Taming a Psychopath

NOTICE

Warning

This story contains violence and content that may be distressing and not suitable for some readers.

Read at your own risk.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a part of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales are purely coincidental.

Third person's POV

Screams and anger filled the mansion of the Salvador family. The five-year old little girl accepted this kind of havoc ever since their business dropped big time. A day would not pass without chaos and brawling between her parents.

But she never cried.

She never showed she cared.

She never complained.

Days passed and their business closed as it didn't escalated back anymore.

Her parents eventually divorced because her father started to hit and abuse them. She lived with her mother and her father found a different woman.

She is a kid, yet she knows everything. She sees everything.

Her mom got no choice but to sell their mansion and they transferred in a really small apartment.

"Why didn't you let me go with papa, mama?" The little girl questioned her mom, stoney-faced.

Her mom faced her looking so depressed and vexed.

"You want to join that man? He ruined our family and you still want him?"

Her mom shouted at her in fury.

"Come here brat!" The mother pulled her daughter's hair to lift her head.

The girl stared at her mom blankly. Nobody knows what she is feeling at the moment other than her.

"I never said that I wanted to live with that negligent devil." The little girl replied in the coldest manner, expressionless.

Those words that came out of the girl's mouth caused her mom to be startled and frightened. She never thought her daughter would say those things considering her young age.

"What are you saying?" Her mom asked her.

"You're so naive mama. Dad has been cheating on you how could you turn a blind eye on that?" The little girl said once again in a very emotionless manner, while staring straight into her mother's eyes.

Her mom knelt down ang held her daughter's shoulders tightly.

"Since when did you know those things? Answer me!!"

Tears were starting to form in the mother's raging eyes.

"Who knows? I'm just five years old. He might be cheating on you even before I was born."

"Then how did you know?"

"I saw papa bring a woman at home multiple times whenever you were gone."

Her mom paused for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Why would I? Papa would know that I told you since I was the only one in the mansion during those times. Knowing him, he would hit me until I die. I actually did you a favor mama, he could also kill you that time if I told -"

"You freak!" A sharp slap met the little girl's soft cheeks.

The girl's eyes widened in shock but it never showed that she was in pain. Could she even feel pain?

"AAHH!!" Her mom yelled in despair, confusion, and anger.

☾︎☾︎☾︎

Days became weeks, weeks to months, and months to years.

Through all those time, the little girl constantly experienced abuse from her mentally unstable mom.

The little girl never told anyone about it because after all, she needs her mom to survive.

Eventually, someone told the police about the abuse. Her mother got caught and they have no choice but to entrust the girl to her other relatives, or to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

"I will take care of the child! She's my niece!" A tall woman seemingly rich approached the police.

After fixing the documents, the child was adopted by her aunt.

"Let's go to your new home kid! This is the first time I saw you ever since your mom gave birth to you." Her aunt told her in a gentle manner.

As they were riding the car, the girl noticed the familiar route. It's been a while.

They arrived at the mansion within less than an hour. As the girl stared at the mansion, she remembered every single detail about it.

"Did you miss your home?" her aunt asked.

"That's not my home. My home is myself."

"Whatever."

They went inside and everything seems so different. Not the messy, disordered mansion she lived before. Right now, everything is just red. The walls, the furnitures, the plates, everything is red.

"What's with red?" the little girl asked blankly.

"Oh, that's my favorite color," her aunt replied with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Why did you buy this mansion?"

The smirk on her aunt's face faded and turned into a face filled with gloom and anger.

"Because it's my home."

Silence conquered the place. Tweets of birds were the only sound heard.

"By the way, your room would be upstairs. Fix your things." Her aunt broke the silence.

The little girl didn't speak.

"Oh right. I don't know your name yet, my bad. What's your name, sweetheart?" The aunt knelt down to level the height of her niece.

"I'm Belladonna. Belladonna Salvador."

Third Person's POV

A new pleasant morning came.

"Belladonna, wake up, dear." Her aunt, Melinda, called her loudly while making breakfast.

