Becoming Lucy

It was wicked winter midnight; deep and mystifying. The sound of silence was frightening but it did nothing to daunt the dark-haired young woman leaning against the rusty lamppost of the pavement. All she could feel was harsh, numbing cold air nipping at her tender skin. The misty blue hoodie that dangled on her teeny, frail body didn’t do much to keep in the warmth, but she was used to all the cold in her life. Any passing stranger would overlook her for an innocent girl who lost her way home. Such was her aura. So delicate and heartwarming. But it was the side Seven wanted people to see of her; to make each one believe that she was no danger to any of them. It was the only way she could keep herself safe. However, her eyes that once didn’t even squint at bloodshed, revealed an unusual tale. It was true, nevertheless. She had, indeed, lost her way home a long while ago and edged up with a life she had never yearned for. Seven groaned in frustration when she felt the wind abruptly pick up its pace. It was going to drizzle. How lovely. Way to make the appalling night more dramatic. Branches waved, wildly dancing to the rhythm of the wind. The sky grew darker than usual. Her eyes like silver lightning, trailed around to discover the streets, deserted. All the stores were shut close. It wasn’t amusing to her. She had been living most of the nights there but never past midnight. Silence and seclusion were her best buddies. If anything, she would be astonished to come across any human presence at the moment. It was that part of the city most of the people never dared to stride in after the dusk. Countless rumors flew around about the horrid of Detroit. Some said that gangs came out at night to finish their unfinished business. Some stated the area was haunted. Others even went as far as to claim there were vampires lurking in the dark. Seven couldn’t help snorting when she first heard that. Considering the amount of unpredictable, unexplained brutal deaths that took place at midnight in the area, no one dared to check out for themselves. Not even the police, which paved an asset for her and more unpleasant people like her. Her phone vibrated in the back pocket of her jeans. She quickly pulled it out. Lucas: Target, tonight. He's usually drunk and wandering around mindlessly. Don’t let his posture fool you. One wrong move and you’ll be dead before you could blink. Pick up the stuff and get out of there ASAP. Seven scoffed as her eyes focused on the man in the photo attached below the text. A typical dangerous looking guy with a nasty scar right above his eyebrow. He certainly wasn’t old, but his unruly beard covered most of his face, making him look a little over forty’s. Something about the male made her twitch in worry. Instead of acknowledging it, Seven faulted it on the cold and her lack of sleep the previous night. She just wanted to get the thing over with. Seven scanned his face, etched it in her mind and put her phone back in her pocket. She squeezed her fists into the warmth of her jeans and gawked at the sky, giving a mental slap to herself for agreeing to help her crackhead of a friend when she could be spending her evening in her fluffy bed after working a hard day at the cozy small café, like she had been doing for years. Her mind wandered to her best friend and Seven began worrying. Is she still awake waiting for me to come home? It's not good for the baby! If she is indeed awake, I'm going to get an earful tomorrow. The stormy soaring clouds sheltered the moon from showcasing its beauty that Seven admired every night. It was just her, a bright yellow umbrella resting on the lamppost that illuminated the bare of her surroundings and the eerie silence. Two hours passed by and there was still no sign of the man. Seven was annoyed, hungry and lethargic. With every fleeting second, anxiety grew inside her. If it weren't for the mask covering her face and the gloves engulfing her palms, she'd be numb from the cold. Her patience ran thin as she kicked around the parched leaves erupting a scrunching noise. Not even moment later, a faint humming sound from afar brought her out from her thoughts. Seven glanced to her left to find a silhouette of a man under the moonlight, down the street, stumbling over his own feet while singing gibberish. He was intoxicated. Her senses became alert. When the man neared her, she recognized him from the picture sent by Lucas. He was a lot more shabby and taller in person. She took short bold strides forward with a poker face. When the man noticed her petite figure, his lips twisted into a sinister smirk, inclining his head sideways bending down to her level. His breath reeked of alcohol and seven felt like throwing up. Her stare never left his. “Well, hello there. What a little lady like you is doing here? Are you lost, sweetie?” He spoke in a horrible baby voice making Seven cringed internally. The man intently stared at the