For Mature Readers Only #2
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Strange Tales PresentsWitches"Too Much To Ask"
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Lilith and Vicki stared at the two men blocking their paths to the boat. They held spears out in front of them, pointed at the two women. Lilith was growling, baring her teeth as the man in front of her refused to back down. "Get the fuck out of my way!" Vicki was trying a more relaxed approach, "Those are my friends in the boat over there. Can I just get on it?" Clea and Topaz had had no difficulty in being allowed access onto the small wooden boat floating out in the water. Liz, Jessica, and Kelly were also seated comfortably in the boat. The five women were turned staring at their comrades in confusion. "Sirs, I don't understand why you will not let these two women board?" Clea's calm voice held a note of irritation. The men did not take their eyes away from Lilith and Vicki. "They are tainted with evil. They must not be allowed to reach Avalon." Clea looked like she was about to argue but finally gave up. "They do have a point. You two will have to stay here." Disbelief was evident on Vicki's face. "Clea? We are not evil! Tell them!" The men backed away from Lilith and Vicki and slowly climbed into the boat. "There is a house along the edge of the water. You may stay there until your friends return. There is food and bedding." "You have got to be kidding me." Vicki walked to the edge of the lake and watched as the boat slipped into the mask of fog. "Can you believe this shit?" Lilith just stood on top of the embankment and stared at the fog. "So close," she muttered under her breath. "Damn this curse." A sigh escaped her as she stared along the coast of the lake. "Those bastards didn't by chance say which direction this fucking cottage was did they?" Vicki walked towards her and glared at the two duffel bags next to her. "No. Let's walk south and see what we can find. I can't believe Clea left us here." She slung her bag around her shoulders and began to walk. After a moment Lilith followed. "Somehow I have a feeling that Clea would sell us to the devil if it furthered her own interests. Of course, were already evil so she probably won't get that good of a price." A laugh escaped Vicki's throat as they
continued to walk in search of the elusive house they had been forced
into. Topaz stared back at the disappearing figures of Lilith and Vicki. "We are just going to leave them there? Why did you send me to gather them, if were just leaving them?" Clea continued to stare off the front of the boat as it moved soundlessly through the water. "They will serve their purpose later on; right now they are not needed." She made it sound like a decree and hoped that Topaz would let the subject drop. In truth she was disappointed that Vicki and Lilith were left behind. After the uneasy way they had been gathered together this was another blockade. Clea had not thought about the haphazard meeting that had occurred between the four women. She had barely explained the purpose of calling the group together when she had felt the girl Liz cry out for help. Clea didn't even let Vicki and Lilith give her a yes or no answer. She had immediately called them into her service. The results were positive, she glanced at the three women in the boat, but this might be the only case of it. A cold chill passed over her as the boat passed into the dimension where Avalon was located. The mist parted and an island emerged from the gloom. She heard the gasp from the women and tried not to smile at their reaction. Liz, Jessica and Kelly would be safe here. The stone cottage was small on the inside, but clean and well kept. Lilith grimaced and sighed heavily as she walked inside. Vicki was right behind her. "This wouldn't be so bad if it was only me." Lilith glanced pointedly at Vicki and then sat down angrily on one of the cots set up in the corner. "I still don't get why you couldn't have gone with them." "What? Besides the spears they were pointing at me?" Vicki was rummaging through cupboards in the adjoining kitchen and trying not to get angry at her temporary roommate. "No, I mean, why were they pointing spears at you, I'm a Vampire so I can understand why me, but why you?" Vicki came back into the room holding a surprisingly fresh apple. "Well I guess it's because I'm sort of a demon." Lilith's eyes shot up in surprise. "I'd always heard that rumor but I wasn't sure if it was true. So your father used the Book of Sins to conceive you, huh? Must be a touchy topic at dinner." Vicki tried not to look annoyed at Lilith's attempts at prying. "He's already disowned me so it doesn't come up." "He disowned you because he created you out of something evil? How fucked up is that?" Lilith's voice held a tint of anger. "No, he disowned me because-" Vicki cut off her sentence and made a growl sound deep in her throat. "You know, it's none of your business. Can we just drop it?" Lilith was tempted to pry a little more, but she desisted and let the conversation lapse into silence. It was Vicki who grew tired of the silence and finally broke it. "Why are you here?" The question was simple enough but Lilith took her time in answering it. "I don't have a better place to be than here. If I get bored, I'll leave." Vicki seemed to take a minute to absorb this information and then began to shake her head. "I don't buy it. That seems like too easy of an answer. Why are you really here? I'm sure your gaining something out of this." Lilith moved for the first time and stood up