We had a busy morning after making our way to the barn and feeding the animals before anything else. According to my dazzling partner, we had plenty to do for the day, so after divvying out the chores, we went straight to work. It sounded like my first task for the day would be gathering firewood for the upcoming winter from the forest surrounding the property.

As I chopped at the wood with sweat dripping from my brow, a million thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to put the pieces of this bewildering puzzle together. Lilith and the elderly woman hated each other…but were still able to somehow coexist. It went without saying that I had no idea how far back their situation went. How long had the old bat’s husband, Albert, been dead? When I had first arrived on the property, she had told me he had passed away a few years earlier…but I had no way of knowing if she was speaking the truth.

While pondering that one, I moved on and wondered why Lilith would stay in such a place due to the obvious tension between her and the aged homeowner. Sure, the blue-hued angel with red streaks running through her dark tresses stood out in a crowd, but just because she looked different didn’t mean she couldn’t get away from this little corner of the map. Why did she feel obligated to stay and carry out work for the old crone?

Speaking of one of my least favorite people to deal with, I had the sudden revelation and wondered just how long I would be staying in the aged house. There was no way the old hag was going to let me stick around indefinitely…and the fact that she would need to leave sooner rather than later had me thinking my departure would have to be in the very near future. She had already tried earlier in the day to run an errand when she had been upset about the orange juice, but she had involuntarily huffed back in since my pickup was blocking her extended driveway. I felt like it was only a matter of time before she was forced to find someone to repair my faltering vehicle.

And perhaps the biggest question of all: Where were we? Due to everything I had been through recently, I had found the need to get away and just drive with no real destination in mind. I had hit the open road because I didn’t want to ever take the chance of harming Eve due to the post-traumatic stress I had from my time away from the regular world around me, and pushing the pedal to the metal, I followed the road to this lonely neck of the woods in the middle of nowhere. I thought heavily about that for a few minutes as I realized I had gone quite a ways without seeing any kind of town or even an outpost of some kind. It was almost as if this house and the land it sat upon existed in its own little corner of the world…

I stopped swinging the axe long enough to wipe the flowing sweat from my forehead. My mind was now going in two different directions as I tried to figure out where I could possibly be while at the same time thinking about Eve. It really started to hit me how much I loved the woman…and how easily I ended up in the arms of Lilith. I wasn’t the type of man to easily succumb to temptation when I had a good thing going…so why did I so readily cave to the blue-skinned beauty’s feminine wiles? She was without a doubt one of the most gorgeous creatures I had ever laid eyes on, but that shouldn’t have swayed me in the least. I had always prided myself on my loyalty, so why…?

I shoved my left hand in my corresponding pocket and realized I had left Eve’s earrings on the nightstand back in my room. Unable to believe that I had forgot to grab them, I angrily gripped the axe once more and started to take my frustration out on the mighty ash in front of me. So many thoughts were swimming through my mind. I kept telling myself that the most important thing I could do was to get Lilith as far away from this place as possible. Something about the entire setting was giving me doubts that gnawed at my very insides. I had seen some unbelievable shit overseas while traveling with the enigmatic trio I mentioned earlier, but I had never been this on edge in my life. There was a lot more going on here than I was privy to.

As I continued chopping away for the best firewood I could secure, the last thing I remember thinking about before getting interrupted was what the old bat had mentioned earlier in the day when saying that she was going to leave for the orange juice. She had mentioned, “I’m going to drive into the village and grab a few things.” Obviously, there was some kind of settlement or established community nearby. It may have been my fault for taking to the road without mapping out where I was going, but we were evidently close to some form of actual society. For a moment, I wondered if it could possibly be within walking distance…

“Marcus?”

It must have been some sight, but I think I nearly jumped a mile. I did mention that I was interrupted, right?

Lilith giggled when she realized she had frightened me. It was truly adorable the way she took pleasure in the small things in life.

