by Brian
“This is the most important assignment you will ever be sent on,” he spoke with controlled staccato tones. “You are aware of the prophecy?”
“Yes, Sir,” she replied. “I am.”
Your new target is the one the prophecy speaks of.
If you succeed, rich rewards will be yours, along with a spot on the Council. However, if you fail –” his voice trailed off.
An involuntary shudder shot through her body. Shaymo left no doubt as to the meaning of his unfinished sentence.
“We have decided you will handle this assignment differently from the others. You will make known your presence to your target. You will tell him who you are and why you are there. Furthermore, you are granted as much time as necessary to make your target fall in love with you and bring him down.”
Talitha let out a small gasp but said nothing further. She thought it very unusual to have such powerful men sending her on an assignment. Then, it was time to go. She quickly positioned herself in the beam of light and was gone.
Chapter 28
The calendar read July 17, 2008 and it was the day that those from below had feared would come after the epic failures of Dianna, Talitha, and Wilmot.
Eoin and his son Philip, who was fourteen, lived in a very small apartment. Eoin had just gone through a difficult and nasty divorce in which it had ended with his ex-wife getting the house, the car and all their furniture. They had been married for almost ten years and although they were not her children, Lisa had raised both of Eoin’s children.
One morning, about a year after his divorce, Eoin had finally decided to move on. He had decided that he no longer wanted another marriage but instead wanted to find someone he could have a “friends with benefits” relationship. Seventeen-year-old Stephanie, Eoin’s daughter had decided to move in with Janet, her birth mother and Eoin’s second wife. She was considered a party girl and loved to go out with her friends quite a bit. She knew that if she stayed with her father he would be strict and not allow her to go out. Her mother was a lot laxer in allowing her to get away with things. She loved her father and had a way of twisting him around her little finger, but in some instances like this she could not.
Eoin’s relationship with his son Philip was quite strong. They often played X-box together or threw the football around. Philip was completely into sports and could recite stats with the best of them. This made them a good team to live together with no one else.
As Eoin was getting ready for work one morning, when his thoughts drifted back to four months earlier. He had moved to a new team, and one of the girls on that team had captivated him in a way he could not explain. He couldn’t get her out of his head and smiled with fondness when he recalled their first “date a couple of months later.” They had met up at a park to watch fireworks thirteen days ago and felt that some magic had passed between them, but since he was overly shy, he had passed it off as his imagination.
*********
Isabella had begun getting ready for work hours earlier, every morning she would try to get her elderly mother Yolie, and her young daughter Cassie set for the day. Isabella was a single mother, and she and her daughter had moved from Texas to Arizona to rent a house together. This same morning, before getting ready for work, she had to fix breakfast and assign chores which, always coming came with the threat of dire consequences if left undone by the time she came home from work, only after that was she was finally able to get herself ready. Her daughter Cassie was smart as a whip and acted well beyond her 11 years of age, they often had spirited debates on the events happening in the news. As she readied herself for work, her thoughts turned with fondness to the night of July 4th. She and her new friend, Eoin, had met to watch the fireworks in the park with their families, and since it was the first time that they had done anything together outside of work, realized there had been more than just fireworks in the sky.
*********
That day at work was especially challenging for them because neither wanted to be there. Finally, unable to concentrate on his work, Eoin suggested they call out for the rest of the day at separate times so as not to raise suspicion by management. Her draw to him suddenly intensified, Isabella felt something stir inside of her that she had never felt before.
She thought she heard a voice whisper, “He’s the one,” but she dismissed it as her mind playing tricks on her. She had heard this same voice over the years but always dismissed it.
Eoin told her that he would go first and suggested they meet at the Starbucks that was close to their work. She didn’t care where they went if it meant being able to spend time with him. Twenty minutes later, she met up with him, and since they were hungry, Eoin suggested they get something to eat. Together, they drove to a local Mexican restaurant called the Gringo Grill. She had never heard of the place before, but was willing to try anything once, and twice if she liked it. Throughout the restaurant there were hand-painted signs with messages of a comedic nature. One said, ‘Friends don’t let friends go home with ugly people.’ Another said, ‘Unattended children will be given a shot of espresso and a free puppy!’ There was even one that said, ‘One tequila. Two tequila. Three tequila. FLOOR.’
After being seated, Eoin asked what she wanted to drink.
“I like Heineken,” she said.
Eoin ordered two, along with queso and nachos for snacking on. The first sips of beer went down smoothly and helped to calm their nerves. The first round was gone quickly and a second ordered. They sat awkwardly silent without realizing they had nearly finished their second round when the server came by to ask if they wanted a third.
“Would you care for one more?” Eoin asked hopefully.
Feeling slightly buzzed and numb on the tongue, she nodded. They sat across the table from each other, arms folded in front of them supporting their weight, feeling a magnetic attraction toward the other when Isabella blurted out, “May I kiss you?”
When he smiled, his ocean blue eyes flashed with excitement.
