The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  "Yet you do not hold ill will towards your blood mother either."

  "She could not have supported a child. It would have meant living on the streets, which she may have had to do anyway. I cannot see being upset with her, she did the best she could do for me."

  Zachariah looked at her with pride in his heart. He had thought that this was the type of woman he had found when he had found Lilith. He had been mistaken then, but this time there was no doubt. One of the gifts from the stone had been the gift to sense truth in people and he knew that Melanie was truly everything that he had thought Lilith was. “Melanie, you see that is my point. When I made that first piece of jewelry I was just like you. I could not think ill of anyone. Yes I was mad at Lilith for lying to me but I had already forgiven her and she was the first person in my life I had ever been mad at and even today I feel my anger was justified even if she had only been lying and had not been the monster she turned out to be. Yet if she had only been lying she could have repented and we might have had a life. I did not want her harmed. I just wanted her out of my sight while I thought of what to do.

  "I think that is why the image was like a casting for me. If I had been a virgin as you were it may have been the full tree like yours was.” He hugged her so tight. “You are special for people like you are rare, I wish I had found someone like you when I was young."

  Melanie frowned and smacked his arm, “But then you would not have found me."

  For the first time the entire night Zachariah laughed and said, “You are right, I would not have found you. So it was a good thing I did not.” As he rubbed his arm he remembered his mother and father and the relationship they'd had. How it had been a deep friendship as well as a marriage. He knew they would have adored Melanie.

  "Yet you are special for even more reasons. You are not only a virgin, from the things you have told me and the way I have watched you eat you have kept your body pure in ways you were not even aware of. You do not drink sodas and things that are artificial. You do not pollute your body with chemicals and drugs. So you are truly pure of heart, body and soul. In many ways the stone was right in pointing out that you are the one. For you are unique in this modern time."

  "But what does that mean I am the One."

  At that moment the clock began to strike midnight and Zachariah said, “Our time is almost up. I will try to hurry but stand inside this circle with me."

  Melanie got up and they held hands within the circle. Zachariah stood to face the back of the cabinet as it slowly began to open of its own accord.

  "Lilith has one chance at living again. That is if she can share the body with one like you."

  The clock chimed the second note as a thin red mist began to seep through the crack that had formed as the cabinet continued to open. It began to swirl about like a very faint dust devil.

  "But it is your choice to say yes or no. There is something that she does not know and she is not fully formed so she cannot yet hear."

  The third chime sounded and the mist grew thicker as the dust devil spun more rapidly and the funnel, like a tiny tornado, swirled in front of the now open doorway.

  Zachariah reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring that had once been meant for Lilith. He knew now it had never truly been meant for her for it had been meant for the one he would love and he had always had some inkling of doubt that Lilith loved him. During their one year of marriage she had not once said she loved him unless she felt she was going to loose something if she did not say the words she knew he wanted to hear. He held he ring before Melanie and said, “Melanie, you are now eighteen, if we survive tonight, will you marry me?"

  As the fourth chime sounded the tornado grew thicker and a body began to form within the swirling vapor. Melanie threw her arms about Zachariah's neck and said, “Yes, my love, I will.” There were tears in her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger. Then to her surprise the ring spun and the outer layer separated and curled into her hand to form a second ring. She could see a fine gold wire connecting the two, so fine it was almost as if it did not exist. She took the second ring and said, “And Zachariah will you be my husband?"

  He smiled and responded, “Yes, I will.” The ring slowly uncoiled and became the serpent again. It undulated along her arm and crawled under her blouse then when it was directly above her heart there was a momentary glow and Melanie felt a small sting as it pierced her skin. She could feel it crawling into her. For a brief moment she looked up to Zachariah with terror in her eyes and then suddenly her body was covered in a warm glow as she felt the serpent pass through her heart and then suddenly like an arrow from a bow it burst out of her chest and into Zachariah's where it pierced his heart and he too was consumed in the golden light.

