Lilith

1. The Tale Of Little Joseph

  O N E

The Tale Of Little Joseph
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THE gekkering of the foxes outside the house continued as she peeked at the vast universe with a furtive smile tucked on her lips through the window. The brisk wind rattled the already weakened aged windows of her small house as the thunder grumbled loudly outside making her flinch for a second.

The thunder did frighten her but what she was about to do was not scary at all. The starry sky was supposed to showcase a beautiful ruddy blood moon on that night when she did her work. But the weather had other plans.

Thick tar-black clouds had blotted over the sky from the afternoon. She desperately needed to see the moon. Her body itched for this night since the last month and when the night was finally here, her plans were bound to spoil. She couldn't see anything outside. Wherever she laid her eyes, she was met with the weary, secretive gloom and the uncanny silence with followed along with it except for the occasional thunders lightening the surrounding and making the gnarled trees visible for a second which appeared as some gigantic monsters she had heard the stories about.

Tucking the peach curtains, she stepped back into the sadness of her room. The lights were out for the past one hour so the flickering lantern was adorning to the beauty of her room. She sat down on the stiff mattress of her queen-sized bed and closed her eyes taking one deep breath. Then twice and then thrice and kept doing it until a sharp knock on her door forced her to pull her eyelids open.

Why was he up? He was supposed to be sleeping in his bed while she took care of everything. His waking up at that moment was a recipe for disaster which she couldn't allow to happen. She waited for a whole month for this lunar eclipse to happen. Only she knew how much grief it caused her, waiting like this. She couldn't wait for another eclipse. Her patience was running low.

She jumped up and rushed towards the door in such a way for which she would have to get a nice scolding from her husband. But he wasn't present there physically to remind her about it. As she reached near the door of her room, her baby toe hit the wooden cabinet placed near the door making her curse as a sharp pain shot through her whole body.

"This is not the proper way of walking you motherfucking bitch. A lady walks in a graceful, composed way and does not sprint through the room in hurry. You are a disgrace in the name of my wife. You deserve to be punished." Her husband Jonathan's angry voice growled as a tear slipped through and rolled down her cheek.

Even if Jonathan was not present there to punish her physically, he stayed with her always, making her rectify her mistakes at every path of her journey. He guided her at every moment of her life and also punished her when she did something wrong. Like he did at that moment.

Composing herself she searched for the handle of the door and bolted it open to see her five years old son, Joseph rubbing his eyes. The small figure in front of her looked terrified, she could figure it out in the dim light of the lantern.

"Mommy I am scared!" He cried tucking the satin fabric of her baby pink nightdress.

She knelt down to his level and took his hand on hers caressing it. "Why are you scared? Daddy has asked you to become a strong little boy right?"

"But daddy is not here anymore. And I am scared of the stories you tell me. Uncle George says that daddy is never going to return but you say that daddy sleeps under my bed at night. I don't want to sleep there mommy, please. It is dark and I am afraid to look under my bed." He begged, moving a little closer to her.