"All the conflict we experience in the world,
Is a conflict within our own selves."

- Brenda Shoshanna -

White, hot, burning anger. The one emotion that coursed through me as I glanced around the living room. I could feel my palms screaming at me as I dug my nails into them, my hands clenched tightly into balls. This burning rage was boiling at the surface; for so long, it had to remain intact, but as those words left my mother's mouth, it finally had the opportunity to erupt.

I managed to open my lips, slowly, and speak one word. "What?" My voice was scratchy, and I struggled to speak.

I could feel their eyes on me, following my every movement and changing facial expressions - from confusion, to anger, back to confusion.

"Lili..." Seth started to say, but I stood up before he could say anything else.

"I...I have to go," I choked out, dangerously close to tears, and I stumbled out of the room towards the front door.

I needed to get away from that house, from them. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I couldn't stay in that room. Walking down the street, I was consciously aware that I must look like a complete emotional wreck to the people walking back and forth on our street. Not that I wasn't used to being stared at all the time anyway.

Then it hit me.

Of course. Of course. It suddenly all made sense. The stares. The secretive mutters behind hands. The symbol down in the basement where my mother secretly prayed.

People knew what my family were. They knew before I knew. That burning rage again.

I pulled my hood up and stared at the ground as I walked. I needed to go somewhere where I could be alone and think, without any interruptions. Elijah's forest, I suddenly thought. Perfect.

"Lilith?" shouted a voice. I knew who the voice belonged to before I even looked up.

Brea was standing in front of me, a smile on her face. She was dressed for running, and sure enough, I noticed the slight sheen of sweat across her forehead. Her chest rose and fell as she panted.

"Hey," I muttered, reluctantly. I didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

"What are you up too later?" she asked, wiping her forehead with the sleeve of her grey hoodie.

I wasn't sure whether to lie and tell her I had plans, or to tell her the truth. I knew I wanted to be alone right now, but maybe being with someone could take my mind off things. I realized I needed to make a decision as she raised her eyebrow, waiting for a response.

"Oh, nothing much," I shrugged.

She grinned. It was the right response.

"Great! You can come out with us," she said, no longer panting from being out of breath.

"Us? Who's us?"

"Eva, Alexa, a couple of mates. A drive-in movie theatre just opened up down the road so we're going to go and see a movie," she grinned. "You can come back to mine now to get ready if you want."

I noticed she looked me and up and down as she said that, and I was suddenly conscious of the fact that I wasn't wearing clothes that she would naturally wear, or approve of. You wouldn't exactly catch Brea out in public in a black hoodie and sweat pants.

"Okay," I said, trying to smile. I managed a small one.

The rage was suppressed. For now.

An hour and a half later, I was sitting on Brea's bed wearing a white, skin-tight mini dress that I would never wear to a movie, normally. Not that I ever went to movies in the first place.

I watched her run back and forth across the room, drying her hair, then straightening it, then throwing clothes across the floor in an attempt to try and find the perfect outfit. I couldn't help but think that anything would look perfect on her.

"So who else is going to be there apart from Alexa and Eva?" I asked as she darkened her lashes with a mascara wand.

"Jake, my boyfriend, and a couple of other people that don't go to our school. College guys." She winked at me in the mirror.

"College guys?" I swallowed. "How do you know college guys?"

"My older brother," she shrugged, pulling on a leather jacket. "I know them from frat parties at his college."

I followed her down the stairs and suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. I had never disobeyed my parents before, or even left the house after curfew. I didn't even tell them where I was going. It felt good, especially after what they did. How could they keep a secret like that from me? That secret made me the most hated person at my previous school, and I didn't even know why. But now I do. I won't let it consume my life anymore. I clenched my fists, smiled, and as we drove away in Brea's car, it was almost like I was leaving my past behind.

When we arrived at the drive-in movie theatre, I spotted Alexa and Eva sitting in a car; a red Mustang GT. They noticed Brea and I and both waved. Brea pulled up beside them.

"Is Jake here?" she asked them

"He's over there with Cullen and Alec and the rest of them," Alexa answered, pointing to the front of the rows of cars.