  As the light faded Melanie could see the serpent coming out of the sleeve of his shirt.. Slowly it encircled his finger and reformed into a ring. It was an exact match of hers with only the difference in the size of their fingers.

  Melanie was startled by a thin gold filament that she could see that connected her heart to Zachariah's. Slowly the filament faded but she knew it was still there. Then a mouth formed upon her ring and on Zachariah's and in unison they said, “Two hearts that will beat as one, two breasts that will breathe as one, these two are wed now and forever, in this world and beyond."

  Melanie looked up at Zachariah and said, “Did you know that this would happen?"

  But she knew the answer from the startled look upon his face. He had not known the magic of the ring any more than she had. Then she asked, “Does this mean we are married?"

  "These rings were made with magic, but I do believe that the magic was a gift from God, so I would have to say that in God's eyes yes we are. Still I would prefer we make it legal."

  She nodded and then wrapped her arms around his neck tight.

  "Oh look at the two love birds.” Came a voice filled with vehemence and hatred from the open doorway.

  Zachariah turned. He had been too absorbed with the effects of the magic and had not noticed the clock had finished striking. There in the doorway stood Lilith, as stark and naked as she had been the day she had appeared after she had taken her life. She was as alive as she had been, as beautiful as she had been, but her eyes were red flames burning upon a mask of pure hatred that was her contorted face.

  He held Melanie close to him, not wanting to let her go, not wanting to let her face the monster that he knew Lilith was, but Melanie looked up at him and whispered, “Papa Zach, it is okay."

  "Papa? Oh isn't that cute. Did you tell her to call you that like your mother called your father or did she just do it on her own?” Lilith sneered.

  Slowly Melanie disentangled herself from his arms and looked at Lilith. For the first time she was looking at the woman that the man she loved had once been married to. She had lied to him and betrayed him and had destroyed his life. Even though she had every reason in the world to hate Lilith she did not, she felt pity for her, pity that she had not let someone as wonderful as Zachariah give her the life she could have had. The tears in Melanie's eyes were for the love Lilith would never understand. Her voice was strong as she faced what she knew was truly someone void of the ability to feel love at all. As she spoke her words were filled with the love that resounded from her heart, “From the moment I met Papa I felt safe with him. It was I that asked him if I could call him Papa Zach, he had nothing to do with it."

  Lilith hissed at the girl but Melanie held her place. Smiling Lilith said, “She is a brave one, Zach, maybe too brave.

  "So little girl, has he told you about your decision yet?"

  Melanie looked up at Zachariah and suddenly noticed he was not yet young. “No, he has not told me what I have to decide. You interrupted us."

  Melanie took a deep breath and tried to be as brave as she could. She knew that somehow she was going to have to save the man she loved but she had no idea how. For now she would try to stall. “So, Lilith, is everything you told Zachariah about you being in the G
arden of Eden the truth or was that just more of your lies?"

  Lilith seemed to grow a foot in height before her eyes as her anger flared. Fire literally leapt from her eyes. She turned her head and looked at Zachariah and said, “The old fool told you all about me did he? Well what does it matter whether it is true or not?"

  The transformation took only a few seconds and Melanie nearly fell out of the circle and would have if Zachariah had not caught her. Before them both stood the monstrous eight foot tall black winged beast of Lilith, “What matters is that I am Wampyr!"

  Lilith leapt at them and a blinding flash of gold erupted before Melanie and Zachariah as she slammed into the invisible barrier formed by the circle of salt and ash Zachariah had laid about them. The form of the creature instantly vanished and Lilith was hurled back across the room and slammed into the wall hard enough that Melanie could hear several bones break.

  While Lilith was struggling to regain her feet Melanie turned to Zachariah and whispered, “Why are you not young? What is wrong with the magic?"

  Zachariah looked at his hands and saw they were still wrinkled then looked at Lilith as she was resetting her bones and they were beginning to knit.

