Hellfire

328 years ago:

When the first torch touched the kindling at the base of the wooden pole, Mary Sturgess moaned and writhed against the rope binding her in place. She dug her bare feet into the dirt underneath her as if to dig her way out and away. The wood to her left caught quickly and she felt the sudden heat in the warm night air. The first Elder stepped back, his eyes shining in the flickering light. The second Elder stepped forward and quickly set his torch to the wood to Mary's right. Younger than the other two and only just raised to his rank, he didn't raise his eyes to the woman in front of him. The younger man's hand trembled so badly that it took three thrusts before the flames caught.

Fire licked at Mary's feet and her flesh boiled. She screamed and tried to pull her feet away but her binding was done well. "Mayor!" She screamed. "Mayor Whitham, please! I beg of you! You can stop this. Oh, dear Lord, you can still stop this, please!"

The third Elder stepped forward, pushing past the other two. "You dare? You dare call on the Lord, our savior for succor? Did you listen when the babe cried for his mother? Did you listen then?" The mayor's face contorted into a mask of rage and he stepped closer. His lips pulled back in a snarl as he approached the woman. He could feel the intense heat around him but his own blood boiled hotter in his anger. The hem of Mary's dress billowed too close to the fire and she screamed when the thick fabric started to burn. "The Lord has no mercy for one tainted by Satan. Get used to the flames, witch. For, where you go, the flames burn yet hotter."

Mary spate at the Mayor and he wiped his face while he lit the last stack of wood. His eyes never left Mary's eyes. Four children. All thought lost to the elements until they found the fourth tied to a stump in the woods. Young Mary held a skinning knife in her hand and she was bloody up to her elbows. The child had been opened from navel to neck and most of his blood was collected in a bowl. The young child's mother stood weeping in the crowd behind him.

Bloody sores were opening and oozing around blackened skin along Mary's thighs as the flames burned higher. "Damn you!" She screamed. "Damn you all. I curse you and your small minds. I curse you in the name of my protector, Lord Taelish of the Seven Eyes! I curse you to-" Mary's voice rose to a sudden shriek as her charred feet split open and her beautiful golden hair caught fire.

The mayor stepped back, his eyes feverish in his faith. He made the sign of the cross and, in a voice ringing with the strength of his devotion, he led the small group of villagers in prayer for the children's unbaptized souls.

2013:

"No, listen. I'm not inviting her to my birthday party and I don't care what she does." Trish held her cell phone against her ear while she carefully added a layer of polish to her toe. She set the brush back into the bottle and looked at her toes with a critical eye. All smooth and even and not a ripple of paint. "Her parents? Are you kidding me? My dad runs this damn city now. He could buy Becky's dad's company tomorrow if he wanted. So, she can run and whine to her parents all she wants but I'll make sure my dad knows that I don't want her here. She's a little whore. No, I saw her with Trevor." Trish lay back on her pillows with her feet out in front of her. She wriggled her toes, enjoying the feel of the small cotton balls between them. She grabbed her stuffed lion and held it to her chest while she talked. She'd had the little toy since she was a child and, even at 17 years of age it still calmed her. She liked to snuggle it between her modest breasts and feel the softness against them.

The conversation with her friend turned to other things - school, the teachers they hated and the few they liked and then, finally, what Trish thought she was going to get for her birthday. She felt sure she'd get a car. She'd seen her dad looking at car magazines and he wasn't the type to bother with things like that. Usually he had his nose stuck in a business journal or the local newspaper so she was sure it'd be a car. Every year she expected one for her birthday but her parents told her again and again that a car was a serious privilege. They just couldn't understand how it made her feel at school to be dropped off by her mom every morning. Especially when they were the richest family in the city.

Finally, Trish hung up on her friend. She glanced at the clock and smiled - nearly time for her date. Tossing away the cotton balls, she sat in front of her lit mirror and worked on her makeup. Fifteen minutes later, she closed her desk drawer and then turned her face left and right to admire her work. If there were one thing she was proud of (and there were many) it was how good she was at her makeup. A touch here, a brush here and it looked like she was wearing hardly anything at all. Next, she grabbed a short sleeve dark green top and a black bra. She hummed a simple little tune while picking through her panties until she settled on a pair of silky black ones. Her lucky panties. Although, she reminded herself, she didn't plan on getting lucky in that way any time soon. A black skirt completed the outfit.

