Vivienne

Flashes of green lightning streaked through the rafters then down the side walls before sizzling on the floor and emitting swampy green sparks. Pulsing the floor green for a couple seconds, the tiny streaks formed into groups of eight and quickly ran across the floor like a myriad of tiny spiders.  Avoiding the charged ground, Vivienne quickly jumped and landed on the first platform of the stairwell and kept vigilance trying to anticipate where the streaks would go next.

Rather than striking Vivienne, the lightning critters encapsulated the chunks of the fallen woman and released their energy.  Pieces of Denise’s skull danced like spinning tops for a split second before reforming in their proper place under the discarded ferronnière.  Hollow rattling of shattered and splintered bones echoed in the small space and rolled themselves across the floor, forming a normal skeletal structure.

Knowing she had very little experience with magic directed at her, Vivienne knew that she needed to stall for more time to figure out a way to overcome the obstacle. -Weaknesses revealed themselves once I had the time.-  Witnessing the lightning dissipate, Vivienne’s blue eyes sparkled and she leapt down from her perch intent to shatter the spine of her foe once more.  Much to her dismay, Vivienne’s pinpoint attack failed the moment she bounced off of an unseen barrier and landed harmlessly on her butt.

Picking herself up from the brick floor, Vivienne watched as the necromantic magic kept rebuilding Denise.  Tendons pulled themselves free where they’d been cut into chunks and began layering themselves, pulling the bones together in a series of small snaps.  Once all of the sinew was connected, the goopy sound of meat crawling across the floor captured Vivienne’s attention.  Chunks of sliced muscle oozed like slime over the bony frame, locking itself in place with a little hiss.  

Moments later, Denise’s structure had enough muscle in place and she began lurching towards the stairs like a zombie.  Hesitating briefly at the first step, the half formed body flexed its arms and legs then seemingly remembered how to move properly.  Denise blindly grasped the handrails and made the journey up the two flights of stairs.

Denise opened her palm wide and strands of green streaked up and over her arms, through her skull and back down to the rest of her body.  Glowing briefly from the strands, the magic faded away and left behind newly created veins and arteries.

White hot anger replaced wounded pride and Vivienne dashed up the steps in an attempt to finish what she’d started.  Hoping that Denise was using more magic to rebuild herself than to focus, Vivienne thought that speed might give her a chance to find a weak spot in the barrier she’d encountered.  Vivienne didn’t have time to contemplate much of her plan before her eager blue eyes saw a black beam appear from the quartz on Denise’s forehead and slam into her.  Vivienne’s senses returned to her and she was on the brick seemingly paralyzed by four little rings of black swirls of dirt around her wrists and ankles.

Unconscious for a few seconds, Vivienne lifted her head in time to witness Denise’s organs being sewn back together and carefully packed back into her body lovingly by the thin strands of green.  Forming a small green hand, the wisps implanted Denise’s heart under her ribcage and subsequently sacrificed itself with a shrill scream to lock the organ in place.

Lacking the blood to command her body to change into any form that would free her from the ringed shackles, Vivienne resigned herself to letting the scene play out. -She doesn’t want you dead ancient one.-  The demon within cackled. -Perhaps it is a cat playing with a mouse.-  Reluctantly Vivienne had to agree with the devil inside her once more.  While pondering and running various scenarios in her head, Vivienne caught the whiff of her grave soil in the rings that held her firmly in place. “How did you get…”  Vivienne stopped herself and visualized the missing layer of dirt from her container. “Impossible.”

Yellow orbs backed in red formed within the dark sockets of Denise's skull.  Denise slowly shook her head when she heard Vivienne speak.  Pointing to the shredded remains of her skin, began making small circles in the air and the dermis swirled and caught in an unseen vortex and pressed itself into a smooth putty-like ball.  Floating its way to the studio by black and green tendrils, Denise’s grotesque and graying skin hovered an inch from her body.  As if spinning on a potter’s wheel, the blob spread thin and then peeled layer at a time to press itself onto Denise’s body starting with her skull. 

Overlapping pieces molded like facial clay to the proper depths then smoothed itself out to define her visage.  Vibrant and living pink flesh that once formed her lips was now black and glossy.  Denise’s once lightly shadowed and sleepy look in her eyes, was now entirely replaced by dark gray rings that blended into the lighter dead look emanating from her cheeks.  Straying from the dark sockets, slime green tattoos of strange and unknown hieroglyphic symbols embedded themselves from her brow to the hump of her cheeks.  Sprouting from the smooth shape of her skull, Denise’s once frisky and bouncy blondish hair was replaced with long black locks with light gray highlights that formed soft wings by her ears.

Vivienne watched helplessly as the quick messy work she’d made was reversed with almost no effort.  Changing its consistency, splatters of the ball landed on Denise’s shoulders and spread like a gooey glaze down the remainder of her body.  Denise gleefully spread her arms out and allowed the dead mass of skin to curve and tuck itself into the crevices of her musculature giving her proper definition.  Having reached and covered her feet, Denise waved her hands across her chest and recreated her plump breasts complete with dark gray nipples.  Raising one of her long black devilish eyebrows, she waved her index finger back and forth as if to tell Vivienne that she’d been naughty. “Now Marion.  I know you were excited to see me again, but that was a little much.”  Crossing one of her arms over her bare chest, Denise waved her runed hand and the scattered blue cloth that was once her dress fluttered its way to its master. “Then again you have always been a tad aggressive.”  Denise winked and blew a kiss to her captive and nodded to the scraps of cloth.

Vivienne heard the sounds of tearing and cutting, yet didn’t see anything but Denise’s nude form directing her magic like a conductor would control a symphony.  Initially taking its former shape in a patchwork of blue and white, Denise shook her head. “No, this simply won’t do.”  Focusing her mustard yellow eyes on her cart, a set of wickedly curved green and black barbed needles flew into the cotton of her old dress transforming it.  Little squares of blue were weaved into shades of forest green and lengthened into strips that formed a bodice.  Darting and weaving through the new bodice, ash and black colored thread twisted and braided thick enough to give a tight corset to the new dress.  White tattered tufts of cotton swiveled and formed into three long trumpet like pieces.  Silvery ink flowed from the green barb into its filament subtly blending with the two colors into a sheen that coated the twin sleeves and skirt as they fastened themselves in place.  Rounding out the shapely dress, the dark needles crochet their way around the base leaving behind weblike lace as the hem.

Taking a brief moment to wink at Vivienne, Denise twisted her body to hide as much of her nude form as possible and raised her arms in the air.  Slipping itself over her head, the new dress traveled down Denise’s body and cinched its corset just under her breasts then settled calmly on the floor.  Before returning to the cart, the twin needles made a lace collar with a small green opal in its center and tied around Denise’s neck.  

Completely clothed, Denise once more faced Vivienne. “Much better.”  Gliding over to a small stand, Denise picked up the marionette she’d worked on for a few days. “I had hoped I wouldn’t have to use this, Marion.”  Black sand flew out of the quartz and sealed with her runic magic to the small mannequin. “Our long time apart has clouded your judgment, so I will simply have to control you until I have the time to correct your attitude.”  Waving her fingers, the strings to the marionette looped around her fingers and she made the doll stand up.

Vivienne felt her body get released from her shackles and she stood up against her will.  Vivienne opened her mouth to speak and felt her lips press back together.

Fluidly moving the strings, Denise walked Vivienne to the sofa and made her sit down. “Let’s get you comfortable, shall we?” Denise made her way down the steps, dangling the doll as she did so.  “We have catching up to do.”