~ Dead Things, Part 1 ~

~ DEAD THINGS ~

~ Part One ~

“How lucky can a girl get?” Doreen Svoboda asked herself out loud. She continued on, driving her corvette over crunching gravel and through the open gates of Witch Hazel Acres. What was once a working dairy farm was now her sprawling estate. Cattle still roamed the outer grounds as she leased most of her land to the Blue-Eyed Mary Cattle Ranch next door. Next door in this context meaning six miles down the road. The 110 year old, 2 story farm house was completely renovated and updated with not only modern conveniences but also a state-of-the-art surveillance/security system. But the real coup was not the house or the land. The 8000 square foot barn had been transformed into a combination multiple car garage, gym, target range and workshop, with an indoor swimming pool and spectacular hot tub. Doreen’s childhood was for the most part brutal and she kept it buried. But the memories of the public spas of the Czech Republic, or Czechia as she called it, held a special place in her heart. Anxious to see Wisty, she parked at the house instead of in the barn.

At the front door a camera scanned her and Meta’s voice spoke. “Please present your finger print for verification.” Dorey held up her thumb and the door opened.

“Wisty. I’m home.”

“I’m in the kitchen D.”

Doreen walked into a kitchen in chaos. Wisteria Wanda Wix had arrived just a few days earlier asking Doreen for sanctuary. Her only explanation? She needed to lay low while she worked some shit out. Doreen obliged whole heartedly. Not because they worked together at the United States Space Force and had been friends for years. Not because they once had an affair. Not because Wisty was a Witch or because of her physical dysfunction. No. Unbeknownst to Wisty, Doreen was hopelessly in love with her and had been for years. “What’s going on Wis? This place is a mess.” She watched Wisty wearing a flowery apron over her tight leather dress and accentuating that perfect ass, covered with remnants of flour and stirring a pot of red sauce. Doreen inhaled the rich aroma of fresh baked bread and melted into domestic bliss.

“I wanted to make you lasagna and home-made bread for dinner but it’s not going well. What are you doing home, it’s still light out?”

“I knocked off early. Not much going on at the cave (the nickname for the USSF facility) and I missed you.” Wisty went in for a friendly hug. Doreen held on. Then kissed Wisty’s cheek and grazed her lips over to Wisty’s mouth. Wisty started to respond, then pulled back. “Oh come on Wisty. This is one of my favorite fantasies. Come home and find you being all domestic. I start acting slutty and we get naked on the kitchen table. Then you go all B&D and order me up to the bedroom. Wow!”

“D. stop. I’m a mess, and I’m pregnant, and you know I’m in love with David E.”

Doreen gently took Wisty’s face in her hands, “Is that it? Those are the only excuses you’ve got? Because that’s not what you used to say. You used to think I was sexy. Remember how we made each other come? You are built for lust woman and you know it.”

“That was one weekend Dorey. Random chance, a fluke.”

“It wasn’t a fluke for me and I don’t believe it was a fluke for you either.” She took Wisty’s artificial left hand and gently kissed the ends of the fingers in between her words. “I heard that our new prosthetic your wearing is full of surprises. Aren’t you just a little bit horny?”

Wisty watched as Doreen stepped back and slowly pulled the spaghetti strapped mini dress up and off. She was compellingly desirable. Voluptuous, with long black hair gathered back but shaven tight over the ears. The spider web tattoo from her neck to her left breast ending in a red heart containing the black letters WWW. Heavy makeup and piercing blue eyes on her girlish, innocent face. She was Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, if she had grown up in the land of Oz. The tiny voice of her unborn son spoke to Wisty’s mind. “Momma. You should do it. Take her. Use her. David E. would do it.”

At the mention of David E., Wisty felt desire mixed with anger rising in her loins. She rubbed her slightly protruding belly and whispered, “Yes, Mon Petite.”

“What did you say Sweetie?” Doreen asked, beginning to feel a bit foolish for her attempted seduction.

