7 Shades of Sin

Prologue

     "Shut up, Lust!" Anger thunders. He's hovering over a rocky precipice that hangs over a blanket of fog so thick that you can't see the bottom of the canyon. Truth be told, there may not have been a bottom at all.
     Lust laughs and skitters away from her brother as he scowls at her. "Oh, loosen up, will you? It's the truth; I have more influence over humans than you do."
     "I beg to differ." Vanity sniffs at her siblings, "I think I excel at just about everything more than everyone."
     "Oh, please." Greed rolls her eyes. "I'm fairly certain that I deserve the title of most accomplished. And the title for most evil. And the title for--"
     "Alright, we get it." Sloth says in a bored tone. He yawns and stretches slightly. "Honestly, Greed, you're so...tiring. You just never stop talking."
     As Greed turns to her brother, Gluttony chuckles. "Sloth has a point, you know. While you're busy bickering, does anyone care for a drink or two?"
     Lust frowns. "You've just had one."
     Gluttony shrugs and takes a sip from the glass he holds. "That's the point of gluttony, my dear sister."
     Nobody notices Envy, the youngest of them all, drifting off at the side. They turn, however, as she says, "well, I think I'm pretty evil. And I'm evil all by myself; I don't have a set of sisters or a twin brother to hide behind." She adds pointedly, looking at the triplets, Lust, Greed, and Vanity, and then at the twins, Gluttony and Sloth.
     Envy is constantly underestimated by her siblings, and being the youngest, she's constantly overlooked. She doesn't have anyone to back her up, and nobody takes her seriously. Envy lives up to her name, for she is perpetually jealous of her brothers and sisters.
     Anger lets out a barking laugh, his mood changing as unpredictably as he is. "Really, little sis, I think you're a little full of yourself. Remember, you're Envy, not Vanity." Everybody laughs, except Envy and Vanity, who looks a bit miffed and scoffs at them, her pride hurt.
     But being Vanity, and practically made of pride, she quickly recovers and resumes her usual smug expression. Envy clenches her fists, and has to remind herself that she's not Anger, because she sure is annoyed.
     Forcing a smile on her face, she suggests, "How about we hold a contest?" She's been thinking about this idea for awhile, and has finally decided to introduce it.
     This instantly captures Greed's interest, as she senses that a prize is involved. This prompts her to elbow Lust and Vanity.
     "This contest can prove once and for all who the most evil sin is, and who has the most influence over a human life."
     Sloth loses interest. "Sounds quite dull and like it's a lot of work. I'll pass. Right, Gluttony?"
     Gluttony, however, empties his glass over the side of the jagged cliff. "Actually, Sloth, I think this'll be fun and more interesting than staying here any longer. Where are we again?"
     "Alaska. The mountains by the Nizina River, if I'm not mistaken." Lust says. She frowns. "It's part of North America and it's still unclaimed, only occupied by natives."
     "Wrong century, sis." Gluttony shakes his head. "It's the 21st already. Alaska is part of the United States."
     "Already?" Lust asks, amazed at how fast time flies. Why just yesterday she was plaguing Cleopatra! Or was it Marilyn Monroe? 'Humans age and pass so fast', she thinks.
     "Excuse me," Envy can't hide how irritated she is. "But back to the subject at hand?"
     "Oh, the contest!" Greed squeals. "What's the prize again? Did you say it already?"
     "No, and the prize will be bragging rights."
     "Oh." The other sin deflates a little before perking up again. "How do we win it?"
     Envy is, for once, glad for her sister's ditzy personality. "We each choose one human from this century and attempt to change their life using our influence. It can take as long as it's needed, but once that person dies, you're done."
     "Are there any restrictions?" Anger asks.
     "No. As long as you stick to one person and don't interfer with anybody else's human. Before you leave your human, whether they're alive or dead, you must extract their memories so that we can look back and decide who wins."
     "Hmm." Lust smirks. "I'm in. This'll be interesting." One by one, the other sins agree to the rules.
     "Alright, everyone," Envy hovers over the edge of the cliff. The others mirror her. "The contest begins...now!" She waits as Greed immediately zooms off, Anger close behind, and Lust following more slowly. Vanity zips after them, and Gluttony trails after. Sloth is the only one left, other than Envy, and he eyes her.
     "You really want to win this, don't you?" He murmurs, before trudging off. Envy lets out a sigh. It's filled with determination to beat her siblings. She'll show them that she's stronger, more powerful, and more evil than all of them.