I know I’ve pointed it out numerous times before, but after traveling with the secret operatives for nearly two years of my life and seeing some of the seediest things the world has to offer, it should go without saying that I had become hardened to a good many things. Still, I had never been so jittery…and on this small stretch of woods and farmland, I found myself wincing at the most minimal things. I knew my fight or flight response was keeping me on my toes for a reason.

It then hit me how Lilith had spoken my name in such a dulcet tone. I had never been so happy to hear my proper designation in all my life, and such a simple thing had me thrilled beyond imagining.

Lilith angled her head in such a way so she could make eye contact with me as those beautiful red lips of hers curved into a devious smile. At first, I had wondered if she came to fetch me for another chore since I had lost all track of time and figured it was time to move on, but the second I saw those rosy lips begin to express their fondness in the form of a calculating smirk…

“How are things coming on your end, Lilith?” I asked as I put the axe down and used the bottom of my shirt to wipe the perspiration off my face.

“Gonna come?” The blue-skinned beauty energetically shot back as her face lit up and she clasped her hands together.

I felt a flutter in my pants at the very thought of bending Lilith over in the woods and plowing away. As much as the very notion appealed to me, I tried to shake the thought from my mind since I had so many other things on my plate to worry about. I truly had convinced myself that I needed to come up with a plan to get the two of us away from the obscure property…and the sooner the better. I may have wanted my dick cozied away in Lilith’s soft pink more than anything, but I had to stay focused on what legitimately mattered.

In a matter of milliseconds, Lilith suddenly threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She pulled me in close as she planted her lips on mine and snaked her tongue into my mouth. I felt her body pressing up against mine, and as my hands went to her sides, I felt my manhood begin to pulse and throb below. I may not have been able to see them, but I’m pretty sure that both of her splendid bosoms were spilling out of the sides of her overalls.

As I was backed into the nearest tree trunk, I did my best to combat the temptation coursing through my veins since I knew we had bigger things to focus on…but Lilith had a hold on me that I had trouble opposing. I don’t think it’s farfetched to say that any man in my position would’ve felt the same way, and while the rational side of me was screaming that now wasn’t the time for libidinous behavior, there was no way I could deny my body its desire for sensuous satisfaction.

While Lilith maintained the bulk of the control, my hands finally worked their way upward and grabbed the two straps holding her overalls on. Like an animal, I began yanking them off her shoulders and down her arms. She aided me as she continued to kiss me while lowering her limbs so I could get the attire to begin its descent. The top panel fell with the straps and freed her superb breasts. When the garments become lodged on her hips, she began to wiggle about until they finally fell to her ankles. She was free of her clothed confinement.

Now it was my turn. As Lilith stepped out of her overalls and kicked them off to the side, our passionate kiss continued to consume the both of us as I lifted my arms and allowed her to rip my shirt off. The second she had it over my head, the raven-tressed beauty threw it without a care as to where it landed. She gave me one more unbridled kiss before suddenly dropping down and tearing at my pants like a woman possessed. Unlike the previous day when she hadn’t known what could be found beneath my trousers, the blue-skinned stunner knew exactly what she was in for…and she wanted it.

I couldn’t help but chuckle when I thought for a moment that Lilith was actually going to wreck my zipper and possibly tear my pants. I probably shouldn’t have found it as humorous as I did since my stiffening cock was directly below and could’ve been caught in the crossfire, but just watching that ravishing ball of energy as she vivaciously rummaged for my hard-on had me hot to trot like never before.

When my prick popped out in full view of the delighted woman below me, she quite literally inched back and cooed in glee. She could see the veiny pole growing right before her very eyes as she suddenly took it in her grasp and wrapped her full lips around it. She was ready to drain it of its juices.

With my back to the mighty ash I had been chopping wood from, I let my head recline back as my mouth fell open and I placed a hand on my companion’s head. I felt every pass she made as her head thundered back and forth across my length, and the ecstasy sweeping through my body took me to a whole new level of consciousness. Somehow, every woe I had in the entire world was erased from my mind as the only thing I could comprehend was the feel of those luscious lips on my solid dick. Any worries in my existence didn’t matter in that moment of singularity.

