The Seventh Sin | Wattys2016

☩ Chapter Two ☩

My name, Belladonna, was given to me by my mother, which I suppose is how most people get their names. But usually they have normal meanings, like beauty or wisdom or gift from God.

My mother named me after a poisonous flower.

She knew, eighteen years ago, what I would be like. Beautiful and luring, but deadly and poisonous. Like the Belladonna flower.

Bitterly, I wondered if she knew this is how I'd end up: hands cuffed and in the back of a van.

Metal bars separate us prisoners from the drivers. The man who captured me, Antonio I have learned through his conversations, is driving the van with the sharp-haircut lady beside him.

They speak in hushed tones, and every once in a while they shoot us a glare like we are the scum of the earth. In a way, I suppose we are.

The windows are tinted, but I can see the countryside through the front windshield. Cows graze in pastures with big, dopey eyes, and I almost laugh when I realize they looked like Jake the bouncer when I charmed him. Almost.

But then I'm brought back into the present and remember where I am. The smile dies off my face.

The girl with the severe haircut glances in the rearview mirror and sees me looking out the front windshield. She slams a heavy divider over the bars with a scowl.

The back of the van goes dark.

I sigh and lean against the walls. They're cold and make goosebumps erupt on my arms.The others who were captured with me are asleep.

The van turns sharply, and we all lurch to the left. A body slams into me, sending a sharp stinging through my ribs.

I grunt and knee them off before the whole van lurches to a stop. We're thrown forward, and with my hands stuck behind my back, I fall on my face.

My nose cracks; pain explodes and tears gather in my eyes.

"Motherfucker," I curse and warmth dribbles out of my nose.

Harsh concentrated light sweeps over us as the back doors are thrown open.

"Out." I recognize the voice as Antonio's, the same guy who'd taken a hold of my arm at the club. It's deep and rumbling, with a hint of an accent I can't place.

Hands wrap around my legs and tug me out. I fall to my knees and rough gravel scrapes at my tender skin. A growl of annoyance escapes past my lips, and there's a sharp tug at my hair.

"None of that now, demon." Antonio spits out the last part.

I feel like a wild animal stripped from its home: angry and confused and being paraded around on display.

"Antonio, stop messing with it." It? She snaps her fingers and motions to her clipboard. "We have to get them inside."

It's then that I realize where we are. We're in what looks like a garage with a gravel floor, and an array of sleek, black cars line the opposite wall. No outside light makes it in; the only light source is a naked lightbulb flickering on the ceiling.

"First call down reinforcements. We have to take them in one by one. I'll start with this one." He yanks my hair again.

The desire to slap or punch him in the face sings through my veins. My fingers itch at my sides. Annoyance burns my face where blood is drying, and strands of my hair are matted in it. If only I could get these damn handcuffs off.

They bite into my skin like starving wolves. They are on too tight; my fingers are numb.

Antonio grabs something from the lady's hands. It's black fabric. Or more specifically a blindfold.

The material covers my eyes and it goes black. Claustrophobia creeps into my mind. I can't see anything and panic shoots through me. What are they doing? What's happening? My panic clogs up my mouth and nose like cotton, and I can't breathe, and my thoughts are whirling and churning, and I can't breathe.

I tell myself to calm down. It's just a blindfold, I tell myself. Nothing to worry about. But my lungs aren't getting enough oxygen, and as much as I try to inhale I can't get enough air. Sweat covers me in a light sheen.

"What's wrong with it?" I distantly hear a voice say. I can't tell who it is or even if it is even a boy or a girl talking. All I can focus on is the lack of sight, how crippled I feel.

My knees leave the ground, and warm arms encircle my waist. I'm thrown over a shoulder, and usually I would be pissed. Usually I would be mortified at the thought of someone carrying me, and how my underwear is probably on display now. But right now I don't care. I need to take the fucking blindfold off.

Suddenly, all the air leaves my lungs in a pained gasp. It takes a second for the pain to sink in, and when it does I groan. They threw me on the ground!

My blindfold is ripped off and I gasp. I inhale like I'm a fish who's dying to be put back in the water. I take deep gulps before indignation burns through me. I glare up at Antonio.

He gazes down at me with narrowed eyes, arms crossed. He's muscular and stocky, with large beefy hands and caramel skin.

"You're an asshole," I spit at him.

He watches patiently, like he has spare time on his hands, or like I'm a strange new species. He studies me.

"So. A demon who's afraid of the dark?"

Fury rushes through me. My fist curls behind me, and I'm dying to get out of these handcuffs and punch him in his smug face.

"It's not the dark I'm afraid of."

"Oh?"

I stop, realizing what his tactics are.

"I know what you're trying to do, and I'm not telling you anything."

He gives a humorless smile. "We'll see about that. You'll give in eventually. After all, you do need to eat."

He spins around on his foot and leaves me alone in my concrete prison, my hands cuffed behind my back and blood caked to my face.

So.... what do you guys think? I'm honestly curious, but what do you think about Belladonna so far? Like her? Hate her? Please let me know in the comments below!

-Sophia