Brea looked at me. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

We weaved through the rows of cars until we reached the front. I recognized Jake from school; I'd noticed him standing by the lockers one day with some guys from the football team. I also recognized him from that night at Brea's party. He was a friend of Elijah's. He had dark fluffy hair that he kept running his fingers through. He jumped off the bonnet of his blue Chevrolet Camaro and wrapped his arms around Brea, lifting her up into the air and kissing her. The guys who were sitting in Jake's car starting hooting and wolf whistling. Jake put Brea down gently, chuckling.

"Everyone, this is Lilith. She goes to school with Jake and I," she said, smiling at me.

I attempted a smile. "Hi," I said, with a small wave.

There was another guy sitting on the bonnet of the car; his dirty blonde hair was bristling in the wind. I noticed his piercing blue eyes were fixed on me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I tore my gaze away from his.

"I'll go and get some popcorn," I muttered to Brea, but she wasn't listening. She was too busy talking to Jake to notice me.

I turned and headed in the opposite direction to where there was a large neon orange sign saying "SNACKS", and under it was a small booth where a young boy was handing out sweets and drinks to people.

"One popcorn, please," I said, handing the boy the money.

"I'll get it," said a voice from beside me.

I started a little, not expecting there to be someone next to me. The blonde guy, the one with the eyes the color of the sky on a warm, cloudless day.

"You don't have to do that..." I protested.

"Don't worry," he laughed. "You want a drink?"

"I'm okay," I said, tucking the money back in my pocket.

He handed me my popcorn. "I'm Cullen."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled. "Thanks for the popcorn."

"Hey, it's no worries. It's Lilith, right?"

"Yeah. Or just Lili," I shrugged, chewing a piece of popcorn tentatively.

His eyes traced over my face and he bit his lip softly. I swallowed, flinching slightly as he reached over and tucked a piece of loose hair behind my ear. What was he doing?

"So, have you ever been to one of these before?" He asked, leaning casually against the metal banister next to the stand where I got my popcorn.

"To one of what?"

"A drive-in," he laughed.

"Nope. Have you?" I asked.

"Once before. Back when I lived in Calabasas."

Of course he would be from California, with his sun-kissed skin and beach blonde hair.

"You moved from California to here?" I frowned. "Why?"

He shrugged. "My mom got a job here and she wanted a change."

"Big change," I laughed, and his response was a light chuckle.

"Hey, do you want to go somewhere else? I don't know about you but I don't feel like watching a film in black and white."

"Why did you come then?" I asked, my heart beating noticeably faster, and I couldn't help thinking of Elijah.

"I didn't have anything better to do, I guess," he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, where do you want to go?"

He slipped his fingers through mine, grabbed my popcorn and started walking around the back of the snacks stand, tossing the popcorn into a bin on the way.

As soon as we reached the back of the snacks stand, he pushed me gently against the wall, his body pinned to mine. I wouldn't be surprised if he could hear my heart battering against my chest. I felt my foot sink into a puddle from when it had rained last night. The water slowly seeped into my shoe.

"You're to hard to resist," he whispered in my ear, his voice dripping with seduction.

His fingers traced the skin of my thigh, moving up, and closer, to where I was now on fire. I suddenly felt a sensation inside of me, a blazing, fiery sensation that was so intense I was shocked at its potency. I could feel the flames licking at my insides, bursting to escape.

I realized that Cullen's skin was no longer touching mine and I watched him back away from me, slowly, carefully, his eyes wide in horror.

"What?" I cried out, as the fire inside me was getting hotter and hotter; it was almost painful.

"Your...your eyes," he choked out.

I lowered myself slowly to the floor and peered over the edge of the puddle at my feet. I didn't recognize the girl who stared back; it wasn't the unfamiliar beauty of this girl that made me gasp in shock.

It was the blazing, scarlet eyes that stared back up at me.

Image: Lilith Ayres - Crystal Reed
Song: Devil In Me - Halsey

© Olivia Clarke 2018
The Devil's Daughter