Shadow

27

WARNING: This chapter contains some triggering scenes such as child abuse, drowning, and abandonment issues!

{+}{+}{+}

Marinette's P.O.V

"Wake up!"

I jolt up, blinking in confusion at my surroundings. It looked like a classroom but not one I've ever seen before nor did I recognize any of the students staring at me. I looked up at a male adult looming over me. At least, I'm pretty sure it's a man. Everyone's faces have some sort of scratched-out thing over their faces.

"Where am I?" I thought, "What's going on?"

Before I had any more time to process my surroundings, the man let out a disappointed sigh.

"Mallorie, I am tired of your lack of participation in this classroom. I'm sure the other teachers feel the same way when you're in their classrooms and sending you to the office," the teacher sternly said. He jotted his thumb over at the door.

"Go."

"Wait-" I was about to correct him and ask where I am. Yet, he cut me off before I could.

"No, I don't want your excuses anymore. Go," he spoke with sternness. I shut my mouth and stood from my seat. Every person in the classroom was looking at me the entire time. They stared me down either with no emotion or disgust from what I could tell. It makes me feel almost...small.

I walked out of the room and start walking in a certain direction like I know where I'm going.

"What's going on?" I said under my breath.

The moment I blink, I'm suddenly sitting in an office with a scratched-out woman sitting behind the desk. A different scratched-out man is sitting next to me. I had to do a double-take and rub my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

"WHAT?!" I shouted in my head.

The man looked my way but I couldn't tell what emotion he was expressing. For some reason though, I shrunk in my seat and felt my heart rate accelerate in speed. Fear crawled over my skin like a bunch of spiders and clutched the edges of my seat.

"I'm sure you know why you're here by now from your many visits," the woman stated, "This was your final straw. I hate to do this to you, Mallorie, but I'm going to have to expel you from school for two days."

The woman at least sounded remorseful but it did nothing to change how scared I feel. It's like it's gripping around my throat and suffocating me.

What's going on?!

Does this have something to do with an akuma? Did Mallorie get akumatized? Am I seeing her memories and feeling her emotions?

I blink.

A door slammed shut and makes me jump in fright.

I look at my surroundings again. Now, I'm in some sort of small and ratty house. The floors are ripped and stained. There's the smell of smoke in the air. The wallpaper is severely torn and has a little bit of mildew. There's a scratched-out woman with curly hair sitting on an old couch, holding a lit cigarette in between her fingers.

Suddenly, I felt a large hand clasp around my neck and began to drag me. I get a glimpse of the man that was sitting with me in the office, who had his hand on my neck and choking me. I tried to release the man's grip, practically clawing at his fingers to let go.

He didn't budge.

He closed off my airway, making it hard to breathe and focus. Panic is surging through my body as my survival instincts kicked in the moment the door slammed shut.