from her perch on the cot. She moved towards the door and pulled it open in anger. "Why I'm here is none of your business." The door slammed as she left the cottage. For a moment Vicki was tempted to follow her but quickly pushed the thought aside. She began to search for something to do in the little hovel. The question of why she was here began to run through her mind. It was a fair enough question. In truth, Vicki didn't know why she was with these women. It was better than the last team she had worked with when all she had been was a glorified compass, finding people who used the Darkhold, the book of Sins. "I just want to feel useful," she mumbled to herself. The boat docked on the shores of Avalon with little more than a small tap on the dock. There was a wooden ladder leaned away from the dock and the women used it to climb out of the boat. The wooden dock made small creaking sounds as they walked along it and stepped onto the sandy shore. A woman in a long gray gown waited for them, smiling patiently. Topaz tried not to gawk as she took in the surrounding. Lush oak trees grew everywhere, their green branches swaying in some unfelt wind. Stone ruins ran along the shoreline, evidence that at one time this island had needed to protect itself. The woman in gray smiled at the younger girls. "If you are interested, I can arrange for you to see all of the ruins later this evening." "Thank you Beth, I'm sure we'll take you up on your offer." Clea walked towards Beth and gave the older woman a hug. "It's good to see you looking so well." Beth smiled and bowed her head in acceptance
of the compliment. "As well as you, dear Clea. But you must address
me as the Oracle Elizabeth." Beth gave a mischievous grin. "In tune enough that I knew you were coming four weeks ago. But come, let us talk while your friends are shown to their rooms and given a chance to relax. You forget that crossing dimensions for the first time can be quite tiresome." She clapped her hands and four women seemed to materialize out of the shadows. As a unit they grabbed Topaz and the other three girl's hands and began to lead them away from Beth and Clea. Clea made to follow but Beth grabbed her arm. "Leave them a moment. All four of them have been through a traumatic experience and need time to reflect; otherwise they will be haunted by it. We will see them in a few hours. Meanwhile, you and I must talk." Neither of the girls were arguing with their escorts, they seemed almost glad to be led someplace where they could be by themselves. Clea obligingly let them leave and followed Beth over the crest of the hill. A large wooden building that housed the rooms of the upper Priests and Priestesses loomed up before them. Beth opened the front door and struck to the left. She made towards a conference room of sorts. As she led Clea in, the fireplace lit itself and a roaring blaze was burning. Beth closed the door and regarded her friend closely. "I think it's time you tell me why you've chosen to consort with Vampires and Demons." Vicki lay curled on the cot she had chosen to occupy. It had been at least two hours since Lilith had stormed out. Vicki had found several books lying about the cottage, everything from Tom Clancy novels to William Blake poetry. Amid the pile had been hidden a worn copy of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice and she was now reading it with delight. It was one of her favorite books and she smiled as familiar scenes played out before her. The peaceful quiet was interrupted as Lilith came bounding back through the door. Without asking permission she snatched the book out of Vicki's hands and tossed it into the other room. She sat on the other cot in the room and folded her hands in her lap as she leaned back against the wall. "Ok, I'm ready to talk." The need to strangle Lilith was almost overwhelming and Vicki almost gave in. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes so she could fully enjoy the image of Lilith dead. When she opened her eyes she jumped back in surprise for Lilith had quietly leaned over and was a mere inch away from Vicki's face. "What the fuck?" Vicki slammed against the wall her bed was leaning against. "Are you insane!?" Lilith's cheerful glee that had surrounded her when she entered the room vanished as the cool iciness returned. "I thought you would be ok with that." "Uh… no!" Vicki kept her back to the wall but mapped out the quickest escape route in her head. "Just because I'm a lesbian does not mean that I kiss random girls. Especially vampires. Besides, I thought you wanted to talk. That sure as hell didn't look like you were trying to talk." Lilith gave a low laugh and leaned back again. She and Vicki regarded each other across the room. "Didn't think you'd freak out as bad as you did. I wanted to startle you, not scare you." "Well you accomplished both." She gave a sigh and waved her hand in an effort not to look as unsettled as she was. "Now you said you wanted to talk, go ahead." Lilith gave a small shrug and began to play with the edge of the cot. "You asked why I was here so I thought I'd tell you. I mean, you have just as much reason not to be here as anyone and since were stuck with each other for awhile I thought we should bond." Vicki rolled her eyes and quietly prayed that she would not kill this woman. "Go on. That's still not the reason why you're here." "I don't want to live anymore." The answer surprised Vicki but she tried not to show it. "Um… can I ask why?" Lilith rolled her head back to stare at the ceiling and gave a small laugh. "I've lived for