Wisty pushed her back onto the kitchen table. “Shut up, whore!”

Doreen surrendered with a sigh. “There’s my girl.”

**********

Light from the setting sun shone through the bedroom window on Doreen in the afterglow of multiple orgasms. She lay naked on the tousled covers enjoying Wisty putting on her black leather dress and zipping it all the way up the front. She was definitely showing now. Then watched amazed as Wisty clipped the large gemmed necklace around her neck in spite of the congenital defect of only a thumb and one finger on the right hand and a state-of-the-art prosthetic left hand. “We need to go shopping and get you a new dress. You’ve about worn that one out.”

“Agreed. I left all of my clothes at his place.” The reference brought David E. to mind and she felt a twinge of regret.

“It’s okay Momma. David E. will come back. You’ll see,” said the tiny voice in her mind.

Wisty stroked her belly. “I’m fine Mon Petite.”

“Wisty. Why are you always talking to yourself?”

“I’m talking to Mon petite. My baby.”

“Oh.” Seemed odd to Dorey, but then she had never been pregnant. “What is that necklace your always wearing?”

“It’s a Bloodstone from the Isle of Rum. Remember you requisitioned it for me. It’s very powerful if you know how to enhance it. It protects me.”

“From what?”

“From psychic attacks, dark magik …”

Doreen looked puzzled. “As opposed to light magik?”

“Never mind. Trust me D. You don’t want to get involved with this kind of thing.”

“Witch stuff huh? I been with you enough to know it’s real. So your right, I don’t want to know… I made you come hard didn’t I?”

Wisty blushed a chuckle. “You certainly did.”

Doreen jumped out of bed and rushed to the window. “Hear that? What the hell.” Wisty joined her. The sky was clear but the noise was getting louder. Near the barn, a helicopter dropped its stealth and appeared carrying a massive body hanging from a cable. “That’s a Boeing CH-47 Chinook. I recognize the name on it. Mastodon. That’s one of ours.”

“A USSF chopper? Are you sure D?”

“Pretty sure. And it’s carrying a Si-Ti-Cah. It looks dead.”

“A dead giant. Oh shit. What in the hell are they doing?”

“What Wisty? What are you mixed up in? I got a bad feeling here.”

“It’s nothing D. I swear. You stay here and I’ll go take care of it.”

“Wisty. My I.Q. is higher than your take-home pay. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Doreen, listen to me. You-stay-in-here.” She took Dorey’s shoulders. “Promise me.”

Not meaning a word of it Doreen said, “Okay. I’ll wait.”

Wisty rushed off while Doreen dressed and watched the action through the window. The chopper placed the body on the ground, retracted the cable and then landed in a dust devil. Three people emerged from the craft while the pilot remained. Another Giant, though not as big as the dead one, carried a gangly, bizarre looking creature with a coney head into the barn. A Nephilim? Dorey was taken aback as she recognized the woman. “Holy shit,” she said under her breath. It was Lilith Primus. The Director of the USSF, her and Wisty’s boss. This felt like trouble. Doreen retrieved a 9mm Colt from her night stand, checked the magazine and put one in the chamber. She could sneak in the back door of the barn, unseen. Whatever the hell was going on, Wisty would need help if it went south. A Nephilim, a Giant and an Immortal. Not the kind of people you want to be involved with.

Wisty approached the fallen Giant on the ground cautiously. It was definitely dead and beginning to smell rank. Easily ten feet long and 500 pounds. He had been dead long enough to be bloated from the internal rot and his skin had turned a greenish hue. She saw wounds to the knees and ankles and many bullet holes in the side of his head. The other Giant walked up. At 9ish feet tall, he dwarfed Wisty’s 5 foot 2 inch frame. “That’s my brother, Bemoth. Was my brother anyway. You need the body of a warrior, Wisteria. Here it is.”

“What happened to him?”

“Two Callans killed him in the Bloworld.”

“Callans?”

“Yes. Hybrids from,” He spat out the words, “Deep Creek.”