It took fifty strokes of her brush until she was happy with her shoulder-length auburn hair. She thought about using a bow to tie it back but decided to let it hang free. The lights around the mirror made it look like her hair was on fire as she looked. Silky and shiny and a fine mix of brown and red. Her hair was yet another point of pride for her.

Trish's phone buzzed the text message she'd received told her Trevor was waiting. "Time to go," she said aloud. She grabbed her phone and her purse and opened her door. The plush white hallway carpeting absorbed her steps as she made her way to the staircase and then down. Her little sister was watching cartoons on the couch and her parents were in the kitchen. She heard her mother laugh and she walked in on the two sharing a smiling kiss. Trish rolled her eyes and stepped around a new batch of her father's campaign signs.

"Dad," she said. "The election is over. When are you going to get rid of these things?"

Her father turned to her and grinned. "Hey, kiddo. I was actually thinking about using them for wallpaper. What do you think? The walls filled with 'Elect Mayor Whitman - The Best Man for the Best City' signs. Eh? Eh? Good, right? You could stare at them while you fall asleep. Better than your Bieber posters, yeah?"

"Daaaad," Trish whined. "Come on. I don't listen to him anymore. You know that. I have to go. My ride is here." The young girl turned and walked to the front door and her father followed her.

"Hey, Trish." Her dad's eyes were semi-serious. "You be good with that Trevor boy, all right? I know you're smart but I remember being a kid. Keep your phone on you and call if you need something. I'll be in a meeting late but I'll come get you if you call. Okay? Promise? And text me with where you are?"

Trish sighed. "Dad, I know. I'm not going to do anything. We're just going to get something to eat and hang out for a while. I'll be safe and I'll call if something happens. I gotta go." Trish went to her tip-toes and gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek as she opened the door and left. She heard his whispered 'I love you.' but ignored it as usual.

Trevor's black Dodge Challenger rumbled at the end of their driveway. The heavily tinted windows were rolled down and she could see her boyfriend staring at his phone. She walked a little faster and felt herself blush. Trevor was, in her opinion, the most handsome boy at her school. And, definitely the star basketball player. Over six feet tall and a dancer on the court. Sometimes she thought about writing poetry about him but she blushed furiously every time she tried. Trevor shut off his phone and looked up when she got to the passenger side. He grinned at her and she could see the slight spacing between his two front teeth. Trish thought it was adorable, even if he hated it.

"Hop in, beautiful." He told her.

Trish settled in the car and buckled herself in while Trevor shifted gears. The car growled to life and lurched forward. Trevor's hand settled on Trish's thigh and she felt a warmth in her cheeks. A large part of her wished he wouldn't do that but a very small part of her loved how his large, strong hand felt against her leg.

Trevor watched the traffic while he talked. "I thought we'd grab some food and go up to the End and sit for a while, you know? Sound good?" The young boy jerked the wheel as he changed lanes. "Jesus, man! Learn to fuckin' drive!" Behind the heavily tinted windows, the boy flipped his middle finger to a larger truck while he passed on the right.

"Y... yeah. That sounds good, Trev. I haven't been there before."

The boy grumbled a bit and then glanced at Trish. "Yeah? Huh. Well, you'll like it. You can see the whole city from there. You okay with burgers? Good." With another sudden jerk of the wheel, the car swerved into the Terry's Burgers. Trevor waiting impatiently in line behind other cars until his turn at the window. "Yeah, can I get two bacon burgers, a strawberry shake and... uhhh..." He looked over at Mary and then turned back to the young girl behind the window. "A veggie burger and a cup of water."

Trish almost spoke up to say she'd take a normal burger and a Coke but her brain quickly played out the scenario. Trevor liked skinny girls and there was no way she'd take a chance at him thinking that she normally ate food like that. So, while her stomach groaned in protest, she sat quietly and waited.

"Would you come early to my party tomorrow, Trev? So you could be there with me when people show up?" She wondered if she should hold his hand while he held her thigh but she worried it'd be awkward.

"Your... oh, uhh... yeah, of course, babe. Yeah. What time does it start?"

Trish silently bristled. What the hell do you mean, what time? I've been talking about it all week! "Oh, five o'clock, remember? Tomorrow, at my house?"

