Alyssa was running for her life, she was trying to get away from the figure behind her. He was obscured by shadows, but she knew who he was. She rounded the corner and was relieved to see her mom there and rushed over to her and gave her a hug.
“Mom, I’m so glad to see you, he’s after us, we have to...” Alyssa started to say before she saw her mother suddenly shriek in pain as her skin melted away followed by her bones before she turned to dust onto the floor and there was the figure she was running from: Death himself right in front of her.
“Did you think you and your mother could escape me so easily? Don’t you know? All Kanes are cursed!” Death said as he touched her shoulder and she looked at her hands as she was slowly dying.
Alyssa Kane now shot awake in her bed breathing heavily and on the verge of tears.
“Mom!” Alyssa shouted out to Lilith as she heard her mother’s footsteps running towards the bedroom.
“Alyssa, what is it? What’s wrong?” Lilith asked coming over to her daughter as she turned on the bedroom light to her daughter’s bedroom.
“It...it was Death, mom, he was after us, he...he turned you into dust, and....and then me....he said all Kanes are cursed. He’s going to come for us mom, he’s going to kill us for what we did, I know it!” Alyssa explained to her mother as Lilith shook her head while her daughter cried heavy tears.
Eliana walked by the doorway and mouthed to Lilith if she needed any help but Lilith shook her head in reply making Eliana nod and left the mother and daughter pair alone.
“Alyssa, it’s been almost a week now and we haven’t seen or heard anything....related to that prick.” Lilith said avoiding Death’s name.
“You can say his name mom, it’s not like those old magic wizard books from when you were a kid.” Alyssa said shaking her head and wiping her eyes.
“Well, they were a little bit before my time, but still, Alyssa you need to have some faith that you’ll be alright and so will I. That’s the best either of us can do, as long as we’re together. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you.” Lilith said holding her daughter’s hands.
“Faith, that’s a little ironic considering I don’t really believe in any religion.” Alyssa admitted offhandedly.
“You don’t?” Lilith said almost surprised as Alyssa shook his head.
“No, the only thing, that I ever believed in, was you.” Alyssa said as Lilith gave her a little smile.
“Now, I need to tell you something and....please don’t be too mad when I tell you this, okay?” Alyssa asked as Lilith slowly nodded her head.
“Before....before you came back, I had my good days with Becca and Eliana, but I also had my worst days when I hated everyone in the world. Sometimes, on those days, I wished that...that...that I could be with you, just so we could be together.” Alyssa admitted while crying.
“Oh....Alyssa....” Lilith said as her daughter went back into tears and cried into Lilith’s chest.
“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t think that, but I just lost you when I was so young. I just wanted my mom. I promise I’ll never think those thoughts again.” Alyssa promised through her tears.
Lilith sat there quiet for the longest time letting her daughter cry all her tears out before she said anything else to her.
“I know how you feel, Ally,” Lilith said calling her daughter by her nickname. “When I was your age, I hated the world for what it did to me. I was nearly killed by my own father, who killed the rest of my family, and bounced around from one foster family to the next wondering if I would really find people that actually loved me. I didn’t know my mom at all and wondered what she was like, and would she have liked me for the person I became rather than the person she expected me to be? But I never got that answer for....well, you know the reasons.” Lilith explained as Alyssa looked down at the floor and moved to the side of the bed where her mother sat.
“I’m sorry mom, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.” Alyssa apologized.
“You don’t have anything to apologize to me for.” Lilith reassured her daughter putting her arm around Alyssa’s shoulder.
“But...do you think that he will come for us? Do you think our family is just....cursed?” Alyssa asked as Lilith took a deep breath now.
“You know what? I’ve never felt like doing this before with anyone, but why don’t you and I....why don’t we have a little prayer with each other? Just so we’ll both feel a little better.” Lilith asked as Alyssa just gave a slight smile and nodded.
Lilith and Alyssa now held each other’s hands and closed their eyes as Lilith began.
