It All Started with an Apple. Subtitled: Lucifer's forbidden fruit

Chapter 23 Aelia

 Aelia can hardly believe it has been a month since she lost Lucifer, her everything. She tried to go back to her old life on earth, but she felt to empty inside to dance. She tried and tried but she could no longer stay in rhythm when dancing. She tried to go to the library full time, but she could no longer find solace in the books. She lost both her jobs and her sanity it seemed. She knows he is gone but it still seems he is still here somehow. She knew he was still watching her, he had to be. Watching her, feeling her as she always felt him, she swears she can sometimes smell him. She could feel his heart pounding in the palm of her hand, feel him call her to him as she tries to pull him back to her. But he refuses to show himself, to give even an inch. She finally decided it was time to make him listen with a ritual she found to summon him.

After setting up an altar, gathering all the needed materials- even the blood of a goat Aelia holds her arms outstretched, she calls to her lost lover. "I summon thee Lucifer-the bright morning star, if it be your will, you are to show yourself to me. Come to me and listen to what I have to say. I wish to speak with you directly, no demons or fallen angels, just you."

Aelia lights the candles on the alter, raises the glass of blood, taking a sip. "I drink of this blood as I drank of yours and I offer you this remaining blood and mine if you will only show yourself to me,' she pleas. Nothing but silence, horrible-heartbreaking silence. She tries again and again.

"I summon thee Lucifer this is my divine purpose, to have communications with you, please! No strings attached; you do not have to love me! Just show yourself to me. I ask for the powerful demon Tyche to aide me in getting you to hear me Lucifer." Aelia falls to her knees in despair, accepting there is no hope. All is lost, she is lost. After a few more moments of agonizing silence, she decides to find another way to end her torment. Numbly she walks away from her ritual and the mess she has made of her life. Gathering up a few candles and a lighter she heads to her bathroom.

Vaguely aware of her thoughts Aelia seems to almost float, growing near her destination. To hell with Lucifer, she tries telling herself, she doesn't want his help this time-she would save herself for once. She decides she will end her own suffering. These dark thoughts continue to rage in her mind as she lights her candles to position them around the bathtub. It is not like she wants to feel this way. It is just that no matter how she tried to go on the terrible feelings came back, an unnamed feeling that makes her want to get off earth and seize to exist. She has been up for days, unable to sleep with her mind all messed up like this. She is frantic for Lucifer's soothing arms, without him she longs to dissolve-disintegrate, anything to end the agonizing hurt and hate inside her.

Aelia prays to God to let her die, end her suffering because every second without Lucifer she was dying anyways. Part by part, second by second, she simply cannot take the loneliness anymore. Tonight, she decides to lose herself and show him the agony his loss caused her heart and soul. She closes her eyes-tears slid down her face into the steamy waters of her bath. Loosing Lucifer chased away all the sanity in her, again she tries to tell herself it is for the best that he is gone. It doesn't not work-help, it never has or will. She is simply alone and tired, so tired. She loses her will to live deciding it was time for her to let go. Again, she prays, "God please stop my pain!" Aelia feels, hears nothing making her even more empty and sad inside. She screams to Lucifer this time.

"Lucifer! Please!" Silence deafening-agonizing silence. Aelia reaches for the razor blade, her hand trembles as she pictures her beloved's flawless face. She slides the blade long ways from her palm down to her elbow. She watches vaguely as crimson blood drips like the steady flow of red wine, from the opened wounds of her flesh. The clear water of her bath has now turned red, once hot it is cold now. As cold as her mind and soul. Her emotional pain is gone, her mind numb as her body grows heavy-her eyes no longer able to focus.

"Lucifer," Aelia gasps as darkness finally swallows her up into its welcomed embrace.