章節 11: White-Haired Goth
We didn't do much after Eli left. Kya was kind enough to pay for the clothes she had picked for Lili and me and escorted us home. She was unusually quiet, and when we reached the house, she excused herself and left us on the porch.
I brushed it off as some quirk of hers and walked into the house. It was exactly as we left it, with Kya's drink still on the counter and the rolled-up bag of chips poking out of the open pantry.
I led the way to our room, holding the three bags of clothes over my shoulder. I pushed open the door and walked in before throwing the clothes on one of the beds. A dark blue shirt spilled out of one of the bags.
I sighed. I sat on the bed, rubbing my face. Lili crawled into the other bed, hiding under the covers. I grimaced. I wanted to apologize, but she wasn't in a talking mood. Putting your head under a blanket meant 'no talkie, me angry' with her.
I didn't regret yelling at Eli. He shouldn't have been so close to Lili and shouldn't have tried touching her. But I did regret making it such a big deal in front of Lili. She hated it when I made a big deal out of anything. She never wants to be paid attention to, never wants to be in the center spotlight. And I made her a permanent room in Eli's mind with my reaction.
I glanced at the blue shirt. With a sigh, I pulled it out. It was a pretty shirt with a not-quite-low hanging neck and a glittery fox on the front. Lili's favorite animal. It was perfect for her.
I groaned in frustration and fell back on my bed. Not even Kya wants to talk to me anymore, and she's the most outgoing person I've ever met! Why does everything I do end up making things worse?
I threw the shirt back in the bag. I gathered them, threw them on a shelf in the closet, and closed the door. I threw myself on the bed, not bothering to turn off the lights. I didn't deserve to sleep in the darkness after my outburst.
I bit my lip. That wasn't fair to Lili, though. She'd overheat underneath those blankets if she stayed under them for too long, and she would have a difficult time sleeping with the light on.
With a defeated sigh, I pushed myself up. I trudged over to the light switch and turned it off, leaving the room in complete darkness except for the soft moonlight leaking through the window curtains. I trudged back over to my bed and fell face-first. I was inclined to suffocate myself with the pillow, but instinct overwrote my thought process, and I moved my head to stare at Lili's form tucked underneath the comforter. So small and frail. Vulnerable. And I'd only made it worse.
I looked the other way.
I rubbed my eyes. Man, laying here was making me tired. My two outbursts today certainly didn't help that I didn't sleep last night. I was too busy talking with RJ and too worried about Lili. At least her ears have healed. Maybe being a Godling was good for something.
I flipped onto my back. I moved the blankets so they weren't creased underneath my back. I thought about what Kya and I had discussed while she helped me try on clothes. She was so… supportive of me. My choices. Like, she had suggested a pink dress and was perfectly happy when I told her I'd never wear something like that. Her grabby hands were a bit much, though.
I moved the pillow under my head.
She'd helped me pick out bras and underwear that would fit me, though most of the ones she picked out were a little… racy. And she was so vehement about helping me get on the tighter ones that were supposed to help me when training. Whatever that meant. And her hands were so… soft.
I rubbed my thighs together.
It had taken all my willpower not to make inappropriate noises when she touched me. It was like her touch burned me but in a good way. In a great way. My body had reacted on its own, and I had no idea what was happening.
I fisted the blankets and turned over on my side. Sleeping tonight was going to be rough.
*~*
I was woken up by the sound of the door handle squeaking. I froze, waiting for the heavy footsteps, and the smell of alcohol to come, but it didn't. Instead, I heard light footsteps walking cautiously into the room.
"H-Hello?" I heard a soft, feminine voice ask the silence.
I cracked open my eyes. Sunlight was peeking through the curtains, illuminating the girl in the center of the room. She had colorless white hair and pale skin, made even more significant by her black blouse and bubble skirt. The skirt ended about mid-thigh, revealing black fishnet stockings and garters. I could've sworn a dagger gleamed on her left thigh.
I shifted, groaning at the movement. Hmm, that's odd. My thighs are sticky. My back isn't sweaty, though, and-
I bolted upright. I glanced down, and heat filled my cheeks
"Oh, hello," the girl said, not at all noticing my embarrassment. "Good morning."
I was so frozen in embarrassment and shame that I couldn't reply. That dream came rushing back to me in painfully clear detail. Kya… I'd dreamt of Kya. Of her soft hands and body. And of RJ and his damnable smile and strength. And I'd…
"Shit," I breathed.
"Hm?" The girl stepped closer. "Pardon, did you say something?"