  "You fool! Zach, it is because of the protective circle about you. Part of the magic that heals you comes from me. Since you have kept me out it cannot get to you, but you cannot keep me out much longer. She must make a decision."

  Zachariah looked at Melanie and said, “Stay here. Whatever happens do not leave the circle, please promise me that."

  "Papa?"

  "Please! Precious, promise me! She is still hurt, I do not know how she is healing at all, in the past she could not heal it must have something to do with you, but at least she is healing slowly. So stay here. Please."

  Lilith hissed as she turned to face Zachariah, “Precious, you never used that word with me!"

  Melanie looked at Lilith and said, “For you, Papa, I promise."

  Zachariah took a deep breath for he knew he was about to risk more than he had ever risked before, but he was also about to make certain Melanie would live a long and full life without being cursed with Lilith inside of her.

  He stepped out of the circle. Light engulfed him and in an instant he was young again, his body was once again the same biological age it had been more than three thousand five hundred years earlier. Then he looked at Lilith. The same magic that had reversed his age had healed her completely and instantly. What little advantage he thought he might have had had vanished. He faced her and announced, “Melanie does not have to make any decision."

  Lilith threw back her head and laughed. The room shook. The clock that was on the wall fell to the floor with a crash and the glass plate that hung above the table began to swing, but the chains held. She lowered her head and said, “You cannot change the magic, Zach. She is the one."

  "No, Lilith, she was the one, but now there are two."

  Lilith's eyes narrowed and she looked at him menacingly, “How dare you play games with me, Zachariah, she is the one that gave her blood."

  Zachariah looked to Melanie and said, “Hold up your hand."

  Melanie lifted her hand with the ring and showed it to Lilith. Even as she did so her eyes were still fastened to Zachariah where they had been since the moment of his transformation. She had believed in the magic. He had proved its existence to her, but she had not expected his metamorphosis would be so dramatic. He barely even looked like the man she had known.

  Then Zachariah asked, “Do you recognize that ring?"

  As he spoke Melanie knew it was him. It was not only his accent, which she had grown to adore, but the tenderness with which he spoke to her that confirmed his identity within her heart. The love she felt for him had not changed.

  She had never thought of a man as beautiful before but as her eyes studied him she saw that he was a beautiful man. He had said he would be twenty, which meant he was only two years older than her in physical age now. The crevices that had once broken his face were replaced with the firm skin of youth and the crow's feet that had been at the sides of his eyes and reached to his temples were smooth again. His hair was as black as obsidian and his eyes were a dark blue. His skin was nearly the color of bronze, and his muscles rippled as he moved. He was a living sculpture, carved in flesh expressing a beauty that Michelangelo could not have captured in stone. She gasped as she saw Lilith step towards him.

  The first sight of the ring froze Lilith in place. The fire in Lilith's eyes grew brighter. Then like a striking serpent her hand struck out and seized Zachariah by the neck and pulled him near her, “That was the ring you made for me, by what right did you give it to her?” Her lips spread and fangs grew in her mouth as she snarled at him. He could feel the grip on his throat tighten as she hissed, “Did you forget you are married to me?"

  "No, Lilith. You gave up that right when you killed yourself.” Zachariah struggled as he held onto her hand to keep her from crushing his throat.

  "That ring was made for the woman I would love heart, body and soul, and who would love me equally. You never loved me so it was never made for you.” Then Zachariah released her wrist and raised his hand to show her the ring upon his finger.

  "When I placed it upon her the magic of the ring divided it into two, this is the other ring. It connected our hearts, our souls, our very breaths. We are one, and by pronouncement of the ring itself we are married."

  Lilith lifted her head and howled as she flung him against the wall then she turned into the cave bear and stalked over to him ready to strike at him. Melanie screamed!

