Romantic Notebook | Anthology & Collection

Daughter of the Night by @AnneLWilkin

Daughter of the Night
by AnneLWilkin - Prompt 1 Winner of "Legends In Love" Contest.

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She wore black, no makeup and kept her jet black hair flowing loose and free.

She sat next to me in all but two classes. Her hair hid her face, pale skin, luminous brown eyes and ruby red lips of which features I saw only once.

I have heard her voice, soft and tremulous on more than one occasion. She spoke clearly and with precise words that revealed her book smarts.

Every essay, poem and short story assigned was centered around Greek Mythology. Her favorite goddess in the list was Nyx, the goddess of darkness.

Explained the dark clothing. Not gothic, just favoring the dark of night.

I could listen to her voice all day.

No secret I have a ginormous crush on her. Her name is written in my journal in bold, cursive, all capitals, every font I can think of.

I didn't know why I found her so enchanting. Most of my schoolmates think her weird. Unapproachable.

I think her shy and particular with whom she chose to spend her time. Not everyone was a fan of mythology.

I wasn't until I met her this year in class. We had exchanged names once then never spoke again.

Her: Lily

Me: Rory

I resolved to change that. When I learned of her goddess preference, I studied everything I could about Nyx.

The goddess of darkness had nineteen children! Busy goddess. Some children were conceived with other male gods, some, conceived by Nyx herself.

It was rumored that even Zeus was afraid of her. He pretty much left her alone.

According to Homer's Illiad, Nyx's son Hypnos, put Zeus to sleep then fled to the safety of his mother before Zeus could do anything to him.

Nyx only appeared at night. She had a daughter named, Hemera, who only appeared in the daytime. Just as Hemera left, Nyx would appear, perpetuating the day and night cycle.

Nyx was also considered one of gods involved with creation.

I didn't take much stock in these Myths but I thought them fascinating anyway.

Or rather, I found them fascinating because Lily did.

When I felt I had studied enough, I dared to open a dialogue with Lily.

"Hi," I said shyly one Friday morning.

Lily glanced up at me. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah," I answered, heat climbing from chest to neck to face. "I said hi."

"Oh. Hi." Lily resumed her attention onto her paper. She drew with a pencil but I couldn't see the picture as her hair framed the desk creating a tent over the drawing.

"What are you drawing?"

Lily flicked a few strands of hair over her left shoulder. She showed me the drawing of herself in a pose much as she was now, leaning over her desk. With one exception, she had added wings.

"Is that you?" I lamely blurted out.

"Yes. It is me."

"You're a great artist." Every word out of my mouth was cliched, trope and just plain awkward. Didn't blame her for giving me short answers. I wouldn't want to talk to me either.

"Thanks." Lily resumed her drawing. She finished it off by signing it on the bottom along with the inscription, To Rory. See you tonight.

My jaw dropped when she gave me the drawing. Watching her walk out of the room, I sat still in my seat stupefied.

I didn't even hear the bell ring, nor noticed that a new class had come in.

Not until I glanced over at the desk next to mine and saw Matt Sterling sitting there, did I wake up.

I gathered my stuff and beat it. The rest of the day was spent staring at the drawing and the inscription.

I mulled it over. See you tonight.

What had Lily meant by that? She didn't know where I lived. The few words we had exchanged over the past semester hadn't included, 2303 Cranberry Drive. Nor the digits of my phone number.

So how would she find my house? How could she call me to tell me what time she would arrive?

Classes and faces blurred before my vision, my mind so set on Lily. At three o'clock I rushed out the main entrance and ran all the way home.

Out of breath, with sweat pouring down my back, I ascended the stairs to my room, oblivious of my little brother and sister squirting me with their water guns.

Turning the shower on to ice cold, I stayed under until teeth chattered and lips turned blue.

My extremeties might be freezing but inside I was as hot as a furnace. Lily was coming over! To do what, I didn't know. When, was also uncertain.

I paced in my room until the sun went down. Mom had knocked on my door at six thirty asking if I wanted to eat.

I said no, love being the reason for my loss of appetite. I didn't tell her that part.

Around seven fourty five, the time the sun went down and the moon appeared, a light tapping on my window halted the pacing.

Up went the blinds which made a clattering sound. I unlatched the window. To my chagrin, when I had released the blinds I had forgotten to secured them, and down they dropped on my head.

Lily smiled, but did not laugh. To her credit, she helped me secure the blinds in place.

I rubbed the sore spot on my head. "Hi, come on in."

Lily hesitated. "Why don't you come out here? Such a nice night."

"Okay." I lifted my leg through the window. Only then did I look down. A long drop from second story to first.

My eyes met Lily's. I scanned the space beneath her feet. Nothing but air! "You're floating!"

She turned around giving me a 360 degree view of her wings. "How about a ride?"

Dumbly, I said yes.

Secure in her arms, I asked the fateful question, "Who are you?"

"Thought you knew. I'm Lily, the daughter of Nyx."