Jumella wandered through the pathway, carrying a bow and a knife to protect herself should the local animals get bold enough to attack her.
This would have to be a quick trip, for she promised Mama she would be back in time for dinner.
Jumella stopped when she came upon a cave.
As she approached, she saw a figure slowly materialize from the cave's darkness, with loud footsteps indicating the occupant was exiting the cave.
Her father stepped forward. He had grown thinner. His beard longer. A cold glare in his eyes.
"What do you want?"
Jumella grimaced at his harsh growl, but hurriedly put on a smile as she held out a cloth filled with food.
"Hi, Daddy. I was wondering if we could share a meal together."
Her father paused, clearly conflicted.
"Save it," Adam spoke, "I feed myself from now on. You have it."
He turned his back on her, heading back into his cave.
Jumella sobbed quietly on the return trek.
…
Eve found her daughter sleeping in a cavern. The cavern where they buried Abel.
Another rough night after being turned away by Adam.
She sighed, "Oh, sweetheart…"
"C'mere," she prodded at her daughter's shoulder.
Jumella stirred and sat up against the cave wall.
No word expressed to her mother.
Eve sighed and stretched out her arm, "Take my hand, sweetie."
Eve was surprised when she began to feel pain in her palm, "Jumella, you're…"
Nails digging in. Eve struggled.
"Let go, Jumella."
Jumella gave no response. No glimpse at her mother.
"I said let go!"
Slap.
Jumella flinched and stared at her, seeming as if she had just woken up.
Eve's palm was bleeding.
"Mama, I- "
Eve felt her anger overcome her, "What is wrong with you?!"
Shove. Slam.
Jumella lay face-down on the ground.
Her daughter looked up at her, fear in her eyes.
A small trail of blood coming from her forehead.
Her baby was hurt.
She hurt her baby.
"Jumella, I…" was all Eve could stammer out when Jumella jumped away from her mother's touch and scurried away.
Eve followed her through the woods. She knew where she was going.
She heard Jumella yell, "Daddy, please don't!"
Worried, Eve approached, crying out "Leave her alone, Adam!"
As the two came into view, Eve could see Adam stomping in her direction, with a timid Jumella following behind.
"What did you do?"
Eve felt a chill when she saw the rage in her husband's eyes.
"What did you do to my daughter?!"
She backed away, "What are you-…"
Adam charged forward.
Eve tried to dodge.
He grabbed her by the neck.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Squeeze.
Adam bellowed, "Don't ever touch her again!"
Eve struggled to breathe with Adam's hands around her throat.
Jumella rushed frantically to them and tried to separate them but was not strong enough.
She cried out, "Daddy, stop, you're not like Cain!"
Adam's eyes, filled with rage, grew wide in horror.
He released his grip, causing Eve to crumple to the ground, coughing.
Adam mumbled, "I…I…"
Eve marveled at how quick her daughter's mood switched.
Such a wide smile. After seeing her mother get attacked. Attacked because of her.
"Are you alright, Mama?"
'As if you care.'
Jumella paused at Eve's fuming scowl.
'No, Eve, your daughter is a sweet girl who would never plot against you.'
Eve grew a smile and gently grasped her daughter's hand, "I'm fine sweetheart."
…
"What are you saying, Mama?", Jumella asked guardedly.
"I was only suggesting that you should move in with your father," Eve told her tiredly,"on a more…regular basis."
Eve softened when she saw tears begin to drop from Jumella's eyes.
"Look, sweetie…", she cupped her daughter's face, "I'm tired. This back and forth between us. I need some time…"
Time away from this vicious cycle they found themselves in.
Jumella suddenly turns against her mother.
Or her own body.
'The body that wasn't good enough for Cain. That caused him to…'
Screaming. Yelling. Shoving. Hair pulling.
Eve disciplines Jumella, trying to protect both herself and her daughter.
Jumella runs away to Adam, who then comes to confront Eve for daring to hassle his precious little girl who could do no wrong in his eyes.
Then, Jumella would leap into her mother's arms, always with a profuse apology.
A promise to do better. Promise unfulfilled.
Eve felt herself at her wits end.
The countless times of 'I'm sorry, Mama' she had heard in the past weeks…
She needed it to stop.
