Dear Lilith

He walked among men, but he wasn’t one of them. Lilith meandered the streets, waiting for his call, when one would summon him. He hovered over the earth like a spirit; his ragged black robe hung low, concealing where his feet would be. And a hood laid gently on the back of his head, almost covering his long black hair that hung to his neck. He wore a mask- it was white with a subtle and petite expression; it entirely covered his face. It even hid his eyes; only black holes where there would normally be eyes. His mask was almost… sad looking. It wasn’t explicitly gloomy, but there was a melancholy presence in the shape of the eyes. And only a straight mouth was painted on in red.
Lilith traveled around, waiting patiently for his name to be mentioned. Most of the time, people didn’t know when they had called, and were afraid of him when he appeared. For the only one who could see Lilith was the specific person who had called him at the time.
The cloth of his robe hung above the pavement as he went to the hospital. He felt a nagging in this direction; a subtle gesture that he was to appear. He flew through the doors- floor two, room 208. He fluttered to the bedside and found a very elderly man, just lying in his bed. But as soon as the man had noticed Lilith, he panicked. Lilith slowly inched his way closer as the man threw his hands in front of his face. He cried for Lilith to stay away from him, and that he didn’t want what it had to offer. But Lilith knew better than to listen to the old man’s cries and complaints. Lilith held out his hand, which was laced over with pure white cloth. His hand came closer to the desperate man’s flesh. The man flinched as he felt the hand of death itself touch him. And with a simple touch from Lilith’s fingertips, the old man had breathed his last.
Lilith fled outside now, making his way across town to a simple back road. He heard the crash ring in his head and hurried along immediately. He found the compact car on the side of the road. It was badly damaged, the entire front completely caved in as it had hit a tree off the side. The young man inside was bloodied, bruised, and was nearly unconscious from the instant blow. Lilith stopped and looked to the young man, but he soon took action. The man’s eyes crept open; he wanted to scream at the sight of Lilith, but he lacked the strength. Lilith slowly held his hand out and gently pressed it to the shoulder of the dying man. Lilith felt the young man’s very slow heartbeat; it had finally been put to rest.
But it was now that Lilith heard something that he had never heard before… a smile. He sped down the streets, now appearing in the doctor’s office. He stopped as he had located the fearless being. He saw the doctor standing over a mother, who had her young daughter embraced in her arms. The doctor was sad, and as sympathetic as could be, and the mother was weeping. But the girl, upon seeing Lilith appear, lifted her head, and gave a very genuine, childish smile. Lilith was confused, and disheartened by this. She only hugged her mother back.
Addison was her name, and she was no older than eleven years old. The mother raised her tired eyes to the doctor and thanked him for his time. Addison and her mother now stood and headed for the door. Lilith held out his hand to Addison as they passed, but quickly pulled it back. He had never felt this way before, and he couldn't understand what it was. He had brought many children to peace before, but something was different.
He hovered close by and followed them to their home. He was so intrigued with the girl that he just couldn’t leave her. She would look to him every now and again, but nothing more than a quick glance. Addison wasn’t even slightly frightened. He followed her to bed, but let her get her rest and left her alone for the night.
Lilith stayed by her side, feeling something he had never felt before when around her. He was there when she ate breakfast, brushed her teeth, and walked to school. Addison didn’t speak to him, but she didn’t mind his company. In class he would wait in the back of the room, watching her grow into the fine young woman that he knew she could be. He sat by her at lunch, ran with her and her friends at recess, but all the while keeping his distance. He was sure not to touch her, knowing full well the power he wielded in his fingertips.
A few weeks of this went by as Lilith felt a strong connection to this curious young soul. But it was all suddenly changed as she went bedridden in the hospital. She had a heart monitor attached to her; she listened to it beep everyday. She would smile to Lilith as he remained in the room with her. He would stand by her side.
A couple of months passed and Addison returned to her home, still stuck in bed though. She remained strong for all she was. She was a fighter, and that’s what kept her going. And that is also what Lilith cherished the most about her.
Her parents would come in several times a day to greet her. They loved her so much, and she loved them. Lilith would watch from her bedside as they would kiss her goodnight each time the stars came out. Then, after they would leave the room, even though she wasn’t supposed to, Addison would climb out of her bed and fall to her knees, saying her prayers. She did this every night.
Lilith would sit by her bedside until she would fall asleep. It would put a soft smile to her face as she was by now used to his company. But each night, when Addison would climb down to say her prayers, it got slightly more difficult for her. She would wobble and shake, and sometimes even fall to the floor when she did. Lilith wanted so bad to help, but would quickly pull his hands away as to not touch her. On one particular night as she got down for her prayers, she fell to the floor, then looked up to Lilith. He looked back down to her. A tear cracked from her eye… the first Lilith had ever seen from her. A very slight smile then broke free as she bowed her head to pray.
Lilith left her room for the night as usual, allowing her privacy. He came back in the next morning to find her eyes barely creep open to look at him. As he came closer, he saw a note on her nightstand written in purple ink from one of her pens. He looked at her eyes now. She glanced them over to the letter, wanting him to read it. He reached out his hand and picked up the paper.

Dear Lilith,
I have fought a good fight, and am happy to let you know that I’m ready.

Lilith dropped the letter, not sure of what to think. Addison, with what little strength she had left, slowly sat up in her bed. Lilith slowly backed up a pace as Addison reached out to him with her fragile hand. Lilith kept his hands away, not wanting to do it this time; he simply couldn’t.
But Addison leaned forward a small amount more, reaching just a little further. Lilith shook his head, but not before he noticed the sweet and tender smile on her face, and the tears staining her eyes. Lilith relaxed his hands now slightly as Addison softly took hold of one. She pulled him in and embraced him like no other soul had ever done before. Lilith now wrapped his arms around her. He felt her body go limp… and she was gone.
Addison had now seen the light of day, as in that moment, she awoke on the shores of eternity.