Rosehead

Chapter 33. Lilith's Sacrifice

For a second, everything stood still, even the night's silky darkness held its breath, and then chaos erupted. Rosehead hollered. The crows took off from the roof, cawing madly. Fire breathers lifted their torches, uncertain. The spectators craned their necks to detect the source of the disturbance. Rosehead took one staggering step, then another, and emerged into the light.

People screamed. Some fell, cowering, others froze, transfixed, the rest scattered. The elephant trumpeted in fright, reared, and charged.

Lilith waved her torch. "Mansion! Over here! Like promised. Take me! Take me! Tell her to leave them alone!" She acted on impulse, hoping to distract Rosehead long enough to appeal to the mansion and recover their deal, assuming it was, indeed, broken.

Panther caught up to her, barking. Ed shouted not too far behind. Lilith paid them no heed. A frenzied exhilaration gave her energy, propelling her forward with uncanny speed. This was the biggest mischief she had ever attempted, taunting a deadly spirit of unknown origin. It strangely lifted her mood, making her bubble with terror and glee at the same time. It also made her realize that all of these things—the mansion, the garden, the bush woman—were one and the same. It simply took on different shapes. Ed was right; it must've been the place itself. She felt it throb under her feet.

I don't care who you are, I'm going to put an end to you. Yes, I'll have to die, but I'll die spectacularly, for everyone to see that I was right all along.

An agonizing bellow tore through the darkness. The elephant collided with the giantess, who howled in surprise and fell on it. Their enormous shapes rolled into one. A whoosh, a crunch, a slurp and a thunderous burp later, Rosehead threw what remained of the poor animal into the ring, where it trotted only minutes ago, now resembling an empty skin-sack full of bones. Squawking, hungry crows swooped down, tearing and ripping at the carcass.

There was an awful pause, and then the chaos turned into a catastrophe of gigantic proportions. People ran around without any direction, bumping into each other and shrieking. Those who attempted to escape the rosebushes pressed into their midst with a sickening gurgle. Their muffled cries subsided to moans that would set anyone's teeth on edge. Gabby and Daniel stood on the porch as if spellbound, gazing at the monster.

Lilith burst into the court.

The giantess towered over her, leering.

"Lilith!" cried Daniel and Gabby in unison.

"Lilith, no!" Ed yelled from behind. "Wait!"

"Madam, I forbid you to do this!" Panther barked. "This is outrageous! Stop this instant! I'm warning you! I will bite you!"

Their shouts had no effect. Lilith threw her torch to the ground. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry," she said, and then, "dear mansion, I apologize profusely for whatever it is you might have heard. Please, excuse my friends, they only meant me well. Nobody is going to set fire to you or the garden or Rosehead, rest assured. I'm Lilith Bloom, heir to this property, and you have my word and my promise."

She felt the ground underneath her shift. It was unquestionably and indisputably alive. Struggling to hold her footing, she continued. "Whoever you are, phantoms of those whose blood was spilled on this land, a garden possessed by the spirit of my twenty-times great-grandmother Rose Bloom, or both, or neither, or something else, I know you're all one. So it doesn't matter. I made a deal with you. Well, here I am. Take me."

The earth shuffled and scuffled and shivered. The mansion shook. It shuddered, it rattled, it gnashed its doors and windows like teeth. Rosehead looked back at it, as if waiting for a signal. The porch steps throbbed and burst, sliding ahead until they hit her feet and nudged her forward. She happily obliged, snatching the girl into a massive palm right from under the nose of her parents, her faithful whippet, and her friend, who, together with servants, poked the giantess with torches, attempting to light her on fire.