  "Lilith, I am as good a host as she is. What better way to get your revenge than to possess the man that made you his slave?” Zachariah had never made Lilith his slave, but he knew that to her being a wife was as good as being a slave. The word had hit home for she transformed back into Lilith.

  Slowly Lilith got close to him and looked him in the eyes. “So you are offering your own life to save hers."

  Melanie fell to her knees, “No! Papa!” He could tell she was struggling to keep from coming to his side but she had made a promise so she stayed within the circle.

  Melanie wept. She could not loose the man she loved. She could not let that monster take him from her. Yet she did not want to disobey Papa Zach. She wanted to be perfect in his eyes and in doing that she would do as he said. She lifted her eyes and listened to his words but they really did not matter. She loved him. That was all that mattered.

  "Melanie, I cannot let her take over your life. She is a monster. I have lived for three millennia; you have only begun your life.” Zach's eyes were filled with tears as he looked at her, “I love you, Melanie, let me do this."

  She lowered her head to the floor and wept.

  "Oh how sweet. The sacrifice for the one you love.” Lilith sneered, “But what will stop me from killing her once I take your body."

  "Well, Lilith, that I do know. I remembered part of your story as I was weaving the ring and I know the ring will not let you kill someone of your own sex. You are female in spirit, you will not be able to kill or even harm her."

  Lilith straddled his chest, placing both hands at his throat. “I ought to rip your throat out."

  "You cannot do that, for if you kill me Melanie will die too. Our hearts beat as one."

  In rage Lilith leapt off of him and charged toward Melanie but she again struck the invisible barrier that the sands of the circle Zachariah had drawn made. She was flung across the room as if she had been struck by the force of a lightning strike. Her hair and skin smoked and sizzled for a moment. Her skin was charred, and she knew this time it would not heal unless Zachariah used the stone for Zachariah had been transformed now and that part of the magic was complete. Now she had to wait until she was reborn. So she walked over to where he lay and sat upon his chest.

  "So I will not be able to kill or feed from women. Well that still leaves men, so I accept. I will take your body,” she said.

  Slowly she began to
merge into his body only then did she hear him say, “No, Lilith, your body will be male. You cannot attack the same sex. Your spirit is female so you cannot attack, harm or kill females. Your body will be male so you cannot attack, harm or kill males. You will have to satisfy your appetite for blood from blood banks or from animals. For you will not be able to take it from living humans ever again."

  Lilith screamed and tried to pull free from his body but the magic was already melding them together. “You tricked me, Zachariah."

  Then a small voice said, “I will do it."

  Zachariah turned, his eyes filled with horror for he knew what had just happened, still he said, “No, Melanie!"

  Lilith laughed, “Too late! Zachariah, she was the first choice of the magic, she can overrule you."

  There was no slow melding of Lilith to Melanie and the circle of sand no longer protected her. Once Melanie had spoken the circle exploded outward and Lilith flew free of Zachariah. She was free only long enough to throw her taunt at him before she merged completely with Melanie.

  Melanie's eyes turned red and Zachariah knew what he had feared would happen was true. Lilith had no intention of sharing the body. She had taken over and in an instant she had either destroyed Melanie's soul or buried it so deeply that Melanie might as well no longer even exist.

  The new Lilith lifted her head and stretched her arms. She smiled and looked down at Zachariah. “So, we are married again are we? How pleasant of you to have informed me of that.

  "Well then, let's see about that,” hissed Lilith. She walked over to Zachariah and circled him looking down at him. He could see from the wicked look upon her contorted face, that her mind was hatching some evil plan. He started to rise and she put her foot on his chest and pushed him back down. “No, not yet. I think I like you on the floor for the moment."

  Lilith reached down and grabbed his ankle and lifted him off the floor as if he were a rag doll. Then she swung him over her head, in an arch, crashing him into the floor again. He felt several ribs break as the wind was also forced from his lungs. Then she dragged him by his ankle toward the table. There she dropped him and ignored him momentarily.