I first saw Lilith at the funeral of a friend from work. She was beautiful and captivating. She stood in the distance like a lonely willow, calmly watching the ceremony unfold with her black eyes, occasionally gently biting her red lips. It was cold, and the crowd around the grave had tightened its circle, shielding themselves from the strong wind. I remember thinking then about how hopeless December 30th was for a funeral, and that New Year's Eve this year would be exceptionally boring and very, very lonely. I barely knew the man who was being lowered into the depths of the cold earth, but something compelled me to participate in his final journey towards eternity.
The ceremony was almost over, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the girl, who stood slightly behind, as if absently, her thoughts wandering among the old cemetery trees. She was dressed in black, and only her pale face contrasted with the color of her leather coat. She was tall, seemed cold and inaccessible, and the snow that fell on her delicate, cold lips refused to melt. The ceremony ended, and for a moment I tore my gaze from the beautiful stranger. Only then did I realize how wonderful the gray cemetery had become. The graves, usually dirty and neglected, were now covered with a thin layer of white fluff. Tall pine trees bowed under the force of the wind and bowed to the last rays of the setting sun. People dispersed in the fog to their homes. And I decided to sit for a while in the cold and reflect, for where better could one experience blissful peace than in a cemetery? I sat on a bench near an old monument depicting a mighty angel holding a large cup, increasingly covered in snow. The wind sadly played mournful hymns, and, soothed by its sonnets, I dissolved into dreams. Suddenly, I felt a grip on my right shoulder. Startled, I stood up and jumped back a bit. I must have dozed off, for the sky had turned completely inky, and the bright moon had begun to reign over this forgotten, bleak land. It was bitterly cold, but as soon as I saw her in the glow of the golden stars, my blood ran hot as fire. It was the same girl I'd seen at the funeral. Those piercingly cold, yet so empty eyes, I would never forget. She smiled at me with her crimson lips and sat down on a bench. I did the same, hoping to make a new acquaintance. The sky darkened even more, the air grew thick, and in the distance, the bells of the old church rang. The moonlight soothed tired eyes and made everything around seem less real and more beautiful. A silent angel above us watched pensively as the light played in our eyes, while we, captivated by the darkness and beauty of the place, sat on a small wooden bench.
Time passed and we talked. I learned her name was Lilith and that she came from Norway. And the person we were burying today was her very distant cousin. Her words were like honey flowing down my broken heart. I felt myself growing closer to me by the minute. It was getting colder, but she didn't mind; she didn't shiver, as if unaware of the intense frost and chill outside. Bats appeared in the sky, hunting insects while skillfully avoiding the towering tombstones. Lilith grabbed me by the neck and kissed me on the mouth. Her lips were cold, as if kissing a marble monument, but the breath she gave me was hot as fire. I thought it would burn my lungs. Still, it was wonderful, and I attributed the strange sensation of heat to the excitement this woman inspired in me. After an hour, I walked her back to the hotel and went home. I walked the smaller streets to calmly reflect on what had happened today. I was so happy, I finally had a chance to improve my life, and a very beautiful chance at that.
I'll just mention that before entering the house, Lilith invited me to her friend's New Year's Eve ball. And the tone she used to announce this proposal brooked no argument. Besides, I didn't want to argue at all, because I considered it a miracle.
The next day, the weather deteriorated significantly. A fierce wind tried to blow into my apartment through the cracks in the windows. Frenzied snow crashed against the old panes of my small apartment. Flying sparrows struggled to withstand the storm, and some gave up, hiding their heads between their wings, deciding to wait out the storm. As time passed, the wind intensified, and the sky became shrouded in dark clouds. The quiet mourning of early evening descended upon the world. Nervously, I paced from window to window, waiting for Lilith and her driver, who was to take us to our agreed-upon destination. I couldn't wait, so I grabbed the morning newspaper and casually flipped through a few pages. Suddenly, my eyes landed on an article that claimed 12 young girls had recently been abducted from the area. Shocked, I put the newspaper aside and continued my unsettling walk. The fog outside was so thick I could barely see the street. White figures glided delicately across the slippery sidewalks. Suddenly, a car pulled up to my window. I knew immediately it was her. I put on my coat and hurried out to meet her…
The palace was beautiful. I'd been near it many times, but never had the opportunity to go inside. I was surprised by how influential and wealthy a friend Lilith was. Turrets, black as night, stood out against the steel sky, and massive sculptures of dwarves and gargoyles dotted the walls every few meters. I saw huge stained-glass windows, dark at this hour, that during the day shimmered with a thousand colors. There was no garden, only stones and boulders scattered everywhere, giving the scene a mysterious and enigmatic air. A strange warmth emanated from the palace, as if a vast fire were raging within. Enchanted by the magnificence of the architecture and atmosphere, I gazed at the carved abominations and strangely intricate statues, half human, half animal.
Lilith took my arm, and together we walked toward the old ebony doors.