“Yes,” he answered as he scooted around the table to be closer to her.
Time stood still, and all sound ceased. He leaned in toward her, eyes closed. Their lips met tentatively at first followed by a soft peck. This time his mouth opened slightly to allow the softness of her tongue to penetrate his lips. Her kiss was intoxicating, her touch calming even if it stoked a fire in his loins. Slowly, they became aware of their surroundings and parted feeling awkward and somewhat embarrassed.
Unknown to either of them, there were those from above who had gathered at the restaurant to witness this first kiss, and there was much rejoicing since this was an essential and necessary step for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Over the next few months they could feel something happening between them, and over time, they got to know about each other’s families. When Eoin heard of her sister Lilith, he became quite intrigued and wanted to know more.
Isabella said they met when they were just seven years old and became fast friends. Since her mother was always out, Lilith spent so much time with Isabella that she felt like part of that family.
One night, a few years after the two girls had first met later, Lilith had gone to bed at her own house for the night when her attempts to sleep were interrupted by a loud pounding on the front door. Jumping out of bed, she had peeked out the window and saw three police officers standing there, entering the house.
“Oh no,” she thought to herself. “Not again!”
Black candles were lit all over the house, and to eliminate a fire hazard, they extinguished each one. It wasn’t long before they found several bags of cocaine. Upon learning that children were in the house and no other relative close by, Isabella’s family were contacted and asked if they would be willing to let her stay there. Without hesitation, Isabella’s father had agreed to take Lilith in and cared for them as their own.
The two girls had often played together and three years into being sisters they had had their first and only experience with the Ouija bo
ard. Their parents had gone out for the evening and allowed their cousins to come over to be with the girls. At first, neither girl wanted to have anything to do with it, but their cousins explained that the rumors about the Ouija board were just lies and it was just a game.
Shaymo always used the game to recruit members for his cause, and as usual, seized the opportunity to come out in his spirit form during the game. Seeing Lilith for the first time without the veil of below, he knew she would be an asset to his world and he would be able to use her to prevent the prophecy from coming to pass.
They all closed their eyes and put the triangle on the board. Suddenly it started moving on its own, their finger not controlling it. Their eyes opened wide to see what it was spelling slowly it moved the letters to write I-W-A-N-T-Y-O-U, they all started screaming and ran from the room. All except Lilith. She stared down at the board and somehow knew that the message was meant for her. She smiled at the thought that she had something that her sister Isabella had never had. For her jealousy that she did not have a “real family” constantly followed her.
After the game that night, Lilith had been lying in bed when she became very sleepy. Once her eyes were closed, she fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of her mother, who was standing beside her with a man she didn’t recognize. She hadn’t seen her mother in several years and had just recently found out that her mother had died at the hands of a drug dealer. She had missed her mother Judith desperately, not realizing how much until this moment.
“Mommy!”
“Hello, my love, this is my friend Shaymo,” her mother had said. “He has some extraordinary things to tell you. Please listen closely to what he has to say.”
“Ok mommy, but I’m scared. Where are you? I miss you so much!”
“Shhh baby, I’ve missed you too, but everything is alright. I need you to listen to my friend, ok? Can you do that for mommy?”
“Yes, mommy, I’ll listen, but I’m still scared.”
“I know honey. Remember the candles in our house and how we used to pray to them? They allowed me to come below and be happy. But this is the only way I can talk to you now, but if you listen to Shaymo, you and I can be together always. You would like that, wouldn’t you honey?”
“Oh mommy, I would!”
“Lilith,” Shaymo said, “your mother has told me of your great inner strength, and I have seen your incredible beauty with my own two eyes. You are what I have been looking for, and if you will follow me and do the simple things your mother and I ask, I’ll give you anything you desire, and you and your mommy can be together always.”
“Honey,” her mom said, “he is a great leader from below who won’t hurt you. Do you trust me, honey?”
“I trust you, mommy. But what do you mean by ‘below’?”
“Honey, Shaymo is a great leader of the many covens of spirits who have chosen to follow the ways of the Darkness. I am a follower of his, and now you, my sweet Lilith, can be as well.”
“I would like that very much!” Lilith did not quite understand what was being said, but she was glad to have her mother back. That’s what she had wished for, for a very long time.
“Good girl. I’ll leave now, but you must not speak about this to anyone, not even Isabella. Do you understand?”
Lilith nodded in her sleep. “I understand, mommy.”
She found herself alone with Shaymo as he continued to talk to her.
“The family you are living with does not love you.”
“Yes, they do!” She said emphatically.
“They have taken you in because they get money for you, and If you look in the mail tomorrow, you will see a check they get every month because you live with them.”
“I don’t believe you. Go away!” She said with tears streaming down her face.
After Shaymo left, she fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning for the rest of the night. When she got home from school the next day, she discretely went through the stack of mail and saw the check. A thousand questions flooded her head, while her heart broke. Why had they never told her of this? She had felt more loved with this family than in all her life. Did they love her? Or were they just “in it for the money” as Shaymo had said? Part of her wanted to believe him, while the other part wanted to deny his words.
