Into the Light

6

Beth paused in her story and met each of our gazes, one by one. I don't know if she did this for effect, or to see if we were paying attention, but either way, it worked. With the candles flickering in the dimly lit room, and her gravelly voice telling the story, I was definitely spooked, and paying attention. I knew that she was saying that the legend was about Lilith, because what other reason would she be telling us this. Lilith had to be the child in the story. Beth took a sip of the water bottle that Katrina had handed her earlier, and cleared her throat. "The middle daughter became a pale skeleton, only a slight comparison to her former self. Every day, it seemed like the light in her eyes dimmed and she became distant and unwilling, or unable, to speak to anyone. The closer it got to the wedding day, the sicker she became. On the day before  she was to walk down the aisle, her mother couldn't wake her. She had passed in her sleep. Her wedding day became her funeral day. The legend states that the girl's sister was her first victim. At the age of 15, she stole her sister's soul. How did she know how? Well, it's never been proven, but it is believed that one of the teachers that she was sent too, was also a witch. This witch was a practitioner of the worst kinds of magic. Anything dark and evil, she had tried or commited. The woman was suspected to be the killer of several men in their sleepy town, but no one could find proof. Then they all just seemed to mysteriously forget. Anywho, this lady taught the girl everything she knew, introducing her to the Dark Arts, and how to use this dark side of herself. After her sister died, the girl's mother became so sick from heartbreak, or so they say, that she to passed away, only a couple of weeks after her daughter. The girl's father was terrified by his daughter, but he had no one left. His oldest hadn't checked in, in months, and the rest of his family was dead. When his daughter suggested that they wouldn't have to lose anyone else, for a very long time at least, it seemed like music to his ears. So, he vowed to be with his daughter, and to do whatever she needed him to do. It is said that a few more people died after this happened, but no one ever figured out why. When the girl turned 23, she opened her own school of etiquette for young women, in her very own childhood home. Her father helped out as groundskeeper, and anything else that his daughter might need. Years passed, and this school became very popular. There was an elitist quality to it. At first, only the most prominent of young women were allowed to enter this school. The ones whose families had been able to afford food for their children, and put clothes on their backs. The ones who stayed mostly healthy because their parents could afford to take care of them. Back then, that was a hard thing to find, but was usually always within the rich. The elite. It is said that some of these girls seemed to not age at all, after quite a few years, while others passed away from a mysterious illness. After many of the girls from the wealthiest families came to stay at the school, the youngest daughter, who should've been almost 30 by then, started a program that allowed others to enter the school. The girls who came from families that did not have a lot of money. The farmers daughters, like herself, the seamstress's, and even the a few of the ones who lived on the street. Now, these girls tended to get sick more often than the others. Sometimes, it took no time at all, while other times, the girls would die within weeks, or even days of arriving. You might wonder why parents still sent their daughters to this place that seemed to have death revolving around it. Because they would forget. When anyone thought of the missing girls, the parents would just say they ran off with some boy, bringing shame to their family, or that they moved upstate with family members, to try for a better life. There were many different stories about the missing girls. The girls that remained, there were about 13, I believe. The legend goes on to say that these girls stayed at the school for years, but never aged a day. The youngest daughter, or the Headmaster, as she now called herself, was going on almost 50, but still looked like she was 23. None of it made sense. The stealing of one's soul would make your own life force stronger, giving you the ability to live longer, and look younger, but it didn't last forever. So, the girl, along with her students, experimented with the spell and the girls that they performed it on. They noticed that some of the girl's souls would last longer, while some of them would burn out in a day. Upon further investigation, it was said that the soul of an innocent, a virgin who had never went against the teachings of the Commandments, lasted the longest. As you've guessed by now, I'm assuming that the Lilith that you speak of, is the youngest daughter in the story. What I don't understand is how she still looks so young. Even with the stolen souls, she would still age. Just very slowly. This legend was is hundreds of years old. Lilith should look like she's at least in her 60's by now. And why did she have Anna, and the others hooked up with blood transfusions." She paused again, with a far off look on her face, while she chewed her bottom lip. I waited for her to continue, but then I got impatient. "So, what's our next step? Do you know how to wake Anna up, without hurting her?" I asked, wanting to snap my fingers in front of her daydreaming expression. Her eyes snapped back to mine. "Oh. Well, I'm going to perform the original ritual that I planned. I believe that, from what you told me, plus the legend, that Lilith has attached herself to Anna's soul. She's using it to fuel herself. So, she's keeping her alive, but not alive. I don't know that I can break Lilith's hold, but I can wake her up."