“Ah,” Lilith gasped and, for reasons that were beyond her, she tried reassuring the man. “No, no, I was in a rush to get to work, so really, it’s my fault for not being more careful about where I was going.”
The man ran a hand through his messy locks of hair, the slight twitching of his lips the only sign that he was amused.
“I guess we’re both sorry, then.”
“Yes.” Lilith smiled uncertainly. “I guess so.”
What was going on? Why was this man still talking to her? Why was she still talking to him? She didn’t understand. This should have been the part where he tried molesting her, and she ran away in fear, shouldn’t it? That’s what always happened to her when she was around men.
“Anyway, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you probably already are,” he continued. “I just wanted to give this back to you.”
“Is that…?” Lilith trailed off as he held up a familiar to-go bag, light brown and quite large, with The Crema Café stamped on it.
“Yeah, you dropped it when you…” he trailed off, his face scrunching up, as if he was searching for the right words to describe how she had fled from him in terror. “Well, after we bumped into each other.”
Lilith stared at the bag in shock. This entire situation was getting more unusual by the second. She didn’t know what to think anymore.
“I have some doubts about whether or not it's any good now.” His expression became a bit sheepish, and maybe even a tad self-deprecating. “But I thought I should return it to you all the same.”
Lilith stared at the bag for a long moment. She said nothing, nor did she make any move to grab it. He seemed to realize why she was so hesitant, because he set the bag on the ground a moment later, and took several steps back.
“I’ll just leave it here, then. You can take it, or not. I just thought it would be polite to return it to you.”
Slowly, Lilith walked up to the bag. She knelt down and picked it up, her eyes never straying from the young man’s heterochromatic gaze. He didn’t move from where he stood, allowing her to pick it up and scuttle back.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice as soft and gentle as the breeze blowing through the park. The young man gave her a small half-smile. Lilith wondered why her heart skipped a beat.
“You’re welcome.”
Silence descended upon them. Awkward. Tense. Stifling. Neither seemed to know what to say or do, and it caused the atmosphere to grow thick.
“Well…” The young man broke the tension, coughing into his hand, a light flush of pink staining his cheeks. “I really just came to give that to you, so I’ll be going now.”
Lilith didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
“Okay. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, and God bless you.”
“God?” Lilith’s face scrunched up in confusion as she watched the young man walk away. He hadn’t struck her as the religious type, but then, what did she know about religion? She hadn’t believed in God since the day she lost her mother.
A little while later, after the man had left, Lilith continued walking home. For some reason, she kept the bag containing the breakfast that she never ate, even though the food had definitely spoiled by now.
After she returned home, Lilith would look inside the bag and discover that, instead of food, there was money inside—enough to cover the meal that she had lost after bumping into that enigmatic young man.
Interlude 1
Darkness blanketed the sky. The stars did not shine, and the moon was but a pale imitation of what it would be in places that were less developed. The heavens were blocked by the smog that humanity had covered the atmosphere with. God would not reach these people.
A figure stood on a tall building, its long robe was darker than the night sky, wreathing his body like black flames caught in a breeze. The robe was large enough to hide whether the figure was male or female. The face was covered by a hood, masking all but its eyes.
Its eyes. From within the hood their eyes glowered at the world below them. Two crimson orbs like bloody pools stared at the city below in disgust.
Long ago, his kind had inspired great fear. Humans fled before them in terror, mere prey for them to feast on. That time had long since passed and he, like many others, had been forced to hide in the shadows. No longer were they the once great and proud race of centuries past. They had been reduced to bottom feeders, picking off the scraps that humans left behind.
The decadent filth that was humanity had long since overpopulated this world. And not just humans. Oh, no. There were many others who populated this world, mucking it up with their grime. Once he gained enough power, all those lesser species would perish.
He would keep the humans, however, for they had their uses. He would breed them like cattle and suck them dry. They would sustain him, increasing his power, and he would let them live. He was, after all, a merciful lord.
Ah, but there was one among this group of pestilence that he would save, one that he would acquire for himself. He would find her, and he would break her, and then she would stand by his side. She would be his Queen.
“My dear Eve, no matter how far you run, I will always find you.”
Chapter 9
“Three numbers are such that the second is six less than twice the first, and the third is five more than the sum of the first two numbers. The sum of the numbers is two-hundred and thirty-four. Find the numbers.”
Lilith worried her lower lip as she stared at the computer in front of her. The text on the monitor seemed to mock her for her inability to answer the algebra problem that it presented. Despite having been staring at the problem for the past fifteen minutes, as well as reading it out loud several times, she was no closer to discovering the answer than she had been when she first started.
The index finger of her left hand tapped a staccato rhythm on the table, a habit that she had picked up for moments like this, while she held a strand of hair between the fingers of her right hand and twirled it around. Her left leg jiggled up and down, so quickly that it sounded like the beating of a hummingbird’s wings. Frustration had set in a long time ago.
