Lilium

Fourteen

Fourteen

At first, Lilith couldn't really process the events that had occurred. For over a half an hour, she lay on the bathroom floor as blood trickled out from the cuts on her forearm and cheek. She couldn't understand anything past the pulsing in her ears and the throbbing in her temples.

She wasn't sure if it was the vaguely-concerned, "Lilith?" that emanated from the other side of the bathroom door or something inside her own subconscious that finally snapped her back to reality but before she knew it, Lilith was sitting back upright. Nothing she did could stop the room from spinning or her thoughts from flying off in all directions.

"Lilith?"

After a moment, she blinked. The voice on the other side founded unfamiliar – at first. Then she blinked again and realized that it was Marlene speaking.

"Lilith..."

And again came the incessant tap-tap-tapping.

"...Yeah. One sec." Lilith planted her hands against the sink and pushed herself to her feet, her vision swimming. A quick glance in the mirror revealed thick black circles under her eyes. Her chin was dotted with red where Abraxas had grabbed her.

Here's hoping she won't ask any questions.

With a huff, she adjusted the hem of her shirt, rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand, and opened the door before her subconscious could stop her.

"Hey," she said. When she saw the evident look of relief flash across Marlene's features, a heavy feeling settled in Lilith's chest.

"Hey."

"I..." Marlene pressed her lips together, gaze to the side. "I didn't see you come out so I figured I'd check on you."

Her gaze flicked to the thin cuts on Lilith's skin, at both her forearms and at her chin. Lilith's cheeks warmed under the inquisitive look in Marlene's. Though the marks were no thicker than paper cuts, they would certainly be no easy topic to explain.

And indeed, luck was certainly not on Lilith's side.

"Lilith... what are these?" Marlene reached out and made to touch the cuts with her white-tipped nails.

Lilith flinched back. Before she could think of an adequate response, she spat out, "I had a panic attack."

"So you..."

"Uh..." Lilith shuffled her feet with a knot in her stomach. "My nails. I... was having issues."

"I see."

Marlene reached out again, only to stop herself mere inches away from Lilith's skin. Lilith saw the dried blood reflected in Marlene's nails.

"Please don't," Lilith said, taking another step back. "It's really nothing serious."

"Lilith, you're bleeding."

She shook her head and turned back to the bathroom mirror, tracing the marks that Abraxas had left with shaking fingers. With her other hand, she turned on the sink. Her eyes never left her reflection in the mirror.

Marlene placed one foot in the doorway and Lilith caught her eye in the mirror.

"What are you doing?" Lilith asked.

"I wanted to help."

Lilith reached blindly for a cloth at the side of the sink. "I got it."

"Are..." Marlene pressed her lips together. "Are you sure?"