Lilith Evington

A new day had dawned rainy and calm; peaceful except for the loud pounding of blood rushing through her ears. Cold terror numbed her body, the pounding of her feet as she fled, marched slow in comparison to her thundering heart. She had to get there in time; there was nothing more important than to get to that bank in time!

20 Hours Earlier

“I know mom! I’ll be back in time! Don’t worry!” Lilith Evington called out to her mother, one foot in the house, the other on the first step of the front porch. Her mother, non-the-less- continued to keep talking on about their guests that were coming over this evening. “-and they’ll be formally dressed, so I expect at least slacks out of you this evening.” She continued. “Be home as soon as school ends!” Her mother reminded Lilith for the third time that day. “I’m going now!” Lilith called and shut the door before her mother could continue her ranting.
Her mother was so obsessive compulsive when it came to a clean house. Ironic that Lilith’s younger twin brothers seemed obsessed on keeping a constant coat of grim on them. Lilith walked down the side walk, her strides long, relaxed, the birds chirping as they called their young to them, gathering them into the nests. A storm was coming, Lilith could tell that much from the clouds, the way that they were piling on top of one another in an ominously threatening way showed that much. Besides, the smell of fresh rain was in the air, and the wind was slightly chillier than the day before.
The short girl walked with the heaviest care she owned her grades. They were to get their report cards today, and she was very worried about her science grade. If she made another D, she’d undoubtedly fail. “Hey Pat!” Lilith called, walking up to the wall her friend was sitting on. Pat nodded, glancing up from a slip of paper in her hands. “Hey.” She simply said. “What’s with the gloom?” Lilith asked, walking up the hill behind the wall and sitting down next to Pat. “Bad grades?” She teased her straight A friend.
She knew something was wrong when Pat didn’t, at the very least, stick out her tongue. “What’s wrong?” Lilith asked, looking over at the girl. She held something in her hands; a slip of paper…Pat offered the slip to Lilith wordlessly.
Lilith took it, and nearly dropped it. “What does it mean?” She asked, quickly looking over at the girl. Pat’s hands were tightly folded on her lap; she sat utterly still and kept her eyes down. On a normal day, she would have been moving to a silent song in her head and had her head up, her eyes cast around, taking in every detail.
The bell rang, making both girls jump and look over their shoulders at the school. “….Time to go.” Lilith whispered, handing the slip back to her friend. “I’m sure it’s just a prank.” She said, putting her hand on Pat’s shoulder. Pat nodded. “Hai, that’s what it must be.” She said, though didn’t look any happier. She let the slip of paper fall from her hands.
It floated to the ground with ‘You’re Next’ written in blood on a bit of parchment paper.
Science was Lilith’s worst class, so of course it was first. She slipped into her lab chair, equipped with a lab coat, goggles, and gloves, the works. Pat sat next to her on the high stools, adorned identically to everyone else in the class, lab gear. “Red is good right?” She asked, pulling out litmus paper. They were testing citric fruits versus some chemical that turned litmus paper blue. “I think so. Let me see…” Lilith turned a page in her science book. “Yah. I think so at least.” She said, scanning the page. “Yah, it’s good.” She said with a self-satisfied smile. Pat only chuckle and shook her head, writing down the necessary marks on the lab page. Lilith smiled as the bell rang, “Finished?”
“Almost.” Pat said, making a few last marks on the lab paper. “There!” She said with a smile, adding the last flamboyant dot to her page. “I’ll take it up; I’ll see you in art class.” Lilith said with the same smile as before, constant. Lilith flitted over to the front desk and turned in their lab paper as Pat left.
Lilith went back to her seat and got her bag and put up her lab coat as she walked down the aisles of chairs and lab tables, towards the door. Something made her glance back…was it…gut feeling? Fear of the unknown once your back was turned to a room? Preeminence? Perhaps it was nothing…It was nothing…Or so she told herself…
Art progressed without much excitement; beside from the occasional paint flicking fight, the teacher slipping on a strategically placed lob of clay, and the odd turn of the weather. Lilith didn’t think that the sky could get so dark without actually being considered night…She decided to draw it, make it immortal. Finally, before she could put the finishing touches to it, humanity called a visit to Lilith and demanded a visit to the restroom. Naturally, Lilith complied…She whispered to Pat where she was going and went to the board where the hall passes were kept. She took one and left, turning to head for the nearest room of rest.