Jumella cried out as if she were struck, "I'm not trying to be a burden, Mama! I'm trying!"
Eve narrowed, "I didn't say that."
"But how would you go on, Mama?"
"What?"
"How would you get on without me or Daddy here?"
Eve gave a warning, "Jumella…"
"We need Daddy. You need him to to stay in line."
Eve gasped, offended, "Excuse me?"
"Let's be honest, Mama…", Jumella spoke firmly, "Who was it that chose to bite the apple?"
Slap.
…
Jumella rushed through the woods, her face still stinging.
Why bother? Abel was the most faithful to the Angels and if even he's with Lucifer…
Jumella pondered her father's words that day: what was the point of going on?
If not even Abel could make the cut, was Hell what awaited them all in the end?
She had seen her family's dynamic collapse in the wake of Abel's demise.
Despite her best efforts to mend their relationship, Daddy and Mama still wanted nothing to do with each other.
As her mother now wanted nothing to do with her.
Her fault.
Jumella had tried. She did not wish to lash out at Mama so often. Tried to control herself to no avail.
Her family was broken.
No brothers. No sister. No marriage.
No new humans.
Jumella came upon a cliff.
She muttered, "I'm coming, Abel."
A leap.
A stop.
Frozen.
Jumella found herself lifted up back onto
In a daze, she made out the figure standing in front her: a human woman with long blonde hair.
…
Eve watched as Lilith cradled Jumella's unconscious body.
Singing a soft melody into her ear.
Kissing her forehead.
Lilith laid her sleeping daughter down gently and stood up to approach her.
"Is she alright?", Eve asked worriedly.
"She'll be fine, in the morning."
Eve's eyes narrowed.
"Did you put a spell on her?", she asked apprehensively.
Lilith nodded, speaking with a twinge of remorse, "Just a little something, keep her from hurting herself again."
The Queen of Hell looked down, pondering "If I hadn't found her in time…we could have lost her."
Eve gasped in shock. She felt about to collapse when Lilith pulled her into a tight hug.
She felt Lilith's fingers rub across her back, "There, there…"
Eve felt she could let loose all that she had bottled up since…
She sobbed, "I've missed you."
She felt Lilith's fingers rub across her back, "There, there…Forgive me, Eve."
The two women separated.
"I've been so busy, helping Abel adjust. If I had been up here more, I could have…"
A pause.
Lilith spoke up, "Maybe, I should stick around for a few days."
Eve stared at her questioningly, "What?"
"I'll need to talk it over with Luci first…" Lilith muttered, "I could go in between realms every couple of days. Give you updates on Abel, spend time with our girl as…", she looked at Jumella with concern, "me."
Eve couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lilith…staying on Earth? In her human form?
"Would you like that?"
Eve paused.
If Lilith was found here, the consequences from the Angels would be…
But Eve would feel less…alone.
And, if she could help Jumella…
Eve nodded, "I would."
The Queen smiled, then stiffened as she held up a finger, "There is Adam to consider, though…if he speaks to the Angels…"
Eve gasped, "We can't hurt him, Lilith!"
Lilith chuckled.
"You insult me, love," Lilith began caressing Eve's cheek, "I have other means of ensuring his silence."
…
Jumella led the newly arrived 'aunt', as she called herself, down the trail.
"Are you sure about this, Auntie?", she asked, nervous about what mood her father would be in after the prior argument at dinner.
The blonde woman, dressed in a short dress made of material far different from anything Jumella's family had ever worn, clasped her arm on Jumella's shoulder, speaking gently, "Have faith, my dear…"
An exchange of smiles.
Despite just meeting this woman, Jumella felt an air of familiarity, of comfort, in her presence.
They neared the cave.
"Daddy!", Jumella cried out.
Adam exited the cave, grumbling.
His agitated expression became dumbfounded when he saw Lilith standing next to his daughter.
"What the fuck?", he whispered.
Adam glared as he pointed at Lilith, "Get away from her!"
Lilith rolled her eyes.
"Jumella, run!"
His daughter stood still, staring as if he were the abnormal one in this confrontation.
Lilith patted Jumella on the head, "Stay here, sweetie. This won't take long," before approaching the First Man, smiling, "Hello, Adam…"