Son of the Serpent

by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

  “Perhaps you are the reason she lingered?”

  I saw every huge pore on his filthy, bulbous, red nose. The stench of alcohol almost eradicated the air around me, and his breath was like hot vapor on my face.

  I shoved him away from me, and the plump man tumbled to the ground. His accomplices laughed as he struggled to get back on his feet, but to little avail. “How dare you!” he grumbled.

  “What she does with her time is none of your concern,” I said, my eyes burning with hatred as I glared at the fat man and his friends. No doubt these men are demon-possessed Lilituens who took part in what happened to the little girl.

  The look on their faces changed, and they were no longer laughing or jeering. Instead, they were cringing as they shrunk back in fear. In an instant the ample man clambered to his feet, and he and the others fled to far corners of the city.

  When I turned to Plitith, she stood motionless, wide-eyed. Her trembling hands covered her mouth.

  “Everything is fine now. Those men are gone. You can go home.” She recoiled from me.

  “Why do you retreat in fear of me?” I asked, frowning. “I would never hurt you.”

  “Who are you? Wh-what are you?” She toddled backward, continuing to stare. “Your face—your eyes—they were not your own. There is a demon inside of you, and it tried to seize the fat man.” Her voice quavered as she spoke.

  I hung my head. She and the Sodomites had caught a glimpse of my fiend form. I had not contained my rage, and it showed itself. “I am what I am.”

  She grew pale and sank to the ground. “You are an evil demon—a Lilituen?”

  I frowned. My heart felt as though it would rupture and leak searing blood into my chest. “I am no Lilituen! Nor did I choose those who conceived and begot me. Yes, I was born of evil, but had I intended to destroy you, I would have already done so, for I had countless opportunities. We were alone for quite some time, in the shadows. Did I hurt you in any way?”

  She said nothing, though I was certain she had much more to offer.

  “Never mind,” I said with a dismissive wave. “You go home. I will go in the opposite direction and do what I came here to do. Only, do not forget it was you who invited me to your home in the first place.” With one last glance at her mute form, I tucked my hurt feelings away and sauntered off.

  “No, wait!” she said before I was ten paces away. “You were kind to the impoverished people outside the gates. You gave them all you had to eat and drink. You suffered when you saw the girl on the wall and protected me against the Lilituens. I do not know who or what you are, but I am certain you are not all bad.” She hurried to me and took my hand. “Come, my invitation still stands.”

  Holding hands, we hurried over the brick pavement to her house. There was no doubt in my mind that we had been seen by some of the Sodomites as we stood in front of her house.

  “Wait a moment,” I said, scanning the area.

  “What do you fear?”

  I stroked the nape of my neck and continued looking around. “The image of the young girl on the wall haunts me.”

  The corners of her mouth twitched as she tried to smile at me, but it was as if the effort would break her.

  “That is why we must enter the house.” She grabbed me by the arm. “Hurry.”

  Inside the house, three men sat conversing at a small wooden table. One of them was an older man with dark gray hair and a wizened face, and the other two were not of this world. They were tall, exquisite beings whose skin emitted an incandescent radiance. When they saw me they got to their feet.

  Plitith hurried to the elder. “Hello, Father. This is my friend.”

  The older man looked sideways at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “What is your friend’s name?” When I stepped toward him, the other two beings took a protective stance by his side.

  “My name is of no importance. I mean you no harm,” I said, looking up at the two guardians and then glancing at Plitith’s father.

  “My name is Raphael,” one of them said. “I am a messenger of God, and I know what you are, Dracúl. You are the son of the serpent.”

  “I am Esar,” the other being said, “and I too know of you. Do you share the blame for the depravity of this city?”

  I stood in awe of the two striking beings, and words did not come at once. “What I am was not of my choosing,” I said once I found my tongue.

  Plitith jumped in front of me, shielding me with her body. “He is not responsible for the sinners in Sodom. He arrived only a short time ago and is as much a stranger here as you. He is not evil, despite who sired him. He fed the poor outside the gates. He saved my life!”