hundreds of years; I've killed hundreds of people. That massacre last night? A drop in the bucket. The point is that I've done everything except die or live out a normal life, and I'm tired of it." "Uh… I can find a few flaws with that. You did die. All the vampires died. Dr. Strange cast the spell that was in the Darkhold and you all croaked. What? Was Hell not all it was cracked up to be?" Vicki gave a small laugh and winced when it turned into a snort. Lilith let it slide and continued with her speech. "One of the gifts that I was given was that I could never die. I would just float around as a spirit until I found a new host. This last time the situation was a little different…" She paused in her tale and seemed to weigh an issue over within herself. Deciding against divulging some of her history, she continued on. "The point is that I was in Purgatory so I knew that one way or another I'd come back to this plane of existence. I just want it to end. Whether that means that I go to Heaven or Hell or some other place, I don't care. I just want it over. I'm hoping that Clea can come up with something to help me. Something to make me become a normal human or that will kill me so I stay dead." A chill went through the room. Lilith hung her head and stared at her fingers were they laid in her lap. Vicki didn't say anything and that seemed to aggravate the situation even more. "So now you know my big secret. That's why I'm here and that's why I'll follow Clea." Silence. Finally Vicki took a deep breath. "My father hates me. Do you know what that's like?" She looked up at Lilith who tried not to tell her how dumb she was. "Oh, sorry. Of course you do. But it doesn't seem to bother you that your mission in life was to kill your father." She lowered her head again. "Everything about me reminds my father of the one moment of weakness he had. As his punishment for using the Darkhold, I was born a girl. A further insult, not only a girl, but a lesbian. Unwilling to carry out the family legacy of guarding the Darkhold. Unwilling even to bear sons so that they can carry out the family legacy. I haven't been able to do anything right since the day I came out of the womb." Silence. Lilith stood up and sat back down next to Vicki. She put a comforting arm around the other woman's shoulders. "I've never had a friend so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right." "You are," Vicki mumbled pitifully. "Good." Lilith paused for a moment and then took a deep breath. "I think we should start a support group or something." Vicki just gave a small laugh. "Hi, my names Vicki. My father conceived me using the Darkhold. I'm a demon now." Lilith just pinched Vicki's shoulders. "Mine would be worse. Hi, my names Lilith. I was turned into a Vampire so that I could kill my father. His name's Dracula. Ever heard of him?" Laughter filled the room as a new friendship
began to grow. "Clea, I've been your friend for a long time. I ask you, what are you doing? I understand that you want to help young witches like those three you're going to leave here on my front step, but do you really need two carriers of evil to help you do it?" Beth had taken a seat across from Clea and poured them each a glass of tea. "If you had wanted to embark on this little crusade of yours, I would have sent my best students to assist you." An amused look crossed Clea's face. "If you're an Oracle, Beth, you should have seen what I had planned and sent help ahead of time." Beth slammed her cup down on the saucer. "Damnit Clea, you know it doesn't work that way. I swear I don't know what's gotten into you! You've spent too long among that magician Dr. Strange. He's a bad influence on you." It was Clea's turn to show anger and she did so splendidly. A halo of angry fire formed to circle her. Usually the sign of royalty remained dormant on the Isle of Avalon. "Do not speak ill of Stephen. He shows more compassion than this ridiculous island you have chosen to hide yourself upon. I prayed that those three girls I brought with me would be found untainted by anything you would find evil. But I know in my heart of hearts that even though they came to the island and passed your first little test, you will continue to judge them. I hate that I must leave them here because nowhere else will be safe. " "There used to be a time on this island where anyone who wanted to seek a higher plane of existence could come to study. It was the legacy left by the original Priestess. So many times that message has been lost and other beliefs are excluded. That is what has caused this place to become so archaic." Clea stood up and placed her cup on a small side table. "I will leave those women in your care until it is safe for them in the world. However, I will come back sooner and take them away if I believe the care they are receiving is not adequate. Jessica and Kelly have no significant powers to speak of. They just believe in Wicca. Liz however, and Goddess help her that she shares your name, is going to be a force to compete with. I do not want her treated well just because she possesses power. I want Liz and the others treated well because I ask you to do it." She walked towards the door and pulled it open preparing to walk out when Beth's voice followed her. "What about Topaz? She may stay." Clea didn't even turn around but gave a small laugh. "Topaz is beyond your teachings. She has amazing potential; do not think for a second that I would ever leave her in your care. You would have her telling fortunes in less than a month." Silence descended but Clea did not leave.