The interior of the house was breathtaking and made me feel somehow alien. The interior was occupied by a single ballroom. Vast and magnificent, illuminated by thousands of black candles arranged in carved gold chandeliers. A waltz echoed through the hall, enthralling the guests dancing inside. The intense heat was becoming unbearable, and then there was that stench… of something rotten. There was no food or drink on the enormous wooden tables, only delicate black trays. I felt foolish, and Lilith wouldn't explain what was happening. At first, I thought it was a bunch of eccentrics deciding to spend the strangest New Year's Eve of their lives. The girl led me to the center of the hall, where we disappeared into a crowd of silent couples. No one spoke, only the waltz had something to announce that night. I was surprised to realize that, despite the darkness, I was beginning to recognize what the individual stained-glass windows depicted… Mostly figures, but a few depicted wars and deadly plagues. The roof of the house was covered with a huge, monstrous stained-glass window. It depicted a hooded figure holding what looked like a crystal ball in its outstretched hands. The breathtaking artwork pushed my earlier concerns about the house to the background. The silent crowd seemed to be watching me dance. Lilith dismissed all my questions with laughter and numerous passionate kisses that seemed to burn my soul to the core. The stench was becoming unbearable. The moonlight slowly moved across the black figure in the upper stained-glass window. Lilith became more agitated, leaving me breathless. I was nervous; I wanted to meet the master of the house… but apparently, he would arrive at midnight. We danced and danced, the music embracing us and gently caressing our faces. I felt no fatigue, only a strange feeling of weakness and nausea. Midnight was approaching, and the silent guests seemed to be becoming completely different… Older. Even Lilith, with her lustrous hair, now looked increasingly worse. Her beautiful complexion had dulled and become covered with wrinkles, and her eyes, once so profound, were now shrouded in mist. My fear reached its zenith. I wanted to leave it all behind and run home, but I couldn't. The music took on the shape of a mantra and a trance, boring into my head, preventing me from taking a step. Suddenly, the front door opened, and from the darkness of the night, a terrifying procession emerged. Leading the way were six black monks, moving slowly toward the end of the ballroom. Behind them were brought twelve young girls. Each was dressed in white, their legs and necks entangled in chains. Another six intricate figures concluded the procession. The music sped up, and only then did I realize there was no orchestra, not even a regular record player. Loud applause, grunts, and guttural rasps rang out.The girls were chained to the wall and their clothes were ripped off, and then moans and a hideous gurgle emerged from the mouths of those around me. I felt like I was at the very bottom of hell. I didn't know a cult had formed in the area, but everything pointed to it. I was terrified and devastated. Suddenly, midnight struck, and events unfolded rapidly, almost simultaneously.
At the first strike of the clock, moonlight drifted to the crystal ball held by the black figure and illuminated it. The stained glass window sparkled, then began to ripple and flicker as if awakening from a terrible dream. The monk's habit began to fade, and beneath it appeared a body so horrific it defies imagining. A flock of writhing snakes encircled its massive legs. Its strong, powerful back was armed with powerful, dark red, scaly wings. Clawed hands delicately held the crystal ball, now pulsing with black light. The monster's face was elongated, adorned with streaks of sharp horns. Its eyes, white, empty and evil, devoid of pupils, took in the entire hideous spectacle. The figure triumphantly bared its blood-dripping fangs. Its entire body was covered in crimson scales, resembling armor; there was something beautiful and captivating about it. Blood seeped from the walls, and the room filled with the screams of tortured people. Stunned, I looked at Lilith, who had now turned gray, her wrinkled face covered with scabs and fresh wounds. Pus clogged her eyes, and blood mixed with saliva at the corners of her mouth. The same thing was happening to the other couples. I thought I was dreaming, and that thought brought momentary relief, but then I saw black figures with long, clawed hands tearing hearts from the women's chests, and that sobered my mind for good. Blood dripping from the walls painted patterns and symbols known only to itself. Everything happened so quickly. The beings around me were transforming into terrible creatures, dwarves, slimy, gelatinous creatures with powerful fangs and yellow eyes. I saw what had once been Lilith become a vast, scaly creature, from which pieces of rotten flesh tore off in sheets and fell onto the pools of blood on the floor. The music escalated into a single, loud scream. Where twelve heartless bodies had hung, a fire now erupted, consuming what remained of the ritual participants. Hearts were placed on black bowls. I collapsed onto the blood-stained floor and vomited. Suddenly, large hands lifted me high into the air. It was Lilith. With one hand she held my collar, looked me straight in the eye, and like lightning, her other hand shot toward my chest. I felt excruciating pain and the heat of blood on my face…
Darkness, only darkness, and if I was dreaming, if this was my imagination, then why couldn't I wake up? God, it's cold here...
***
"Don't sleep, just look," said the beautiful young guide
. "Here we are, at the cemetery in Victoria, and in a moment we'll be visiting the historic chapel. But first, I wanted to add that this place only gained fame after a brutal murder that took place here. Right in front of you is a statue of an angel holding the Holy Grail, and beneath them stands an inconspicuous wooden bench. That's right there."
"Excuse me," a voice said from the crowd, "and er... can I ask what exactly happened?"
"What can I say, today is December 30th, sir, and exactly three years ago, a man on that bench decided to rest, fell asleep, and the next day the police found his horribly mutilated body. And his heart was never found."
"That must have been terrible..." one of the tour participants said.
"Okay, now straight towards the old chapel. Go ahead, I'll join you in a moment."
The woman who had spoken these words turned and walked towards the other tombstones. After a few minutes, Anthony joined her.
"I'm glad..." she said, "...that you didn't go with those idiots; now we have time for ourselves.
Come here, Anthony," she said, looking at him with her grave-cold gaze. "Tell me, would you like to accompany me tomorrow to the grand, magnificent New Year's Eve ball?" she approached him, embraced him, and kissed him with cold lips.
"Oh… of course, Miss Lilith, I would be very pleased.
THE END. "
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