My cock didn’t remain in Lilith’s oral orifice for long. The lustful young woman knew exactly what she wanted…and I don’t think she would’ve taken “no” for an answer as she suddenly climbed back to her feet and grabbed my hands so she could pull me forward. I stumbled a bit at first since I had forgotten that my pants were still around my ankles, but my mindful companion realized my predicament at the same time and acted as support as I stepped out of them. Once she had me a few feet away from the tree, she traded positions with me. I wondered what she had in mind…

Lilith placed her left hand against the bole of the ash and then stood with her right side to me while lifting her leg of the same side in order for me to hold on to it. When I had it supported in my grasp with her foot draped over my shoulder, she left herself wide open to me…and beckoned to me to insert something between those sleek limbs of hers.

I carefully inched my way forward since I didn’t want to throw my ravishing compeer off balance. While holding her leg in one arm against my body, I used my free hand to guide my rigid prick toward the pink hole I wanted so wholeheartedly to invade. I closed my eyes the instant I felt the tip against the soft labia, and then my mouth fell open to emit a grunt of satisfaction as the head of my cock entered paradise. When I heard a squeal from Lilith that mirrored my sentiments, I knew we were on the right track. We were about to have another unforgettable encounter as my sizzling sausage made its way forward to scramble her eggs.

I hugged my arms around Lilith’s right leg and went to town as I listened to that marvelous female yip and yelp in jubilation. Again, I found myself forgetting about everything else going on in the world as I, too, entered a state of perpetual bliss. The more I moved back and forth inside of Lilith, the more slippery and sodden we became.

The climate was balmy for the time of year it was, and since the sun was still shining bright, the two of us took full advantage as we made lustful, passionate love out in the middle of nature. I was convinced that if there happened to be any stags and does watching from the seclusion of the trees, they were probably learning a thing or two as we went at it.

I pulverized Lilith’s love hole from that position for a good three or four minutes and only let up when I could feel the nails of her right hand beginning to dig into my chest as she used it for support. I took that as a sign to ease up and that she more than likely needed a break. I wasn’t about to bring any kind of harm to my lovely partner in crime.

I stood before the blue-skinned beauty with my cock aimed directly at her as she straightened herself out and caught her breath. She smiled at me on a couple of occasions as she ran a hand between her legs to feel the wetness we had created. She then playfully gave me a quick kiss on the left cheek before turning her back to me and placing both hands against the trunk of the tree while leaning forward. After doing so, she raised her ass in the air and presented me with an entirely different angle at which to penetrate her from. Those blue buns looked absolutely perfect as I licked my lips and stepped forward.

I licked my right hand and gave myself a few quick tugs before grabbing onto Lilith’s left hip. Keeping the fingers of my right hand clasped around my manhood, I positioned myself just right and guided my throbbing piece of meat into my companion’s soaked slit yet again. Once I was inside, I placed my right hand on her other hip and held on for dear life as I picked up speed. I thoroughly trounced that tiny crevasse as Lilith begged me for more. I felt her surge and swell as her soft insides enveloped my manhood. To show how much I cared, I leaned forward and began covering her back in kisses. Eventually, those kisses morphed into licks as I drenched her back in saliva. Around her, I seemed to become uncivilized.

Another few minutes elapsed until the blue-hued cutie began slapping her hands against the bole of the tree before her in submission. I instantly pulled out since I interpreted the sign as a need of conceding, and upon doing so, I watched as her knees began to knock and her body convulsed. She began to squeal in delight, and even though I knew she was enjoying a riveting orgasm, I still had to ask if she was all right. She answered by letting her juices flow freely as they ran down both sides of her legs. She was euphoric as she reveled in the apex of her sexual furor.

Seeing what had befallen the enticing young woman, I could no longer hold back my need to ejaculate. I took my rigid rod in my right hand and whacked away just as I had done earlier with the axe against the limbs of the tree. I beat my meat into submission until I felt that all too familiar sensation overtaking my very being. I announced my orgasm…and as Lilith continued to tremble in front of me while bent over and fingering her dripping slit, she retorted, “Gonna cum! Gonna cum!”