  The archangels glanced at each other and stepped back. Her father approached me, examining me with his eyes. He gave me a quick embrace, and then held on to my shoulders.

  “My name is Lot, and you are welcome in my home. You may stay as long as you need. I am most grateful for the kindness you have shown my daughter.”

  I drew a long breath and exhaled with relief. Lot offered me a seat at the table, and after introducing me to the rest of his family, his wife brought food and drink. I ate and drank my fill, knowing I would have to get rid of it later.

  As I consumed my meal I observed Lot and the two messengers. They stood a short distance from me and whispered in secret. I began to notice the messengers’ wings. At first, only a crystalline outline was noticeable, and then the ethereal form of great wings appeared, sometimes iridescent and other times like a mist, but they were there, hidden from human sight.

  When I was done eating, I stood from the table and approached Lot and the angels.

  “God has ordered that Esar and I destroy the city of Sodom,” Raphael said.

  I cocked my head and gaped at him. “I understand why God would give such an order, for the Sodomites are wicked people, but…”

  Plitith, her mother, and three sisters rushed over when they heard Raphael’s words.

  Esar glanced at the women. “God has determined that Lot is the only righteous man in Sodom, the only human being worthy of His mercy. For this reason, he and his family will be saved, but you must leave the city at once.”

  “How could we leave our home?” Lot’s wife said between sobs. “What of our possessions? Where will we go?” Her daughters hurried to her side to console her.

  “Our belongings are of no importance now. God has chosen us to live.” Lot gazed at his wife and daughters with furrowed brow.

  “We must return to our husbands. They are Sodomites and will never leave their homes,” one of Lot’s older daughters said, holding on to the other married sister. Together they stormed out of the house.

  “No!” Lot’s wife cried, reaching out to them, but they were gone. She wept into her hands.

  I stood motionless and speechless watching everything unfold, but my thoughts were on Lilith. Would she be destroyed along with the evil of this city?

  A raucous pounding on the door broke my concentration. I hurried to a window and looked out. “A large crowd surrounds your house,” I said to Lot.

  “We know you are harboring strangers in your house, Lot!” someone in the crowd yelled. “We demand you give the visitors to us, so they may be dealt with in the usual manner!”

  When Lot proceeded to open the door, Plitith ran to him and held on to his arm. “No, Father!” she cried. “They are out for blood tonight. If you open the door they will kill us all.”

  “Perhaps I should speak to the mob,” I said. “It is probably my fault they are here.”

  “Thank you, Dracúl, but that would only incense them further,” Lot said. “I am the head of this household, so I will handle the Lilituens.” He opened the door.

  As the crowd shouted, I heard several voices above the others.

  “Give us the strangers!”

  “Let us have the beautiful visitors, so we may gratify our lustful desires!”

  “Yes, the strangers are exquisite and will satisfy us!”

&nbs
p; In response, Lot grabbed Plitith by the arm and presented her to the crowd. “You will not have God’s holy messengers! If satisfying your lewd and corrupted sexual appetites is what you desire, take my daughter, for she has remained unsullied and shall bring you much pleasure.”

  I gasped and rushed to the doorway, ready to do whatever necessary to prevent the mob from taking Plitith. I did not need to do a thing, however, for the Sodomites rejected her and desired only us—the beautiful strangers.

  “Most fathers would give their lives to protect their wives and daughters, yet you were willing to give Plitith to the mob.” I held on to Plitith, glowering at Lot.

  Lot hung his head. “You do not understand our ways.”

  The mob continued with their raucous demands. In vain Lot tried to quiet them and persuade them to leave. The more he spoke, the more excited they became.

  “We shall massacre you and your entire family if you do not surrender the strangers!” As the mob surged toward the house, I pulled Lot and Plitith inside.

  “It seems that the Sodomites are fixated on the angels and me because we are different. They see us as rare treasures to be had,” I said.