“Why did you bring him here?”

“You’re here, the supplies are here, the Nagina heart is here. Couldn’t find a more isolated place to do it…”

Wisty was infuriated, but she had to stay calm and searched for tact. “This is Doreen’s home, Lucius. And I’m sure you don’t want her involved.”

From behind them a woman’s velvety voice spoke. “Doreen Svoboda is a level 6. Her clearance is adequate and she may be helpful.”

Wisty turned and bowed her head slightly. “Miss Primus. I… didn’t know.”

“Call me Lilith.”

Without looking up, Wisty continued. “Lilith. I don’t want Doreen involved.”

“You don’t do you? Bring that thing in the barn Lucuis. Come on Wix.”

Lucius dropped the rotting mass that was once his brother in an open space near Doreen’s pickup truck parked in front of the work bench. “You have everything we need for the ritual to raise the Draugr, right?”

“Yes, that’s the sacrifice, Daisy.” At the sound of her name, the nanny goat bleated. “The supplies for the ritual are in that backpack on the work bench. The candles and salt are underneath. The heart of the Nagina is in the freezer and here’s the body of a warrior. All that’s left is the soul of a demon.”

Lucuis pointed to Lucy Lange’s alien body in a pile on the white yoga mat. The Nephilim had not moved or spoken. “My father has graciously volunteered for that job.”

“Is he alive?”

“Of course I’m alive Witch.”

Wisty approached him cautiously. “Are you sure you want to do this? Moving your soul between bodies is going to be monumentally painful and may not even work. Then you would be trapped in a rotting dead cadaver until your soul dissolves into nothing. And even in the best case scenario, you may lose your identity or become the undead.”

Lucy raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were gone. In their place were gaping, decomposing pits of mucus and leaking brain tissue courtesy of the Hybrid war. “Look at me. I’ll risk it.”

“Lucuis. There are many other less perilous and treacherous options we can try first to heal your father. I could…”

Lilith interrupted her. “Wix. Shut up. Draugr are supposed to be the ultimate bad ass. Correct?”

“Yes, in theory. They are referenced as virtually invincible in combat in Germanic lore and demonic texts.”

“That’s what we’re looking for. I don’t give a rats ass about Lucy’s state of mind.”

“Fuck you Lilith.” Lucy countered.

“You wish,” she shot back.

Lucius added. “We need a Draugr to get us those Alien Crystal Skull Computers from the Hybrid Compound, and Father wants to do it. He wants revenge and feels he has nothing to lose.”

“I don’t know guys. Taking on the Hybrids on their home turf?”

Dismissively, Lucuis said, “We couldn’t care less about your opinion, Wisteria. Besides, a Treaty Summit has been called for 2 days from now. With any luck, they won’t even be there.”

“That’s cutting it close. The ritual takes many hours and he will need some time to build his body back.”

“Then you had better get your fine ass to work,” barked Lilith.

“Me?” Wisty looked back and forth with stunned surprise. The karmic debt for dark magiks of this magnitude were severe, incalculable. “I’m not doing it. No way.”

“Yes way,” Lucuis stated simply. He was so tired of these lesser creatures thinking they mattered.

Wisty smelled trouble and pressed her ring finger and thumb together, commencing the 4 million volts available in her prosthetic for self-defense and hoping the enchanted Bloodstone would work. “Look Lucuis. Everything is ready. I even wrote the ritual procedure in detail. It’s in that journal on the desk. Anyone with faith could do it. Lilith can do it.”

Lilith responded, “That is not going to happen. The Karmic retribution would be brutal.”

“Exactly,” said Wisty. “It could haunt me and my baby for many lifetimes.”

Lucuis said categorically, “Two things Wisteria. One. It’s my child not yours. And Two. You’re raising the Draugr and I’m not asking.”

Doreen stood from her squat, hidden on the other side of the truck. “She told you she’s not doing it,” she said alternating the pistol’s barrel back and forth from Lucuis to Lilith.