Pointless. This was all pointless. No matter how long she stared at the screen, Lilith found herself no closer to solving this equation. And it was the first problem of her math homework! If she couldn’t even solve the first problem, then how was she going to solve the others?
Math had never been her strongest subject. It would not be inaccurate to say that she royally sucked at math. In fact, she didn’t just suck at math; she was so splendidly horrible that mathematicians everywhere cringed whenever she attempted to solve a mathematical equation. Lilith was more of the artistic type. Drawing and illustrations were her specialty, not math and science. Why was she even required to take math courses when they weren’t needed for her degree?
It had only been two months since Lilith began attending classes at California State University. She wanted to say that she enjoyed going to college, but the truth was that she couldn’t stand it. The classes were nice, but wholly unenjoyable because of the obvious reason of there being one male too many. All of the boys in her classes spent more time stripping her with their eyes than paying attention to the instructors. It was so bad that she not only sat in the back of the classroom, but she'd begun wearing the most unflattering clothes she could find so people wouldn’t notice her.
It’s too bad that hadn’t worked out like she’d been hoping it would. Even when disguised in clothes that hid her entire body from view, people still stared at her.
The beginning of the year had been especially bad. The first time that she had gone to the campus, she had become the object of unwanted attention.
Every male in the vicinity had ogled her like a piece of meat. The women had glared at her, as if she was to blame for their boyfriends’ wandering eyes, which Lilith didn’t understand. It wasn't like she enjoyed the attention. She hated it. If she knew how to make them stop
, she would have gladly done so a long time ago.
If that had been the worst thing that had happened, she might have been able to grin and bear it. Unfortunately, not only had she been the center of attention, but several guys who’d apparently been stronger willed than most had assaulted her.
Lilith still shuddered when she remembered that incident. Even now she could feel the way they had grabbed her, could remember the terror she felt as they forced her against the wall. She remembered how the boys had surrounded her, keeping her caged between them, unable to move, unable to run. To this day her mind still reeled in horror as she recalled how she had tried to scream, only for them to clamp her mouth shut and keep her arms pinned above her head, leaving her helpless to their machinations.
If it hadn’t been for a teacher passing by―a female, thank God― Lilith was positive that they would have tried something right there in the hallway. She had been lucky to walk away with only bruised wrists and an even healthier fear of men.
After she talked with the school director, they had worked out a solution that at least partially satisfied her. Lilith’s instructors would email all the lesson plans and homework that didn’t require her attendance, and she would complete her assignments at home. She would then email the homework back, get graded for it, and have the next assignment sent to her. So long as she kept a three-point-five GPA and turned all of her assignments in on time, they would let her continue doing the majority of college work from home. The only time that she would have to attend was during tests.
This arrangement had worked out pretty well so far. There were a few bumps in the road—she couldn’t ask her teachers for in-person help on her schoolwork, and e-mail didn’t work as the instructors didn’t always respond to her in a timely manner.
That issue was mostly rectified thanks to Maria, who was ridiculously intelligent on top of being an amazing athlete. She helped Lilith with her math and science homework, which was where she struggled the most.
Unfortunately, Maria wasn’t there right now. She was out on another run, and Lilith had no clue when she would be back.
“Would you stop that? It’s annoying.”
Another problem, and part of the reason for her agitation, was her second roommate: Stacy Moon. She and the other girl had never gotten along. They didn’t argue much, but Lilith was sure that the only reason Stacy didn’t make a bigger fuss about her presence was because Maria made the rules―mainly because she paid most of the bills and actually liked Lilith.
Stacy was a seventeen-year-old girl who had run away from home. Lilith didn’t know much about her past other than that. Truth be told, she didn’t really want to know. The girl was unpleasant to her at the best of times and downright insulting at the worst of them.
Her dark hair was styled in a short pixie cut, several streaks of pink running through it. She was decked out in gothic clothes: black pants, a black lace bodice, black armbands, and black boots with about a dozen straps that gave her several extra inches in height. A black choker clung to her neck, completing the ensemble, and the dark clothes created a stark contrast to her pale, nearly ghost-white skin.
She and Stacy tried avoiding each other whenever possible. They just didn’t mesh. The other girl was the type who enjoyed staying up well into the night partying, while Lilith was an early bird. Just about the only thing that she knew about her estranged roommate was that Stacy worked at a nightclub called Up Lounge in Anaheim.
Lilith had no clue how the young girl had gotten a job there, though she knew the goth-clad female used a fake ID to sneak into clubs. She never really bothered asking. Even if she disapproved of someone so young getting a job at a dance club that served alcohol, it really wasn’t any of her business.
“Stop what?” Lilith asked absently, eyes narrowed at the monitor, as if glaring at the equation would make it solve itself.
“Don’t ‘stop what’ me! Stop making so much noise! It’s distracting, and I’m trying to watch TV.”
Lilith looked up from her work, and turned her head to see the girl sitting on the couch. Her propped legs and slouched posture annoyed Lilith. Everything from the way she sat to the way her clothes were rumpled, and even the slack expression on her face screamed lazy. On the other side of the room, the television played some kind of reality TV show.
