The Malignant Flaming Crescent

26

AELIA POV

I was pulled from the back of the car and the black cover was pulled from my face. The sunlight hurt my eyes and everything was moving in slow motion. I saw trees all around me and then I saw a house. I tried to talk but the tape was still covering my mouth. Each step felt like I was stepping on glass. 

"Lets go!" the mans grip around my arm was tight, "move!" I was pulled up onto the porch and into the house. He opened a door and took me down stairs. I saw cages lined along the walls on both sides. Other woman sat in the corners of each stall. 

What is this? Who is this guy? 

He pulled me past all of them and pulled me into a separate room. My body hit the ground and I heard a hissing sound. I watched as smoke started to fill the room and I started to cough. 

"Belladonna," the man kneeled in front of me. He had on a mask and a suit that covered his body, "deadly if too much is taken in. Can be absorbed through the skin." I looked around slowly and suddenly the hissing stopped. I felt my lungs starting to burn water filled my eyes. I tried to bury my face in my arm but it wasn't working, nothing was working. I felt his hands wrap around my throat and I was lifted against the wall. "You aren't so strong now?" he squeezed, "can't get away now huh?" He threw me back on to the ground and then opened the door again. He grabbed the cuffs that cut off any magical use and drug me out on the ground. 

We went to another room where we picked my body up and laid it on a table. I watched as he took chains and wrapped them around me, securing me to the table. He stood in front of me and then pulled the tape off. 

"What are you doing to me?" I asked frantically, "what are you gonna do?"

"Well I've heard you've been bad," he smirked, "the man I bought you from, he told me you were special but you had a temperament, you were a bit of an escape artist."

"I'll make it happen again," I stared at him, "you have no control over me." 

"Don't I?" he stood next to me, "I mean it doesn't look like you're getting out any time soon. You have cuffs that won't allow any magic and your entire system is weak. Please, humor me." I looked away from him. He was right... I had no way out of here, hell... I could barely see straight. "I'll be back in a little bit," he said, "don't go anywhere." I glared at him as he walked out of the room. 

I tried to rattle the chains but it was no use, there was no breaking out of this. I looked around, there was a window and I could see outside but it was so small and right now, so far. I could hear voices outside, cries and yells... made me wonder what was happening out there. Some time went by but it wasn't long before he came back in. He held a remote in his hand.. no.. that's not a remote. That's a .. a taser. Okay, awesome. Love this. I looked at his other hand that held a knife and I just shut my eyes. 

"Okay," he lit a fire and then set the knife blade within the flames, "here's what we're going to do. I have a lot of rowdy women in here. Women who give me dirty looks for no reason, women I rescued from death, witches. I mean, what more could they want." 

"You keep them locked up in a basement," I shook angrily, "you have them living in horrendous conditions and you call that saving. I'm sorry but I'd rather be dead too." He quickly grabbed my throat and squeezed. 

"You don't get to belittle me!" he snapped, "you don't back talk me! You don't do anything unless I say and you will not speak unless given an order! Do you understand!" He pushed his hand back harshly, smacking my head hard on the table. I started to cough and he held the taser to my skin. I felt my body start to shake and I cried out, he took it away and then he grabbed a pair of scissors. He started to cut my jeans from around my leg, making them shorts. He then walked over and grabbed the knife. The blade was orange and yellow towards the top. "This is what happens when you act like that," he said.