I blasted a hot load of thick sperm all over the blue buns of the fascinating woman. I shouted like I was in the thick of battle and watched as my first salvo hit the left bun in front of me and exploded upon impact. The second did much of the same as it splattered like a gallon of milk being thrown off the top of a house only to contact pavement below. I continued to fire my Gatling gun while hooting and hollering like a damn banshee at the same time. At that moment, I would’ve gladly defied any man to claim he had unloaded more semen in one sexual outing than I did in that moment. I didn’t seem to be stopping as I continued to discharge shot after gratifying shot. I felt like I was truly on top of the world.

When I finally reached the end of the line, I thought I was going to keel over since I felt so darn dehydrated. I realized I could’ve used a drink of water, but I didn’t have a bottle with me. I should’ve known that Lilith seemed to already have some kind of rapport with me and knew exactly what I desired…and even though she wanted to take a moment to marvel at the massive amount of cream across her backside while frolicking about covered in it, she needed to suck down some refreshing water as well. She instantly grabbed one of my hands and led me to the brook she had flailed about in the previous day.

I was a little hesitant to drink from the trickling waters at first, but after cupping up some of the liquid and raising it to my mouth to sip, I found the fluid to be quite exhilarating. I daresay it tasted even better than the water I had consumed earlier with my breakfast…although everyone knows how that little event ended.

We spent a few minutes cleaning up after our midday romp, and Lilith even used her body language at one point to command me to sit still. Upon doing so, I felt her soft hands as they placed water across my back and washed me off. It felt both relaxing and stimulating at the same time, but I did my best to ignore the latter feeling since we still had a little work to do.

Once we were all cleaned up and back at it – the actual work, that is – I felt my stomach begin to growl since we had been unable to consume a good portion of our breakfast. I found myself momentarily wondering if the old bat would have a lunch prepared for us back at the house, but I decided to follow Lilith’s lead and continue working. If we ended up laboring away through the day without a break, dinner would only be all the more gratifying.

Besides, if Lilith could keep up the hard work without a break, I knew I could do no less.

                    *

Remembering that we had quit for the day around four o’clock the previous afternoon, I realized that we had a couple hours left to finish up the day’s chores. I also recognized that I had gulped down way too much water back at the brook after my “extracurricular activities” with Lilith. As the old saying went, I had to pee like the proverbial racehorse, and while I knew I could whip it out almost anywhere on the property and relieve myself without consequence, I decided to tell Lilith that I was going to run back to the house in order to use the bathroom. Since we were in the barn, it would be a short jaunt there and back that would take me no more than a few minutes.

My raven-tressed companion looked a little tentative at first. She still didn’t communicate with many words around me, so instead of saying her piece, she acted out how she would generally “pop a squat” out behind the barn when she had to go. I chuckled in response and told her that I would be quick. She had nothing to worry about.

The thing was, I would’ve done exactly as she suggested under normal circumstances…but in actuality, I really wanted to go into the house. After indulging in yet another invigorating bout of copulation with my blue-skinned companion, I was even more determined to find a way to get her as far away from this lonely stretch of land as possible. I was more convinced than ever before that the old bat who apparently owned the property was holding my darling Lilith against her will somehow, and I was more resolved than ever before to see to her safety. I wanted to know the truth of what was going on in this bizarre neck of the woods.

I placed a hand on Lilith’s left cheek and informed her with a smile, “I’ll be in and out.”

The dark-haired beauty then placed her hands together almost like she was making a praying motion, but then she set her face against the back side of her left hand in order to convey a message about sleeping. I quickly realized that she meant the elderly homeowner was taking a nap.

This made things all the better.

Again, I tried to make my lovely companion feel more at ease as I reached out and gave her a pat on her left bicep. “You worry too much, Lilith! I won’t wake her! Besides, I really like to wash my hands after relieving myself, so just give me a few minutes and I’ll be right back!”

