Treme'

The Rainbow Serpent

"When death finds you—may it find you.....alive"

—African Proverb—

Last time: "Oh, God," he whispered as his hand flew to cover his mouth in disbelief or revulsion, he was unsure.

His mind whirled around the words spoken and ever so slowly, his eyes drifted to the window. Flashes of sigils perfectly seared and blackened beyond mortal imagination into the ground as white candles floated directly above each symbol, invaded his thoughts before he could stop them. Crystals, of the clearest clear quartz, enveloped the sigils and the candles that floated lazily above them, in a perfect circle. Black salt rimmed slightly under the quartz to form a circle within a circle—one of light and one of darkness. Now triggered, those memories were drudged up from the abyss he had buried them in.

The heavy scent of herbs, black arts oil, and the paltry skinned remains of a black cat filled his nose as fresh as the day they were made—screams, the pitter-pat of wet splashes against hollow rocks, sediment soaked with so much blood it tinted the riverbank red and an old door with rusted hinges that flowed plentifully with fresh blood, ran rampant and unchecked throughout his consciousness. Slowly, he took a deep calming breath and before his mind could supply any more unwanted visions of a time long past, locked the images from that night back into the vault of things he tried desperately to forget with a sharp mental snap.

Silently, Fe ended the call and cradled his phone close to his chest. A single tear slid quietly down the side of his face slightly darkening the magenta of Setti's comforter in a tiny yet perfect circle.

"Let burning coals fall upon the heads of those responsible: let them be cast into the fiery depths of despair; into pits so deep that they can never rise up again. Let those who have aided in this atrocity have their hearts removed from their chest. The evilest of evils shall hunt these violent men for hunting and spilling the blood of the innocent. I demand that the cause of the afflicted, and the rights of the poor and defenseless be maintained; may those who committed such crimes have no rest until justice is exacted," he mumbled eyes glowing a deep cinnamon. "So, shall it be."

Taking in the seriousness of Fe's prayer with looks of confusion, both Bianca and Arsetti nodded solemnly, adding, "And so, it is."

Though neither had any idea what had been stated over the phone that caused their cousin's sudden discontent. However, they knew one thing, Fe' only ever called on the universe for justice when blood had been spilled and life was lost. The last time that either of them remember him doing so, had been years ago when his then-boyfriend had been tragically gunned down in the 9th ward.

With a shaky sigh, Fe' quickly wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat, preparing himself to deliver the devastating news.

"They found them babies," he began softly,"—or what's left of them. Them monsters made it so we can't even identify who's done passed and who's still missin'. Vincent said his detective friend told him they found child-like remains stuffed in that old tree near the Couturie bog. He sealing off the area with a containment spell till we can figure this out."

"Setti—if the factions find this out from anyone other than you—" began a concerned and saddened Bianca.

"I know—" she swallowed hard, steeling herself for the task ahead.

Arsetti's heart sank as the weight of the news settled heavily upon her. The loss of innocent lives, and the gruesome discovery of their remains, was all too much to bear. She could feel the anger boiling within her, a seething rage threatening to consume her. But she had to remain strong.