That night in bed her thoughts turned again to the check and Shaymo. She wanted to talk to him again but didn’t know how to do so. She then heard her mother’s voice in her head telling her what to do. She closed her eyes and called to him as her mother instructed.
“I saw the check,” she said glumly.
Shaymo’s smile broadened into a grin. “I told you child.”
“Why didn’t they tell me? How could they do this to me? I thought they loved me!” She was now crying again.
“Shhh,” he said as he gently hugged her from within her mind. She stopped crying as she felt his embrace. She didn’t understand how it could be possible, but it made her feel safe and loved. Sensing he had her under his power, he started to ply her with promises of things to come gently.
“Your mother has told me that you like candy and money,” he said
She smiled and nodded.
“I don’t get much of either here,” she said.
“At school tomorrow, someone will lose their lunch bag. Go to the office and claim it as yours. Inside you will find both candy and money so that you know that I am speaking the truth to you.”
The next day at school, she did as she had been told. The secretary said, “Oh! I have it right here. Could you tell me what might be inside, so I know it’s yours? “
“Yes, ma’am. There is a sandwich, some candy, and some money.”
Peering inside the sack lunch, the lady saw it just as Lilith described it.
“In the future, put your name on the sack, so if you lose it again, we’ll know who it belongs to.”
She then smiled at Lilith and handed her the sack lunch over the desk.
“Thank you,” Lilith said.
She then quickly took the lunch and hurried off. Shaymo spoke to her and directed her underneath the stairwell where she leaned up against the wall and opened the sack. Inside, she saw a handful of hard candy, several five-dollar bills and about two dollars in coin, and a sandwich.
Shaymo was pleased that he had swayed her so quickly.
As she skipped off to her next class, she couldn’t wait for the night to come so she could talk to Shaymo again.
Over the next few years, Shaymo and her mother continued to come to her in her dreams, giving her things and making promises. She received all kinds of gifts: jewelry, watches, candy, and money. Since her looks were becoming more and more stunning, she also received a lot of attention from boys as well.
Shaymo saturated her mind so thoroughly that she didn’t want her family as much as she once thought and began to pull away from them both emotionally and physically, alienating everyone but Isabella, who steadfastly remained by her side.
Chapter 29
As Lilith reached her fourteenth year, her body began to fill out. Her hair had grown to the bottom of her spine, she had filled out and her body was blossoming into that of a young woman. She had many boys vying for her attention, but she took no notice of them, for her thoughts were only of Shaymo.
One night, a few weeks past her birthday, Shaymo and her mother paid her another visit.
“Hi mama, Hi Shaymo!” she said happily.
“Hi, honey. Hello, Lilith” they replied back.
“Honey,” her mother said, “we have something important to discuss with you, and I ask that you listen with an open mind.”
“Um, okay I’ll listen,” Lilith said.
“Lilith,” Shaymo said, “you’ve grown into a remarkably beautiful young lady. I haven’t known anyone to be as beautiful as you, and it would be a great honor if you would agree to become my wife one day. Your mother has already given her permission.”
She didn’t know what to say so she remained silent while
her mother and Shaymo waited patiently for her response. Many thoughts of the past two years crashed down upon her. Thoughts of her family, her mother, the things Shaymo had given her. But being married? Was she old enough to be somebody’s wife?
Shaymo read her thoughts and spoke gently to her.
“Where I am from, there really is no age, and your maturity is far beyond your years, and I am very much in love with you.”
Lilith slowly realized what she had been feeling and knew that Shaymo would never let her down as so many others had done in the past.
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answered with trepidation. “But how would that work? How can I be your wife?” She realized how stupid she sounded and started to blush furiously.
“Don’t blush, my dear. I have made arrangements to take care of those details, my sweet.” “You’ve made me very happy, and your extraordinary beauty will forever brighten my days.”
“Honey,” said her mother, “I am so proud of you and glad you agreed. Now we can be together, and nobody will be able to separate us again!”
Something inside Lilith changed that night. She was no longer a scared little girl, and Shaymo had shown her much kindness and love since that fateful night with the Ouija board. She missed her mother very much and was eager to please both her and Shaymo.
“We have much work to do,” Shaymo said. “When we are to be married, I’ll come get you, and I promise that no harm will come to you. Good night, my betrothed.”
“Shaymo?” She queried.
“What is it, my love?”
“I don’t understand why I would get hurt by visiting you?”
“Lilith,” he said, “You aren’t of my world, nor is it time for you to be. I know that doesn’t make sense right now, but in time it will. I must go for now.”
“Good night, Shaymo and Momma!”
For most of the night, Lilith was awake. She knew that Shaymo would expect her to perform ‘wifely duties.’ She had a vague idea of what sex was, and it scared her, especially since she had only been kissed once by a boy when she was twelve and thought it was gross.
