Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series

by Tony C. Skye

  “Shh…”, Martha soothes, “There’s plenty of time for that later. You just get better.”

  Julianna nods as she fights back her emotions.

  “Ow,” Julianna complains as the nurse lifts her arm.

  “Sorry honey,” a woman’s voice apologizes.

  Julianna looks at the woman with shoulder-length hair.

  “It’s okay,” Julianna lies with a fake smile.

  “Here you go.”

  Julianna looks to her right again while the nurse begins unwrapping her arm. Frank stands to the right of Martha with a plastic cup of water. Martha helps her to sit up. Frank hands Martha the water. Julianna stares into the cup as her grandmother holds the rim to her parched lips. The first swallow hurts, but tastes so good. Thankfully, Martha expertly tilts the glass upward until Julianna has had her fill. Whenever Julianna looks at her grandmother, Martha pulls the cup away and hands it off to Frank.

  “Um - doctor?”

  Julianna looks to her left. The nurse holding her arm is staring at the doctor with a look of puzzlement. Julianna looks at her arm. She gives a worried glance to her grams as the doctor takes her arm within his hands.

  “It’s alright,” Martha consoles, “They’re all Network here.”

  Julianna notices that Martha is having a hard time not locking her gaze upon the wounded arm.

  “Other than some bruising, I just don’t know what to say about this.”

  Julianna moves her watchful eyes back towards the doctor. He glances to his left to let Julianna know that her secret is not known by everyone in the room. The young woman recognizes the man from her birthday party. She slowly blinks with both of her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” Julianna speaks quietly, “You can tell her.”

  “As you wish, Mother,” the doctor nods. He glances to his left. The nurse quickly drops to one knee with her right hand fisted over her chest.

  “Get up,” Julianna angrily chastises while looking to her grandmother for help.

  The nurse nervously looks up with a bowed head. She, too, looks to Martha for answers.

  “My granddaughter doesn’t care for such things,” Martha explains, “It’s okay.”

  The woman stands and keeps her gaze upon Martha.

  “Hey,” Julianna quietly interjects, “I’m over here.”

  The woman briefly glances at Julianna before returning her confused gaze back to Martha.

  “And you…”, Martha speaks with a chastising voice. She caringly rubs Julianna’s forehead with her left hand. She pauses until the young woman, reluctantly, looks away from the nurse and fixates her frustrated eyes upon her.

  “You need to learn to allow others their simple pleasures as well,” Martha continues, “She has been trained this way – as all of them have. It is only a sign of respect, dear. Nothing more. You make too much of it.”

  Julianna submits to her grandmother’s authority with a single nod. She has no other choice. First of all, she is strapped down like a serial killer. Secondly, she has a lot to answer for. She sure isn’t trying to add to her list at the moment. And finally, in the short of it, her grams is absolutely correct. The world does not revolve around Julianna Cora Atwood. A clock needs many pieces to work properly. She is, but one piece.

  Julianna looks down towards the nurse. The blond nervously shifts her eyes from Martha over to her.

  “If you want to kneel like a slave, then by all means kneel you mindless bitch.”

  “Julia!”, Martha scolds.

  The speechless nurse stands there horrified as the Mother smiles and winks at her.

  Julianna laughs.

  “She’s just kidding,” Martha blushes while trying to help the desperate nurse out of her current dilemma.

  The nurse closes her partially open mouth and attempts an uncomfortable grin.

  “I see someone didn’t lose their sense of humor when trying to kill herself and destroy her grandmother in the process.”

  Julianna’s smile quickly fades as she looks at her grandfather. He lifts both of his brows questioningly as if he is daring her to respond with another smart alec remark. Julianna looks away guiltily.

  “Frank, take it easy,” Martha halfheartedly objects to his scolding.

  “No, he’s right,” Julianna speaks while staring into the bathroom against the wall behind the doctor. Tears begin flowing from her eyes. She can’t bear the thought of looking upon her grandparents right now.

