Chapter 4

The morning sun in the sky was starting to boil her skin. There was so much humidity, she could barely focus. She had been stopped at several stoplights, and even though it annoyed her and made her bounce up and down, it wasn't what she had her mind focused on.

Her mom was hurt. Something was wrong, at the very least.

Fear crept into Marinette's throat and she had to stop running. Leaning up against a wall, she stopped to take a long breather.

This couldn't be real. None of it could. Her mom was the nicest lady in the world. She baked cookies for the neighbors, was always nice to strangers, and never raised her voice when she got mad. But now, as Marinette leaned heavily against one of the walls and turned her gaze to the sweltering sky, she wondered if her mother was who she thought she was.

There were things that Marinette couldn't forget, no matter how hard she tried to push them into the past. A small box on her mother's bedside table. A long car ride. A short blonde girl that smelled like perfume.

Her mother had told her they had been dreams, things she had experienced when she was fairly young and when she sleepwalked. Now that they had come to mind, Marinette had a hard time believing that...

She pushed herself off the wall. That didn't matter right now. All she needed to focus on was getting home in time. Running wasn't going to cut it.

After waving down a taxi and urging the driver to speed as fast as he could - she would pay extra, after all - she arrived outside the front of the apartment building. Without a second thought, she raced inside. She barreled up the stairs, not caring in the slightest that she had practically scared a young mother on the way down to the lobby. She merely shouted an apology and kept going.

With her heart pounding, hair flying behind her, she burst onto her floor.

"Mom?!" she shouted.

She slammed into the door, only to find that it was already slightly open. The door swung around and slammed into the wall. Marinette stumbled and tripped over her own feet. She let out a cry of surprise. Groaning, she rubbed her head and then her elbow.

"Ow..." she muttered. Marinette pulled herself up onto her hands and knees, then lifted her head. Her eyes widened as they landed on the shattered glass.

The boxes that had once been on the table were scattered around the room. Cups, glasses, and plates were in thousands of pieces. It covered the hardwood floor, carpet, and every other surface. The paint on the walls was equally damaged, scratched and mauled like a bear had shredded it to pieces.

"Mom!" The words were torn from Marinette's mouth as she shot to her feet. "Can you hear me?" She ran further into the apartment. "Are you here?!" She threw open the different doors, only to find nobody.

"Mom?!"

She's not here.

Marinette froze. She felt a chill run down her spine. Her breath shook, her heart pounded faster, and she could feel her fingers turning cold. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned. The doorway was empty. The cupboards still wide open. The glass still shining on the floor. Except...

She lifted her gaze. Perched on the ceiling was a massive being. Narrow black eyes stared at her through greasy bangs. Claws clung to the plaster above, digging into the floor of their upstairs neighbors. Black ooze dripped from the being's legs, arms, and chest. It appeared female, if you could call an oozing figure with long greasy hair female. A long, gray tongue came out of what appeared to be a mouth, licking ooze from the girl's lips.

You look... familiar... the being muttered, though not with her oozing, chapped lips, but with her mind. Marinette could hear each word resonating through the inside of her ears and through her brain. The oozing girl might as well have stabbed as spike through her skull.

Marinette's breath hitched and she took a step back.

"W-where's my mom?" she asked, her voice shaky.

The woman in the dress is no longer here. She is gone, gone... gone.

Marinette reached out toward the wall to steady herself. Her legs were becoming weak, like they couldn't hold up under the weight of what she was being told.

"What did you do to her?"

I was obedient.

"To... to whom?"

Just then, a purple light surrounded the oozing girl's features. It was then that Marinette could finally see the fullness of her eyes: they were a bright, reflective blue - the type glass makers reserved for their finest pieces of work. The outline was in the shape of a butterfly, but one that had been cut by the devil when he was a kindergartner. It was sharp, cruel, and sent a blast of hot fear through her veins.

Yes, master. I will gladly do so. Her flesh is... is so appealing.

Marinette might as well have pooped her pants right then and there. It would have been much less of a mess than what she was about to get herself into.

She ran.

Stumbling down the hall, she jumped into her room and slammed the door shut. A second later, an oozing fist punched its way through the wood. Marinette screamed, but didn't move. She was too terrified to. Another hand forced its way in and the two groped around, looking for their prey.

Marinette backed away from the door. She pushed over her side table, her alarm clock and lamp toppling to the floor. She needed an escape plan. After glancing around the room, she realized she had run herself into a trap. She couldn't hide in the closet. The vents were too small. The window was at least three stories high.

She was going to die here. Just like her mother had.

BLAM!

