The Camarilla of Lilith

'We have to help them. Their lives depend on it, and we won't be able to live with ourselves if we don't help them!'

Martin Greiner looked at his wife Joan, who had never sounded more intense in her life.

'Joan, when we help them, we'll have to help them all the way...'

'There's no going back, Martin.'

* * *

Like the proverbial snowball falling downhill that grew larger and larger, the retired couple's entry into a world of adventure and commitment had begun with seeing a news feature on what was called a 'cult' who had a secretive commune near the town where they lived. The news report had emphasised that the stories of child abuse and deprivation of the freedom of some of the members of the Camarilla of Lilith were at this stage merely allegations.

Prior to the news stories, or what its detractors called 'tabloid television', the Greiners had only known the Camarilla of Lilith from their owning a local restaurant serving delicious vegetarian meals made from their own organic vegetable gardens and providing talented folk singers to festivals in the area. They were mildly aware that it was a worldwide organisation that had began in their area within the last two years. No one could explain how the Camarilla were able to acquire lucrative savings and valuable real estate.

Things began in earnest for the Greiners when Cuckoo, who they knew from his serving them in the restaurant and his singing at the festivals, came to their door one night. Cuckoo, who was known by that name in the Camarilla due to his surname being a long Eastern European name starting with the letter 'C', stated that Coryphaeus, the leader of their branch of the Camarilla had declared him Prodótis, or 'traitor'. His treachery according to them, was Cuckoo's no longer unquestioning obedience to their orders, and his desire to remove his wife and two children from their commune.

Cuckoo had refused to speak to the State or Federal Police nor the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Though there were several complaints about the Camarilla in the past, in Cuckoo’s belief, no one would sign an affidavit through fear or blackmail. He said the Camarilla threatened to report him to the police for a theft that he did several years ago. He explained that Coryphaeus would get members to perform crimes then use clandestinely taken images of them engaged in the illegal act as blackmail to prevent dissent. Some of the members were refugees from other nations who had escaped to Australia through the overseas branches of the Camarilla...without being granted refugee status by the Immigration Department.

Cuckoo had originally visited the Greiner's home when he delivered some of the hand-built furniture made by the carpenters of the commune. He accepted some water, then told them of the horrendous work hours of the members of the commune on their farms or workshops. He spoke of the strict discipline of the children who were homeschooled on the Camilla's encampment, where corporal punishment was inflicted on children accused of misbehaviour. The children also acted as spies against their parents or extended families.

The Greiner's were horrified as what they thought were accounts of servitude, slavery, and what was now regarded as child abuse.

Joan, Martin and Cuckoo desired to get his wife and children out and then move them interstate to a farm owned by an old friend of Cuckoo. There would be enough room on the farm for the family to live and help in the farm work, with their children being able to attend a state school. Cuckoo telephoned his friend who said his family would be glad to have them and thanked the Greiner's for their courage and generosity. Cuckoo's friend told Joan more stories of the cruelty and degradation Cuckoo and his family had suffered.

In the meantime, he was living in the guest room of the Greiner's home and remaining indoors. Cuckoo would often be crying, saying how much he missed his family.

Cuckoo believed that he had one loyal friend from the Camarilla who worked at the restaurant who would act as a contact between Cuckoo's wife and the Greiners. He gave Joan and Martin an amulet that would prove Cuckoo's identity and trust to their contact. On Sunday night Cuckoo would lead them to an area concealed by brush where they would be able to escape from beneath the fence that surrounded the encampment.

* * *

Wednesday evening was one of the town's folk festivals that featured a variety of singers, food kiosks, clowns and a carnival for the children of the town. Folk singers from the Camarilla of Lilith were regular entertainers on the night, but this year there seemed a lot more than the usual number of visitors from the commune. The men wore farmer outfits, the women wore 1950s type smocks, all wore catatonic expressions. As a rousing bush band entertained the crowd, the Greiners noticed the clowns who should have been entertaining the children were going through the onlookers showing what looked like pamphlets. When one of them approached the Greiners, they saw that the pamphlet was a photograph of Cuckoo.

'Have you seen this man? He ran away from his wife and children after hurting them. She's worried about him and needs him to telephone her.'

'He looks like a real Deadbeat Dad', cracked Martin. 'If we see him, will she be at this telephone number, Bozo?'

'She'll be taking the children home to her mother before the end of the week. Our rules are that only happy families can be members of our commune. We desire no discord or misery. Everyone is free to leave, she just wants to know if her husband is safe and why he left her and their children.'