She seemed to be collecting herself for another outburst. Finally she
spoke. "This used to be a holy place and I came back hoping it had
returned to such, but I find that wish unfulfilled. I hope you find it
in yourself to turn it to rights. You may be an Oracle but you are also
the High Priestess and I beg of you to help these girls. Restore Avalon
to a place of prominence and hope." Clea left without another word,
hoping her message had gone through. The door closed softly but a large
crash was heard from inside as the High Priestess and Oracle, Elizabeth,
an escapee from the Dark Dimension, threw her cup and then Clea's cup
to the floor. A song was emanating from the cottage covered by the two female voices singing along to it at the top of their lungs. Sugar! Oh honey, honey! You are my candy girl and you got me wanting you! Lilith had managed to carry a fifth of Jack Daniels and Captain Morgans with her. Nothing available sounded particularly good to mix it with, the two women had proceeded to take shots and chase it with lemonade. Vicki had stripped to her bra but still had a pair of army-green shorts on. Lilith had a Riverdance Sux t-shirt on that fell to mid thigh, hiding the fact that she had nothing else on underneath. A small radio had been found in a closet and had been quickly put on to a classic music station. Music from the 50s, 60s, and 70s filled the cottage. Vicki was jumping from cot to cot trying variations on jumps that sent her sailing across the room. She had slammed into the floor and the walls several times. Lilith was dancing to the music playing, seemingly oblivious that anyone else was in the room. "FUCK OUR FATHERS!" Vicki shouted as the song faded out and she kept jumping from cot to cot. The first few chords of "Tiny Dancer" began to play and Vicki started to slow down her jumping. "Blue jean, baby," Lilith began to mumble until Vicki's shout penetrated her brain. "Yea, Fuck our Fathers! Maybe they'll kill each other and save us the trouble." Vicki sat on the edge of the cot and tears began to coast down her cheeks. "Fuck all men," she whispered. Her vision was blurry but she saw Lilith sit down next to her. Lilith placed her arm around Vicki's shoulder again. The sense of comfort returned and Vicki turned watery eyes to her friend. "God I hate him," she sobbed. She placed her head on Lilith's shoulders and let the tears pour from her. Hold me closer Tiny Dancer; count the headlights on the highway… Lilith and Vicki sat like that for a long time. Vicki sobbing while Lilith stroked her hair and rocked her gently. Vicki began to settle and sighed in contentment as Lilith kept running hands through her hair. Lilith kissed the top of her head and pulled away a little to glance in her eyes. "Are you all right?" Vicki nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's the last time I'll drink that much. I don't usually get so emotional about my father but-" "But it's not often you meet someone who has similar problems?" Vicki nodded and wiped a hand across her eyes. She closed them for a moment to collect her thoughts and when she opened them Lilith's face was once again only a few inches away from her own. Instead of pulling away this time she leaned forward. Their lips met and Vicki heard Lilith make a low sound in her throat, half laugh, half growl. A sense of need went through Vicki as she had not known in so long, not since her lover Nash had died. Lilith felt the same urge pass through her. Both women knew exactly what they wanted and why. They needed companionship, but most of all they needed understanding. Only something that these two individual souls could give each other. They maneuvered into a laying down position. Vicki leaned over Lilith, helping to pull her shirt off while Lilith worked on unsnapping Vicki's bra and pants. It was then, while their lips were pressed together, mouths open, both straining to consume the other that there was a small tug in the back of Vicki's mind. She ignored it and smiled in triumph as she kicked out of her shorts and panties. But it came back, more insistent this time. There was a sense of familiarity about it that was suddenly as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on her. Vicki broke away but Lilith was not suffering from the same sense of clarity. Her lips began to meander down Vicki's neck. "Wait!" Vicki didn't know where she found the strength to talk but something in the tone caused Lilith to pause on Vicki's collarbone. "What is it?" Lilith began to listen for any outside noises, the old instincts of being one of the hunted returned in an instance. Vicki just shook her head as her eyes glazed