Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (59 page)

   Given the chance, Martha would just tell him that he is being silly. She would remind him that every single person of the Network must swear an oath upon penalty of death before they can become a member. And she would be right. But people are just people. People make mistakes. In Frank’s experience, the fewer apples there are, the easier it is to find a rotten one.

   After Frank reaches the nurse’s station, he turns left, and walks the few remaining steps to his granddaughter’s room. The observation window is covered with blinds from the inside. It’s Martha’s way of letting him know she is in there with Julianna.

   He gently taps on the door and waits. A few moments later, Martha opens the door. Frank hands her a coffee.

   “There’s a room next door if you get sleepy,” Frank whispers, “I’m going back to the house to pick up some things. I’ll be back when I can.”

   Martha nods and mouths the words
I love you
.

   “Love you, too,” Frank whispers. He leans in and kisses her before quietly closing the door.

   “Is my little anguisette going to pout the entire time she is here?”, a smoky voice questions.

   “I’m not pouting,” Julianna answers defiantly. She turns her head to the left and looks at the teasing woman.

   “And what is anguisette?  I don’t even know what it’s supposed to mean.”

   Lilith sits up.

   “You
are
pouting,” Lilith corrects sternly, “Like a little child.”

   “I’m not a child,” Julianna counters with glaring eyes.

   “You want to know what the word means, look it up librarian. You want me to beat you like one of my enemies, just keep doing what you’re doing. I’ve had enough of this.”

   “That’s your answer for everything – hurting people if they don’t agree with you.”

   “I have bit my tongue several times on this day,” Lilith informs, “But I will not be trampled on as though I were weak. You push and push. Do you
desire
me to cross your line?”

      Julianna does her best to relax her facial expression. The last thing she needs right now is to tangle with this warrior goddess. Lilith would run through her in mere seconds and wouldn’t even break a sweat.

   “I just don’t understand you is all,” Julianna answers calmly.

   Lilith closes her eyes and deeply inhales the aroma of beach air within her nostrils. She speaks teasingly, but not mockingly.

   “You make it hard for me, little anguisette.”

   Lilith opens her eyes and stares intently into Julianna’s curious gaze.

   “You push and provoke me,” Lilith explains, “Then you submit with those wanting eyes. It is hard for me to control myself around you. You tease at my sexual nature as if you are a master puppeteer. And you do these things without trying.”

   Julianna’s left brow lifts slightly.

   “Hate to break it to you,” Julianna informs, “But the
last
thing I want from you is sex.”

   “Sex?”, Lilith mocks. She pauses to contemplate Julianna’s paper dress. The woman starts laughing.

   “Don’t laugh at me. I thought that’s what you were saying,” Julianna responds quickly. She throws her right arm upward in a single waving motion, “See? I don’t understand you.”

   Lilith scans the exposed area in the back of Julianna’s paper dress. The girl’s body is perfection. No blemishes or markings.

   “You have beautiful skin,” Lilith remarks, “Reminds me of the moon at night.”

   Julianna shakes her head doubtfully. She turns her attention back towards the earth-line.

   “Your voice reminds me of someone who has throat cancer,” Julianna counters.  

   “Your provocation, is it by accident? Or do you not care if you anger me?”

   Julianna looks at Lilith – green eyes full of her anger and frustration.

   “You laugh when I assume you want me for sex, then you look at me like the way you’re doing right now. At this point, I don’t give a damn if your bipolar ass is angry or not. In my world, they’d put a straitjacket on you, pump you full of the much needed meds you’re missing, and call it a day.”

   Lilith silently studies the mouthy woman. A few moments passes before she takes her braids and covers the front of her body once more. She begins patting her lips with her right index finger. Julianna, also, sits in silence – her hard glare not wavering. When Lilith lowers her hand from her mouth, she notices Julianna subconsciously shift her body into a position better suited for a quick advancement to her feet. Lilith grins.

   “Here’s what I think,” Lilith speaks calmly, “I think you do not mean to do what you do. I think you are unaware of yourself and your abilities as a woman.”

