Vivienne

Fuzzzzz…Buzzzzz.. 

Snapping from the trance she was in, Casey noticed that the images she’d been watching had just turned to cycled lines and an annoying noise.  Reality came back to Casey and she realized that she had been entranced by an old television. “Wow.  What just happened?”  Casey stammered as she blinked her eyes to readjust to the dim lighting of the barn.

Green light flashed from a simple flick of Denise’s wrist and the old black and white television snapped off and rolled back to its place in the corner of the small living room. “Careful, too much television will ruin your eyes.”  Denise laughed and winked at Casey. “I assume the little show there was enough?”

Nodding slowly, Casey glanced down at Vivienne and saw the blank look in her blue eyes. “Loved One?”

Running her fingers through Vivienne’s raven black hair, Denise gleefully enjoyed hearing her name being called with permission. “Oh, Marion.  You have a good one in this young lady.”  Denise waved her hand to Casey, “Speak, young lady.  What is on your mind?”

Vivienne spoke before Casey could respond, “It is one of the many reasons I chose her.  She is astute, as you will certainly find out.”

“You kept the light on all this time?”  Casey put her hand over her heart and sighed, “That is a heap of devotion.”

Denise leaned over and kissed Vivienne lightly on her ear and gently swiveled her hand along Vivienne’s arm. “Over sixty years, yes.”  She pointed a gray finger at Casey, “I haven’t looked, but given the state of my home, I can’t pretend to think that the light made it through the mess you and Brian made.”

“What did you do between then and now?”  Casey leaned back and crossed her legs.

Denise waved her hand dismissively. “Enough of your little antics, young lady.”  Denise flicked her fingers to move the marionette and Vivienne sat up just like the wired doll did. “Now then, Marion.  Your little girl there has delayed the inevitable long enough.”

“Delay wha..”  Casey felt her mouth snap shut and her body freeze once more.

Denise lowered her hand and shook her head, “I am many things, young lady.  Stupid isn’t one of them.  You’ve been delaying my plan for the last..”  She pointed to the television, “…however long it took for me to show you what I wanted you to see.” Denise stood up and pressed the wrinkles out of her dress and stood in front of Vivienne. “My Darling.”  Twin fingers flowed over Vivienne’s cheeks down to her chin. “We have a little issue with the woman in the corner.  I know I mentioned her before all this started.”  Denise cackled. “You see, she’s a distraction.”

Vivienne stared into Denise’s eyes, her own blue ones flowing with anger.

Pointing her thin fingers at Vivienne, Denise’s lip curled with disgust. “That look right there, defiant.  Hateful.  She is altering your mind and I have to stop it.”  Pausing to look at the docile vampire in the corner, Denise then took a breath and smiled. “I know your kind very well, Marion.  I have worked very hard to get you here, using everyone I could to bring this moment to fruition.”  Denise took the liberty of feeling the soft curves of Vivienne’s breasts down to her tight stomach. “You will free her.  Then you will..”  Denise paused and laughed, “…drain her.”

Vivienne stood motionless and glared at Denise. “You want the bond broken, and me to betray whom I saved?”  Vivienne blinked her charming blue eyes. “If I refuse?  I surmise that there are two reasons for you doing this.  Torture…”  Vivienne paused and smiled, “...And you can’t force me.  My mind is my own.”

“You’d be surprised what influence I have over the dead and undead, My darling Marion.”  Denise pointed to the statue of Wendy on the second floor. “She wouldn’t comply with my wishes either.  I had to take a few measures to ensure she would listen to reason.”  Denise placed both her hands on Vivienne’s cheeks. “I know the pain of loss, My Darling.”  Raising herself lightly on her toes, Denise kissed Vivienne. “Trust me, in the long run we will be happier and you will forget all about this tiny hiccup.”  Cupping Vivienne by the chin, Denise’s lovely voice darkened, “Now, do as I ask, My darling.”

Vivienne sighed and focused on Denise. “I need the use of my hands.”

“No you don’t, nice try.”  Denise placed her small finger on Vivienne’s ruby lips. “You can do it with a thought.”  Rolling her mustard colored orbs, Denise giggled. “It took me years to pull the truth out of your brethren to learn that tiny secret.”  Denise raised one of her long black eyebrows. “No more poison from your lips, Marion.  Last chance before I get a little more drastic.”

Vivienne nodded and looked at Faye again before speaking, “It’s done.  She’s no longer under my command.  Our bond is broken, as you wished.  If not for the stake in her chest, she could fly away now.”  Vivienne sighed, “You win, Denise.”

-Crunch..squish!-

Faye stood and looked at the back of Denise’s skull where one of the yellow orbs hung on her claw.  With her other hand, Faye tore the bejeweled ferronnière from Denise’s head, yanking a handful of hair with its removal. “How’s that for drastic?”  Faye crushed the black quartz and a cloud of dirt exploded close to her nose and mouth.  Acting on instinct, Faye breathed in the contents of the gem and allowed the dirt to swim around in her lungs for a few seconds.  Exhaling, Faye didn’t see the soil come out as she expected and her confusion was quickly replaced with the feeling like something had fused into her chest. 

Vivienne glanced at the marionette as it withered away into harmless pieces of wood.  Suddenly free of the magic that held her body in place, Vivienne grabbed the doll that was in Casey’s image and destroyed it. “You certainly took your time, Mon amour.”

“I had to be sure it was the ferronnière, Viv.”  Faye pulled her claw out of Denise’s head, and watched as the woman fell to the floor. “I guessed that it was the quartz, I didn’t know for sure it was your grave soil until I breathed it in.”

Casey stood up and pointed to the floor. “Um, guys…”

Faye with her green cat eyes scanned her scantily clothed woman. “Oh, Viv. Can you stay in that nightgown?”

Vivienne grabbed and hugged Faye close, relishing the lavender scent that Faye emanated naturally. “Never do that to me again, Mon amour.”  She frantically kissed her lover and slid her fingers through Faye’s black-pink locks. “I knew you were waiting..but..”  Vivienne paused with a small amount of blood tearing up in her sparkling blue eyes. “I love you.”

“GUYS!”  Casey screamed and frantically pointed at the floor. 

Vivienne and Faye followed Casey’s finger and saw what the ward was screaming about. “She’s gone.”  The two said in unison.

“Finally.”  Casey wiped her auburn locks from her face. “I watched her melt into the floor.”  

Vivienne shed the long shawl and tore the nightgown so that her legs were free and exposed. “We don’t have much time then.  She recovers quickly.”

“I know, I felt the lightning when she reformed the first time.”  Faye added as she looked at Vivienne again. “How am I supposed to concentrate when you look like that?”  

Vivienne looked at her see through nightgown and shrugged, “Alas, Mon amour, you are on your own.  I freed you, I didn’t want to take the chance.”

“Somehow I know.”  Faye shrugged and looked at her open chest, before using the blood she conserved and closed the hole. 

Casey started for the steps and then looked back at her friends, “How did you remove the stake anyway?”