“God, if you’re out there and listening, I know there’s a billion people out there. But maybe you could find it in your heart to keep me and my daughter Alyssa safe and well in our days ahead. We...we just got back together and we want all the time we have to spend with each other and be a happy family. Please let me be a mother to my child, and let Alyssa have good dreams from now on. Amen, I guess.” Lilith said.
“Not the greatest prayer mom, but I do feel a little better now, I think I’m ready to go back to sleep.” Alyssa said as she moved her legs back underneath her blanket.
“You don’t want me to sit with you until you fall asleep?” Lilith asked.
“No, I’ll be alright. Good night mom, I love you.” Alyssa said with a yawn as she closed her eyes. Lilith gave a smile as she turned the light off to her daughter’s room.
She almost headed back to bed, but instead went downstairs and onto the porch of the house. The repairman had done an excellent job with repairing the wall, you couldn’t tell that anything had happened to it.
‘What if Death does come back for us?’ Lilith thought as she looked up into the sky.
“I can assure you he won’t.” A female voice suddenly said as Lilith turned startled and gave a slight scream seeing a woman in a long floral dress standing just on the opposite side of the porch.
In an instant Lilith had transformed into her Guardian Pluto form, she clutched her Pluto staff in anticipation.
“Sorry, I’m sorry, I can hear thoughts, I didn’t mean to intrude on you was all.” The woman apologized.
“Who....who are you? Are you...god? Is god a woman?” Lilith asked a little scared.
“No, no, I am Life, like the literal embodiment of Life itself. You, your daughter and many others on this planet are in your own way my children and I always look out for my children as much as I can.” Life explained.
“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing on my porch.” Lilith said pointing her staff at the woman.
“Well, that’s because my husband has something he would like to say to you.” Life said.
“Your husband?” Lilith questioned as Life stepped aside and Lilith saw Death behind her.
Lilith’s eyes widened and prepared to launch an attack.
“Before you go into a panic attack or anything, let me assure you, he’s not here to kill you at all. He has some words he’s been wanting to tell you.” Life explained as Death stepped a little closer towards Lilith now while rubbing his hands.
“Try anything motherfucker, and I’ll blast you back to the afterlife.” Lilith spat.
Death put his hands up defensively and spoke.
“Lilith, sometimes we may not always know where life is going to take us. Not my wife, but I mean the concept itself. I had watched you go from a rebellious youth hating the world to loving friends and starting a family, I had thought....I had thought at the time that you did all you could accomplish, but after your daughter brought you back and I re-examined your life, I realize that I was wrong. I should have thought more about how you could have given a good name to your surname ‘Kane’ again, but instead I caused you to believe again that your name came only with a curse. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I wanted to say, I am dreadfully sorry for the years I made you miss with your daughter.” Death apologized as Lilith listened closely to him, believing what he was saying as much as she could.
“Fine, just leave my family alone.” Lilith replied.
“Now I have my own gift to give you Lilith.” Life said as she took in a deep breath and blew air onto Lilith’s face.
“Uh...what was that?” Lilith questioned.
“My own gift to you, I have given you extra years on your life, meaning more time you’ll get to spend with your daughter.” Life said as she stepped aside to let her husband speak.
“Lilith, one last thing: I know your daughter has had nightmares about me. But please, reassure her that I won’t come after either of you until you reach old age.” Death said as Lilith just nodded.
Lilith now returned to her normal adult form and turned around to look up at the stars and then turned back to where Life and Death had been to see that the two of them were gone.
“God, if you are real, thank you.” Lilith silently said as she proceeded back to bed.
On the roof just above the porch sat the pink, three-tailed cat mascot of the Solar guardians, Pokoyo. His tails swayed back and forth, his eyes were glowing red but returned to their normal cute appearance once Life and Death had left.
“Kiyu, that was close. I thought I’d have to intervene.” He said ominously.
Then he heard Tess’ sleepy voice call out, “Kitty?”
Pokoyo stretched before climbing back towards the window.