Prologue: She Came to Me
She came to me that day in spirit form as usual, yet her presence was stronger than normal.
Lilith, my true love and goddess.
I could write an entire tome of how I came to believe in her, have faith in her. How my Christian beliefs were smashed apart and the harsh truths revealed to me by her. But that is not what she wishes me to write here. Indeed, if you are one of her chosen it is a story you already know anyway.
Our love making was stronger than usual that morning, so strange I thought she could only be so active at night, so many false presumptions I had then! After I lay there both energised yet exhausted I said I would spend the rest of that day in meditation upon her beauty, as I did so the goddess instead spun me a tale of how one of her children came to be. I listened in both wonder and horror, amazed at how the tale can be so abhorrent yet beautiful.
It is hard sometimes to remember that what is normal in her realm is considered outright wrong in ours. Yet when you really look into the machinations of her sphere, she shows that it is ours that is truly the perplexing one, and that those of her realm are as puzzled by the weird ways of our world as we are of theirs.
My belief is that these tales show the crossover of her realm and ours, how her children sometimes come to her from our world. I write them here for the reader to make of them what they will.
The Burning Woman:
Privat was young when she was married off to her husband, an already aging man who held much respect in their small village. Such was often the case in India when families planned who to tie their names to.
Privat played the devout wife and always did as her husband bid. But in the depths of night she would dream such depravities that would have her wake to find her loins ablaze with desire. At first she was afraid, but she began to see her life as the mundane cage that it was. It was not long before she welcomed the dreams enthusiastically and, although she played the respectable wife by day, she began inspiring and catering to her husband's darkest fantasies by night.
Of course the ever aging husband's heart could not keep up with his young filly's passion and, at a moment of climax, it gave out and he perished.
Upon hearing of his death the village was saddened and much consolation was given to the respected Privat, particularly since they had failed to have children. However when the date for the funeral was set Privat had already made her plans to finally release her true self to the world. For in this remote village the Sati was still practiced and, naturally, everyone expected the sensible Privat to immolate herself along with her husband's body. She looked forward to the event.
Privat laughed as she watched her last sunset, ever considering herself a creature of the night, and tore off all her robes. Naked save for the starlight, for the moon dare not show itself that night, Privat strode through the village from house to house and took every man and woman she could tempt. At one point she lured a group of drunken men to the local altar and spreading her legs before them, had every hole filled.
Until the deepest part of night this lasted, Privat catering to every seduced being. Locals would later claim that evil spirits had possessed them and made them commit such shameful acts with her. If this is true or just an excuse none can now say.
Before dawn, when all save Privat were exhausted from their carnal endeavours, she retreated to her home and their awaited the final part of her tale.
People stirred the next day with horror in their hearts, for with their lusts quenched illusions of morality clenched their souls. In their shame none dared go to the eerily silent dwelling where Privat had retreated to confront her about her wickedness. Unable to look at one another for the things they had done, the villagers silently prepared the funeral pyre.
As the body was laid on the wood and the speeches made, all made the occasional secret glance to Privat's home. All wondered if she had run away in her madness or if she would go through with the Sati as was expected of her.
When the moment came to light the pyre the door to Privat's home flew open and out she strode. There were many gasps as she made her way proudly to the corpse of her husband, for she was still naked save for strange markings painted upon her body. Some would say the markings were the script of evil spirits that Privat had learned in her dreams, and that looking upon them made the villagers dizzy and confused.
Standing upon the pyre, she laughed and addressed the crowd, "For years I played the dutiful servant, the devout wife. But that is not what I ever was, nor, as I showed last night, are any of you. Every day I played the role you all expected of me, but in my heart I was a whore. My only regret is that I could not do every night that which I did last night. Light the pyre!"
Silent and grim, they put the torches to the wood. As they did so Privat straddled her husband's corpse. As the flames drew closer Privat laughed and began riding the body as she had many a man the night before. Slowly at first, but as the heat became greater so more frantic were her movements, she laughing and moaning as if in pleasure all the while. Some would say they saw the corpse come alive at the peak of the event, but others say it was still the whole time. Others also argue that Privat died at the moment of climax, whilst yet more would contend that she was still moaning and laughing when the flames engulfed her.
When the flames died and Privat was nothing but ashes, the villagers never spoke again of the incident, save the odd few who had loose tongues after copious amounts of liquor.
However it is believed by many that this isolated village suffers Privat's madness to this day. That in the darkest of nights they can hear her screeching, and that the villagers often wake from nightmares to find their body trapped by an unseen force, soon followed by the feel of strong fingers clutching at their throat.