Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (58 page)

   “What are we doing?”, Martha questions with a hoarse throat, “This isn’t worth it. It’s not worth her life.”

   Martha turns her head and looks up into Frank’s eyes.

   “I am selfish, Frank. I can’t give her up. I won’t do it.”

   “You are her grandmother. That is our granddaughter lying in that room. There is nothing selfish about it.”

   “D-damn you Frank,” Martha answers his lack of condemnation with trembling lips. New tears find their way out of her blue eyes as she buries her face into his chest once more.

   Frank re-cups Martha’s head with his large palm. He knows she was begging him for a lie. But deep down she expects only truth – something that Frank has always given her. And he will do so until his final breath of life.

   When Martha, finally, regains her composure, Frank informs her that he is going to have a look around. Martha gives him a knowing glance with a halfhearted smile. She knows asking Frank to not make a security sweep is a pointless endeavor. When it comes down to it, Frank trusts no one with his family, but himself. Not even the
Network
.

   “Suicide?”, a smoky voice questions.

   “Shut up,” Julianna snaps back angrily. “You’re a perverted liar and I want nothing to do with you.”

   Julianna turns her left arm over and watches the wound close itself.

   “Damn it, grams,” Julianna curses.

   “Now we are able to come here without drinking anything?”, Lilith asks her visitor another question.

   Julianna looks up with a daring glare.

   Lilith’s head retreats with amusement. In no way could this girl match her in combat. Any acceptance to this non-verbal challenge would be pathetic on her part. And she is not about to lower herself to some mentally unstable teenager with hormone issues.

   Lilith, confidently, turns her back on Julianna. She pauses a moment to listen for approaching footsteps within the white sand. No sound comes. Lilith grins.

   Julianna watches Lilith walk closer to the wall. A ghost rifle would be quite handy about now – if such a thing exists. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

   Lilith’s green eyes scan over the new writings upon the wall. When the words finish, Lilith taps on her lips in thought. A few moments later, she turns around and looks at Julianna with curious eyes. The young woman stands before her in a strange paper dress with no back to it.

   “I see you found the red key,” Lilith informs the teen of her knowledge.

   “No thanks to you,” Julianna answers bitterly.

   “Yes,” the nude woman answers while turning towards a large rock. She walks over to it, turns around, and sits down. Lilith crosses her right leg over her left thigh and stares intently at the young woman before her. A few seconds later, she places both of her hands to each side of her body. Both palms find rest against the warm rock as she leans back.

   “You
are
remarkable,” Lilith says adoringly.

   “Stop it. You’re a liar.”

   “Come now, young one,” Lilith’s smoky tone reflects an unshakeable calm, “Do not waste your energy hating me. I did lie to you. We both know that. But it was not to throw you off your path. I only wanted entertainment.”

   Lilith sighs as she lustfully examines Julianna. She gently bites on her lower lip. Her unwanted gaze causes the young woman to subconsciously wrap her arms around her waist.

   “And you must admit,” Lilith continues her explanation, “Watching you shake with pleasure as you were cursing Him would have been a true delight to witness.”

   “You’re a pervert” Julianna says disgustedly, “You make me sick.”

   Lilith smiles briefly as she sits forward again. Her right index finger begins tapping on her lips. When it stops, her finger remains rested upon her full lips.

   “So says the one who has made me – a spirit soul – feel the pleasures of the flesh.”

   Lilith lowers her hand and rests both arms on her bronze legs.

   “Something I might add,” Lilith continues, “Is not supposed to be even possible.”

   Julianna doesn’t respond. But it is clear to Lilith the young woman is a bit intrigued.

   “You did not know it was like this here?”

   Julianna shakes her head. Her glaring eyes hold fast her anger.

   Lilith’s right arm motions towards the wall on her right, “And imagine my disappointment; whenever, I read those words before your arrival.”

   Lilith rests her arm back upon her leg, “Not until a few moments ago, did I know if you would live or die.”

   “I
will
finish the job,” Julianna states with finality. She flinches when Lilith suddenly stands up.