Reluctantly, Lilith finally nodded.

I knew Lilith would become fraught with worry if I took too long in the house, so I quickly made my way across the dirt cul-de-sac and up the rickety, old steps of the porch. I had a limited amount of time to work with…and I wasn’t sure how soundly the old bat slept. I thought back to the previous night and how she had never discovered anything about the little “rendezvous” Lilith and I had shared, so I figured it was safe to say that as long as I kept the decibels to a minimum, I could do a little snooping around.

After opening the flimsy storm door and creeping in through the main door behind it, I glanced up the staircase directly ahead of me before looking into the open kitchen at my right. I had just assumed that the old woman would be fast asleep in her bed, but I quickly considered the off chance that she might use a couch in her lower-level living room to catch some Z’s. Since I had never been given an actual tour of the house, I gently kicked my shoes off and started making my way through the first floor to see if there was even a living room to begin with.

The kitchen was connected to a short hallway at the left between countertops that ran perpendicular to each other, and on the opposite end, it opened into a dining room area. I made my way in there first and saw that the room was a little longer than I had been anticipating. From there, it had another wide opening a little further down that led into a living room with old, antique furniture and even a television that was older than I was. I was careful about entering that chamber since I wasn’t sure where the old bat took her naps.

As I crept through the living space that was devoid of all other life, I noticed a large window looking out to a yard that was surrounded by trees. There was a clothesline and even an antique plow that was practically orange from rust. There was also an old disc harrow that was missing quite a few of its discs, but I don’t think anyone cared since it was being used as a yard decoration anyway.

Another wide opening on the opposite end of the room led toward a hallway that contained a few doors. On first glance, I could tell that the portal down the corridor on my right was probably just a closet, but the one in front of me led into what could only be described as a miniature library. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve loved taking an afternoon to sift through all the great literature that must’ve been contained within, but I knew I didn’t have that kind of time.

Turning to my left, I saw that there was one more door to be explored at the end of the hallway where it turned and met the path leading in from the kitchen. I went down to that door and noticed that the thick portal with a wobbly knob was cracked open by about an inch. There was obviously a window in the room since sunlight filtered into the hallway through the crack. Slowly, I made my way over the rugs that were laid out on the wooden floor beneath me and gritted my teeth every time the boards creaked. I hoped the hag who was apparently resting on the level above didn’t have acute hearing.

I closed my eyes as I slowly pushed the door open and heard it groan even louder than the floorboards below me. Since it was so damn noisy, I only opened it far enough to allow me entry. Once I squeezed through and entered the room, my eyes were assaulted with far too much information for any one person to take in.

I was in what looked like an office room that had documents, pamphlets, books, and other notes scattered about one large table in the center of the room. There were stacks of paper and even some small filing cabinets sitting underneath it. The walls were also lined with other cabinets, shelves, and even a desk. There were cobwebs hanging in the corners of the room and from the chandelier in the dead center of the office, and dust covered everything in front of me. Strangely, I was reminded of a room one of the operatives I had once traveled with told me about during her adventures when she had been much younger, but I pushed the thought from my mind as I realized the room I now stood in probably hadn’t seen visitors in quite some time.

I inched forward and realized that if I disturbed anything, the old bat was bound to notice…if she ever bothered entering the office to begin with. I knew it was none of my business to go through things, but just glancing around told me that there had to be some kind of documentation present that would give me a few answers about what I had stumbled upon in this strange and secluded stretch of land.

I slowly made my way around the table while eyeing the top documents on each stack before me. I couldn’t make sense of most of it since there were a lot of receipts and even a few letters that must’ve been over half a century old. The fusty smells alone were enough to convince me of the great age of the parchments. My olfactory senses were working on overdrive as I continued to peruse everything sitting in front of me.

