The Castle

"What do you see, Lilith?

"What is this place?"

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It seems so... Familiar."

"What do you see, Lilith?"

"A thousand trees, summer's moon high. Some blue, some green -- many, many that shade of purple that's as if you're lost in deep Autumn."

"Do you smell anything?"

"Petrichor. Freshly cut grass. A kind of maple scent."

"Great. Keep going, what else do you see?

"There is no grass here -- only flowers. Marigolds and tulips and violets. I see peonies and pansies. Dirt paths abscond and transcend beyond my horizon."

"You're doing great. Where do the paths lead?"

"Some of them seem to lead nowhere -- or at least, farther than I can see. Some of them seem to lead to little plateaus with, I don't know -- benches with wooden awnings? What are those called?"

"Pergolas?"

"Yeah, that. And they're made of the same wood as the trees, so its a fantastic, mystical feeling. And then there's one path...that..."

"Go ahead, Lilith. This is a safe space."

"That...uh...it leads to a sort of castle that's out of place. Almost like a dream within a dream. I don't know...Van, do we need to continue with this?"

"Do you want to continue?"

"I...yes....no?"

"What do you think is bringing you distress about the castle?"

"I don't know...it looks haunted, off limits, like seeing it is...blasphemous, almost. But it's also so familiar. Like I've been here before, in another dream."

"Can you describe it for me?"

"I...uhm...I don't know."

"Would you try?"

"Uhm. I guess, it has gargoyles. And not the cutesy ones from like, a kids movie -- but they're shaped like winged cats and look as if they're watching me. And then, the entire castle is cracked -- like one wrong move will send the entire thing splitting apart from the side. The...uh...towers are distorted -- nothing looks quite right. Everywhere I look it feels like something is watching me back. My back feels cold and wet, and it smells like...gutter rain."

"Wonderful, Lilith. You're doing great. Can you try entering the castle?"

"Entering? Look, doc. I don't know if I should even be watching the castle, let alone enter."

"Shhh, easy, you're doing great. You want to navigate your traumatic history, correct?"

"I....yes."

"So enter the castle."

"I don't know...."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not. Afraid, I mean. Fine. Whatever."

"Tell me about the door, Lilith. What does it look like?"

"The door is made of a different wood from the rest of the forest -- it almost looks like a weird, distorted mahogany. It has a giant knocker...thing...on it, that looks like fangs. Do I knock?"

"Yes."

"Right. So....okay. Okay. Uhm..."

"What do you see now, Lilith?"

"Well. I went to knock, and the door just...opened."

"Wonderful. Enter the castle, Lilith."

"I really -- do I really have to? I don't know, it feels..."

"Do it, Lilith."

"Uhm...okay"

"Good. What do you see?"

"More of the same of the outside, but in. Cracked stone and walls. There is a massive fireplace at the center burning blue and white flames...there is a portrait above it."

"Who is the portrait of, Lilith?"

"I...can't make it out. I can't seem to make sense of it. I feel like its watching me, and like I shouldn't be watching it. I feel cold. Everything smells rancid, like old blood."

"Move closer, Lilith, who is in the portrait?"

"Van, I really don't think--"

"Do it. You want to heal your trauma, don't you? Go on. What do you see?"

"Fuck. I see...a man, with deep ebony hair. His skin looks...cracked, like the castle, just all the way up his body. I can't tell if its...I guess its cracking in the painting? I can't..."

"Wonderful, Lilith. What do you feel?"

"I...don't know. I feel like...this agony is building up in my chest. Like I'm about to walk into something I can't walk out of."

"Perfect, Lilith. Embrace that sense of dread. Can you make any more sense of the portrait?"

"No...I--"

"Who....are you?"

"Lilith, what do you see?"

"What....are you doing...in my castle?"

"Do you see the portrait moving, Lilith?"

"I--"

"No one...steps foot...without cause."

"Is he moving towards you? The man? Lilith, what do you see?"

"Answer me, mortal..."

"I don't--I--"

"ANSWER ME."

"Lilith. Stay with me, what's going on? Is he there with you? Is Dracula there? Lilith. Lilith. Come on, wake up -- oh god, you're turning pale. Lilith, you have to tell me what he's saying! I have to know! Fuck! We were so close."

"Madame Helsing, I heard you screaming. Did it happen again?"

"What do you think? Put Lilith with the others and clean this up. I must find another candidate. I will put an end to the monster, no matter what it takes."