The girl jadedly went down to the living room and stared at her aunt, slicing hotdogs and portions of bacon.

"Come here, dear." The aunt called Belladonna and showed her how she slices those types of meat.

"This is how you cut meat." She said while gently fondling the knife.

"Want to give it a try?"

The aunt pointed the knife at the kid with a smug look on her face. The little girl grabbed the knife and started slicing the bacon that was left.

"You're fast."

"I'm just used to it. Mom has been in an unstable condition, and I need to survive."

"Well, anyways. I'll continue cooking, and you may look around this mansion."

Belladonna started to roam around the expansive, red mansion where she used to live before. She buried all the memories she had. She believes that the past will only destroy her, so she lives like yesterday never existed.

She headed to the room in the basement where she used to play before. The room was completely different from what it used to be. Back, it was full of her books and toys. However, right now, it's composed of shelves with different bottles of liquids in them. She gazed through those liquids and was about to grab a bottle with a violet liquid labeled 'Belladonna' until her aunt barged into that room and startled the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Her aunt asked with a sense of nervousness in her voice.

"You said I could roam around." The kid replied.

"Right. But never enter this room again. Okay?"

"Mmkay."

The little girl went back to the living room while her aunt stayed in that room and took the bottle labeled 'Belladonna,' placed it inside a box then locked it.

As they were having their breakfast, they heard only the clinking of the utensils and the chewing of their mouths.

Then Belladonna decided to break the deafening silence.

"What's your job?" She asked her aunt.

"I am a pharmaceutical scientist. Your mom didn't tell you? Oh, why would she even tell that to you." Her aunt responded.

"Why is this house so valuable to you? You were not even the inheritor of this property."

"Haha! You're such a ridiculous kid. Of course, this house is valuable because it's where I lived before with-," She stopped for a second with a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

"My family."

"But it doesn't matter now. I want this mansion to be mine. My sister didn't even give importance to this house."

"She did," Belladonna said.

"Dad forced my mom to sell this house for the both of us to have a living somehow before they got divorced. He never wanted to support this family in the first place, leaving my mom with no choice but to sell this mansion." With a cold face, she continued.

Nobody spoke for a minute or two.

"Do you know what kind of person your mom is?" Aunt Melinda asked her niece out of nowhere.

"Your mom is a sociopath." She whispered to the girl's ear.

"I loved my sister so much, but she just used me for her good. I trusted her, but she betrayed me to lift herself." Tears formed in Melinda's eyes.

"I should be the heir of the family's business, but she killed our parents to own everything! This mansion, our business, our wealth, she got everything that is for me!" Melinda screamed in pain as tears started to flow from her eyes.

"Until she met your dad and started to change. Her ability to feel emotions improved and she apologized to me. But I will never forgive her. I will never forgive your family."

"I never did anything to you. Are you also mad at me?" The kid questioned her aunt fuming in rage.

"I'll think about it." Her aunt retorted and stood up. "Save your questions about your family for later." She extended and left her meal, and Belladonna eating.

That day ended with no significant happening.

The next day, Belladonna woke up spotting her aunt in her room, staring intently at her.

"What are you doing here?" The little girl asked.

"To answer your questions."

"Hmm. How did my mom kill my grandparents?"

That question is something Melinda isn't prepared to answer, causing her to be shocked. The pain she experienced years ago is coming back.

"She placed poison in our meal. Good thing I survived, but my parents sadly didn't make it. When my parents choked and their bodies turned pale, I couldn't do anything and just froze. I couldn't believe my sister would go that far. I hate your mom so much. I don't know if she ever felt guilty of what she did." Melinda explained scornfully.

"Why didn't you exposed her to the authorities or anyone?"

"Because I never had evidence. My sister is so intelligent that I never knew what kind of poison she used to murder us. But now, I figured it out."

"Is that why you wanted to be a pharmaceutical scientist?"

"Precisely. I wanted to discover what kind of poison was that and expose her to the police. My job got easier thanks to you. Now your mom would rot and die in jail. Are you sad about it? Don't be; she deserves to suffer all the consequences of her sins."