I threw my hand up to stop her as she stepped closer. "Please—I, uh, I need to change."
The girl nodded. "Oh, that's no problem." She stepped closer still.
My face felt like it was molten lava. If she saw what I did, I'd be the laughingstock of the entire city. I'd never be able to show my face again.
The girl stopped beside my bed. She studied me closely with her colorless eyes. Dazzling white eyes. The rims of her irises were a visible dark gray, but the irises themselves were the same white as the area outside the pupils. She had a black hair band, stark against the white. Her hair was paler than Lincoln's, whose was white like snow. This white… it was exactly as I had described it before. As if the color had been leached from it.
She raised a hand and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She tapped her cheek, looking me up and down. I could only imagine how I looked. I was probably redder than a tomato with hair that looked like a tornado had done it. My shirt was uncomfortably pulled to one side, and that's not even going lower.
I was expecting some snarky comment from this obviously prim and proper girl when she smiled instead. "Hi, I'm Lilith. I hope you don't mind, but Kya let me in. We're friends, you see."
I nodded slowly. "O…Okay."
She nodded. "Your name is Brooklyn, correct?" I nodded, and she beamed. "Perfect! A daughter of Andromeda, the Angelic Beauty. You resemble your mother."
I doubted that, especially this early in the morning, but whatever.
She gestured to my bed. "May I sit?" Before I could say no, she sat down right next to me. Her hand accidentally pressed against my thigh, and she quickly withdrew it. She peered at it curiously while horror gripped me.
"I'm so sorry. Please don't tell anyone," I pleaded. "I-I don't know what happened. It could've been stress—I was really stressed out yesterday. I had a dream last night, and it just… I don't know. Please don't tell anyone."
She lifted her hand to her face and sniffed, then shrugged. She turned her eyes to me and said, "Happens to everyone, Brooklyn. Accidents happen." She stood up, not even bothering to wipe off her hand. "I'll let you dress now. I'll be waiting downstairs for you. Oh, and wear a dress. You'll look prettier."
She walked away, leaving me staring after her. I was shaking as I got out of bed. Again, the embarrassed heat flooded through me at the sight of my soaked bed. I did my best to cover it up before grabbing some clothes from the bags in the closet. I didn't even think about why Lilith wanted me to wear a dress. I just grabbed a white dress embroidered with a tail design and some black leggings to go underneath.
I checked on Lili briefly before I left. She was sound asleep, one hand under the pillow and the other clutching the blankets tightly around herself. I couldn't help but chuckle. She hated the cold when trying to sleep.
I slipped out of the room and made my way downstairs. Lilith and Kya were sitting at the table, the former in her finery and the latter in a bra and shorts. I tried not to blush as I walked up to them, memories of my dream creeping up.
Lilith saw me first. She smiled brightly, and I finally noticed the black makeup she was wearing. It made her look super goth and almost vampiric with her pale skin.
"Good morning, Brooklyn!" She said with a bright smile. "Ooh, I love that dress! It looks so good on you!"
I glanced down at the dress. Sure, it was pretty. Kya had said it was a drop waist dress, whatever that meant, and it fit me. I was surprised to find one that fit me and looked good. It was rare to find anything girly that suited my body and was pretty. My arms would have been uncovered had I not worn a black long-sleeve shirt.
"Oh, totes adorbs," Kya added. "But why the shirt? You would've looked better without it. Show off some skin, babe!"
I curled my fingers to hide the shaking. I shook my head and said, "No. I… I don't like to."
The two glanced at each other. Lilith said, "That's okay. You look good with the shirt, too." She stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Well, I think it's time to start the day, don't you? I'll be accompanying you today, Brooklyn. Showing you around Glasseia, introducing you to people, the works. Kya will take Lili to see Azlyn, who will help show her around the city."
"Azlyn's a good friend of mine," Kya explained. "She also speaks sign language and has offered ta teach me. That way, I can talk with Lili and understand her better without forcing her ta talk ta me verbally. I didn' have ta worry about Azlyn cause Spencer typically knows what she wants to say, and they're inseparable. Spencer's her twin brother. You saw him yesterday when we went ta get Eli."
I thought back to yesterday. There had been a few boys in the house at that time. I wonder which one was Spencer. Did he know sign language, too?
Lilith stalked forward, her black heels clicking against the floor. She carefully looped her arm through mine and began to pull me along.
"Let's go, Brooklyn," she almost ordered. "Lili will be in good hands, I promise you. There is no one kinder than Kya."