   Lilith laughs.

   “And then what?”, “Lilith waves both arms upward before lowering them. She points to her left towards the earth-line, “
That
is where you will go until your sentence is carried out…
Mother
.”

   Lilith rests her left palm on her waistline and points to the wall with her right hand.

   “You denounced Him,” Lilith’s tone turns vicious, “You bathed in the blood of one of His chosen ones.”

   The woman of many ages waves both of her arms towards Julianna, “Do you
actually
believe your heat will be turned down because you have split a prophecy line?”

   Lilith lowers her left arm – her right extends upward towards the wall extending into the clouds above, “He does
not
show mercy when He punishes, you stupid child!”

   Lilith lowers her arm and her voice; yet, her tone remains cutting within its intent.

   “Splitting a prophecy cannot stop Him. The prophecy
will
be fulfilled. Save the world. You are foolish.”

   “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Everything you say is a lie.”

   Normally, this is the part where Lilith would have rushed her challenger and reveled in the ensuing beating that would occur. But this is what Julianna expects. Lilith closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly. When she opens her eyes, they are filled with kindness and empathy. She speaks with a soft gentle tone.

   “I understand your anger towards me. I deceived you for my own personal gain. I would be angry, too.”

   Julianna’s demeanor softens as Lilith pauses. But the younger woman fights to hold her resolve.

   “I was consumed by the lustful desires of a woman who has not felt such wondrous pleasures for thousands and thousands of years,” Lilith confesses.

   “Be as it may,” Lilith’s dark brows narrow as she stares coldly into Julianna’s unsure eyes, “My deception would
not
have set your eternal course. As vile as you believe it to be, He would have
still
forgiven you. That is, had you desired this to be so.”

   Lilith holds up her right index finger, “Only
one
unforgiveable sin.”

   Julianna’s anger lessens with each word spoken. She doesn’t know why, but she believes the words spilling from Lilith’s lips.

   Lilith lowers her hand to her side, “I did not teach you to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, child. But
someone
did. And you did it. Eagerly, I might add.”

   “When you mocked the trinity, you mocked the Holy Spirit. And that is the
only
sin He will not forgive.”

   Lilith glances out into the earth-line, “Did that someone tell you about this?”

   Julianna looks down at her feet. The white sand around them is black.

   “No,” the young woman answers with defeat.

   Lilith turns her gaze back upon Julianna.

   “Think, child. Did you feel Him leave before or after?”

   “After.”

   “And what I asked you to do,” Lilith pushes deeper, “Did it have the Trinity as a requirement?”

   Julianna raises her head. She looks into Lilith’s watchful eyes.

   “No. But it didn’t give the red key, either.”

   Lilith laughs.

   “No - I suppose it didn’t.”

    Lilith tilts her head slightly, “Do you think it would have made a difference if you were seventeen when you received it? Or if you were thirty?”

    “I - I don’t know.”

   “Prophecy does not care about age. I should not have done what I done to you. That is obvious now. But I still would have told you the truth many years from now.”

   “I am sorry,” Lilith gives a rare apology, “I wanted you to enjoy your life until the last years of your ability to conceive.”

   Within Julianna’s demeanor, Lilith sees the slightest bit of an acceptance of her apology.

   “Don’t get me wrong,” Lilith continues, “I
do
wish for you to bear your child. It is my last dig at Him before He burns me. But your youth is precious. It is such a short time that any of us are allowed.”

   Lilith looks back over towards the earth-line, “And some of us don’t even get that much.”

   The woman of many braids lets out a quite sigh before turning to face the wall of writing.

   “But none of that matters anymore. Instead of enjoying your youth, you are slicing into your wrists at the age of seventeen.”

   Julianna watches Lilith’s braids dangle freely as the woman walks towards her favored rock. Lilith turns and sits down. She crosses her legs and places her hands into her lap.

   “What you choose to do with your life now will have no bearing on your punishment. You already crossed the only line not meant to be crossed. If I were you, I would enjoy every moment of my physical existence as I could.”