My eyes suddenly picked something up that caught my attention. I had always found the different religions of the world to be quite fascinating, and back during my late teens when I used to enjoy writing fantasy tales in my spare time, I had studied many various theologies since I had always found the contrasting beliefs in a higher power by different groups of people to be very interesting. The concept of spirituality dates back many millennia, and so many of the world’s greatest tales have a basis in religion whether we realize it or not in most cases. I don’t think it matters if a person is an ardent believer or a total skeptic; there’s no denying that the very idea of gods and goddesses is quite intriguing.

I suppose that’s why I couldn’t stop myself from reaching forward and grabbing a page that was caked in a thick layer of dust…but I was still able to make out a few words that certainly snagged my immediate attention and drew me to it.

To be one with the heavens is to appreciate all of creation.

To be one with nature and the earth is to bask in preservation.

To be one with the abyss is to desire mass destruction.

When I had been growing up, my mother had always been quite devout. She was by no means one of those overly religious fanatics who shoved their beliefs down everyone else’s throats, but was instead a wonderful person who believed in redemption and that all men – no matter how malevolent they could be – had good in them deep down where it truly mattered. She may not have attended church every week, but she knew she didn’t have to because in her heart, she was always one with the divine. She took care of people whether it was by giving to charity, helping our neighbors, or even taking care of stray animals when no one else wanted anything to do with them. When I think of the good I’ve accomplished in this life, I attribute my amiability to the upbringing I had due to my mother.

It goes without saying that whenever I noticed anything remotely religious, my interest was instantly piqued. Seeing those sentences scrawled across that old piece of parchment may not have seemed like much to most people, but seeing those words in a place like this…well, let’s just say that I thought it was an irony of all ironies. Sure, the elderly homeowner may have seemed a little fanatical with the jargon she had spouted earlier about Lilith being a spawn of the underworld, but that just made me believe all the more that the old hag was nothing more than a hypocrite who disguised her true feelings behind a holier-than-thou attitude. She played at being righteous, but she was anything but.

I took a moment to examine the pile of papers where I had found the one grasped tightly in my right hand a little closer, and even though I wanted to disturb as little as possible, I found myself grabbing an entire stack and rifling through it. My eyes tried to take in tremendous amounts of information as they went back and forth between the papers and the room’s only window. I knew I had a limited amount of time before Lilith wondered what was taking me so long, and when I suddenly remembered that I wasn’t alone in the house, I became completely still and made sure there were no sounds of movement coming from upstairs. It was obvious that the old bat wouldn’t be able to physically harm me considering my physique and the fact that I was probably a third of her age, but I knew it wouldn’t go over well to be caught rummaging through her belongings. In reality, I feared that she would take my transgressions out on Lilith.

Not seeing anything else that drew my immediate attention, I decided to play things safe as I set the papers back down and tried to rearrange the stack in the exact way it had looked before I had grabbed anything from it. As much as I wanted to continue searching for something that would possibly give me answers to this bizarre place, I knew I had to get back outside. Perhaps later in the evening when my beautiful Lilith and the grouchy hag were fast asleep…

Right before I reached the door, my eyes fell on something I had completely missed upon entering the room. Near the office’s exit, there was a small corner table that had been pushed up against a large bookshelf. On top of the small table that was only about two feet tall, there was an old buckskin with dabbles of ink on it. Upon closer examination, I realized that I was looking at a very old map.

I picked up the old piece of leather and had a look at it. I could discern that some of the old scribbles were supposed to represent a forest that covered most of the topographical depiction, and I also spotted what had to be a lake. In the corners of the map, there were small drawings that had nothing to do with anything else on the buckskin. On the lower right, there was a portrayal of a fleeing deer, and on the lower left, there was a stick man shooting an arrow from a bow. I was sure that they were just designs and not part of the mystery before me.

I noticed a dotted line that went from a box and through the trees. For whatever reason, the line wasn’t drawn straight to where the “X” was marked, but it instead zigzagged all over the place in a haphazard manner. I wondered why whoever had drawn up the map thought it would be wise to chaotically mark the dotted line all over the place instead of just going straight to the location of importance. From what I could tell by looking at the buckskin, there weren’t any kinds of dangers between point A and point B. It seemed odd to follow such an erratic trail.

