(AN: I look foreword to what you guys write next. )
Jensen sat in the chair specially selected for him. Around here were his various business
partners. Given the chaos Kurse had caused by turning the world upside down and then
(mostly) reverted back... there had been predictably chaos in the market place. Stocks had
gone down, many were selling their stock in fear that the end of the world was upon them.
Everyone more or less that Kurse, the 'spirit' of an old and powerful curse had been the
cause of it all, after all, she had been in the minds of billions of people around the world at
once who caught a glimpse of her vision of a world born of total chaos.
Some mild lunatics had found the image of that world beautiful and were now causing
short term, and not so short term havoc and property damage, while others were forming
cults, and some simply became anarchists even if most anarchists screamed their world
without laws wouldn't actually be chaos (somehow). Some broke down into despair and a
wonder if they'd ever emerge from it.
The majority treated it like a near death experience and actually turned to their respective
religions for help, guidance and protection. Thank God in Heaven that not a single one had
begun to play the 'blame game' with one person blaming some other faction for causing
the curse or bringing it down: Kurse had been crystal clear in everyone's mind that she
loathed all religions and governments and businesses.
Naturally most atheists chose to politely keep their opinions to themselves until the hot
dust had settled.
The Big Bad Wolf Pack's holders were actually quite bigger than those of the Smith family in
the previous reality. This made them much bigger players to boot and drawing their
attention.
One person at the large table at the meeting room permanently rented out to the Big Bad
Wolf Pack and it's associates was another Lupman. A semi-large male at eight feet tall, his
fur was the color of blood and his eyes deep almost black brown. He wasn't part of
Jensen's pack and was from Frostvile.
A nine foot tall female leoman, and an ten foot and one incch tall male leoman also sat at
the table having come all the way from New York. No one knew of course that earlier that
morning they had been human beings, his wife taking great pride in her long red hair that
had now not ever existed and though wigs were weird.
Another was a sand colored scales female dragon. She was incredibly old, and it was a joke
she only kept going through sheer will power. Unlike Mr. P and Mother Glen, her age
showed, with cracks in her natural armor and missing scales. Her blue scaled grandson
stood three steps behind her to cater to her every need. She only had one wing. A japanese
Zero had blown it off in world war two. She had spent a decade in emotional rehab. She
wore a custom military uniform, with of course, a purple heart medal. Her tail impatiently
flicked behind her.
There were also four middle aged humans, three men and one woman, the one woman
wearing sun glasses she never took off, and she made a point of always carrying a pistol
when coming to Glendale and wearing earphones when walking outside. Normally she did
all her business via conference calls, not daring to set foot in this cursed city. But sadly the
bylaws here required her to be there in person.
Finally a small felman (even by felman standards) sat in the last chair, his bright red and
blue fur had nearly all turned gray. An miniature imitation image of a gargoyle topped his
cane.
Jensen sighed when he saw all their harsh prying eyes. 'There are days I wish that I could
just give Bart his wish and let him take care of these meetings...'
++++++++
Gillie looked at Serenity, there was only one answer she could have ever given. She wanted
this Hell over with. And if she had to risk trusting her friend to do it, to trust some Catholic
priests and one weird girl she hadn't met... well... they'd be no no worse off then when
Kurse had for a short time turned the entire world upside down.
"I do believe that the cure Madam Serenity is suggesting will work. I've known her for two
life times, and I'd trust her with my life and those of my family."
Chief Gillie didn't realize just how powerful those words were.
The Mayor's eyes went wide, 'She's willing to trust her with the lives of the Pride?'
She had done the equivalent of give a what could best be described as a 'blood oath.' She
gave this promise on the value of her life, this gave this promise on the value of all the
lives of the Glendale Pride, and that meant there was no questioning it.
The Mayor spoke as if he was addressing a family member now, "I understand Gillie.... tell
me everything that needs to happen."
+++++++
Death was in the air. The horses' saw something no else could: they screamed and ran. The
ropes dropped, life began to be pulled out of the witches from around their necks... but
with the last remains of their great magic, with the last remains of their vision and plans,
they prevented life from leaving their bodies until their last spell, their last curse was over
and done with.
Omega-Winifred, Monica, and Rosa felt like they were puppets in a show unable to do
anything or think of anything to do. Only able to watch....
All five of the hunters had a powerful feeling of suddenly being trapped. Of being before
two dooms and unable to chose anything but an even WORSE third option.
"Transform or... dare...." Kathrine gasped out in fear.
All three witches' hateful voice echoed through their minds, speaking as one, ~Chose your
doom! Either have your body and mind and precious 'fate' laid bear for us to alter as we
please. Or let the free will you have surrendered to law already be taken from you and
rewritten for as many words as we can think of before we die... and speak soon... or we'll
simply use BOTH! And to make things entertaining for our last act... let your changes or
commands only trigger once we've cursed all five of you!~
"THEN SIMPLE!" Father Draco called out, trying to be a hero, "I refuse to play your game! AT
ALL! Now your curse can never activate!"
~HA! You don't answer? At all! We'll accept that answer! AND NOW YOU'LL RECEIVE BOTH
CURSES!~
Father Draco felt sick.
~And so you may know... to prove that you are no different from us at all... any of you still
alive, able to speak, or interact with the World of Man or with the Moving World may pass
on our curse... resist using it for as long as you like, you'll use it eventually... for you'll
have no choice!~
Marie Cruz knew what the witches would chose if she chose 'Transform' ... being a
mundane stupid beast wasn't really all that bad a fate for her all things considered...
maybe she deserved it. But ... it felt like cowardice... of all the things Marie Cruz
considered herself, a coward had never been one of them.
"Dare."
The witches cursed, they seemed to be able to consider something, maybe Daring Marie to
say 'Transform' instead or some other obvious cheat. But then Kathrine said,
"Dare."
Kathrine considered the fate of becoming a simple child again, to abandon everything... to
just start over... but she had accepted her marriage the Lord...
The witches seemed to suddenly change what they were going to say.
~You handless man, and you rock monster, we'll deal with you in a minute. But you two!
YOU TWO! DOG OF GOD! Marie Cruz! We're Dare you, to kill the person alive who you care
about the most!
Pink runt leoman, felman, whatever. Fight Marie Cruz to the death at your absolute full
potential as if you had been groomed and trained to be a killer all your life like her.~
+++++++
Of course all of Marie-Eliza's audience gasped at this. Even her mother.
Of course EVERYONE screamed at this point what irredeemable monsters devoid of
anything worthy of sympathy the witches were.
Marie-Eliza said, "It runs deeper than that. The witches had intentionally left a loophole.
They had instructed Kathrine to fight her absolute hardest. They hadn't given that same
instruction to Marie Cruz... she could chose to let Kathrine kill her, and have Kathrine live
with that guilt... or kill Kathrine, and live with that guilt."
Marie-Eliza then continued her tragic tale. None of her audience the heart to interrupt her.