Lilith smirked. “Svoboda, you would be hard to replace at work, so put the gun down before you get hurt.”

Doreen came around the truck slowly. “I don’t want any trouble. Just take your friends and get out of here.”

Lilith made a fist and began to twist it. Doreen dropped the pistol and clutched the sudden pain in her chest. But Wisty was on her, unleashing 4 million volts of electricity into Lilith’s body. The pain was searing and broke the spell on Doreen but did not take Lilith down. She countered with a swinging back hand that knocked Wisty savagely into the planked barn wall. Wisty stood slowly, unsteadily. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with Wix.” She made a fist and turned it. The red flecks in the green Bloodstone around Wisty’s neck began to glow and nothing happened. “Oh your tricky, Wix. Fine, let’s do it the old fashioned way.” As Lilith approached confidently, Wisty fired a drugged dart from her index finger. She didn’t know how the poison would affect an Immortal. No matter. Lilith caught it in midair and tossed it away. Even with the enhanced strength of the prosthetic, Wisty realized she would have no chance against this woman hand-to-hand. Wisty used her last defense. She held up her artificial hand and pushed the thumb and pinky together, commencing a low hum. Lilith stopped three feet away and eyed her warily.

“There’s an explosive charge in here. I’ll kill us both. I swear I will.”

Lilith started to laugh. “I believe you would Wix. You are a trip. But you can’t kill me.”

They looked over when Lucuis commanded. “STOP! Both of you.” He was brandishing Doreen up high by her throat and holding her hair with the other hand. Her face was turning blue. “Stand down or I’ll rip your lover’s head off Wisteria.”

“No, Lucuis, don’t.” Wisty opened her hand wide in surrender and the hum stopped. The life of Doreen was more important than any Karmic punishment.

“Lovers?” Said Lilith.

“Yes Lilith. They both reek of sex.”

“Really Wix, I have misjudged you. Now take the fake hand off and throw it to me. I’ll give it back when the Draugr is animate.” While Wisty detached the prosthetic, Lilith said to Lucius, “How about that hand Lucuis, I designed it.”

He replied an apathetic, “Whatever.”

Wisty started to toss the hand and stopped. “Here’s the deal. Let Doreen go. I’ll give you the hand and I’ll raise the Draugr. Then we’re done with each other.”

Lucuis laughed, then answered leeringly. “Here’s my counter offer Wisteria. You bring that thing to life and then do whatever the fuck I tell you to, for as long as I tell you. Or, I can fuck this bitch, kill her, kill you, kill the baby and then go kill your precious David E. How’s that for a deal?”

The innocent voice in her head intervened. “Momma. You know there’s no choice. Father doesn’t really care about Doreen or David E. This will be over soon and we will be free of them.” Wisty felt defeated. What else could she do. Rubbing her stomach, she walked to Lilith and gave her the weaponized prosthetic. Then hung her head and sighed with resignation.

Lucuis dropped Doreen and said, “Get the fuck out.”

Doreen stumbled from the barn coughing and trying to catch her breath. In her mind she heard Wisty’s voice. It surprised her. She knew from Wisty’s personnel file that she was supposed to be an accomplished telepath, allegedly a common trait among witches. This was her first experience with it. “Doreen, don’t even pack. Get out! Stay in the guest quarters at the Cave. I’ll contact you in a few days. Everything will be okay.” Doreen stopped and looked back at the barn. “GO. NOW!” blast in her head and she ran for the house.

“Lilith. Are you staying here?” Asked Lucius.

“Yes I am. For the duration.”

“Okay. I’ll set up the transportation for Bemoth and make the arrangements for our trip to the Treaty Summit. You want a car sent or something?”

“It’s all done. You just go and do whatever it is you do.”

Lucuis said tenderly, “Goodbye Father. Good luck.” After no response, he went to the chopper and told the pilot to leave and wait for him three miles to the north. As the helicopter left, he single-mindedly headed for the house. That Doreen was feisty. He liked them feisty.

**********