  Suddenly, Raphael came forward and stood before the attacking mob, wings outstretched although they remained diaphanous, retaining their shape within a chrysalis of airy translucency. His alabaster skin smoldered and emitted a radiant brightness which continued to intensify until it struck the crowd with blindness. The mob panicked, spinning, floundering and stumbling about, reaching out in the gloom, their screams and wails echoing around them.

  “The world has turned dark!” someone cried.

  “My eyes! My eyes! I am sightless! I cannot see!” said another.

  “The stranger has blinded us!”

  With that, the crowd dispersed. When it was done, Raphael’s skin returned to its original state, and his wings seemed to fold neatly against his back. He went back into the house and closed the door behind him.

  “Lot, you and your family must leave this place now if you wish to survive!” he said.

  “Must I leave too?” I asked. I so desired to confront my mother.

  Raphael’s large eyes were fixed on me but not in anger; his eyes were kind and patient although filled with resolve. “Esar and I were sent by God to destroy the city of Sodom and its neighboring city, Gomorrah, and we intend to do His will.”

  “How can I leave? I must find my mother, for she has much to answer for.” The moment the words escaped my mouth I regretted having uttered them.

  “You search for Lilith?” Esar said, his eyes narrowing. “She is the reason the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have fallen. She is a source of depravity and perdition. Why do you search for her?”

  I looked to the ground. “She tried to end my life when I was but a child and then abandoned me, leaving me for dead. I need to know why.” My lips quivered, so I bit them to make them stop. “A mother is supposed to love her child and nurture it and be there as he grows. I grew up alone in a forest, living every day in terror. She must not get away with what she did to me.”

  Upon hearing my words, Plitith ran to me, holding unto my arm, resting her head on my shoulder.

  “Vengeance is what you search for?” Raphael said, giving me a compassionate gaze. “What does a serpent know of love? She could no more love you than you could love to bathe in fire. There is only one person she cares for—herself. You may well be grateful that Lilith left you when she did, before she could poison your essence, as she has done to most of the Sodomites and almost every creature with which she has contact. She is a perverse and toxic being, and although you spent your childhood alone, and I am certain it was difficult, it was for the best, for I sense goodness in you. Vengeance is not the answer.”

  “Retribution has been God’s way since the beginning, for I have seen His anger unfold many times,” I said, seething with my own conviction. “For me it is not simply revenge.”

  Raphael spread his arms wide. “You shall not find Lilith here. She remains in a place long enough to condemn it and then moves on. In Sodom and Gomorrah she has done her most proficient work to date. I no longer sense her presence here.”

  My face burned with suppressed rage. “So what is God’s plan? Will He allow her to travel from place to place, infecting the population until they have become as depraved and evil as the Sodomites? Will He go on destroying whole cities because of her? Why does He not annihilate her once and for all?”

  “It is not our place to question God’s choices,” Raphael said. “We must have faith. He shall do what is necessary when the time is right.”

  “Faith? Many nights in the midst of demoralizing loneliness I swung among the stars at the end of the delicate filament of faith alone.”

  My pulse raced, and my hands bunched into fists so tight that my fingernails bit into my palms. Lilith has always been a step ahead of me. She has escaped my wrath once more, but I know I will catch up to her one day.

  Plitith tapped me on the shoulder. “You should come with us. You must.”

  I looked at her and nodded.

  Lot and his family scurried about, gathering food, water, and other supplies they may need. Lot’s wife handed me two sacks groaning with provisions to carry. We headed toward the door, but the angels approached us before we could open it.

  Raphael stood before us, his wings once more outstretched, more solid and shimmering than before. I looked at the others, wondering if they saw them as I did, but judging by the lack of awe on their faces I guessed not. I doubted they saw the inner light glowing through the angels either. Those things were not meant for human eyes to see.

  Raphael’s face was tender and kind. “No Sodomite will interfere with your escape, so fear not. Once you are out of Sodom’s gate, head for the mountains and do not look back at the city until you have reached them.”