Trevor grabbed the bags of food and then the drinks from the girl at the window. "Oh, yeah. Sure. I'll be there early. Hey, hold this, okay? And don't get any grease on the seats."

Trish held the bag of food on her lap, grinding her teeth slowly at the thought of the grease getting on her new skirt. God forbid I get his car dirty, she thought.

Trevor's car slipped in and out of traffic as he drove out of town. When the paved road turned to a small dirt road, Trevor grumbled at every little rock that dinged against the side of his car. Slowly, the road started to rise until they were climbing the large hill outside of town. Trish had lived in Portsmouth her entire life but had never gone to the hills surrounding the city. Finally, the car slowed to a stop atop the largest hill. The area opened into a huge, flat area overlooking the entire city. Trish stepped out of the car and took a quick breath. The air seemed to shimmer with an unnatural heat and there was a dryness in the air that, living next to a busy sea port, she was completely unused to.

In the middle of the clearing , a large blackened rock towered over the area. Smaller black rocks were scattered around with other plain white stones. Trevor carried the two cups over to the large rock and sat against it, facing the city in the distance. Trish swallowed and followed him. There were no trees or bushes and no small animals scurried for cover while she walked. The air felt dead around her.

When Trish settled with her back against the rock, she hissed and sat up. The large black rock felt like a furnace against her back. She looked at Trevor but he seemed to not notice or care as he sat trying to suck his milkshake through the straw. Trish rolled her shoulders and took her small burger from the bag. With a silent sigh, she bit into the burger and ate. Trevor finished his first burger when she was half-way done with hers. His second was finished just as she ate her last bite. Her ice water was tepid and tasted of some odd chemical but she was extremely thirsty so she drank it anyway. Trevor tossed his wrappers to the ground and then put his arm around Trish.

"You like it?" He asked.

Trish nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty. I've never seen the whole city before." The city lights were twinkling as the sun set behind them. Portsmouth was a busy city, even at night. Trish could make out the blinking lights on the crane working downtown. Bank of America was building a ten story office downtown and it was the largest in the city. The city spread out for miles below them.

"Well, you should. Your dad's the mayor now. A hundred and fifty thousand people. Look at all of them." Trevor's hand slipped lower until she felt his fingers brush against her breast. She shivered at his touch but ignored the feeling. Or, tried to until he started groping her with his large hands.

"Trev, stop. You know I'm not ready for any of that."

Trevor's hand continued squeezing her slowly. "Come on, babe. You're my girlfriend. This is what we do. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Relax."

Trish bit her lip and did her best to ignore the clumsy way Trevor was squeezing her until she felt him pinch her nipple. She squeaked and pushed herself away from him. "No, I'm not like that, Trev. You know I'm not. Come on, let's just sit here and watch the sun set."

Trevor threw his hands up and rolled his eyes. "Fine, Jesus. All right." Trish settled back against the boy and his arm held her close. She wanted to talk to him but his silence was oppressive and purposeful. After a few minutes, Trevor's hand again touched Trish's right breast and she felt his fingers rub against her.

Trish stood. "Trevor. Stop. I'm not doing this with you. Not right now. So either calm down or drive me home."

Trevor frowned at her. "Why you gotta be such a... you gotta be so cold, Trish? We're just playing around. It's harmless. Come on."

"No. I'm serious, Trevor. I'm waiting on this."

Trevor's frown deepened and he stared at the young woman. Minutes passed until finally he spoke again. "I been talking with Becky. I'm wondering if maybe you and me aren't right for each other."

Trish's face was suddenly burning and she knew it wasn't the unnatural heat. "You... Becky?"

"Yeah. Becky. She makes me laugh and she ain't so fucking hard-headed like you are. I'm thinking we should maybe break up, Trish."

"Oh... oh, Trevor. But... my birthday..."

Trevor shrugged. "I could still come if you want me to. Just not with you."

Trish felt the tears rolling down her hot cheeks. She couldn't remember walking back to Trevor but she was suddenly in his arms, crying. His long arms wrapped her completely but he held her silently. Becky, she thought. Fucking... Becky Johnson.

"I mean... unless..." Trevor's hand touched Trish's breast and she felt small in his large hands. She wanted to push him away again but, what would everyone think? Frigid Trish couldn't keep her boyfriend? They'd laugh at her. Oh god, she thought. My makeup. Oh god. I must look horrible.

