Chapter 3

                                    

                                          



It was a prosperous evening. Ruben returned to a hero's welcome. Lilith embraced him at the door, her hair done up in a ponytail, wearing a cherry stewed dress leaving his mouth salivating with the idea of being treated like a king in this little heaven he deserved. She gave him a devilish smirk which always came naturally. He smiles back unable to mask his eagerness. She trailed her hand down the door frame, "you look rather delicious, m' lady" he leans in. But before he could, she slipped out and away slyly making way for him to enter their house. Now that's a ginger insult. He thought. But right now, she can do all she wants to. She already hooked him. A gust of tough cuts of meat trailed through the hallway beside the kitchen.
" Your nightly, is out on the bed " she called through the kitchen door. 
He wanted to get in the kitchen and chit-chat with her, warm himself up, lighten himself, though to him it seemed he wasn't invited. Now humming and walking through the hallway, mentally pleasing himself ready for his white table-cloth dinner and silk wine running down his tongue. He could already feel it. It was like watching super bowl commercials. It's been three months into their marriage and he was already loving every high and low. He didn't think the marriage could be so fastened, dependable and secure. He drew himself into a rather flaming bath. Burning himself until he submerged within. He could feel the day -- this humdrum day breaking off -- slipping slowly off him. And the warmth threading into his muscles. The bathroom was perfused with Lilith's smell, the faint lovely scent -- was it attar of roses? Sinking himself further gently into the tub. His eyes sealed in rapture, leisurely gliding down the velvety roof, in line to see her on the other side.
BLAM! Ruben's body stiffened before he knew, bewildered he propped himself up in clicking fright; the sound was followed by looming metallic clanging. He lifted himself out of the stargazing, fishing for a towel, reaching the top of the stairs, an ugly quivering cry needling through him. The skin in his face stewing, his stomach gave a great, unlovely lurch. Lilith making inhuman sounds summoning him into great terror when he stepped in, to see her shrieking ghastly into her hands, sitting unnaturally on the kitchen floor. Beneath her all the delicious food they had to have scattered in grimly bits. He dared to look at her, her face itching with liquefied flesh, she pained to look up at him. Her irises ringed with blood. The fire still burning through her dress.
"You're okay, you're okay baby" is all he could say, his voice insanely staggering, swiftly grabbing a thick kitchen towel on the platform and suffocating her arms and torso putting out the fire. 
"You'll be alright" Ruben convinces himself more than he is influencing her.
Fuck fuck what do I do what do I do. Vigorously digging through his kindergarten first-aid knowledge, feeling heat below his feet he pulls her sunken body by her waist and drags her away up the wall uncovered with the flying bits of meat. She opened her mouth to speak other than screaming. No words formed. Almost as if her tongue was split into two. Ruben trying to track her unintelligible words, reading her gestures. She is wildly flailing her hand away from her clothes. 
" Ouring ouring !!" choking on her words. 
" this is burning? " Ruben holding her clothes which are tightly-wound and sticking her over her skin, asking her , ready to charge. 
Taking her furious nodding, he popped out the kitchen drawer almost pulling it out entirely, grabbing the scissors running through her dress, peeling it away gently off her skin. 
She still continues to jump her fingers to her ear, her hands stiff unable to move an inch. 
He spots her earring melting through her lobe struggling to click it open. 
" Just close your eyes baby " he flicked them to the side. She is still shrieking in horror. 
He whisked her in his arms holding her close to his bare chest and bolted towards the stairs, ascending to the bath,