I glanced at the girl as we walked past. She smiled, and I wondered if she had set this up after what had happened yesterday. It was… nice of her to do. Probably for the best. This way, I can't embarrass Lili in front of anyone else. Only myself.
"Thank you," I murmured. Kya's smile brightened. Then Lilith walked me through the door and into the city outside.
I blinked at the bright sunlight. Dark glasses slid onto my face, and I looked at Lilith, who was already wearing a gothic-looking pair.
"I can't stand the sun either," she told me. "Always hurts my eyes. Lucky for us, people understand that too much ocular exposure to the sun damages our eyes and invented sunglasses. Now we don't have to worry about permanent damage to our eyes from the sun's rays, though looking directly at the sun is still ill-advised. Not to mention, they're fashionable." She grinned. "Come on, I'll show you around."
She led me through the city, pointing out all the interesting spots and attractions. There was an aquarium that displayed not only regular fish but mythical ones. Lilith told me there was a hippocampus—a sea creature with the upper body of a horse and lower body of a fish—in the upper section and water demons in the lower areas.
"Be careful if you ever go down that far," Lilith had warned. "Nykr and Kelpies are infamous for luring people to their deaths. They may look pretty at first, but they turn pretty hideous pretty fast."
She pointed out all the different cafes and restaurants, usually manned by Godlings. We passed several parks, pools, and even a theater. I couldn't hide my surprise when we passed an electronics store.
"I thought that the gods preferred the old ways," I had voiced. "Why would they have phones and laptops and whatever?"
"Oh, some of them do," Lilith explained. "Grigorios, for example, won't ever use anything technological. But Adrestus likes to use it when teaching his medical students, and Atana uses it to read-"
"Fanfiction?" I guessed.
"Yup. We Godlings use technology to its fullest effect, some going so far as to create their own systems. Like, in stores, each product has a tiny, microscopic piece of technology that'll set off the alarms should you try and steal it, but it's permanently deactivated after purchase. You don't see that in the rest of the world, do you?"
"I guess not." I chewed my lip. "Why don't you share this technology with the rest of the world? It sounds like there'd be a lot less crime if you did."
For the first time, Lilith's mood soured. "Follow me, and I'll show you why."
She led me through the city until we came across a beach. In the distance, a thick fog rose up, obscuring the view.
Lilith pointed at the fog, saying, "We don't share our technology and advancements with the rest of the world because we can't leave. That fog prevents anyone from leaving."
"But Eli and RJ left," I argued. "They found me and Lili and Summer in the outside world."
"They had permission," Lilith countered. "You literally cannot leave without the gods' permission. Hidden in the unnatural fog surrounding this city are terrible sea creatures created to protect us from the outside world." She scoffed. "More like keeping them safe from us."
"So what, we're never allowed to leave? We're just supposed to be stuck here until we die?"
Lilith clicked her tongue. "You've hit the nail on the head. The gods have created the perfect life here. So perfect that no one ever wants to leave. They demonize the mortal world, make it seem like hell, and make Glasseia appear like paradise in comparison. Most Godlings don't ever realize they've been tricked. We're led to believe it as soon as we arrive here, and no one ever bothers to think differently."
"But you do," I pointed out.
She half shrugged. "Yeah, I do. But the gods can't know that. They've killed people for lesser things." She glanced at me. "Like who their parents are."
My blood turned to ice. "You're saying they might try to… to kill me? Because of who my mother is?"
Lilith nodded. "A few years back, there was another Primeval Born. The minute Endios scented their blood, he ripped out their throat in front of everyone. The Scentings were closed to the public after that."
"But… Cola. He's like me, right? Primeval Born?"
"Yeah, but he came here after that. Did you think Endios got away with killing that kid?" She shook her head. "Did you see his hand when he was scenting your blood?"
I thought back to yesterday, but most of it was a blur. All I remembered was his iron-like grip on my wrist.
I shook off the fear. "No, I was, uh, distracted."
Lilith nodded. "I understand. It can be scary sometimes. After Endios killed the kid, a bright flaming sword appeared and cut off the hand he had used. He's since replaced it with a hand of marble and iron, but it's hard to tell the difference."
Iron. "That's… that's the hand he held me with." My stomach churned. "He killed someone with that hand?"
"Oh, no. That hand was taken from him. The hand you saw and felt was a replacement. A fake."
"I…" I shivered. "I don't like thinking of that."
"I don't blame you." Lilith patted me on the arm. "Come on, let me introduce you to Belladonna."
"Who's that?"
"My friend."
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