A Walk in The City of Dogma

BY MATTHEW FORD

In a city which was dead. In which continued to crawl on its stomach with shallow breaths and bleeding wounds. In the end, nothing would be left of the city. In the end, the city, where kids grew up, people made their lives, found love, and all other human events, would be destroyed under the foot of rebellion and under the foot of, some would call, the natural order of things. 

“I would hardly call this worth the trip.” 

“Trust me and be patient, only the blind can know their truth”

“More of those dumb riddles.” She mumbled.

The women moved through the destroyed cathedral. A place that brought peace to many and salvation for others, now a desolate relic of the past. But what remained not burnt in the building was the bell. That once rang loudly throughout the city to announce time for mass, now remained in its equator from where it has fallen. The women moved out of the building after finding what they came for. 

“Come, we must hurry back before lightning hurries upon us.” The older one said.

“As you say, I hope it was worth the trouble.” The other woman said.

“It most certainly was, but baby turtles must be patient before the tide comes in, yes?” The older woman replied.

“I guess so, let’s just hurry out of here.” The short woman said.

“As you say.” The older woman said

The women escaped into the streets of the mostly ruined city. Two falling paint drops on a still canvas of chaos. The streets were quieter than normal with the wind carrying its low whistle through the city. The women continued to move, going through alleyways when needed. The city was a conglomerate of creeping doors and hidden eyes to the women, whose eyes were seemingly hidden from the destruction and ruined lives of the great beast.  

The women were now (as they should be) hiding from The Scared Ones. A group started soon after the destruction of the city. Lead by the Unknown one. The women easily recognised the group as the followers of the Unknown One with their morphed faces and scarred bodies. The women were quick to evade such people.

“I didn’t expect them to be this far out, the storm hasn’t even come yet. This place is getting worse and worse.” The shorter woman hushed as they made more distance, traveling on the side of the road close to the buildings.  

A great river being patient with the horrid rocks and dry land that surrounded it. Ever continuing to its purpose. 

“Yes, it is most troubling that they have ventured out this far, the tiger has come closer to Eden or was it the Bodhi Tree?” The taller, older woman asked, pondering if she was now mixing up stories. 

“Lilith, for the first time I think I understand what you are saying.” The shorter woman replied, with a worried look on her face. The women were far out of sight from The Sacred Ones now, the women relaxed slightly as they moved farther away and closer. 

“Strange,” Lilith continued, “I have never mixed up stories before.”

“Maybe you are starting to lose it. How long were you in that library?” the shorter woman asked. Liliths face morphed to one of fondness and memory. 

“Many lifetimes it would seem.” Lilith responded. “Mary, I do remember when you first came to the library with your partner, with your pretense of Sarah and Abraham but revealed to be Abel and Cain.” Lilith was now angry “You made a mess of the place. You almost struck down my Babel” 

“Now is not the time, Lilith” Mary growled back. She was unsettled by the flow of the conversation. Lilith walked with her as her equal, and with that a certain ancient ache grew in Mary. The women made a few more turns, in a brisk walk. Lilith looked at the clouds occasionally as they morphed into images that made Lilith smile like a child that held a secret. Mary looked at Lilith and then at the clouds to see nothing. Lilith seemed to find amusement in something. 

“What do you keep looking at?” Mary asked as she looked over the sky to find the points of Lilith’s interest. But for her, she could never find such pleasures.The women passed by a wine store that had broken windows and stains of red wine spilling out into the street in which they passed over it.  Lilith was slow to respond. Her face morphed into anger with three clouds entering the sky.

“Three clouds seem to search for my lips, for the curse that they may have made.” Lilith finally responded with final conviction that Mary was surprised by. 

“Are you afraid of some clouds?” Mary asked maybe tauntingly. Hiding her own curiosity with a question.

“No, they shall not harm me. I was made of such matter, the same as my other side was. For that seemed to be the first mistake of all mistakes” Lilith responded confidently. Eyes still on the three clouds that slowly left the sky. Mary seemed suddenly tired and used. She huffed a sharp breath out and continued to examine the sky before seeing the three clouds and looking away. Having no emotional effect on her. At least now she could see the clouds that Lilith was looking at.

“Many lifetimes indeed.” Mary mumbled. “Enough about clouds or whatever. What are we even talking about?” Mary exclaimed. They women were now going up slightly as the city rose over a hill. 

“It is not better to have your head in the clouds and know where you are, than to breathe a paradise?” Lilith slowly responded. Before having confusion blow up her face. “Or was it for the man to breathe the clearer atmosphere below me and believe he is in such a place?” Lilith was again questioning her vast knowledge in her head. It nearly gave her a migraine. She hoped that Mary would not be affected. Such knowledge, memories and pleasures that Mary could and would not know. Lilith envied Mary for that. Mary was her perfect side. The side that Lilith wanted on top, refused to flip over and submit. For she was created in the same mold that the other side was. But Mary seemed to be born without the eyes to see the clouds. Mary was, to Lilith, made to push out the greatest one of the other side, the one that she would see nailed with much heartache. The one that some would call the curse of which escaped her mouth, or was it the son? Maybe such a person could not exist and Lilith was truly losing her mind. She would prefer insanity over some destiny regarding Mary’s womb. A predator that questioned the existence of the prey would soon find herself insane.  They have now reached the top of the hill and started going down. Lilith became more relaxed with the sight of their designation in view.