The door burst open, the pieces flying in all directions. Marinette whirled around to face the enemy. The giant girl was striding toward her on her mismatched gloppy legs. The bloodlust in her crystal eyes was enough to make Marinette's voiced disappear.

Shuffling backward, Marinette's back hit her window seal. Fear crept up into her throat. Her hands pressed up against the wall- wait.

That wasn't the wall.

Looking down, Marinette saw that it was a pink parasol. In that moment, a memory flashed through her mind. It was the middle of summer. Her mother had just returned from a trip. She held out the beautiful, new umbrella and told her, 'For a rainy day'.

Hell, this was a rainy day!

Gripping it in both hands, she raised it over her head and screamed, "You hurt my mom!"

SLAM!

Though the parasol cracked, Marinette didn't care. The screech from the creature was enough. The oozing girl fell sideways, crashing into Marinette's desk. Papers flew everywhere - a perfect undercover escape.

Marinette bolted out of her bedroom door, the broken parasol swinging by her side. She had to make to the door. She had to get out of here. She would call the police, try to call her mom one more time, and-

SMACK!

She flew into the wall, crashing hard into the scratched surface before crumpling to the floor. She could hear the broken parasol hit the floor. Pain flared from her shoulder, but she didn't have time to cry out. The next thing she knew, the horrific goop-covered girl was on top of her.

Did you really think you could get away from me? I am Oozie, the terror of wet socks at night!

Marinette would have laughed, but the girl wrapped a clawed hand around her neck. At the touch of her black ooze, the searing pain began to boil on her skin. She held back another scream for fear she would accidentally inhale the goop that was dripping off of the girl's face.

I will spare you under only one condition she said, tightening her grip. Hand over the miraculouses!

Marinette just stared at her, her eyes lit with fear. As the girl awaited an answer - one Marinette couldn't give - Marinette felt around for anything she could use as a weapon. Her fingers closed around the broken end of the parasol.

"W...what?"

The miraculouses!

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't-"

DEATH IT IS!

The ooze-covered girl raised her other claw, and that's when Marinette struck. With all the might she could muster, Marinette screamed and stabbed the broken parasol into the side of the demon-like girl.

Oozie let out an inhuman cry. She tightened her grip around Marinette's neck and threw her aside. Marinette's back slammed into the dining table and she went rolling. Eventually, she ended up in a heap just below the window in the dining room. The room spun, the table turning into the ceiling. Nausea washed over her.

Despite the unholy screams coming from the goopy girl, Marinette barely had enough energy to register that someone else was in the room. A shadowed figure came toward her, shouting something she couldn't make out - the screams were too loud.

A pair of firm arms scooped her up. Marinette couldn't protest, she couldn't move her body hardly at all for that matter. She had no idea where she was going. Trying her hardest to stay awake, she could see lights rushing past her, hear the sound of thudding boots against stairs, and taste the blood that was no doubt dripping from her mouth and nose.

"Marinette?" a faint voice called. "Mari, can you hear me?"

She tried to move her head, but it merely lolled to the side. The world was narrowing. She could barely see the stairs rushing by.

"Hey, stay awake!" the voice insisted.

But you're so far away, Marinette thought. Why should I care to try? Sleep sounds so... so nice right... right now...

"Stay with me for a few more minutes!"

You won't shut up, will you? Marinette thought.

The sounds changed. She could hear cars honking and sirens blaring.

"Marinette! Come on!"

No...

"Ugh, fine!"

Brushes rustled. Grass pricked her arms. Something cold brushed against her arm. Despite the odd sensation that flowed through her body, she could barely keep her eyes open. The pain faded from her shoulder. Her vision began to clear. She could hear her surroundings much sharper than before. But she was so sleepy...

"Princess, we don't have time for this," the voice growled.

Marinette turned her head. She saw the glint of blond locks in the afternoon sunshine, black blurs in the corner of her vision, and a pair of piercing green eyes staring into hers.

And that's when she promptly passed out.

---

Ah, Christmas break really is the time for miracles, isn't it?

It may be 1 AM in the morning, but I got on a writing spree and it felt SO GOOD to pump this out to you guys. I apologize for not being in the game for a while there. College does some weird stuff to you like make you gain weight, mess with your sleep schedules, and make you figure out you had anxiety your whole life but never knew.

Weird.

Anyway, I'll keep this short since most of you really don't care about the stupid little things, haha. Onto my favorite comment!

Favorite Comment: Rainbow_Darling

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS THESE ARE MY TWO FAVE FANDOMS AND I LITTER-ALLY SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THIS

You're welcome! I wanted to try something new too, so let's see how it works out, shall we? Haha!

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!