Square, colorful houses dotted the meadow.
Pink, yellow, light blue. They looked like cubes scattered across the deep green. It was the land of the sheep men. Amelia's race.
Lilith watched from a distance.
The inhabitants moved with a rhythmic slowness. They carried bales of grass. Piled them up. Moved them around. The smell of fermented grass, sweet and heavy, filled the air. They walked from one house to another without apparent order, entering and leaving as if the doors had no owners.
For Lilith, it was a repetitive image.
She leaned back against the trunk of an old tree, away from the path.
She had the leather suitcase open on her lap. Inside, the two goblin babies squirmed on the clothes. The creatures' skin was green and translucent.
Lilith took a piece of the meat.
It was soft. Tender like breadcrumb. She tore it into tiny strips with her fingers. Brought a piece to the first little one's mouth.
A sharp, animal growl cut the silence.
The goblin baby clamped its jaws shut. Swallowed. Immediately opened its mouth again. The second one imitated it, letting out a shriek demanding more. They ate with a desperation that seemed endless.
Lilith rested her cheek on her hand.
"They don't do much," she murmured.
She watched the babies' hooked claws scratching the air.
"After this I have to put them inside a goat."
She stopped. Pressed her lips together.
Suddenly, a heat rose up her neck. Her cheeks flushed a sudden red. She felt stupid. The logic of her own plan seemed absurd in the stillness of the meadow.
"It doesn't make sense," she whispered to herself. "How am I going to do that!"
"Miss!"
Lilith was startled.
She half-closed the suitcase. Looked behind the tree.
A little girl stood there. She had long, drooping ears covered in white wool. Her eyes were round, peaceful. She wore a plain linen tunic.
"Are you lost?" asked the girl.
Lilith slowly shook her head. She regained her composure.
"Are they yours?" The girl pointed at the half-open suitcase.
Lilith let out a dry laugh.
"Of course not. They don't even look like me."
She looked at the babies poking their heads through the leather gap.
"But yes. You could say they're mine."
The girl took a step closer. She was curious.
The goblin babies stretched their thin hands toward her. Their fingers reached for the girl's skin as if they wanted to eat it. The creatures' lips pulled back, showing empty gums.
"They're not ugly," said the girl, tilting her head. "Where did you find them?"
Lilith didn't answer.
She stared at the community of sheep men. She watched them move the grass again and again. A circular task. Endless.
"Hey," said Lilith. "Do you know if I can stay here?"
The girl blinked. Thought for a moment.
"I don't think so... Oh! You reminded me I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!"
Lilith laughed quietly.
"You're right. You shouldn't."
She stood up from the ground. Adjusted the suitcase latch.
"And maybe I shouldn't go home either."
"Huh?"
"Go back to yours," Lilith ordered. "I'll leave."
She turned around.
She walked into the thick of the forest, leaving behind the colorful meadow and the smell of sweet grass.