"I'm not sad about mom going to jail; I'm not happy either. She doesn't have anything to do in my life anyway, so I don't need her anymore."

That reply of Belladonna made Melinda nervous and scared.

"Don't tell me -"

"No, I'm not the same as my mom. So you don't have to worry about me. I'm just a harmless, weak little kid."

Belladonna replied with a small smile on her face. It was the first time she smiled in her six years of life.

[ Belladonna's Point of View ]

I have an idea what that lady is up to. I won't let her win. If she's going to kill me, then I have to kill her first.

I don't want to murder her anyway, but she's pushing me to do it.

The bottle I saw in the ugly basement, I do not doubt that it is poison. Probably the poison mom used to murder them too.

I know mom had a reason why she had to kill her family. I may not know why, but it is out of my business already.

All I need to do in this world is survive, and I would do anything to live.

I need a plan, and I won't let anyone ruin my life. If she's planning to kill me using the poison mom used to kill her family, then I will turn the tables.

I went to the dark basement and looked for other substances I could use, but the cabinets were empty. This lady's got guts. I immediately went back to my room to think of something else. I looked outside the window and saw a lot of herbs and flowers around the mansion's garden.

Well, I know where mom planted those herbs. This is fun.

I went downstairs and saw aunt Melinda reading a book with a bloody title. Let's turn everything bloody then. You love red anyway.

I am looking forward to it.

"Good morning Melinda, I want to go outside."

"Sure, do what you want."

She closed the book she was reading and stood in front of me.

"Tus días están contados." She whispered behind my ear.

I smirked and replied, "Memento mori."

...

My nose was filled with the fragrance of different flowers and herbs. I never thought I would love the scent of plants.

I immediately looked for mom's wolfsbanes. Aside from belladonnas, this is her second favorite poisonous plant. I wonder if I had a brother, would he be named Wolfsbane?

I picked strands of Wolfsbane and kept them in my bag along with the other flowers I picked.

I was about to go back when I heard a sound from the lemon tree in front of me. I looked above and saw a lemon falling!

"Ouch!" I screamed in pain. That was painful, and it hit my forehead!

I held my forehead, and there was a bump. I got outraged and looked back to where that lemon came from.

"I am so sorry! I was harvesting lemons, and one fell from my hand!" A boy in jumper shorts and stripes yelled at me.

I didn't respond and just left the place. But he has no right to harvest anything here, and this is my mansion.

"Hey kid, get down there," I told him in a somber tone. Nevertheless, he went down immediately.

As he finally went down, he left the lemons on the ground and stood in front of me. I thought I was taller than him.

"I told you, I'm sorry. You know, there are a lot of herbs here that can help ease the pain you're feeling and to get rid of that big red lump in your forehead."

I was shocked by what he just said and covered my forehead in an instant.

"Hmm, stay here. I will look for something."

I wasn't supposed to stay, but I found myself waiting for that boy. Never mind, I have much time later and tomorrow to execute my plan. If I feel like this boy is trustworthy, then I can use him.

Soon enough, he came back with wet cloth in his palms.

He came near me and looked at my forehead intently. He brushed my hair up with his left hand and gently placed the cloth to the lump in my forehead.

I felt uncomfortable, so I grabbed the cloth and just went away.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"You left this."

Oh gosh. My bag! How could I forget about it? Did he see what's inside? I snatched it from his hands and ran back to the mansion.

...

Now, what do we do?

It's already time for dinner, and I know what this woman is up to.

If I die tonight, then you will come with me, Melinda.

"Bella! Time for dinner!"

I went downstairs and noticed that the table was full of food. No, I won't let her celebrate my death.

It's either one or both of us will die.

But I will survive.

"Make yourself comfortable, Bella. You seem so anxious. What's the matter?" Melinda asked me with a very creepy smile and a knife in her hands.

"I'm not anxious."

She licked the knife, left it in the sink, and grabbed a wine from the cabinet. After that, she placed the wine on top of the table and sat in front of me with her two hands together.

