Chapter 8: Henry's Past. 2
584 Words
At first, it was hard—painfully hard. Lilith had dated a few men before, but this heartbreak felt different. This was a man she had loved with all her heart, a man she had trusted. And yet he vanished without a trace, leaving her shattered, blocked out of his life like she never existed.
Now he was gone…
And the mysterious marks on her hands remained—ugly, frightening, impossible to explain.
The only person who might have known the truth had disappeared on the same night everything changed. She was left alone, confused, and scared.
Still, she forced herself to resume life. Work, home, sleep, repeat.
Her colleagues, however, weren’t so kind. Whispers followed her everywhere:
“Where is her prince charming?”
“Did they break up?”
“She looks different these days…”
Lilith swallowed it all. Gossip was nothing. It would eventually die down. She had more serious problems—like the marks on her palms, which seemed to stare back at her every time she looked at them.
Finally, she went to a tattoo café to cover them up. She chose small, beautiful designs to hide the strange little crosses carved into her skin. At least then she didn’t have to see them every day.
But a new problem began.
Every time she finished bathing, her room filled with a strange rotten smell, like something dead was hiding in the corners. She aired the room, washed her clothes, cleaned everything—but the smell returned whenever she stepped inside.
Soon she discovered the most horrifying part:
Sometimes the smell came from her own body.
Worse, everything escalated when her period came. The odor was unbearable, and her blood… was no longer red.
It was black.
Shaking, terrified, she went to the hospital. She didn’t know what she expected, but after some tests the doctor simply gave her medication and sent her home. The smell faded with the treatment, but her room still carried that faint rotten scent every time she was inside.
She began using strong perfumes out of fear—fear that the stench might return, fear that something inside her was changing.
Over the next few weeks, things slowly seemed to return to normal. She lived quietly again. She even spent more time with her close friend, Wendy.
One weekend, Wendy called and asked if she could come over. Since Lilith was home, she agreed. Wendy arrived planning to spend the night. The two of them talked for hours—about life, work, and Lilith’s sudden breakup. But Lilith kept the smell and the strange black blood a secret.
At one point, Wendy noticed her tattooed hands.
“Wow, Lilith, these tattoos look so pretty. I love them!”
Lilith smiled faintly. “Thanks.”
After a moment, Wendy sighed. “My feet are aching again. I don’t know what’s happening. This comes and goes.”
Lilith, being caring as usual, said, “Come, let me massage them with some medicated cream.”
Wendy agreed. As Lilith massaged her feet, Wendy relaxed and exhaled deeply.
“Wow… you have magical hands,” she said with a laugh. “The pain is gone! You’re a healer, Lilith.”
Lilith laughed too. “Yeah, yeah, supernatural hands over here, sweetheart.”
They both giggled and went to freshen up before going to bed.
After washing up, they lay down, chatting softly until sleep claimed them.
Neither of them knew that tonight…
was the night everything would change.
- Writer
