THE WEAVE:

…The Knight of Swords

straps Lilith to a chair…

"I don't want to look, Henry,"
Lilith protests, struggling
against her bindings

as the Knight wraps a strap
around her forehead.
He speaks in slow, calm

syllables. "What do we do
when we have an issue,
Lilitu?" Henry asks her.

"We ignore it, until it becomes
a festering wound," she spits
in his eye.  "Wrong,"

Henry corrects her,
as he cinches the buckle
tighter.  "We address it,"

he explains, attaching hooks
to hold her eyelids
open, "while it is small,

so it does not become
infected."  He turns on the Smart
TV, and types, 'Rust Removal,'

into the Youtube search bar.
"But it gives me anxiety
to learn what I need to know,"

Lilith squirms. "I know," Henry says
blandly, as he flips through the options,
"Your avoidant behavior tends

to be your downfall.  The situation
will not improve simply because
you remain ignorant.

We cannot have your trusty steed
kicking-the-bucket mid-quest-"
"-I don't know if you heard,"

Lilith interrupts, side-eyeing him,
"But Fate cut my threads,
yesterday.  It would appear

I'm all quested out.  Call it
early retirement."  "You nymphs
alWays say that," Henry shrugs,

"The cycle will go 'round 
and 'round until Death swallows
the Day.  It is best you embrace

your fate, and find
another quest," he nods
and presses play...