The house on the edge of the forest in New York looked like any other – wooden siding, slightly creaking porch steps, windows covered with heavy curtains. But for Lilith, who had spent all twelve years of her life there, it was her entire world. And a prison.
Lilith stood in front of the mirror in her attic room. Her gold-red skin glowed softly in the candlelight – the only source of light that didn't hurt her eyes. She was tall, nearly 185 centimeters, and her figure resembled something between a human and a being from another world. Long, slender limbs, sharp facial features, eyes like two black abysses with tiny golden specks. She didn't need clothes – her symbiotic nature created a kind of fluid, living armor that changed according to her will.
"Lilith, darling, dinner's ready!" her mother's voice, warm but always with a hint of anxiety, called from downstairs.
Lilith sighed, turning away from the mirror. "I'm coming, Mom."
She descended the stairs, trying to move quietly. She knew her mother didn't like noise – every louder sound made her tense, as if she expected someone to barge into their home at any moment. At the table, a bowl of hot soup and a slice of bread awaited her. Simple food, but Lilith never complained. She didn't need much – her body, though almost human-looking, was sustained by more than just food.
"How are you feeling, honey?" her mother asked, sitting across from her. She had a tired face, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, and eyes that always seemed to scan the room for danger.
"Good, Mom. As always." Lilith smiled, but her smile was cautious. She knew her mother worried about her. She always did.
"Did you read anything new today?" her mother tried to change the subject, but her voice still trembled.
"Yes, I started a book about stars. Did you know some of them are older than Earth?" Lilith perked up. She loved learning new things, and her mother bought her books whenever she could. It was the only way the outside world reached their secluded home.
"That's fascinating, isn't it?" her mother smiled, but her eyes betrayed something else. Fear. "Lilith, remember not to go outside without my permission. You know that..."
"I know, Mom. People aren't ready to see me." Lilith finished the sentence she had heard hundreds of times. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
The conversation fell silent. Lilith ate in silence, feeling the weight of her mother's fears settle on her shoulders. She loved her mother more than anything, but sometimes she wondered what the world beyond the window looked like. What the wind tasted like. What the voices of other people sounded like.
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