Her hand gripped the cold metal chairs until her knuckles turned white. There was pain inside her, pain and panic and it was demanding to be let out. To unveil her once forgotten habit. But every time Mari thought of giving in, her brain flashed Niki's face. The one where she had found Mari in a pool of blood. Back then, they were only acquaintances but she had kicked the door open and screamed at the sight. Mari was losing consciousness but she saw how Niki held her and cried, she felt as if she meant something to her. She wanted to shout at her Why do you care? Why does anyone care? But her words were stuck in her throat as the world had turned black, just how she liked it.
A splitting headache was causing Mari to lose concentration that she had for the past three hours on the OT symbol. Waiting for Niki, waiting to see her face, be it with bandages wrapped around, she didn't care. She just wanted to touch the warm skin and let the agony inside her stop from progressing, progressing into the monster it was once. Selfish, so selfish. Her mind whispered again.