  “See what you did, Frank? Couldn’t this of waited?”

  “Don’t turn this around me,” Frank counters. He waves his right hand towards Julianna’s exposed wrist, “She is strong enough to heal herself from physical wounds, but we are to baby her from her emotional ones? She chose, Martha. No one did this to her.”

  “Now’s not the time,” Martha parries, “Our granddaughter is lying in a hospital bed for pete sake.”

  “Stop it!”, Julianna yells out. She turns her teary gaze upon her grandparents.

  “He’s right, grams. I did choose to die and I didn’t care who I hurt in the process.”

  Julianna pauses while her lips begin to tremble within her pain. Martha’s blue eyes fill with teary water. Julianna’s eyes release their built up water.

  “I’m so sorry…”

  “Me too, baby,” Martha uses her left thumb to wipe away tears streaming down Julianna’s right cheek.

  “There she is,” Frank speaks with approval. He lovingly pats his granddaughter on her right leg. Julianna looks at him.

  “I’m…”

  “I know - I know,” Frank interrupts.

  Julianna staggers a breath. She exhales with a pout.

  Frank lifts his brows again, “I take it we are done with this kind of nonsense?”

  Julianna nods with sad eyes.

  Frank smiles briefly before looking at the doctor.

  “I think she’s cured,” Frank says with confidence.

  “Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. She will need to be kept in observation for a while.”

  “The hell if I am,” Julianna turns a cold stare towards the doctor.

  The doctor ignores his patient and nods at the nurse. The woman turns and heads over to a Pedigo medical tray. She picks up a syringe.

  “What are you doing?”, Martha questions.

  “Even the family cannot interfere if it means their choice can cause themselves harm,” the doctor answers flatly. Martha pauses. She concedes with a nod.

  “What’s he talking about?”, Julianna panics, “I’m not going to kill myself.”

  “Network can override our decisions if it means our decisions can bring us harm,” Martha explains with a hint of defeat in her tone.

  “Tell him I’m not going to…”

  “Protocol,” the doctor interrupts, “I am doing this for you.”

  Julianna narrows her brows, “You’re not doing this for me you bastard.” Her eyes widen as she sees the nurse approach with weapon in hand.

  The doctor secures his hands around her left arm.

  “My apologies, Mother,” he speaks before nodding at the nurse.

  “You freakin’ bastard!”, Julianna yells out as her arm fills a prick.

  “I’m going to jack you up when I get the chance! I’m going to really…uh…hmm…that’s not so bad…”

  Julianna smiles dreamily as her tense body relaxes. The nurse pulls out the empty needle. Julianna falls back into sedation.

  “Let’s get that other arm checked,” the man retains his professionalism.

  “Yes doctor,” the nurse answers.

  Martha watches the nurse turn around and head back towards the silver medical stand. She shakes her head before looking at Frank.

  “I need to get out of here for a while.”

  Frank wraps his left arm around his wife’s waist. Together, they walk out of the hospital room to give the medical staff space to their job.

  * * *

  After waking from her slumber, Julianna is given
the opportunity to have the straps removed by the doctor. She eagerly jumps at the chance and agrees to be on her best behavior in her new room. But whenever she enters her new accommodations, her shoulders droop slightly while she walks over and sits on the mattress with no sheets. She scans the room with her eyes.

  White padded walls surround her save for the large two-way mirror separating her room from the hallway. A camera is perched in the top right corner behind a metal cage with a padlock on it.

  “No T.V.?”, Julianna complains, “This isn’t a room. It’s a prison cell.”

  “It’s an observation room,” Dr. Shelby calmly corrects his patient.

  Julianna glances at the toilet. It is clearly visible from the window. And if she had to guess, it is probably viewable by the camera, also. She looks at her grams.

  “I’m not using that,” Julianna says as a matter of fact.

  “You don’t have to,” Martha answers before locking gazes with Dr. Shelby.