"Why won't you eat?" She asked me.

"I have no appetite to eat. May I just sleep?"

"Hahaha. Oh, come on, Bella. I prepared all these foods for you, and you're telling me you don't want to eat? Hahaha." She laughed for two minutes straight and looked me in the eye.

"Don't worry, darling. I won't poison you. So whatever is making you anxious, let it go."

I started eating a piece of chicken and other fruits, but I guess she placed the poison somewhere else.

The wine. I expected it anyway.

"Hmm, Bella." Aunt Melinda said as she was pouring wine in her goblet.

I just stared at her.

"Do you want wine?"

"I can't drink yet."

"Don't worry. This is suitable for your age. It doesn't have alcohol in it and tastes exactly like grape juice."

She started pouring wine in my goblet as well.

This is the game you want to play, huh.

"Let's drink it at the same time, Melinda."

One, two, three.

I smirked behind the goblet.

I stared at Melinda and watched her drink the wine alone. What a dumbass.

She started vomiting, and white bubbles came out of her mouth. She was searching for something in her pocket while running for her life.

"Are you looking for this?" She looked at me with her eyeballs popping out.

"You're so dumb. Hahaha, I never thought you would be this easy." I added.

"Y- You, I will ki- kill-"

"Oh shut up! Look at yourself. At any rate, right now, you will die already. You can't kill me. Goodbye, Melinda. I didn't murder you. You killed yourself. May you find the peace you're looking for."

In less than a minute, her soul left her body.

Now, it's my turn.

I drank the wine she poured in my goblet and called 911.

"Help me."

Soon enough, I lost consciousness.

...

I woke up with my eyes rolling, and my head hurt so bad. I looked around the place and noticed that I was in the hospital.

I'm alive.

That's what matters.

After a while, a doctor and a policeman came inside my room and asked me what I was feeling.

Tomorrow will be a long day, but I am prepared for what will happen.

...

"Is Melinda your aunt?" A fat policeman asked me in a dark office,

"Yes."

"Did you see how she died?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"She was trying to poison me. I don't have any idea that the wine has poison in it. She also drank her wine maybe because she thought she would survive."

"Is it because of this?" The police showed me the bottle I had taken from Melinda. It is an anti-poison that can oppose the effects of the belladonna.

"Yes."

"Why didn't she use it?"

"I don't know."

"If she died, why did you survive?"

"That's out of my scope already. Maybe, I was meant to live."

The policeman wrote the details of our conversation and released me already.

They said I could continue to live in the mansion, and they would hire a babysitter to live with me. I denied the offer. I told them that I could do chores and I can take care of myself. Of course, they were hesitant at first, but what can they do about it.

They said that I could contact them whenever something terrible happens in the mansion again.

...

Days after, I went back to the mansion, and it was totally different. I think they granted my request to remove every single memory of Melinda in this house.

Everything in the interior is full of pastel colors that are pleasing to my eyes.

I went to my room, and it was also renovated.

I fixed my stuff and went downstairs to the dining area, where Melinda died.

I didn't kill her.

She killed herself.

I remembered everything that day.

...

Flashback

I squeezed the liquid from the Wolfsbane and placed it on Melinda's favorite knife. I observed that lady these past days, and she has this weird obsession with licking that knife.

While she was cooking, I was relieved that she didn't use the knife for the food. Maybe, if her plan of poisoning me doesn't work, she would use that knife to stab me. Or perhaps she has other reasons.

As for the anti-poisoning liquid, she's so dumb for not noticing it falling from her pocket. I took it, of course.

When she licked the knife, I knew everything was going according to my plan.

Wolfsbane will show its effects after an hour, so it will be triggered once she drinks the wine.

After she died, I removed all crumbs that could confuse the officers. I washed the knife and threw my extra Wolfsbane away.

The police won't suspect me if I act like the victim. I was the original victim anyway.

I added three drops of anti-poison liquid in the wine with belladonna and drank it right away.

I lost consciousness but still woke up with my heart beating.

And that's how I survived, folks.