Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Six: A Moment of Peace

Her hunger and wrath quelled, Mari woke up to the all too familiar feeling, her muscles ached and her bones creaked as if they were overexerted by something. But instead of hazy memories and temporary amnesia, she remembered what she did.

"What have I become?" she asked herself as she sat up in bed, she was previously unaware of her actions, well, the actions of her other nature. Now she remembers it vividly.

Guilt haunted her, yet it still satiated something that was boiling and raging inside.

"I must learn how to balance myself." she promised, "If I want to lead a normal life, it is only necessary."

She slipped into the shower while her whole body still ached, though true that she did not feel any physical pain directed towards herself, this was a different kind of pain.

With the memories of the brutal killings temporarily diffused, she stepped out of her apartment. Miss Matulin was waiting for her at the gate, looking a bit pale.

"Iha, have you seen the news?" she asked uncomfortably.

"Miss Matulin, that would require me to have a TV, which I lack." she answered calmly, bracing for impact.

"A schoolmate of yours was viciously killed!" the old woman said in a whisper, "His head was ano–taken off!"

"Which schoolmate?" Mari asked with feigned emotion.

"Nicholas Duque, the son of Congressman Duque! Even his mother! Ay!" The old woman did a sign of the cross, "Her body was ripped open and there was nothing left."

What's left of her is inside my belly, an insidious voice whispered in Mari's thoughts.

"That's tragic." Mari said numbly, trying to focus herself, "What do you think caused it?"

"They say it's an animal attack, by I am sure it's the sindikato. You know his father, a politician, they have many enemies!" The old woman theorized, and Mari shrugged.

"Well, I have to go to school now Miss Matulin, I'm pretty sure the syndicate or whatever it is wants nothing to do with me." Mari said, waving goodbye as Miss Matulin stared at her.

"Oh, mag ingat ka ha?" Miss Matulin said, "Watch who you hang around with, a pretty girl like you might attract the wrong people."

Mari nodded as she walked off, "Yeah, well they're in for a surprise if they do." she told herself as she made the journey to school.

The school was somber, Nick's death had cast a cloud of eeriness upon it. Yet Mari walked on as if nothing happened, Jessamine was waiting quietly for her at the gates, frowning slightly which turned into a smile when she spotted Mari, who in a rare moment of affection, smiled back.

"Hey, you heard?" Jessamine said, closing in on her and whispering, "It's awful."

"Hush." Mari said, putting a finger to her mouth, "It doesn't concern us."

"But..." Jessamine stammered, her eyes on the brink of tears.

Mari let out a sigh and grabbed Jessamine by the face and planted a quick but passionate kiss on her lips.

"There, will that calm you down?" she said with a smile, while Jessamine blushed furiously.

"That was our first kiss!" she hissed, "Warn me next time!" Her fears and horrors of the deaths are seemingly put aside, all of it nullified by the fragrant and sickeningly sweet surprise attack launched by Mari.

"There's always another set of lips, the ones between your hips." Mari said with a grin, and Jessamine blushed again, smacking her lightly on the arm.

"Don't say it like that, it makes it sound..." Jessamine trailed off, losing her train of thought realizing that her fantasies have now come closer to realization.