Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Posts: 357
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Short story: What Became of Lilith (part 2)
A short story attempt. Editing and constructive criticism would be much appreciated. I wrote it quickly, took me maybe two or three hours, so definitely needs some work
Lilith stood there still shaking, she realized then that even her teeth had started to chatter. Fear paralyzed her, and she stood there merely staring at where the demon had stood. Without giving it a single thought she suddenly blurted out, “Was that my mother?” and this confused her. She of course had no mother that she could remember. Then it suddenly made sense, just as her remembering having a mother had been a trick of the forest, so too must seeing the demon been a trick of the forest. Her nerves were still greatly shaken, even if it had been just a trick of the mind…of the forest, it seemed very real. Still, she resolved that the forest would probably cause her to see more similar demons that didn’t exist, maybe even demons more horrifying than the faceless woman, and that she couldn’t let them get the best of her mind. She had to continue on in the right direction while she was able to remember it.
Lilith walked on slowly, and decided again that she would remind herself of her family to renew her strength. This time, she also forgot her father, all that was left of her memory of her family was her brother John. Lilith murmured quietly to herself, “Yes…orphans…parents…just wishful thinking.” As soon as she uttered the last word she again heard the call of the raven, it cried twice this time and louder than before. The piercing noise hurt her ears and she quickly held her hands to them to muffle the sound. Once the noise had stopped, remembering what had happened when she last heard the raven she brought her hands out in front of her. To her horror, she had faded more, and could make out the trees through her skin fairly clearly. Once again she darted to the nearest tree to touch it. She was at least a little reassured, she was still solid, but she could see the tree bark through her hand when she touched the tree.
Lilith’s fear overcame her at the sight of the bark through her hand, and she collapsed at the tree in heaving sobs. Tears watered the dry barren soil. She stayed that way for some time before she was able to wipe her tears and decide to keep going. Tears after all, wouldn’t get her out of the forest. Before she could get up from the tree, she realized she had stopped so long to cry, that she had forgotten what direction she was walking in. She immediately started sobbing again, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she quickly turned around only to find herself face to face with another specter of the forest. She could not scream this time, crying had robbed her of what little energy she had. All she could manage was to widen her eyes and grip at the tree. This time it was a tall man in a brown suit that matched the bark of the trees just as the dress of the woman had. He also had black hair that fell over a black pit in his face, leaking smoky black tendrils. It held out its hand to help Lilith up, certain there was no way of escape, Lilith figured she had no choice but to take its hand. She reached out to grab the hand, which felt icy cold. Despite feeling very dead, it was strong and helped her up quickly. Hesitantly she asked, “Do you wish to help me?” A very deep laugh echoed from the pit, mocking just as the laugh of the other demon. “No? Then why are you here?” It didn’t answer, but pointed. “Is…that the direction I must go?” Once again laughing was all that spilled out with the tendrils. “Is that where I become no one?” It continued to point as it faded away.
Lilith of course knew that she had no choice but to go in the direction the specter had pointed her in. It could lead to death, it could lead to life, either was better than forever in the timeless forest. Lilith trudged on wearily, motivation was nearly completely gone. She occasionally looked at her hands or feet, to make sure she hadn’t faded any more. There were no bats in sight to assure her if she was going the right way…of course, there was no telling if that had ever been the correct way to go, she had just assumed. She could have been walking quickly to her death the entire time, and she knew that, though she quickly got the idea out of her thoughts. Things were hopeless enough as they were, there was no sense thinking things like that.
Lilith wondered if maybe the reason she saw no living thing in the forest besides the bats was because anything that entered the forest disappeared there as she was. There was no light there for the trees, and the ground looked as though it had never known a drop of water…but maybe these trees took food of a different kind. Maybe the trees fed on those unfortunate enough to wander beneath their leaves. Perhaps the raven knew, was somehow safe from that fate, and mocked the forest’s victims. Lilith had a new hate for the raven’s call, it was a demon too.
Lilith nearly felt like giving up. She was very tired, and couldn’t avoid collapsing much longer. She was certain no matter how hard she tried to go on, she would fall victim to the forest. Then, she noticed a small clearing in the trees in front of her. It wasn’t a way out, but it was a clearing, and any break in the scenery of the cursed forest seemed like reason for hope. Despite being ready to collapse she ran towards it. It looked close, but it seemed that she ran for a very long time without it getting any closer. She started to fear it could just be another trick of the forest when finally, she arrived at the clearing. It was a small clear pond. The water was stagnant, but looked fresh and clean. She then realized how hungry and thirsty she had been, and the water was very tempting. She also feared what water in this forest could do to her. Maybe it was the final nail in her coffin, and would cause her to disappear completely. Thirst however overcame this worry quickly. She bent down and drank until her thirst was quenched.
The water was cool and refreshing, and gave her a bit of hope. She decided she would again think of her family before going on. Certain that having had something to drink, and the thoughts of her family fresh in her mind would give her the strength she needed to finally escape the forest. She sat by the pond, trying to recall her family…when she realized, she had none. There was no family awaiting her escape from the forest. She wondered then if there was really any point to escape. She had no reason to go on, no hope. Lilith thought aloud, “I am alone…” As she uttered the last word, she heard instead of the cry of the raven she had expected, the flapping of wings. The raven came flying overhead, and landed on the tree across from the pond. It was a monstrous raven, the size of a great dane, but the branch didn’t so much as quiver beneath the raven’s weight. Lilith whispered hoarsely, “Am I no one?” The raven cried loudly, as it did the woman Lilith had seen with a black void in place of a face appeared below the raven and stood there silently. Lilith held out her hand in front of her, she flickered like a dying light bulb, and a tear fell into the pond. The raven cried again even louder, and the tall man appeared beneath the raven next to the woman. Lilith flickered again. The raven cried a third time, this cry was so loud that the trees surrounding the pond dropped many leaves making a circle around the clearing. A small boy appeared between the man and the woman, dressed in the same bark brown. Black tendrils seeped out of a gaping black hole in his face as well.
Lilith sobbed, “Why? I don’t want to disappear…I don’t want to be gone forever. I thought anything would be better than this forest…but I don’t want to disappear.” Laughter echoed from the holes of all three, and the raven pointed its beak to the pond. Lilith was angered by their response, she wanted a reason, she wouldn’t accept the mocking laughter, “Tell me why!” The laughing became deafening, completely drowning her out, and the Raven continued pointing to the pond. Lilith gave up, and looked into the pond…but there was nothing to be seen…not even her own reflection.
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"An orphan's curse would drag to hell
A spirit from on high ;
But oh ! more horrible than that
Is the curse in a dead man's eye !
Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,
And yet I could not die."
-The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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