Again, that feeling of the present is about to change to future…that the unknown is coming…Something isn’t right…All is not as it should be…Lilith glanced over her shoulder, her breathing quickened as did her pace. Back to the class room, nearly running now. Have to get out of the hall! Before they see! She grabbed the door handle and yanked open the door, rushed inside and slammed shut the door.
Everyone’s head turned upward to look at her. The clown of the class stopped mid joke…all seemed to have been expecting a little more than a panting girl, pale with unexplainable fear, leaning against the door knob as if her life depended on it… “There….was a rat….” She explained, trying to act as if it had been such…Someone laughed, then all went as it should have gone…Except…where was Pat?
“Excuse me…but, where’s Pat?”
“Who?”
“Patty St. Elm…She was sitting right over there…” Lilith pointed to the spot.
“Her dad came and got her.” The teacher replied.
“Her dad? What do you mean? Her dad’s been dead for years…”
The teacher seemed mildly concerned by now and looked at Lilith seriously. “Are you sure?”
“Quite.”
The search for Patty St. Elm had gone on for nearly three hours…still, nothing. No sign, nothing, no evidence that there was a fight, no blood, no DNA, nothing…Worst of all, there was nothing that Lilith could do, just sit and wait…
Lilith paced back and forth, her hands locked behind her back to stop their shaking. They had told her to sit and wait…Just stay there, she was much too into shock to help find Pat. But Pat was her best friend; she ached to go find her. Why must she sit here and wait? If they knew that Pat and Lilith were the best of friends, inseparable, maybe they would have compassion and at least give her a radio to listen in on what the progress was…
She turned, her mind made up. She would go out herse-
“Lilith Evington?” A very formal sounding, aged police officer walked up to her, his hat in his hands.
“I’m she…” Cold fear raced down her spine, dread dropped its anchor in her heart.
“We found her, but…”
“No.” Lilith shook her head, backing up, not wanting to hear what came after the but. “No!” The uncried tears of the past three hours burst forth and started to pour from her eyes. The man in front of her blurred as did the world around him. “No….” She whispered weakly.
“I’m sorry Lilith…” The police man offered, holding out his hand to comfort. Lilith pulled away. Another cop jogged up to the captain. “We think they were after Lilith Evington but mistaken the victim a-“
“Her name is Patty St. Elm! Not ‘the victim.’” Lilith’s voice shook with rage, fueled by pain and ignited with hate.
“Sorry, Miss…?”
“I’m Lilith.”
“…..Oh, I’m sorry…but…It seems that Patty St. Elm was taken by a man she knew out of the school. We believe that they mistook her for you and, when they found out…they…-“
“They what? Murdered her?!” Lilith asked, her face red with a quaking rage.
“Y-yes, I’m…truly sorry Miss. Lilith. Truly.”
“You mean that my best friend is lying out there dead because the kidnappers made a mistake!?” Lilith screamed. “I should be out there! NOT HER!” Lilith turned to storm away and smashed into her father’s rotund stomach. She was glad that he was strong; her legs had decided to give out at that moment. He caught her up and held her like one would cradle a new born babe. Lilith felt as weak as one…She curled up in his arms and just sobbed, crying out her lament to the world, letting everyone know of her grief.
“I think it would be best if we go home now.” Mr. Evington said calmly to the police captain, turning so that Lilith could not see the body on the stretcher, a puddle of blood on the cloth over the forehead…
The captain nodded. “We’ll tell you if the case progresses any. But the trail’s already gone cold. These guys are professional, not a trace.” He said shaking his head. “No witnesses either.” Mr. Evington nodded and walked to his car. He gently slid Lilith in the seat between himself and his wife. His ancient truck rumbled to life and roared down the street as Mr. Evington smoothly shifted, making the trip as smooth as he possibly could.
Lilith only huddled against her mother, her eyes closed. It was so easy to pretend sleep. When she closed her eyes she could pretend it all had been a nightmare. Only, she knew it wasn’t. When she opened her eyes, it would all be real again. There would be no more sleepover marathons, no more secret adventures in books, no more comparing this boy to that boy or screaming out the words to their theme song.
What now…what was there to do now? Lilith peeped at the clock…it was slightly past one in the afternoon. She had expected it to be times later and hours earlier. Had they really been out that long? Had they only looked for a little bit till they found Patty, the blood still fresh…? She wasn’t even hungry, like she normally would have, this far past lunch. She had no desire to eat, no will to go on. She just wanted to stop living, to curl up in some forgotten corner and die. How was she supposed to go on, knowing that she should have been the one out there, a bullet it her head, instead of Patty…?