   Lilith stands to her feet. Julianna fights to remain seated, but Lilith sees the concern on the young woman’s face.

   “You do not purposefully try to bring my wrath so I will lose control of  myself and attack you,” Lilith explains; “No. I believe you see it as speaking your mind. But you
can
speak without doing this. I have seen it from you.”

   “I don’t want you to attack me,” Julianna defends, “That doesn’t even make sense.”

   “Shut up!”, Lilith lashes out angrily.

   Julianna flinches.

   Lilith calms her voice, “I am speaking now.”

   “I see a woman who does not know why she does these things – a woman who has lied to herself for so long she doesn’t know who she is.”

   “Sex,” Lilith waves her right hand towards Julianna, “This is all your limited mind can see.”

   Lilith, slowly, begins walking towards Julianna. She can see the nervousness growing within the young woman’s eyes.

   “Let me tell you something about
your
world,” Lilith continues, “
Your
world
thinks
it is open and free about sex.
Your
world exposes women to the point they become objects to those around them. In some cases, they might even see themselves as objects.”

   Lilith growls disgustedly as she walks within arm’s reach of the young woman.

   “Hmm,” Lilith mocks whenever Julianna swallows nervously.

   Lilith sits down in the sand where she is eye level to the now quite woman.

   “
Your
world buys sex, sells sex, abuses sex, and perverts sex.
Your
world has no idea what sex is. Of course you do not understand me. How can you?”

   Julianna remains silent.

   “Do you believe there is such a thing as meaningless sex?”

   “Like friends with benefits?”, Julianna answers with a question.

   Lilith’s head retreats as she innocently attempts to define the strange usage of the young woman’s words. She smiles awkwardly. Julianna catches on and elaborates further.

   “It’s when two people have sex, but still remain just friends. No love, attachments, or relationship. Just sex.”

   “Oh,” Lilith responds, “Then yes. That is what your world teaches you.”

    Lilith’s stare becomes stern once again.

    “It is a lie, little anguisette. It is impossible to view someone the same way you did before this uh - friends with benefits. You will see them differently every single time. Now when you look upon them, you will see the reward of sexual pleasure. This was not present before, no?”

   Julianna shakes her head and looks down at the sand between her legs, “Why are you telling me this?”

   “I tell you you have beautiful skin, and you take my adoration and then twist it into a sexual perversion.”

   Julianna looks up. Her eyes lock with Lilith’s gaze. The woman of many braids doesn’t seem angry so much as she seems to be concerned.

    “I attempt to point out those things inside of you so you can understand yourself better,” Lilith continues, “But your first instinct is to mock my understanding with your perverted teachings. I do not want you like the way you see with your mind. Your understanding of it is pathetic.”

   Julianna’s mouth opens slightly before she speaks.

   “You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself. I’m just reaming with confidence right now.”

   “And why should your confidence be dependent on what I say? Perhaps it is
your
world who has taught you this behavior?”

   Lilith remains silent as the young woman contemplates her words.

   “You know,” Julianna finally answers, “It would be nice if you weren’t right
all
of the time.”

   A partial smile of appreciation crosses over Lilith’s lips. She nods respectively.

   Julianna takes a deep breath and exhales – her cheeks reminds Lilith of a chipmunk gorging itself. She laughs.

   “What?”, Julianna questions with embarrassment.

   Lilith reaches out and pushes Julianna’s red-tinge side bang over her right ear.

   “You willingness to admit new knowledge is beautiful.”

   Julianna grins. Lilith’s occasional backslide of speech is enjoyable. When Lilith’s hand retreats, Julianna gently grabs hold of it. Lilith pauses and watches her curiously.

   “Here,” Julianna instructs. She turns her left arm over and exposes her freshly closed wound. Taking Lilith’s hand, Julianna places it onto her arm. Lilith silently questions by lifting both of her brows. Julianna nods reassuringly. Lilith gently squeezes. Julianna’s head retreats – her upper left lip raises just enough to convey her disappointment.

   “Really?”, Julianna complains.

