Chapter 6 – hell hath no fury

Jurassic World
Botanical Gardens

Blood filled the air like gentle rain. Rowena spread her arms wide, tilted her head back and laughed as she turned in a circle. Her skin, hair and clothes were slick with the dark red stuff.

Lucky and Bear squawked and ran into the bushes nearby. The tiny raptors crouched there staring.

Roman Miller, Steven Jameson, Jeffrey Stafford and David Hendricks kneeled atop their sacrificial pyres. North, south, east and west. They died smiling, toothy smiles on their faces, wide bloody smiles stretched across their throats. Their bodies moved in quick spasmic jerks as their lifeblood sprayed out of them.

The massive pyres of plant cuttings underneath each man caught fire.

Small orange and yellow flames flickered at the base. The flames moved slowly, shyly at first. They nestled between the dead men's knees and their limp fingers, as if waiting for a sign. The air reeked with the pungent odor of singed cloth, leather and human flesh.

"Quis ocurreret mea eu inciderint!" Rowena called out. "Eirmod ut pro..ne eam decore laudem!"

The flames responded. Tongues of bright orange fire rose up and flowed over the bodies. Within seconds each man resembled a human shaped candle. It was surprising how much blood still remained inside their bodies. The blood spray from their slashed throats continued but now the blood was mixed with bright flame.

Blood and fire sank into the witch, changing her momentarily into a pilar of fire that pirouetted joyously in place. Rowena screamed out in pleasure at the rush. Flames danced in the folds of her clothing and between the strands of her hair.

High overhead the sky darkened in response.

The four men collapsed in on themselves, reduced to boneless, wrinkled bags of skin and dry, wispy hair as they finally gave up all they had to offer. Rowena paid them no mind. They had served their purpose after all.

The witch lowered her arms and stared at herself. Her skin glowed from within. The drab clothes she'd worn were gone. She wore a long black robe with flared sleeves. A dark scarlet corset clinched her breasts and her waist.

Rowena snapped her fingers. A tall ornate mirror appeared out of thin air. She turned this way and that as she examined her figure in the glass. Rowena quirked an eyebrow at herself.

"Hmmm..." She murmured to herself. The dead men's remains didn't answer. Lucky and Bear squeaked in response.

Hiding among humans was tiresome. She was always on the run from the Grand Coven, concealing her abilities and her true nature from stupid humans. That stress and effort wore her right down to her bones. For the last century Rowena hated what she saw when she looked into a mirror. Her luxurious flame red hair was thin and drab. Blotchy skin stretched tight over her fragile, aching bones.

What she saw in the mirror pleased her more. This was the way she would look, now and forever.

Her red hair blazed with color. It fell down past her shoulders, thick and luxurious. The seductive sway of her hips, the youthful lift and curve of her bosom...this was like old times. Her flawless porcelain skin glowed. She hadn't felt this young in ages.

But still...Rowena tapped a long blood red nail against her full lips. Something was missing. She'd never felt the need for tradition, but she felt it now.

Her eyes brightened as the solution came to her. Another snap of her fingers and a dark silver tiara complete with a blood red ruby materialized on her head. A sweeping cloak with a deep hood settled onto her shoulders.

Ahhh yesss! This garb was more befitting a supreme witch.

Power sizzled along her nerve endings. It filled her up. Rowena snapped her fingers and laughed at the bright red sparks that rose up from her fingertips.

The Grand Coven could not, would not harm her. Not after this. It was only the beginning. By all that was dark and unholy she'd make them all bow down before her and kiss her feet. The King of Hell would be the next. Fergus always was a disobedient child. He'd learn his place in her world after this.

The tiny raptors sensed the danger was over. Bear ventured out from underneath the brush. Lucky followed her sister. The wee ones stood side by side, heads cocked to one side. Bear chirped a question.

Rowena turned to them with a smile. "I want you to go find the Winchesters, my lovelies." Rowena gestured towards the tiny dinosaurs. They squawked and squealed as her magic took hold of them. Shimmering red light flowed over their bodies as they grew to their former size.

The witch nodded, satisfied. "It's time I met them face to face at last. You can chew on them a little, but don't kill them. After all, they'll be part of your group again soon."

Bear's front claws twitched, as though she thought tearing the brothers limb from limb was still a mighty fine idea.

Rowena shook her head. "Don't defy me, dear one. You won't like it if I become cross with you."

Lucky snapped at her sister. Bear bowed her head in the two sisters Lucky always had been a bit of a suck up to authority figures.

"Good. Very good. Go on now. Remember what I said."

The raptors backed away and disappeared into the brush.

Now, Rowena thought to herself. So much death and destruction to look forward to. So little time...

The Indominus Rex paddock

The two giants stirred restlessly among the trees in their enclosures. Their skin took on a greenish, leafy appearance, a perfect match to the greenery around them. Leaves moved, branches swayed and cracked as the massive beasts brushed against them.

Ah, my beauties...I have work for you to do...

The largest one shook her head from side to side, as if to shake the voice out of her head. She was the more short-tempered of the two. Her skin darkened to match the shifting shadows. The smaller one limped slightly. She bore four small dents in her left flank, a visible reminder of the time her sister tried to kill her when they were hatchlings.

They were sisters, but there had never been any familial feeling between them. Each one tolerated the sight of the other because the graphene aerogel partition that separated their enclosures would not allow contact. It resembled glass and was the toughest material known to man, even tougher than steel.

The partition was also electrified. The sisters soon learned to avoid touching the glass.

It's terrible the way they've cooped you up in that awful pen, Rowena purred.

The smaller Indominus Rex snorted in agreement.

Come out, my friends. Come out and play...

TBC