  The doctor realizes he must pick and choose his battles with this particular family. He turns his attention back towards his patient.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Dr. Shelby speaks while pointing towards a button between the padded door and observation glass, “Just hit it and let one of the nurses know whenever you need to use the restroom.”

  Julianna nods.

  “But they will have to observe,” Dr. Shelby lays out his rules.

  “Not if they’re guys,” Julianna counters with her offer.

  “I wouldn’t do that to you,” Dr. Shelby accepts her terms.

  “Can she have any visitors?”

  Dr. Shelby looks at Martha and shakes his head.

  “I’m afraid not.”

  Martha looks at her granddaughter.

  “It’s okay,” Julianna confirms, “I’m ready to get this over with.”

  Martha walks over, leans down, and gives her granddaughter a hug.

  “Love you,” Martha whispers.

  “Love you, grams,” Julianna hugs Martha with a tight, but careful squeeze.

  After Martha and Dr. Shelby both decide to vacate her new prison cell, Julianna watches the thick door close behind them with a loud sounding click. She lets out a frustrated sigh before lying on her back. Crisscrossing her hands over one another, she rests them against the cloth gown on her belly. A few moments later, Julianna closes her eyes.

  * * *

  “I thought as much.”

  Julianna smiles after hearing Lilith’s familiar raspy voice. She turns around and sees the woman standing before the wall. Julianna quietly approaches.

  “Only you, little anguisette,” Lilith praises quietly to herself while reading the wall’s words. She stops and cocks her head curiously. She grins.

  “And would that be you?”

  Julianna jumps forward and playfully wraps her arms around Lilith’s stomach.

  “It would. And how did you hear me? I thought I was being quite.”

  Lilith shakes her head.

  “You suck,” Julianna teases while letting the woman go.

  Lilith turns around and smiles. She points a warning finger.

  “I allow you to say and do things I would have killed someone for in my physical life.”

  “Aww…”, Julianna coos while placing her hands over heart, “That’s so sweet.”

  Lilith lowers her hand and shakes her head again. She turns back around and looks at the wall.

  “I take it you have not had the drink”

  “Nope,” Julianna confesses, “That stuff tastes like crap anyway.”

  “And you are not near to death?”

  “Uh - I hope not. I don’t think so. Why?”

  Lilith outstretches both of her arms towards the wall, “Because!”

  Julianna jerks from Lilith’s unexpected outburst of joy. Lilith lowers her arms, turns back around, and laughs.

  “Oh…kay,” Julianna responds to the unusual scene before her. She jerks again whenever Lilith quickly points at her with her right hand.

  “You!”, Lilith shouts happily.

  Julianna grins awkwardly.

  Lilith lowers her enthusiastic tone while allowing her arm to drop freely to her side.

  “You, little anguisette,” Lilith says with eyes full of adoration, “You have changed the rules.”

  “What rules?”

  “What you have done on this day is not a legal move, child.”

  Julianna watches curiously as the woman pauses. It is apparent Lilith is contemplating the best course of explanation due to Julianna’s limited understanding of such things. Only a few moments pass by before Lilith turns to face the wall. She looks to her left and begins walking like a woman on a mission. Julianna silently follows. When Lilith reaches the spot Julianna first appeared upon her first visit, she stops and glances at the wall. The woman with many braids mumbles to herself quietly.

  “Huh?”

  “This way,” Lilith ignores Julianna’s simplistic inquisition. She begins walking and intermittently pauses to view the wall. She mumbles something else too quiet for Julianna to make sense of, and then continues on with her walk.

  Julianna references Lilith’s recent behavior akin to a mad woman living on the streets – the kind of person who might talk to someone who isn’t really there. She watches this strange scene for about an hour before Lilith, finally, turns around and acknowledges her existence once again.

  Lilith points with her left hand, “Tell me what you see.”

  Julianna looks at the wall. Her left brow arches upward slightly. Her eyes scan over the family emblem carved into the wall.

