Before Death-- Part I: Past, Chapter One: The Prophecy, Pt. I

When the ties that bind create a line that doesn't know yet falls in place, a woman's voice echoed in her ears as if she said it herself, causing her to pause for a second and look around. 

"Hello?" she called out. "Can anybody hear me? Where am I? Can you please tell me where I am?"

No one answered. Her breath and heart fought for residency in her throat, forcing her to stop dead in her tracks, stand up straight and reach her arms to the sky, rolling her shoulders in half circles to release the pressure building due to the lack of oxygen in her chest, dissipating the tension immediately. The exaggerated depth of her stretch allowed her to achieve a full diaphragmic inhale, and she exhaled slowly so as to remain silent. Her joints popped and unwound from the graceful range of motion. She was so cramped and uncomfortable, but the stretch helped.

The mystery woman's voice repeated itself as she glanced down the empty corridor. Looking behind her, to the right and left, she was dumbstruck by her surroundings. How did I get here? she thought. There were no windows. All the doors were closed, and the only light cast was provided by two dilapidated wall sconces perpendicular to the adjoined walls at the intersection. Surrounding a large antique wall-hung mirror, the sconces looked like tiny guards protecting a portal to the mysterious unknown. The dingy yellow light made the mirror look ominous, as if it and its partnered pair were floating in mid-air as opposed to secure with nails and studs inside the dirty, smoke-stained wall. The only evidence that confirmed the mirror was in fact hanging on the wall and not floating was the cheap, allegedly decorative hallway table resting underneath it. The mirror stood out because it was the most luxurious and misplaced thing in this shithole. She stared at it awhile, mesmerized. 

She had never been to this particular motel before, but it felt familiar for some reason, like a distant memory. It was eerie. Eight doors, four on either side of the depressing burgundy carpeting that looked more like a dirty river of blood, stood between her and the mirror. She felt drawn to it. She couldn't remember how she got there, though. She must have been in a trance or something because last she knew she was just getting home to her Midtown apartment from work. She felt groggy like she just woke up in this dingy hallway, even though she couldn't remember ever falling asleep. Creepier than that, she was standing up when she came to.

"Hello?"

Until the ties that bind create a line that doesn't know yet falls in place, the mystery voice continued, but she received no answer to her calls. Maniacal laughter jumped out at her, catching her by complete surprise. 

What the fuck is going on? she thought. "Who's there?" she called out. 

No answer. 

She picked her leg up to take a step forward, but it felt like solid lead. She was exerting twice the energy she normally would to lessen the distance between her and the long-awaited intersection. Fog swirled around her feet like translucent hands grabbing at her ankles and holding her down when she heard the voice again. 

When the ties that bind--, the voice was cut off by a loud bang. She spun around just in time to see one of the doors behind her close. 

"I saw you!" she screamed as she ran to the once-open door. She pounded on it, frantically hoping for someone to tell her what was going on. After pounding on the door for fifteen minutes straight, she stopped, defeated. It was like no one heard her. Not even the people in the other seven rooms who could have come out to see what the commotion was. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly turned to look down the hall to see if she saw anyone coming to or leaving a room. That's when she saw her.

Liliana

The alarm clock buzzed and buzzed as Liliana lay in bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Groaning, she pushed herself up out of the bed and hit the button on the incessant alarm clock. 

She looked around her bedroom. It was comfortable, but it wasn't anything to brag about. There were posters plastered all over the wall. Hardly an inch of white could be seen underneath all of the faces. Her favorite, Janet Jackson hitting the hottest dance move with one hand in the air while she hits her signature chair squat in the photograph greeted her good morning as usual. 

"Hey, girl," she said. "You ready to get this done?" She looked at Janet for a second like she was actually expecting an answer and replied, "Yeah. Me neither, but we gotta do what we gotta do, right?"

She opened the bedroom door and listened for a minute to hear if her mom was up and moving around yet, but she didn't hear anything moving. There was no sign of life outside of her room.

She must be at the church already, she thought. 