  After Raphael was done, Esar stepped forward. His skin was a deep shade of mahogany, and he gazed at me with the darkest iridescent brown eyes I had ever seen. “I did not think it possible for any good to come from Lilith. You are proof there is potential good in all creatures, and anyone may choose to be virtuous, although for a being such as you, it may be more difficult than most. Do try to remain on the path of righteousness.”

  I crossed my arms, and biting my lower lip, I tipped my head in a subtle, reluctant nod.

  The sky was hinting at twilight as we rushed along the paved streets of Sodom. The girls huddled together in a trembling mass as they looked around, wide-eyed. Twisting her head left and right as if it were on a swivel, Lot’s wife eyed the city she was leaving behind.

  “Oh! Where can we go where lush green gardens hang from the sky, gorgeous palaces and cathedrals glitter in the sun, and beautiful sculptures, colorful walls, and columns adorn the streets?” Lot’s wife cried. “My furniture, my garments…”

  Plitith and her sister tried to console their mother, but she was beyond solace.

  “Woman, what good are material possessions if your soul is lost? Enough lamenting!” Lot said, frowning. “God has sent His holy angels to warn us of this impending tragedy. Be grateful and abandon your vanity.” She stopped her griping but continued to whimper.

  Her behavior made my shoulders, neck, and upper back muscles feel stretched, taut, and the sound of her whimpering heightened my sense of foreboding. The city gates were a few yards ahead. “We must remember what the angels said,” I reminded the others. “Once we are outside the city of Sodom, we must not look back until we have arrived at the mountains.”

  As we reached the gates, I was compelled to look at the beautiful city one last time. When I turned around, I caught sight of Raphael and Esar standing in the middle of a large crossing. I took a few steps forward, my sight fixed on them. Right before my eyes, Esar transformed into a gigantic beast.

  The colossal reptile towered above the nearby palaces and temples. Its giant body was covered in shiny, colorful scales: aquamarine, turquoise, emerald, jade, burnished gold.
It was impossible to list the enormous variety of hues comprising the beast’s brilliant coloring. Massive wings, also covered in a scaly armor, expanded behind the beast from close to its thighs. I was unable to turn away.

  Its muscles flexed and shifted under its scales, and they seemed to ripple and glint in the fading sunlight. The beast was both beautiful and horrible. A moment later, I was knocked off my feet, jarred by a rush of painful memories that seared through my mind; a giant creature, identical to this one, had taken my family. It had flown away, disappearing into the horizon with my father in its clutches. I rocked back and forth on my knees, burying my fingers in my hair and holding my head between my hands.

  Plitith hurried to crouch beside me. “We must leave now. Please rise or we will perish along with the Sodomites.”

  Her mother and sister shrieked as Lot opened the gate.

  “Hurry! We must exit the city now!” Lot yelled, waving for us to follow. He sounded far away to me.

  “That is the beast that took my father away,” I said as I got to my feet. Plitith stared at me. I could see she was confused by my behavior. “It was Esar!” I extended an arm and gestured at the beast. “He was the beast that carried my father and Samael to the underworld.”

  She shook her head and pulled me toward the gate, but I yanked away.

  “Please, Dracúl, you are not making any sense. I do not want to die.” Her eyes pleaded with me to go.

  I wanted to run to the beast. I wanted to confront Esar and tell him—tell him I knew it was he. I wanted to ask him where he had taken my father, although I knew Esar was an archangel and had been executing God’s command, as he was now.

  Plitith and her family looked terrified, and I knew they relied on me. How could I let down the one man in Sodom God thought worthy of saving?

  I had dropped the sacks Plitith’s mother had given me. Scattered on the ground were challises, jewelry, fancy garments, and nothing of good use.

  I put my arm around Plitith, and we hurried out of the city. The moment we traversed the gates, they closed behind us, with the deafening groan and clank of bolts sliding into place, as if God Himself had bolted them shut.