Hers

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

            “Lilith was Adam’s first wife.  Adam and Lilith were made of the same dust and mud, thus making them of the same importance.  Lilith becomes increasingly frustrated with Adam’s stubbornness and arrogance after Adam claims that, as a woman, she should be subservient.  In The Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith runs to the Red Sea, a site of historic and symbolic importance to the Jewish people. Just as the ancient Israelites achieve freedom from Pharaoh at the Red Sea, Lilith gains independence from Adam by going there. But even though Lilith is the one who leaves, it is she who feels rejected and angry.  Three angels are sent in search of Lilith. When they find her at the Red Sea, she refuses to return to Eden.”

            “Miss, the library is closing now.”  I jumped as the voice rang out close to my ear.

            My finger clicked the mouse, closing the window and whirling around to see the librarian giving me a disapproving glance.  I could only imagine what she was thinking.  I gave a tight smile and rose from the chair.

            I ignored her eyes that were currently boring into the back of my head and walked towards the door.  Stepping outside, I was immediately met with a wall of sweltering heat.  I pulled my hair into a bun and made my way down the sidewalk.  Thankfully, the sun was starting to dip down behind a line of trees, making the air a little cooler.

            The website’s article did nothing but confirm Sam’s story.  There were articles about how Lilith was evil and deserved to rot in hell, but then there were those websites that portrayed her as an ordinary woman.  Some called her a seductress and a murderer, others praised her for defying Adam.  It seemed as though the people were just as torn as heaven and hell.

            I rubbed my temples as I walked, feeling the frustration sinking in.

            Sam and Ace.  Samael and Asmodeus.  Angel of death and demon of lust.

            Lilith and Lilly.

            How had my life changed so suddenly?  One minute I’m an ordinary waitress and the next I’m the first demon, cursed to be reincarnated over and over again.  Now, I have two people tugging me towards heaven and hell.  But why now?  I was only twenty years old for crying out loud, I couldn’t be about to die soon, could I?

            I needed to stay away from Ace.  I knew that.  He was a demon, a demon whose only goal was to drag me into hell.  But there was this connection with Ace and it made sense that there was one.  He was the demon of lust and I was apparently some great seductress.

            Then there was Sam.  Sam was warm and inviting.  He answered my questions and didn’t hold anything back.  With Sam, things felt like they were exactly how they were supposed to be, like a puzzle piece falling into place.

            Ace kept secrets and was constantly frustrating me beyond belief.  Sam treated me like I was something he cherished, something special.

            I sighed, my frustrations mounting to astronomical amounts.  My feet navigated the old path by themselves, seemingly robotic.  The concrete sidewalk transitioned into loose dirt as I made my way home.  The trees around me buzzed with crickets and frogs, birds swooped in front of my path and back into the trees.  Then, suddenly, the oppressive heat of the south was replaced by an icy chill on my neck.

            I stopped dead in my tracks and glanced around, only to see that nothing was around and life was continuing as it normally would.  A soft breeze rocked the skinny trees and my heart beat softly in my chest.  Shaking my head, I turned around and began walking towards home.