Gathering her long curly Black hair into a fist, Liliana threw on a soft scrunchy and put her hair in a ponytail on the top tilted a little bit to the right, and fluffed her curls to accentuate the wet look. Leaning over to get closer sight in the mirror, she applied her mascara in big heavy strokes. She liked the dramatic look. Her thick black eyeliner formed amazing wings that seemed to fly right off the corners of her eyes. She grabbed some gloss off her dresser, applied it in dramatic nude-pink pouts and smooched at the poster of Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk in The Boys. 

"To have inhaled oxygen with you would be such an honor," she said with a wink. "Oh how I wish I could afford a clone." She closed her bedroom door behind her and chuckled happily to herself. She grabbed her backpack and headed out the bedroom door, closing it quietly behind her. 

As she pulled the door handle toward her, a shock jolted through her body like nothing she'd ever felt before. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt like she was being pulled through some sort of gust of wind. She shook the feeling off and tried to relax a bit as she walked into the kitchen to grab a bagel. 

"Good morning, Miss Liliana," L.I.A.M, their new home Lifestyle Intelligent Analytical Machine, said as she entered the kitchen. For now he was just a translucent floating head above her kitchen counter, but her mother was saving up to get a companion robot for their home so they wouldn't have to talk to a giant floating head or their walls. You could get a device implanted in the side of your neck behind either ear, but the only people who really get the implants are showboats who want to look like they have money (during the focus groups they were giving the implants away for free and the manufacturer, Intellilife Interactive Incorporated, or The III as they are lovingly referred to by the public who both loves and hates them, discovered that most people who got the implants allowed the surgeries because the others who didn't "just looked normal" after and didn't have any distinguishing marks or traits that set them apart from those who did not have access to L.I.A.M. systems at all so people might think they're poor. With the implants there is a definitive notice set among everyone in public to be on your best behavior.) 

"Hey, L.I.A.M.," Liliana said. "What's up for the day?" 

"Well, Miss Liliana, your mother left a video message for you before you begin your day, but I don't believe it shall alter your schedule as is. At least, she did not assign me any tasks to update you of a schedule change."

Liliana's mother, Lady Selene Artemesia Lamash, loved the thought of having a L.I.A.M. of her own since before the III even went public with the technology. As the top C-suite administrative assistant at the corporate office, Lady Selene knows everybody who knows anybody that needs to be known. This also means she knows everything, too, or at least she thinks so. She has a stellar reputation among her colleagues, and it is common knowledge that nobody wants to get on her bad side. She runs a tight ship, but it pays off because she is efficient and puts care into everything she does. Her standards aren't hard, but they are firm. And Liliana knew all about that.

"Okay, L.I.A.M.," she used both elbows to lean on the kitchen island counter, and put her head in her hands and laughed. "It's okay. What else is there? Let's start with the calendar list."

"Hmmm. Well you have work at the bodega from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. Then at 2 p.m. you are scheduled to get ready for rehearsal at the Luminescent Dance Studio, Midtown until 6 p.m. in preparation for your performance tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the Mother Lilith Memorial Colosseum. The performance is scheduled from 8:00 p.m. until 11 p.m., but you will have a post-performance meeting with the team to debrief the night's events until 11:30 p.m. After which, you have nothing scheduled until your shift at the bodega tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m." 

"Thanks," she replied thoughtfully. She turned around to grab a bagel from the display bowl on the island counter and her favorite strawberry cream cheese from the fridge. She took her time spreading the cream cheese so she could evenly distribute it around the bagel so no bite has more or less cream cheese than the other, and took a bite.

"Hm," she huffed, pleased. "Okay, L.I.A.M., lay it on me. What did Mommy say?" She poured herself a tall glass of orange juice and leaned back against the counter next to the fridge so she could look at L.I.A.M.'s video screen interface. The video opened and Liliana side-eyed the strained look that was on her mother's face in the beginning when she didn't realize the camera was on. She could tell her mother was making this video in a rush, but her mother never rushed. She didn't believe in rushing. Lady Selene made punctual look defunct. She was on time for everything. Most times she was there before you. But don't let her be there before you. As soon as she looked at the front-facing camera Lady Selene slipped into her composure like the professional she was. It was an effortless art when she did it. She was art. Every hair in place in a neat loose bun, her makeup natural but a hint of drama with a light smoky affect to her lids, and perfect red-lined lipstick that made her look regal.