I held the old piece of leather in both hands as I closely studied the map and wondered if it could possibly be a depiction of the area I found myself stranded in. I thought it could be feasible that the box drawn on the map could be the house I currently stood in, and the forest could certainly be the surrounding area around the estate. I wasn’t sure if there was actually a lake nearby, but with the brook Lilith had led me to on two different occasions, it wouldn’t have been out of the realm of possibility. There was no barn or guesthouse noted on the map, but at the same time, I realized they could have been built later. Since the map was on a buckskin, it went without saying that it had been drawn up a long time ago.

I heard what sounded like the front door squeaking open. I assumed Lilith had come looking for me and wondered what was taking me so long, so I put the map back down after making a mental note of everything I had seen. Surely, there must’ve been some kind of importance to it, but I wasn’t about to try folding it up in order to squeeze it into a pocket.

I moved as quickly as I could without making too much noise. I did my best to slither through the partially open door before pulling it to within an inch of being closed. I then accelerated down the hallway and made my way into the kitchen. My socks slid on the wood as I turned to face the doorway and saw Lilith standing there in her overalls with a look of dread on her beautiful face. When she met my eyes, I noticed her letting out a sigh of relief while still looking confused as to why I was coming from somewhere on the first floor of the house when the only bathroom was located upstairs.

I knew I had some explaining to do…but when both of us suddenly heard a noise coming from the level above us, we knew that the old bat was awake. I motioned with my head for my blue-skinned compeer to duck back out the door she had just entered the house through, and she didn’t question me for a second. I followed her out and pulled the wooden portal shut behind myself. Even though I didn’t think the elderly woman would hear it, I made sure to hold the squeaky storm door while gently pushing it closed instead of letting it fall shut on its own.

I followed Lilith across the cul-de-sac as we booked it back toward the barn. It felt odd doing so: I was a man who had spent two years of his life traveling with a trio of skilled operatives and seeing the worst the world had to offer, yet here I was running from some old lady like she could actually hurt me. I had been taught how to defend myself against some of the most inhumane and vicious killers in the world with my bare hands, so it was somewhat comical that I felt the need to flee.

Of course, I may have had the knowledge of how to protect myself and others from grave threats, but that didn’t mean that I always fell back on my expertise. I wasn’t the type of person to treat every minute of my life like I was in a war zone, so I refrained from violence whenever I could. I may have had the ability to make sure that both Lilith and I remained out of harm’s way, but I didn’t disregard the lives of others…even if I didn’t care much for someone like the old hag.

It should be noted, though, that if I truly ever felt threatened in any way, I wouldn’t hesitate to stand my ground. If the old woman who owned the property suddenly pulled out an axe and morphed into a creature that had tentacles bursting out of her that were actually worms with razor sharp teeth…

Okay, that last description may have been a bit of a stretch, but I used to do a lot of fantasy writing and have made up some pretty bizarre creatures in my time. I guess the whole point of what I’m trying to say is that if I thought for even a second that the elderly lady back in the house was going to legitimately hurt Lilith or myself, I would be able to do something about it without much of a problem. I could hold my own against the best of them.

As we made our way into the barn, my mind went back to the question I had been pondering since first meeting Lilith…and again, I found myself wondering what the connection was between the two women on this forgotten expanse of land. They both highly disliked each other, and the older of the two had told me that my blue-hued angel was in no way a relation to her. I still thought maybe some of the documentation back in that office may explain more than I could see…

“Marcus!”

I glanced over at the raven-tressed beauty upon hearing her speak my name. It wasn’t often when she expressed herself in words, but when she did, she had my full attention.

“What’d you do in there?” That sentence was quite possibly the most she had said at one time.

I realized I had to come clean and tell Lilith what I had actually been up to back in the house. She obviously knew that I hadn’t gone inside to relieve myself, and I certainly didn’t want her to lose trust in me. Glancing behind myself to make sure we were still alone, I cleared my throat and took a step closer to the stunning female. I then looked her right in the eyes as I placed a hand on her left shoulder and sternly said, “I wanted answers, Lilith.”