   Lilith’s gaze becomes full of purpose. She, slowly, places her fingers over the wound. Julianna’s heart begins racing. Lilith forcefully digs into the wound. Julianna closes her eyes and screams. When she begins begging, Lilith stops.

   “Dammit!”, Julianna curses breathlessly.

   Lilith – unsure of what to do – waits. Julianna opens her eyes. The young woman looks with devious eyes.

   “My turn,” Julianna announces right before touching Lilith’s left knee with her right hand.

   Lilith’s eyes widen. She smiles awkwardly. Signs of pleasure courses through her eyes as she loses herself to a loud gasp.

   “Heh,” Julianna enjoys the sounds and visuals emitting from Lilith’s face.

   After a few seconds pass by, Lilith begins calming. She watches Julianna, pointedly, move her stare towards her chest area. Lilith smiles and whips her long braids over her shoulders.

   “Better?”

   “Much,” Julianna agrees proudly.

   “How about this?”, Lilith questions while dancing her fingers playfully over the young woman’s arm.

   Julianna’s thighs twitch with anticipation.

   Lilith notices the young woman is nibbling on her bottom lip. She adores the copycat action with the digging of her fingers.

   Julianna cries out. Tears fill her eyes. She holds out as long as possible before begging for mercy. This time, however, Lilith doesn’t comply. 

   “Please stop!”, Julianna screams out.

   Lilith releases and digs harder.

   Julianna instinctively takes a swing at Lilith with her right hand. Lilith catches her wrist before contact can be made and squeezes tightly. Sharp pains shoot throughout her arm.

   “Lilith stop!”, Julianna commands.

   The woman answers with forceful fingers. Julianna screams out.

   The next time Lilith relaxes her grip, the young woman collapses her body into the sand. When she does, Lilith lets go of both of her arms.

   Whenever Julianna is able to stop crying, she looks up angrily at Lilith from the sand.

   “You can be a real bitch, you know that?”

   Lilith nods respectively.

   Julianna sits up and looks at her arms. They should be bleeding, but they’re not.

   “It wasn’t a compliment.”

   “I know, little anguisette,” Lilith winks, “It was provocation.”

   Julianna attempts to scramble away, but is caught before she can get anywhere. Lilith yanks her forward and digs her fingers into her left arm. Julianna screams out again. But this time, her thighs begin quaking with uncontrollable spasms. She looks at Lilith with eyes of surprise.

   Lilith smiles knowingly.

   Frank quietly knocks on the door. A few seconds later, he is greeted by his wife. He enters the room and gently shuts the door behind him. Julianna is fast asleep on the bed.

   “How’s she doing?”

   Martha walks over to a chair positioned by Julianna’s right side and sits down. She watches her husband take the seat next to her.

   “She’s been sleeping since you left,” Martha informs.

   Frank takes hold of his wife’s right hand.

   “And how is grandma doing?”, he whispers.

   “Grandma’s tired.”

   Frank nods.

   “I brought you some clothes,” he explains, “They’re in the room next door. Why don’t you go get some sleep? I can watch over her.”

   Julianna throws her head back and inhales a gasping breath. Martha quickly releases her husband’s hand and stands up. Julianna moans softly. Martha’s right brow lifts slightly.

   “Frank,” Martha whispers, “I think you need to go.”

   Frank stands up and looks at his granddaughter. She moans again. His head retreats.

   “Uh…”

   “Get out of here,” Martha orders through a whisper.

   “Done,” Frank agrees. He walks towards the door and opens it. Julianna moans louder.

   “Should I get the...”

   “No,” Martha answers while glaring at her husband, “Now shoo.”

   Julianna moans.

   Frank’s eyes widen. He darts out of the room and shuts the door. Turning around, he smacks into Julianna’s doctor.

   “Oh, I’m sorry,” Frank apologizes.

   The doctor steps back, “That’s quite alright. I am just here to check in on our patient.” The man attempts to step around Frank and enter the room, but Frank steps in front of him.

   “Martha needs a few more minutes. Care for some coffee? I’m buying. I sure could use some myself. ”

   The doctor glances towards the closed door before looking at Frank.