Death Has Wings

Playtime

"Clark, go play with your little sister before you go to your appointment." Mother told me. Lilith was sitting with her dolls, playing princess.

"I don't want to mummy! I'm drawing!" I protested. I was drawing Amon's seal, just like Grandma had taught me. An idea struck me, an ever so evil idea for a nine year old to have. "Okay, I'll play with Lilith." I smiled and placed the seal carefully into my black book, treating it with respect. I went over to Lilith and smiled.

"Lilith, do you want to play a game?" She looked at me with glee, her blond hair framing her face. She nodded vigorously. I took her hand and led her to the river running through our back garden.

"We're going to play Red Light, Green Light, okay?" I told her. For a three year old, she was pretty good at this game. I was better. "You stand near the river and I'll stand at the tree. You're on, okay?" Her eyes lit up and she smiled. "Go then!" She ran to the river bank and turned around to face the river.

I knew that Nixie was in the river. I knew how to speak to her. Grandma had told me. I called out Nixie's name in my mind as I walked towards Lilith slowly. Nixie spoke back. I smiled a little. I told her to scare my little sister by pulling her under.

Lilith turned around and I froze. I could see Nixie's hand snake out of the water and close her slender fingers around Lilith's ankle. Nixie yanked and Lilith fell into the ground, screaming for Mother. It was useless, mother wouldn't hear her, we were too far away from the house. I smiled as Nixie dragged Lilith under the water. Lilith was thrashing around like a lunatic, air bubbles forming rapidly on the surface. I decided that she had been scared enough.

I tried to talk to Nixie but she wouldn't reply. I kept trying but she carried on holding Lilith under the water. I sprinted to the water's edge, now shouting to Nixie in my mind. She didn't stop until the last bubbles were gone. I stopped shouting to Nixie in my mind and stayed silent. I didn't do this, Nixie did, it's Nixie's fault, not mine, I didn't tell Nixie to drown her, I thought. Father came out, looking for us and when he spotted me at the edge of the river, he came running over.

"What's happened? Is someone hu-" He stopped abruptly when he saw Lilith's lifeless body floating face down on the surface of the water. He sprang into life and grabbed her out of the river, cradling her in his arms. He knew she was gone. He looked from her soaking wet corpse and stared at me with hate and confusion in his eyes. I just stood there, staring at him with a blank expression.

"What did you do to her?" He had his voice low. "What the Hell did you do to her?" He kept staring at me whilst rocking Lilith's body back and forth.

"I didn't do anything! It was Nixie who-" I started to explain but father stood up with Lilith in his arms. Father's eyes were filled with tears. He shook his head slowly and walked back to the house. I just stood there, watching him take Lilith's body up to the house.

I heard Nixie's voice in my head. She was saying something.

Playtime is over.