   Lilith waves her left arm towards the earth-line without looking into its wake, “There’s plenty of time for all of that.”

   The woman lowers her arm and stares coldly at Julianna.

   “It
is
forever. Your physical life is not.”

   Julianna stands in silence. She studies Lilith’s non-condemning gaze before looking out over the earth-line. It appears as though some of its spiritual occupants can see her. Yet, there are those closer to its boundary that seems utterly clueless to the wall’s existence.

   Julianna turns her attention to the wall, “If He cannot lose then why are we doing this? What is the point of it all? It seems so senseless.”

   Lilith nods, “You are growing up. The more you know – the less you know.”

   Julianna turns her green gaze upon Lilith. The woman has graciously placed her long braids in front of her breast as covering.

   “Do you believe you would have ever served Him given another life?”, Lilith questions.

  Julianna shakes her head.

   “Why not?”

   “Because of what He did to you. Those same patterns are found all over the Hebrew texts. Every time He sent His people to war, He told them to take the women as wives. That’s rape. I don’t care how you spin it. It’s evil. And I will never serve
that
.”

   “Yet, when you know He has removed His presence from your life, you suddenly desire to lie down and die? How does this make sense to me?”

   Julianna decides not to correct the woman concerning her last question. It is apparent she has been working hard to learn the modern English language for Julianna’s benefit. Instead, Julianna agrees with a silent nod.

   “No words?”

   “No. Nothing to say. You’re right. It was kinda stupid.”

   Lilith throws her head back and laughs. When she calms, she looks at the young woman in whom she views with adoration.

   “It? I’d say
you
were completely stupid.”

   Julianna’s brows narrow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

   Lilith raises her brows questioningly in response to the young woman’s challenging tone. She elects to ignore her once more, but her words are piercing.

   “You feel Him remove His presence – someone you say you hate,” Lilith aggressively answers; “And then, you feel sorry for yourself and decide to do what? Kill your physical body so He can torment you over there?”

   Julianna watches Lilith’s left arm point towards the earth-line, but she refuses to follow with her eyes.

   “Suicide in and of itself I do not see as stupid. The reasons behind it are different. Maybe someone needs to escape endless physical torture beyond comprehension. Or maybe someone needs a quicker death than lying there for six months riddled with sickness. That kind of suicide is merciful and understandable. What you did was full of selfish ignorance. You did it because your emotions felt bad.”

   Lilith points at Julianna, “Don’t try to tell me you did it because you were trying to save the world from your child. I
know
better.”

   Lilith waves her right arm towards the wall, “I can read it for myself.”

   Julianna stands there speechless. Giving up on any retort, she turns towards the earth-line and sits down in the sand.

   Lilith enjoys the moment. Not because she has the young woman thinking about what she has done. Instead, Lilith focuses upon the black sand around Julianna’s buttocks and feet. After a few moments, the woman flips her braids over her shoulders onto her back and places her palms upon the warm rock. She slightly leans back and closes her eyes. Her mind houses thoughts of the lightning storm that is sure to come. Lilith smiles.

   After making his rounds and introducing himself to every last person in sight, Frank decides to check in on his family. He makes his way towards the nurse’s station. This part of the wing is completely empty except for the two women at the station and a lone security guard posted by the elevator at the hall’s end.

   This was the first area Frank cleared of non-essential personnel. As far as he is concerned, if they have nothing to do with his granddaughter’s care, then they have no business here. There is only one patient on this entire floor –
his
granddaughter. And the last thing his family needs right now is a bunch of busy bodies running their mouths like rabid dogs in need of a good euthanization.

   Typically, however, Frank wouldn’t worry about such things – especially here. After all, every doctor, nurse, assistant, orderly, janitor, and maintenance personnel assigned to this floor is part of the Network. But sometimes people are just people. And people make mistakes. A common one is gossip. It might seem harmless at the time, but it can be damaging and hurtful – even if the intent behind it is not.