The Righteous Path

Red Rivers

Earth knocked on the closed door of her room. There was no response on the other side, as he had expected.

"Dinner in 10 Lilith. Please come eat." He called through the door. Inside, Lilith sat staring out the window, the same activity she was doing two hours ago. Before that, she had paced, fidgeted, festered, and stewed. Her fears had now turned to the process of becoming immortal. No one would talk about it, would give her any information or inkling as to what to expect. She assumed that was either a rule, or it was to not scare her. So, in her time alone, she had thought of how one might become immortal, and they all ended with her stomach in knots. Standing, almost absent in her own movements, she turned to the door and walked through the large sitting room and downstairs.

Stopping at the dining room door, she took in a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and let herself in. Five men sat at the table, Water Earth, and Air on the far side, Omega and Alpha nearest her. She sat next to Omega, glancing to the head of the table, which remained empty.

"Is Papa not eating?" she asked quietly.

"No, he is with the clergy." Omega said, taking a bite of his potatoes. She pushed her food around, still without an appetite. Looking around, the men ate without much conversation which she appreciated. After having consumed what she felt was an appropriate amount, she pushed her plate away and stood to leave the dining room.

"Lilith, would you like to join us in the study?" Earth asked with eager eyes.

"Eh, I don't think so. I'm kinda busy." She said with a weak smile.

"Don't just sit in your room, Lilith. We have missed you." Water pleaded. With a pained sigh, she nodded. Along with Earth and Omega, she returned to the same room as earlier. She sat in a chair to the left of the couch, bringing her socked feet up to rest on the seat. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her chin in between her knees.

"Are you still going to school this year?" Earth asked.

"Yup. Graduating in spring." Her voice was disconnected, the licking fire hypnotizing her mind that was in desperate need of distraction.

"Why are you even going to school still?" Omega asked with furrowed brow and his question annoyed her. Earth tensed and shot a glare at Omega.

"Because I enjoy it. It's my reprieve. Though I don't know if I'll be able to finish now." The three paused, contemplating the truth in Lilith's confession. Shortly after, the other three men joined them in the study.

"Papa has scheduled Lilith's rite for tomorrow." Alpha said abruptly, his hands in his pockets. With those words, the room became still. It was as if the occupants had stopped breathing; all but Lilith, whose breathing had sharply increased. This stillness dragged on, clenching Lilith's breath and heart.

"What does that mean? Why are you all so quiet?" She brought her feet down, planting them firmly on the ground. The fire warmed rug felt as though it was burning her icy feet. They looked over to her but were unable to tell her. They knew the implications of this Rite, some better than others.

"It'll be okay, Papa will be with you the whole time. It's a lot like a typical clergy meeting, but with a few more important people." Earth finally said, but Lilith knew better than to trust him. He would say anything to calm her. The panic building within her made her restless, so she stood and began to pace.

"I can't do this." She murmured, bringing her thumb to her lip. "I...I need to go...lay down." Without looking at them, she quickly left the study, fighting the urge to run.

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Muted grey light had begun to penetrate the sheer white curtains that obscured the window in Lilith's room. With no more than a few hours of sleep, she sat on the side of the bed, chewing her lower lip which was now bleeding. The click of the door caused her to start, then an instant sense of dread washed over her. Air walked in and draped a garment bag over the foot board of the bed then left without a word. Once alone again, she slowly turned to glare at the black bag now invading her space. Looking at the clock again, which read 7:30, she stood and unzipped the bag. Within it she found a white cotton and lace dress with a note. She set the note aside, not caring to read it yet and pulled the dress from the bag. Carrying it to the bathroom, she hung it on the back of the door and removed her nightgown. Looking over her body, she felt as though it would be the last time. Her fair skin was spotted with bruises from accidents and rough nights of passion. She had filled out, her bottom plumper and her thighs a bit thicker. Her breasts had also plumped, now pushing a D. She hardly looked like the woman that the green-eyed man had met in the café all those months ago. With a heavy sigh, Lilith shook her head at the thought and showered.