Lilith lumbered out of the car when it jerked to a stop. Her father mumbled an apology, but she couldn’t hear it, only roaring silence reigned in her mind…She walked to the door and put her hand on the door knob and nearly fell flat on her face as it gave, opened from the inside. The boys were home, probably they got in trouble, or maybe mom came and got them from school to help clean the house…Maybe they needed a bath…Did she need a bath? Lilith paused, stopping herself from smelling herself. What…was she doing? Did her mind regress a few years? Why had she almost smelled herself? It was...too much to think about at the moment. She continued her laborious walk to the sofa and let her weight carry her down to sit and stare at the TV, even though it was off. The dog was barking insanely…why wouldn’t someone call her in?
Her mother came in and started to round up the twins for a bath and her father went out back to go water the flowers. Everything was quiet, everyone left her alone…
Lilith jerked awake. What had woken her? She looked around, to the left…nothing…to the right…nothing…It was dark out though, the clock said well past midnight…Why hadn’t anyone wo-
She screamed on the top of her lungs as a black bag of some sort was yanked over her head and tied at her neck. “Hush it!” A gruff voice demanded as she was hauled to her feet. Her jaws clamped shut on their own accord. Lilith kicked out and tried to yank her arms out from her captor’s grasp. She’d never been a strong girl, and kicking this man was like kicking a boulder. Lilith cried out as she smashed her toe against his shin and stopped moving, the pain in her foot making her freeze. The captor took this moment to bind her, and gag her, then throw her to the floor against something soft and furry…Lilith whimpered, her hands behind her back finding a paw.
That’s what had woken her…the sudden silence of her dog. Her dog wasn’t moving, wasn’t barking…It could only mean one thing…Tears wetted the bag around her head as she sat there, her heart stilled with grief. It was just too much. Losing two best friends in one day…In the same day, and now this…Why was it happening to her? Why were they coming after her and her family? What had happened that no one had told her about?
Her bother screamed. It sounded like Jonathan…Nick’s scream was much quieter and didn’t squeak as much.
“Be quiet!” Something bony fell into Lilith. She moved her legs to better cradle one of the twins, who was now whimpering in undertones. She slowly rocked side to side, leaning close to her brother, shushing him quietly. He nestled as close as physically possible. Her mother was somewhere in another room, whimpering the same as Jonathan was. My father was talking in his way, his deep voice with its underlying stillness and strength that could put babes to sleep or wake entire stadiums of unconscious old people. Right now it had an edge. He was angry and afraid, not for himself, but for his family. From the clicking and metallic sounds, and from the gun oil smell, they were armed. They were serious, screaming at Lilith’s father to do something…It sounded like they wanted money…but…The Evington family wasn’t especially rich or anything…
“I…don’t have it.” Her father sounded defeated! How was that possible! How in the world had they defeated her undefeatable father?! It chilled her to the bone and made her start to quake, tears running afresh…No! Must stay strong or Jonathan would go to pieces and who knows what they would do when he started to howl again... “You had your three weeks! Where’s the fifty grand Phil?”
“Fifty grand!? You mean thirty!”
“You forgot to read the fine print man, HE wants your thirty grand plus the other twenty in interest.”
“Interest!? That’s insane!”
There was some shuffling sounds and a loud crash. Mrs. Evington screamed, making Lilith jump and tense, waiting…Something hit Mr. Evington…He must have been on a chair, because the floor shook the same time he let out a grunt, closer to the floor.
A chair scrapped, they must have sat him back up again…Again they went through the entire real again, they demanding the money, he saying that he didn’t have it, they hitting him and the chair over. Phil was panting now, she could hear it, and something rattled in his chest, making him sound old. His asthma must be getting the better of him now.
This went on for a long time. Each time Mr. Evington hit the ground, the others jumped. Then, there was a break in the routine.
“Well if you don’t have it, then maybe one of the fam. here has it!” The talker of the two (Lilith had guessed there were two, there could be more, but there was at least two) said, his voice getting closer and closer.”Leave them alone! Your quarrel is with me Cane!”
Lilith stiffened as Jonathan was taken from her lap. He screamed his high pitched scream.