"Hey, Liliana, Baby, It's Mommy. I had to go to the church early this morning so I will miss you at breakfast. I love you. Be safe out there. Good luck at your thing tonight! I'm so sorry I'm gonna miss it because I promised the C's that since I have to do some work at the church this morning, I will come in tonight to make sure everything is in order. I just know you're going to be amazing, darling. Do something fun to celebrate with the girls after, and I'll cover it for you as a make-up gift. We'll figure out something to do as a, how do they say, 'rain check' I think? later, okay? I'm sorry, Baby, but the pastor needs me. I have to go. I love you! Smooch smooch." With that she clicked off the call and the screen disappeared. Liliana stood there deflated. 

She's not coming to my show? she thought. 

"I notice your heart rate is elevating, Miss Liliana. Would a drop in temperature help you to relax?"

"No, L.I.A.M., that's okay," she said. She pushed herself off the counter and said, "Wait a minute, you can check my heart rate while I'm just standing here watching a video? Like, really?"

"Yes, Miss Liliana," L.I.A.M. responded. "I can detect all carbon-based life forms within a 200 foot radius from my installation. This feature assists with property protection and serves to detect and defend against possible biological or biohazard attacks. As well as detecting all life forms, gases, fumes, or chemicals, anyone who enters the home is registered in my database to identify height, weight, eye color, current hair color, images of last known articles of clothing, and any visible distinguishing marks that are registered on the humanoid's person. We can also detect any medical issues the person may be experiencing or suffering from at the moment, but so as to protect personal information, we do not disclose unless the person requests us to verbally and by digitally signing a release form, authenticating notice of their intent. Not even the owner of the L.I.A.M. can violate federal laws in that way unless they are authorized by the person in the first place. This way we protect everyone involved from the temptation of humans."

"Wow," Liliana replied. "The more you know," she sing-songed as she used her hands to form a rainbow. She finished up her bagel and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, not turning it on since no one will be home all day to dirty anything up. "Alright, L.I.A.M. I'll see you at the store. Set the alarm in the house for me," she said walking out the backdoor, closing and locking it behind her. 

She walked out the backyard gate and onto the driveway that sat on the right side of the house. Her neighbor, Alba, was in the front yard sipping on coffee and watching a news stream about a local animal shelter advertising the dog of the week. She could have just been watching it alone in her own conscious or sight on private, but every morning she stood outside with the news stream on public, playing it for anybody who will listen it seems.

"Hey, Alba," she called and walked to the bus stop. Alba kept watching her news stream, unaffected. When she got on the bus, there was an older woman sitting in the seat across from Liliana alone. A situation that wouldn't normally bother her, but there was something odd about the way the woman was smiling at her. It was like she knew something Liliana didn't. It gave her a chilling tingle in her spine. The woman turned her head, looking away from Liliana at the front door of the bus when Liliana noticed the interesting scarf she had wrapped around her neck. It was a midnight blue color with silver inlaid stitching of little sparkling moons. On first glance it looked like a gag gift, but something about it called to her. The woman caught Liliana looking at her scarf and smiled. She fingered it gently between her thumb and forefinger and barely above a whisper said, "The Queen Mother will call for you. May her daughters all heed her call."

She smiled back warmly at the woman, blinked and asked, "Excuse me, what did you just say?" But the woman was gone. She looked to her right and left to see if anyone else on the bus saw the woman, but no one was paying attention to anyone else. They all looked dazed which meant they were probably all watching their own personal streams in their heads. 

Because she didn't have a personal implant, L.I.A.M. wasn't there to record what just happened so she had no proof that she didn't just imagine the whole thing. Because of that she brushed it off like something she imagined due to lack of sleep. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them she saw that her stop was next so she pushed her seat's buzzer to inform the operator of her intent. The bus pulled up in front of the bodega's corner stoop, so she adjusted her gym bag and stood up to prepare to exit.