  “Is that a trick question?”, Julianna questions while keeping her stare on the wall.

  “Is this what you think of me?”, Lilith responds with a slight agitation within her tone, “You believe me to lead you to a trick?”

  Julianna ignores the woman. She knows a response would only raise the warrior’s frustration. Instead, the young woman leaves Lilith’s side and walks closer to the wall. Upon approach, she notices something strange with the makeup of the emblem’s outer circle. She reaches out and runs her fingers vertically over the engraving.

  “I never knew that,” Julianna admits she has found something.

  “Are you addressing me, child?”

  Julianna lowers her hand and turns around to face Lilith.

  “I never knew the circle around the family’s insignia was made up of two lines,” Julianna responds by parrying the woman’s less than loving tone.

  “At least your eyes can see outside things,” Lilith hatefully answers.

  “Please don’t take this the wrong way…”

  “Stop, child. Every time I hear those words something hurtful always follows. I am in no mood.”

  “Give me your hand,” Lilith orders with a much more bridled tone.

  Julianna briefly pauses before giving up her right hand to accept the seemingly bi-polar woman’s offer. She doesn’t do it out of fear. She does it because Lilith has made the order in a non-threatening manner. It is obvious that the woman before her as no intentions of physically lashing out against her. And if she were, it’s not like Julianna could actually stop her.

  “Close your eyes and imagine the place where you appeared the very first time you arrived here,” Lilith instructs.

  Julianna closes her eyes. Soon as her mind finds the exact location, she nods. A moment later, she opens her eyes with a grunting sound. Her belly sinks while her heart races. Her vision sees only the distortions of bended space and time. Fear wells up within her. Then, in the next instant, the madness stops. She immediately lets go of Lilith and staggers backwards.

  “I was in no mood to walk,” Lilith explains as if it is no big deal. She looks at the wall and fixates her stare. She begins walking.

  “What was that?”, Julianna complains loudly while trying to catch her breath, “What just happened?”

  “You used the physics of this realm to change your location,” Lilith answers as
if she is bored with the concept, “Now stop being a child and come over here.”

  “You could have warned me,” Julianna complains while glancing around the area. She easily recognizes the spot as the exact location she had just held within her mind’s eye.

  “This way is faster.”

  “Besides,” Lilith continues, “You expected a trick. Did you not?”

  Julianna glares at Lilith’s backside, “Have I ever told you how much of a bitch you can be sometimes?”

  Lilith grins.

  Julianna walks the twenty foot distance to where Lilith stands. She crosses her arms while staring at the wall.

  “This is your grams,” Lilith explains while staring at the family’s emblem carved into the wall.

  “So what?”

  Lilith takes a quick step back, reaches out with her right hand, and shoves Julianna forward.

  “Take a closer look.”

  Whenever Julianna regains control over her forward momentum, she whirls around and glares menacingly at Lilith. Lilith raises her brows questioningly.

  “You suck,” Julianna answers the woman’s challenging stare by turning around and walking up to the wall. Again, Lilith grins.

  As Julianna forces her concentration upon the task at hand, she sees something peculiar. She reaches out with her left hand and traces her fingers over the outside circle of the family insignia.

  “The rings are further apart,” Julianna remarks quietly.

  “They are.”

  “But why?”

  “They represent the distance between the two realms,” Lilith answers while watching Julianna trace her fingers over the family’s markings.

  Julianna lowers her hand and turns around with a confused expression upon her face. Lilith turns to her right and begins walking towards the direction of her rock. She continues her explanation as Julianna silently begins following.

  “The first one you seen was Martha’s great, great, great, great, great grandmother. From the former to Martha, seven generations have passed – nearly five-hundred years and still counting. Martha’s lines are further apart because she struggles to traverse these two realms. So it is true of many from my bloodline. For Martha, it is too dangerous to come here. She runs a high risk of becoming trapped here while her physical body still lives.”