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
Lilith froze slightly in surprise, her mouth still warm from the shouted words…from her own…mouth…
“What did you say!?” He spat a curse at Lilith as the bag was torn from her head, along with a considerable amount of her hair. She barely noticed. There was a lot of blood everywhere…Jonathan had been thrown aside, his head against the wall, but he was breathing…The blood seemed to be from the flowing wounds on her father’s face, now almost unrecognizable. He was in the middle of the room. The sofa and table had been put aside carelessly and Mr. Evington tied to a chair in the center of the room. Her mother knelt in a corner across from her, a gag in her mouth, her face tear streaked. She hadn’t been blind folded. She was even splattered slightly with the blood from her husband…
“I…said to…leave him alone.” She whispered, and then cringed as they reached for her. She yelled out in pain as they yanked her to her feet by her hair. “You’re going to pay for that!” He cursed a whole bunch more, bringing the gun to her forehead. She started to quake in fear, her eyes round as saucers. Her mother was protesting best she could before the other man clouted her across the face, sending her sprawling on the floor.
“Cane wait.” The other man said, grabbing his hand. He whispered into the man’s ear and the devil’s own grin appeared on Cane’s face. He shoved Lilith against the wall and put his gun in his belt. “That is an excellent idea Dill.” He said, pulling out his knife. Lilith’s mother again screamed and this time Lilith’s voice joined hers. He turned Lilith around and held her against the wall, and brought his knife down.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain, her lungs filled with air.
Her arms fell at her sides, he had cut her free. He turned Lilith back around and grinned. “Know how to use one of these?” He asked, holding up his gun as the other man put a gun at Nick’s head. He had sat, scarred stiff, pale, eyes frozen on their dad, in the corner by the door. “No running, no calling the poli-“
“I said leave them alone Cane!” Her father was angry, but most importantly, he was terrified…You could hear it in his voice. “Shut the hell up Phil! Look at it this way; it’ll be a more interesting way to die.”
“You’ll never get away with it! One way or ano-“ Dill hit him again, knocking him and the chair he was tied to over again.
“Answer me damn it!” Cane shouted, very close to Lilith’s face, wetting it with his spit. Lilith looked up at Cane, her eyes still wide and still frightened. Rain started to batter the windows, echoing the sound of her heart. “Y-yes…” She whispered. She knew in theory how to work a gun…the bazillion cowboy and Mission Impossible shows her father adored had taught her that much. Pull back the hammer and drop it to load the bullet, and then pull the trigger to fire. “Know how to rob a bank?”
“Wh-what?” She whispered, looking up at Cane, startled.
Her father’s chair had been righted by now…He could only look at Lilith and despair.
“I want you to rob the City Bank on the corner street, get us fifty grand by noon, without getting caught on TV or we’ll shoot one of your brothers. Another hour late, another brother. Another hour another person…you get the picture I see.”
Lilith had started crying the moment he started naming his terms. He shoved the gun into her hands and turned her around, pushing her to the door. “Don’t contact the cops, or they die. Don’t tell anyone, or they die.” Lilith nodded frantically as the man leaned by her and opened the door. He pushed her out into the rain and shut to door behind her. She stood there a moment, the rain hitting her skin like mini shocks. Then she started to run, the gun in her hand, her bare feet slapped the ground, making tiny explosions of water from the puddles everywhere.
The rain was coming down in earnest now…There was nothing she could do about that, she was already drenched. A new day had dawned rainy and calm; peaceful except for the loud pounding of blood rushing through her ears. Cold terror numbed her body, the pounding of her feet as she fled, marched slow in comparison to her thundering heart. She had to get there in time; there was nothing more important than to get to that bank in time!
The bank was a few blocks away, it seemed to take forever to get there…then suddenly it was there! She looked up at the bank, stunned, almost like she had forgotten why she was here. She walked forward, her eyes on the sign above the door. Lilith pushed the door with a wet hand, leaving a watery hand mark on the door as she stepped into the room. She let the door slid shut and turned slightly, looking around, still pretty stunned.
Someone screamed. “She has a gun!” Another screamed!
Oh! Right! Rob the bank!
“A-alright! E-everyone on the floor?” She said, the marble bank making her voice echo and sound harsher than it already was. Everyone dropped to the floor with whimpers.
Oh Gosh! She was putting them through the same thing that she had gone through! She almost lost it there, her knees almost gave…
She caught a glimpse of herself in the window. She looked insane. She giggled slightly, the giggle started to sound maniacal…then she was full out dying at the sight of herself. Someone whispered something. “Alright!” She turned, rounding on the people. “Everyone in the center of the room, everyone!” She said, in her character. Her eyes were wide and crazy as she went around and locked the doors. Why was she doing this? She needed to get out, not lock the doors…Oh well…go with it.