over. Lilith couldn't see the darkened chamber that Vicki suddenly found herself peering into. A man dressed in all black stood before an empty podium. Vicki recognized it at once. It was the podium in the depths of the Vatican. The podium had once held the Darkhold before Dr. Strange had thrown it to a different dimension. It was now empty and a small layer of dust had settled over it. Other objects considered evil, from books, candles, swords, and cups were in the room, but these were shadowed from her view. It was the podium that held her focus. The man standing before it with his back to Vicki somehow managed to open a hidden compartment in it. From within he drew out a small piece of paper. It looked old and faded but Vicki knew it could only be one thing if she was being bothered with this vision; it was a page from the Darkhold. Years ago, she had joined with others who had the same purpose she did, to stop the Darkhold from being used. Due to her conception using the Darkhold, Vicki was somehow connected to the Darkhold, letting her know whenever it was being used. The image faded to blurry before disappearing and was replaced with the concerned face of Lilith. "Are you all right?" Lilith reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind Vicki's ear. "It's the Darkhold." Vicki shook her head as she tried to banish the image from her mind. Right before it had cleared the man had turned around to show his face. "My father is using it." Lilith tried to look concerned but she was more confused than anything. "Ok… and what does that have to do with you?" "I have to go stop him," Vicki said. "Now?!" Lilith realized that something serious was going on and it involved the woman hovering above her but the outside world had no place in this cottage. Vicki tried to contain a smile but failed and bent down to kiss Lilith. She caught the other woman's lip between her teeth and nibbled gently. "Not right now." "Good." Lilith moaned softly and let her hands trace the outline of Vicki's body. "Because I would have hypnotized you to keep you here." "Believe me," Vicki began to rain kisses down Lilith's neck. "I'm not going anywhere." To Be Continued... All right, that was probably one of the
hardest things I have ever had to write. Not a lot of action here, more
character development which I like better so if this issue bored you,
move on 'cause this is what I write. And I know it was too short, but
I have to keep you coming back for more now don't I. Ok, on to letters.
Most of these have been edited and stuff but this is the real important
stuff….. Read witches, nice Thanks James, I hope you like this one as well. Can I get more than one sentence next time? Moving on to a chap I don't know, Mr. Tug Baker. Hey Megan, Tug, thank you very much. I have to admit
that Chris Munn helped me pick out the Witches. He knows all the cool
random characters to choose from so he's in charge of putting them together,
I'm just in charge of writing what happens when you do. I hope you enjoyed
this issue as well. Coming up next are two reviews that I've received.
This first one is by Brent Lambert. I'll take this a paragraph at a time. Thank you Alex. Always glad to know that I didn't bore everyone. My bone however is how fast inb fact it did move to the conclusion of kicking Goddness' ass. Now, not showing the meeting the four had is fine, I can see the artisit weight of it. Um, lets not lie here, I have no artistic ideals. The thought of writing the scene bored me, so I figured it would bore everyone else as well. But I do understand that you feel you missed something and I hope I made up for it in this issue. But Liliths side comment at the end of the fight isnt enough to cement why these four would kick it together. You say thats next issue, but I really could see a scene, or hell even a paragraph added to this issue that would have driven the concept home to the reader a bit more. I think the I said the same things with SHIELD actually, more meat needs to be added in places to not make it such a fast morsel of prose. All right Alex, your need for meat in stories is filed away in my brain. It's actually something that I should work on so I appreciate you reminding me, because I do forget. You handle the themes well, you don't make it a sob story. *claps* Nicely done overall, and the small gripoe I mentioned is just that a small gripe. 2 please? ;) -ALEX All issues at STRANGE TALES are now printer safe! If you would like to print off this issue for future reading, you can do so right from your web browser. Think I lie? Check 'Print Preview' and be amazed. |
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