stares intently. The girl's words have a slight slurring to them. The woman, however, chooses to ignore the oddity.

   “No, young one,” Lilith corrects, “You are giving me your sadness. I do not take.”

   The teen points at the woman's face.

   “How did you do that?”, Julianna questions why Lilith's face no longer exhibits tears or mucous without being cleaned.

   “I experience what you give me,” Lilith explains, “Your face is clean. Is it not?”

   “Hmm,” Julianna accepts the strange explanation by lowering her hand to her side.

   “How is your grief now?”, Lilith questions.

   Julianna thinks about the crash. Her head retreats in thought. She runs over the imagery of the funeral. She shakes her head in disbelief.

   “I don't want to kill myself if
that's
what you're asking.”

   Lilith grins at the stubborn-headed girl. She begins walking towards the wall. Julianna closely follows.

   “Was Johnathan kind like you?”, Lilith's compassionate tone reflects her desire to free Julianna of all sadness.

   Julianna complies by speaking freely and honestly about everything concerning her boyfriend. This time she does not allow her pride to hinder whenever her nose drips. The least she can do for this marvelous woman is to allow her the small favor of experiencing the whole enchilada. Gross or not.

   Lady Lanecia sways and dances to the beating drum beats. She calls out to the oldest woman of them all, Lilith.

   The woman of many braids was punished for refusing to blindly accept the reality where she was not allowed to speak her own mind. Punished because someone else told her this was how it was going to be no matter what she thought about it, and she refused. Punished because she sought after the truth. Punished because she challenged the reasoning behind the rules and regulations forced upon her.

   Martha watches the priestess pray with the rooster pulled next to her floral print dress. The time is nearing when her friend will drop to her knees, throw chicken bones into a bowl within the chalked circle, and cut that nasty bird's throat.

   The woman walks over to the sink and runs some hot water over a washcloth. She wrings it out and turns to wipe her granddaughter's face clean.

  
That's odd.

   Julianna's face is void of her tears and nasal drainage. Martha's brows narrow as she walks over to check the girl's hands. They do not appear to have moved at all and are clean. The woman with red hair examines the tarp-blanket, her granddaughter's arms and upper body, and then her hair dangling off of the table's edge. She steps back and stares at Julianna.