“It’s not something I can help.” Lilith looked back down at the homework mocking her from the monitor screen. “Besides, I’m at least doing something productive. All you’re doing is lazing about.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” Even though Lilith was no longer looking at the other girl, she could practically feel the scowl being directed her way. “So you’re doing something productive. Big deal. I pay more of the bills than you do.”
“That doesn’t mean much. Maria pays more than both of us. Plus, I go to college and you don’t. What’s more, I was here first. If you think I’m annoying, then you could always just go outside. A day in the sun might do you some good.”
It also might give her the worst sunburn known to mankind, but Lilith honestly didn’t care. Out of all the girls that she knew, Stacy was the one that she liked the least. Not only had the girl dropped out of high school after running away, but she lived a
wild lifestyle. Why the cops hadn’t arrested her yet was a mystery.
How Maria had put up with her for so long was an even bigger mystery.
“Are you trying to start something?!”
Lilith sighed in barely contained annoyance. “No. In case you haven’t noticed; I’m trying to do my homework. I don’t have time to start something, nor would I want to. I was simply pointing out that you don’t have to remain here if you don’t like listening to me.”
“I’m not going outside.”
“Then don’t complain.”
“Tch!”
Before the situation could deteriorate further, the door to the apartment opened, and a sweaty but satisfied Maria walked in. For her run that day, she had chosen to wear black running shorts and a pink shirt that showed off her midriff. Lilith was not bisexual, but even she had to admit that her friend looked gorgeous in her running clothes. Maybe that’s why Maria never felt jealous around her.
“Don’t tell me you two are fighting again.” Maria sounded exasperated. Despite having gone on a twenty-two mile run, she didn’t seem the least bit winded. Her breathing was even and slow. The only sign that she’d done anything physical was the way her skin glistened in the light.
“Not at all,” Lilith lied. “We’re just having a difference of opinion.”
“What she said,” Stacy opined from her place on the couch.
Maria just sighed. “What am I going to do with you two?”
Lilith didn’t have an answer to that, so she didn’t say anything. And it was clear to both of them that Stacy had no intention of answering her, either.
When neither of them gave her a reply, Maria headed toward the shower. She returned nearly ten minutes later dressed in pink booty shorts, sandals, and a sleeveless shirt with a Captain America shield emblazoned on the front.
Her friend wasn’t a hardcore Marvel fan—at least she didn’t think so, but she knew that Maria thought the guy who played Captain America in the movies was hot. It was the only reason they had gone out to see the movie when it first came out in theaters.
Footsteps came from behind Lilith as she was still trying to solve the first question to her homework.
“Having some trouble?” Maria’s asked, causing Lilith to sigh.
“Aren’t I always?” The reply wasn’t necessarily scathing, but it did have a touch of sarcasm to it. Maria didn’t let it bother her.
“I can give you a hand if you want.”
“Yes, please!”
“All right, but first, I think you should take a break.” Lilith looked up from her homework to stare at Maria’s grinning face. “You haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”
As if in answer to her question, Lilith’s s
tomach growled, sounding more like the roar of vicious predator than a stomach. When Lilith’s cheeks became suffused with red, Maria nodded, her grinning face one of triumph.
“Thought so. Let’s go grab some lunch. I’ll help you when we get back.”
“Yeah, okay.” Lilith stood up, and, after shutting off her computer, she turned away from the offending object. She really could use a break. Not only was she sick of staring at math problems, but her eyes were burning. “Where are we going?”
“The Crema Café, of course,” Maria said in that “duh” voice of hers. “That’s one of the only places we can go.”
Lilith’s shoulders drooped a bit. “I’m sorry. I know the only reason we’re not going somewhere else is because of me.”
Although The Crema Café wasn’t exclusive to women, it was the only place where she felt safe. This was largely because of Auntie Kay, who was very accommodating, and did her best to make sure that none of the male workers or patrons bothered her.
“Hey, hey, it’s all right.” Maria wrapped an arm around Lilith’s shoulder and smiled. “I don’t mind, and I’m really just in the mood for a frappuccino. You know that I can never stomach real food after a run.”
“I guess.” Lilith still felt a bit guilty, but she gave her friend a smile nonetheless. “Thank you.”
“He-he, you’re welcome.”
***
Because they had arrived in the middle of the day, most of the community was at work. That meant there were only a few patrons at The Crema Café when Lilith and Maria entered. The two of them were still the center of attention from the moment they walked in, maybe even before that.
It was a common occurrence whenever they went out, whether alone or together. Both were considered incredibly beautiful. Maria had that athletic build that men loved; a flat stomach, toned legs and arms, and a face that was to die for. Her breasts were a little small because of how fit she was, but that didn’t detract from her looks in the slightest. Lilith wouldn’t say it out loud, but if she were a man or into girls, she wouldn’t mind being intimate with her friend in the slightest.
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