The beauteous young woman looked at me with more confusion on her face than I may have had bottled up inside of myself in that moment. The frown smeared across her visage told me that if I didn’t give her a better explanation, I would be breaking her fragile, little heart.

Trying to find the right words, I decided to confess, “I want to know more about you and the old woman, Lilith.”

“Antenora.” After speaking the name, she spat on the floor of the barn.

I was a little shocked to receive such information from my blue-skinned compeer. It was amazing that I had been in the presence of these two women for almost thirty hours and was just now hearing the old crone’s name. I waited for a few seconds and wondered if Lilith would give me any additional information, but when she didn’t, I decided I had to press her for more. I gingerly squeezed her shoulder and demanded, “Lilith, you have to tell me what’s going on here! I want so much to help you, but I can’t do that if you don’t give me something to work with!”

The raven-tressed angel’s head drooped as she stared at the ground beneath her bare feet.

I placed my left hand on her other shoulder and mildly started to shake her. “Lilith, please give me something…anything! I want to help you! I want to take you away from here!”

I could hear the chartreuse-eyed beauty as she started to snivel a bit before throwing herself at me and wrapping her arms around me. She started to cry as I held her and tried my best to be supportive. I started rocking back and forth a bit much like a mother soothing an infant. It was heart-wrenching to hear her weep.

I placed one hand on the sobbing woman’s back and the other on the back of her head. I held her close before running a hand through her black and red tresses. “There, there,” I tried to calm her down. “You know me, Lilith. You know I would never hurt you and that I’m on your side.” She also knew more than she was telling me, but I didn’t want to say that aloud.

“She’s…evil,” the young woman finally blubbered as she put extra emphasis on her last word.

I believed her. It wasn’t because she had let me bone her earlier in the day back in the woods, but because I honestly felt that the elderly woman named Antenora had something on my delicate little angel. While I may have thought the two females were playing each other against me at first, I was firmly under the impression that Lilith was the victim.

As I cradled the wonderful woman and held her close, my mind once again went back to the fact that Antenora had tried leaving earlier in the morning in order to go buy orange juice. Her departure told me that there was some kind of civilization nearby…and it made me wonder how those people couldn’t have known of Lilith’s presence. It seemed to me that at some point, one of them would’ve had to have journeyed out here to help the old homeowner…whether it be with the plumbing, the electricity, or something that a woman of her age wouldn’t be able to handle.

And what about the times when she had left before I showed up? If Lilith was indeed some kind of slave carrying out the old crone’s each and every desire, why wouldn’t my blue-hued angel try to escape her thralldom anytime Antenora left the property? Was there truly nowhere she could escape to close by?

I had so many thoughts swimming through my head. I told myself that if everyone in society treated poor Lilith the same way Antenora did, then it was no wonder she never tried to escape. Where could she go if everyone in the surrounding community wanted to burn her at the stake just because she was different?

After a long, comforting embrace, I finally pulled away from Lilith and held her by the tops of her arms. Once again, I stared directly into her eyes as I asked her, “Lilith, is there something in the woods out that way?” I pointed to the southwest.

The dark-haired woman tensed up. Her eyes were riddled with a combination of fear and surprise. I could tell that she wondered how I knew about whatever it was I was pointing at. Realization then filled her orbs when she recalled how I had entered the kitchen from the direction of the office. She perceived that I had uncovered something…something important.

“What is it, Lilith? What’s out in the woods?”

Once again, my only friend in all this madness lowered her head so she could stare at the ground. I wasn’t sure if she remained silent out of fear or for some other reason.

“Lilith, I’m not going to let anyone or anything hurt you. As long as I’m around, you’re going to be safe…I promise you that.”

The young woman finally met my eyes again. I shuddered due to how unimaginably beautiful they were, but my mind was taken completely away from them when she woefully responded, “I will take you there…tonight.”

END OF PART THREE OF SIX