girl in front of him. Something about her felt strangely off and familiar. Those silver spirited eyes, he felt like he had seen them before. His drunk mind couldn’t put a finger on it. “D’Luca sent me.” Seven kept her words short, with no emotion in her voice. She was creeped out by the way he was gawking at her. His eyes held a glint of a predator making a shiver run down her spine. “Is that so? I didn’t know D’Luca dealt with kids.” He slurred out, provoking the girl. But she withheld herself from punching him. She was here for business and business only. The last thing she wanted was more trouble than she already had on her tail. Seven took a deep breath and held out her hand, signaling him to give her the package. He smirked again. “Ah, ah! Eager, aren’t we? But before that why don’t you show me that pretty face of yours? You seem very intriguing.” The man mused as he swiftly reached out to pull off her mask but Seven’s reflexes were fast enough to slap his hand away. The mere act seemed to enrage him. As he gave her a death stare, a scowl appeared on his face. He harshly grabbed her hair in his fist. Seven immediately regretted leaving it loose. She bit her lip holding in a yelp. Her eyes shut tight in pain. She acted immediately; lifted her knee and kicked him hard in the crotch. His grasp relaxed as he dropped on his knees, groaning in pain while grabbing the area. Seven’s eyes flashed cold and hollow. The eyes that once made even the powerful tremble. It was truly a wonder what her dainty body had gone through and could do. She clenched her fist and punched him in the stomach repeatedly. That didn’t go on forever when the man lifted her off the feet like she was a feather and smashed her frame onto the ground. Seven sealed her eyes shut, her face scrunched in intense pain. “Stupid girl. Did you really think you can outtake me? Girls like you need to be put in their place.” His maniac laughter filled the silence. Whimpers of pain threatened to spill but Seven bit her lip keeping them in, tears blurred her vision as agony took over her senses. “Now, be good, let me take it off. You should be glad it's just your mask and nothing else. But that can be arranged too.” He spoke with an ugly smirk. Seven shivered in disgust. Her eyes widened as it all happened in slow motion. Her heart was erratic as the thing she feared the most began to take place. All of a sudden, she felt vulnerable, wanting to curl up in a corner and cry her eyes out. The pain was too much for her. Still, she battled against the vicious man's grasp, his strong knees had trapped her legs. Her hands were being crushed by his huge ones. The man didn’t waste a second to rip of the black mask that was shielding her all along. The air fell mute as the man's jaw dropped, eyes blended with dread and triumph. Seven stopped struggling, but she hadn't given up. She peered around to spot something for her escape from the vicious man’s grip. There was nothing nearby. His laughter rang in the silent atmosphere. He glared at her with a hint of amusement and a victorious grin. “Tsk. Tsk. Now I know why my radar has been going off. This is where you have been hiding all these years, huh? I must say you have grown really beautiful. Boss, will be so thrilled to have his possession back. You are a great asset to him, even after all this time. Even after you deceived him, he'd be enthralled to see his long-lost lover." He began his laughter again. But this time, luckily for Seven, his tight grip loosened a bit as his mind danced in victory. Taking it as a chance, she picked up all her power and snatched her hand from his grip. Within a split-second, the surroundings filled with noises of gunshots and grunts of pain before silence swallowed them. Seven breathed heavily and cussed at the weight on her. Pushing the bloodstained body off, she managed to stand up groaning at the pain in her back. She faltered a little as she stared at the unmoving man in front of her. Her heart was beating briskly. Her identity was almost revealed, and that terrified the misery out of her. Tears freely fell down her cheeks. All these years she had successfully blended herself with the crowd. Just when she thought it was getting better, everything was going down the hill. Seven didn't have answers for all the questions that raced in her mind, but she was sure about one thing, though. He was one of his men. Fear erupted in her mind. She was getting close to that world without even her conscience. Once was enough, she wasn't ready to go through hell again. Seven pulled herself together, trying to get her ragged breathing back to normal. She took her mask off the ground and put it on. Picking up the drugs, before she fainted in the middle of nowhere, she quickly began to head towards the safer part of the town. To the place, she called home. Flinching with every step she took. With a neutral expression on her face, like she didn't just kill someone.