27. Lilith
Chapter twenty-seven
Lilith
I look out of my bedroom window. The flat irons fill the view. It’s such an incredible sight and I’m so thankful God has created this for us sinners. A knock at the door pulls me away from the beauty.
“Hello Lilith,” my favorite nurse, Eve, saunters into my room. The med cart wheels squeak with restraint as she pulls it in behind her. Little plastic cups filled with an assortment of meds decorate the top.
“Hello Eve!” I exclaim as I bounce over to her. Eve was here before I became a resident. She helped guide me back to God and away from all the sins of my past life. She has helped me find the virtue in abstinence, and reminded me of God’s plans for me. Her long fingers stretch out, grabbing my cup from the cart before handing it over to me. I quickly take the pills and swallow them down, opening my mouth widely for her to do her check.
“All good!” she exclaims, giving me a broad smile. “How are you doing today Lilith? You missed the morning group.”
Guilt from failing to make it overtakes me and my head drops in shame. “I had another nightmare. I slept in because of it.” I admit.
Her hand pats my shoulder as she responds, “I’ll talk to Elijah about switching out some of your medication. We’ll get them to stop sweetheart, I promise. The Lord’s work is unmatched, but sometimes human intervention is needed.”
“Thank you, Eve.”
After she’s left my room I head back over to my window. It’s become my favorite place in the whole facility. I’m blessed to be able to watch as the seasons change or how the sun casts itself over the mountain at sunset. It reminds me how small I am compared to the greater picture.
It’s Sunday morning, so although I could stand by here and look out of this window all day I need to get ready for service. I head over to my closet and pull out my red service dress. Every resident is given an outfit to wear on Sundays. The men are given nice gray suits, absent of any strings or buttons to keep us safe, and the women are either gifted a beautiful, simple red dress, like my own, or a light brown alternative. Everyone goes all out on Sundays, truly making it a glorious time. The women spend extra time making sure their hair is fully combed and pulled up, and the men keep themselves clean shaven. We all want to make a great impression each time we step into the house of the Lord.
Once I’ve perfected myself I head out into the hallway to join the other patients. We wait here until security can join us and lead us through the gardens and over to the small church the clinic built.
“Hello Lilith,” a newer patient says to me, stepping out of his room. He had just been admitted a few weeks ago, and has barely spoken. He was an employee of Apollyon’s
who fell down the path to hell. Thankfully his boss was the perfect man to help him back up.
His words fill me with a rush as it registers to me how important this moment could be. God is allowing me a space to make him feel welcomed. “Hello Adam!” I respond cheerfully, holding out my hand to greet him. He begins to reach forward to take my hand in his before pulling back abruptly.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” his words come out quiet, almost as if he’s scared to speak.
“You too! Are you ready for church today? It’s a beautiful service, and the pastor is incredible with his words.”
A small smile overtakes his lips as he responds, “I am, thank you Lilith. And may the Lord continue to protect you.”
His words confuse me but I have no time to dwell on them as security enters the hall and begins to escort us down the hallway. Outside, the sun warms my skin. There’s a brisk November breeze but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. The gardens are on their last leg of the season. Petals from drying flowers and orange and red leaves sprawl across the lawns. I bask in the beauty before heading up the steps to the church.
We all shuffle into the pews, pulling out our sermons for this week. Many patients kneel down on the benches in front of them to get a few prayers in before Mass starts. I take this time to admire the statue at the front of the church. Jesus Christ hangs from his cross. A crown of thorns firmly planted in his head, with nails protruding from his hands and feet. My heart warms with love for the man who sacrificed himself for
our sins. All so God could welcome us into his everlasting kingdom.
“Good morning!” The pastor’s voice booms as he walks down the aisle. Two alter boys follow behind, carrying the body and blood of Christ. “Welcome to this week's service.”
He pulls out a bible and jumps straight in, “God, grant me the serenity to change the things I can, to accept the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“Amen,” the crowd responds.
“Today we are going to dive into what our place on this earth is. And why sin is prevalent during this era.”
All the patients, including myself, take our seats and sit in silence as we listen on. We get through a little over half of the ceremony before the pastor freezes in his tracks, looking towards the entrance of the church. Slowly, everyone begins to turn, eager to see what’s holding his attention. The doors are wide open as a man walks in. At first only his silhouette is visible as the light from outside leaks around him. But as he walks further in, his features become apparent. My heart drops at the sight of him.
“Kameron?” I whisper, too quietly for anyone to hear me. Yet his gaze centers on me.
“ My little sinner, ” he says, a disturbing smile breaking out on his face. My heart begins to race as fear overthrows any of my senses. I start to back up, but only manage to bump into those who were sitting next to me.
“Can we help you, young man?” the pastor calls out from his podium.
Kameron's gaze finally shifts off of me, landing on him instead. “Yes pastor, can you explain to me how a God as loving as yours can create such cruelty in this world?”
Everyone shifts in their seats, concern lacing most of their faces.
“My son, why don’t you have a seat? We were just talking about that today.”
“I’m much more comfortable standing,” Kameron says as he continues his walk up to the front. One of the side doors next to the podium opens and Apollyon steps out, anger drenching his face.
“You are not welcome here,” he barks out. His age has truly begun to take a toll on him. It becomes apparent as he uses his cane to make way to the front and center of the room.
“Your God would be horrified to have a pedophile in his place of worship!” Kameron yells back. The room fills with the soft sound of the patients murmuring to each other.
“What is the meaning of this nonsense?”
“Oh, my bad.” Kameron starts, he slips a small phone from his back pocket. “Have you not told your cult about your secret child? The one you promised to care for and instead raped? The one you were supposed to clothe and feed but instead trained to be a mindless killer who could do your bidding?”
The murmurs continue to grow louder as people begin to frantically look around, searching for an explanation. I can’t help but continue to stare silently as the man I once viewed as an angel screams about sins. I clutch onto the cross hanging from my neck as I continue to watch.
“Have you not told them about how many people you’ve killed?” With the finishing word, Kameron pulls the phone into view, hitting the call button.
“No!” I scream out too late as I realize what’s happening. A loud bang vibrates through the church as the first bomb goes off. The entrance doors crumble to the ground, causing dust to permeate the air. His eyes dart around frantically as everyone's view is obstructed by the commotion. Kameron freezes as his eyes lock with mine. A look of passion passes through his face before another explosion goes off behind me. Pressure slams me forward and almost as if the world has gone into slow motion, I watch as I get closer and closer to the pew in front of me. The cracking sound of my skull against the wood is the last thing I hear before the world goes black.