Later in the evening another member of the Camarilla spoke to Joan and Martin. The young female, not in clown makeup, stared at them with unblinking eyes,

'Are you sure you haven't seen this man?'

She held the picture up to their faces.

Joan prided herself on her ability to outstare anyone.

'We're sure. Are you sure he's run away?'

'That's not what I asked you.'

Two more of the group joined her to stare at Joan.

'I don't care what you asked me, I don't like people who are rude. Would you like me to call the policeman over and you can ask him if he's seen him?'

'No'

The two males who joined her suddenly thought they had better places to be...and went there.

'Are you Little Bo Creep who's lost her sheep?', sneered Martin.

'No.'

'Then who are you? Have you run away?'

'No.'

'Where are your parents? Do they know you're here?'

Her silence was deafening. Little Bo Creep's eyes lost their intensity and were becoming fearful.

'Police!', Joan shouted.

The young woman walked away at a rapid gait with her proverbial tail between her legs.

'I have to admit, she was funnier than Bozo', Martin wistfully remarked.

A man with intense eyes suddenly joined them. Unlike the stereotype farmhands, this one was dressed like a prosperous Pitt Street Farmer. The members of the Camilla of Lilith were looking at the Greiners with intense looks as opposed to everyone else who were gleefully looking at the stage where the songs were being played from. By the reverent looks of the Camilla of Lilith, including the ones in clown costumes, Martin guessed that they were talking to the great Coryphaeus himself.

'Are you Cory Fearless?'

Joan laughed at Martin's question.

The square with the stare becoming a glare didn't answer Martin's question but he put on a forced smile that didn't match his eyes.

'One of our members deserted his wife and children. We want to find him, at least so he can telephone her to set his wife and children's minds at ease.'

'Did he desert them or you?'

Cory Fearless began to gnash his teeth.

'Are you Cory Fearless or Dracula?'

Coryphaeus turned without a word, his minions did likewise.

'Coryphaeus is Cory Failure!', laughed Joan.

Coryphaeus' halting led them to believe that he had heard her remark, that made them laugh all the more, and Coryphaeus walk away at a brisker pace.

When they returned home and told the news to Cuckoo, he gravely said that they would move his wife and children to another commune on the other side of the country. In some cases, the Camarilla had moved spouses and children to overseas communes. They would have to act as soon as they could as he may not have the chance to meet her again. Cuckoo's friend would be working at the restaurant at lunchtime the next day.

* * *

As the Camilla's restaurant was open the next day and their contact was there, they arranged that their rendezvous would be set at midnight that night. Cuckoo had Martin follow him as Joan was the 'getaway driver'. Martin followed behind Cuckoo who was waving a long stem of grass that he explained was for detecting tripwires of the Camarilla's surveillance devices.

The pair waited as they saw one of the guards, or what the Camarilla described as their 'parish constables' walking by the fence.

Martin viewed a woman and two children come out through a hole dug beneath the permitter fence. To everyone's relief, the children and their mother were quiet and moved slowly through the bush to not make any noise.

Everyone froze at the sound of rustling brush and footsteps.

They remained undetected as the Parish Constable continued his beat.

* * *

Introductions were made in the car as Cuckoo, his wife Kukla, and their two children lay on the floor of the back seat covered by a blanket. The Greiner's were only half-surprised that the children's names were Fran and Ollie.

Joan had swapped rooms with Cuckoo and made two small beds with cushions on the floor for their two children.

The next morning, Kukla insisted on preparing everyone's breakfast that was as tasty as any of the meals at the restaurant Cuckoo worked in.

'How long do you think you'll stay here?', smilingly asked Joan.

'Forever.'

'What?'

Joan and Martin felt stiffness and their throats swelling, making them unable to speak, they felt dizzy.

'We have a lottery where a couple feign an escape and live in their host's house. We'll explain that you've both gone on a very long trip, which you are, or your remains will', explained Kukla. 'By the way, you spoke to Coryphaeus himself on the telephone!'

'Cuckoo!', laughed Cuckoo.

Kukla and her children joined his laughter as the Greiners dropped lifeless to the floor of their former home...

FIN

Author Notes: I am the author of three Extra Dimensional/Ultraterrestial military science fiction novels MERCENARY EXOTIQUE, OPERATION CHUPACABRA and WORK IN OTHER WORLDS FROM YOUR OWN HOME! as well as two travel books THE MAN FROM WAUKEGAN and TWO AUSTRALIANS IN SCOTLAND (all from Lulu.com). I live happily ever after with my wife in paradise (coastal Kiama, NSW Australia).

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