Feeling like the worst person in the world, Trish turned her head up and lightly kissed Trevor's lips. Surely just a kiss and a little feel would be okay, she told herself. That's all it has to be and Trevor wouldn't leave me. That's it. Just a kiss and let him touch my- Trevor's hand reached into her blouse and she felt his rough hands against her soft breast. She tried to tell him to stop but then his mouth was on hers and his tongue forced her mouth open. At a little over five feet tall, she was a mouse to his lion. Transfixed and powerless. She winced when he pinched her nipple and the pain went all the way down to her lower belly.

Suddenly, the rock flared in white, blinding light. It burned her and she wanted to scream. When she could see again, Trevor was on top of her and her blouse was rolled up. His fingers worked behind her until her bra became unlatched. Hot. She was burning up. Sweat rolled from her face and body. Why isn't Trevor burning, she wondered. Oh god, I'm on fire! Oh Jesus! Waves of heat rolled over her and she gasped for air. Each breath singed her lungs with a bitter, sulfur-like taste.

Trevor's mouth was on her nipple and she felt his tongue flick her suddenly rock hard nipple. When his teeth bit against her, the pain she felt previously was now replaced with pleasure that reached deep into her belly, loosening deep inside of her until she gasped in a sudden different kind of heat. Trish moaned, twisting her head over and over as she grabbed Trevor's body, pulling him hard down against her. The boy's dick slammed against her mound and she hissed out through her teeth.

Trevor moaned. "Yeah... see? That's- hey!"

Trish felt her blood boiling. She grabbed Trevor's chest and hip and twisted, flipping him hard on his back. Her breasts dripped sweat off of her erect nipples. Trish breathed in deeply and smelled fire and blood and her own dripping wet vagina. She rubbed herself against the boy under her, grunting as his length pressed against her suddenly engorged clit.

"Oh... okay, yeah. This is fucking great. Jesus, you're burning up, Trish. What-" Trevor tried to reach for Trish's chest but she growled and grabbed his hands, slamming them down to the ground. Her breasts touched his hairless chest and she pressed her nipples against him while she worked her ass up and down.

"I- Trish, I can't move my hands. What- It hurts. Oh Jesus, Trish. I'm... Fuck! You're too damn hot!"

A strand of perfect auburn hair fell to the ground next to Trevor. And then another. And another. Trish sat up, pressing her pussy hard against Trevor's cock. She could feel a pinch against her waist as her ass swelled slightly, pressing hard against the band of her skirt. Her panties stretched to breaking as her hips nearly doubled in size. The fabric pulled tight between her ass cheeks and pussy lips and she moaned at the feeling of it. Now her pussy lips were bare and she rubbed them harder against Trevor's cock. The boy's pants were soon soaked with her pussy juice. Trish reached up to her head, grabbing and pulling and scratching. Thick pieces of hair came out as she rubbed her scalp until the ground was littered with her hair. Now, completely bald, she looked down at the boy below her.

Trevor was terrified. He struggled beneath Trish but couldn't budge her. His dick was starting to hurt from all the rubbing she was doing. Her hips looked cartoonish with her slim upper body. As he looked down, he watched her skirt split from her growing waist. Trish's panties were stretched to unbelievable limits until the band around them finally broke. Her pussy felt like it was on fire and the heat radiated from her body in continuous waves.

"Ow, fuck!" Trevor screamed. Something hard had cut into cock. Looking down, he could see something metallic around Trish's clit. Something green and metallic. Trish leaned back, moaning and Trevor was thankful for the brief respite in her attentions. She reached a hand down to her pussy and he watched the tip of her pointer finger tear apart as a sharp, black claw grew out. And then another finger followed. And a third. And a fourth. Her hand was swelling to fit the talons growing into place and, when she touched herself, Trevor heard the sharp 'click' of a fingernail against something hard.

A scale. A large green scale had grown into place directly above her vagina. As he watched, the skin next to the scale softened and turned slightly white before fading to a light green color. The light green darkened into a nearly hexagonal scale that overlapped with the first one. Trish moaned and Trevor looked up. Her breasts were growing. The flesh around the nipples pressed out and one new-clawed hand reached up to massage the itching flesh. Her already hard nipple swelled even larger and she pinched and pulled at it, as if to encourage its growth.