Chapter Text
The shadows filled the house through the window, where the only light that came through was the soft glow of the moon, which enlightened all the sharp angles and shapes in the forest. All kinds of strange insects sang their tragic songs, making it impossible for Marinette to actually fall asleep.
The girl didn't know exactly how many hours she had spent looking at the ceiling without really thinking about anything. She was tired to the bone to the point she had a pounding headache, but for some reason, she couldn’t actually sleep. Although it was not a wonder, she supposed, given the circumstances.
Marinette figured it would pass a lot of time before she could sleep peacefully again. If she ever got the chance, that is.
The dark figure of Chat Noir on the opposite side of the room was probably one of the reasons she couldn’t fall asleep. There wasn’t enough light to be able to actually see him, but just knowing he was there was enough to make her feel nervous.
Their dinner had been some forest berries, which she had eyed warily until he had eaten a few to prove them safe. Afterwards, as the sun finally set and the shadows melted with the darkness within the house, the monster took out a few blankets from the trunk. He didn’t say much besides wishing her a good night and she laid down on the floor, facing the wall beside him. Plagg had curled up at his side, where he was sleeping by his head.
Marinette wished she could say she was unbothered by the fact that she was sleeping on Chat Noir’s bed. Specifically, she was sleeping on his only bed, which had forced him to sleep on the floor. But… she did minded.
If someone had told her a few days ago that she felt for the monster of the forest sleeping on the cold hard floor on her account, she would’ve just burst out laughing. It wasn’t as funny now. It was ridiculous. He was Chat Noir! The monster! The reason form the panic and hurt of so many people! She couldn’t just forget about it.
And still…
Ugh! This whole thing was so confusing!
Marinette couldn’t trust him. The conversation in the evening had been proof of this. And yeah, maybe he didn’t want to hurt her yet, but that didn’t mean he was just helping out of the goodness in his heart, or that he didn’t plan to hurt her or her people later in other ways. She couldn’t lower her guard around him. No way.
The girl turned aroun in her bed, stifling a moan at the stinging in her back. Damn it! She really had to be more careful with the way she moved if she wanted to get better at any time soon. This was just the worst.
The girl let her mind run, thinking about her family and her friends. Had the lumberjacks returned home? Would the people be happy that they had all returned home safely? Would they be happy she had gone out to look for them? Or was she just a fool in their eyes who couldn’t take care of herself?
Had she accomplished anything with her actions? Would they be worried about her?
Stupid question. Of course they would be worried about her! Her parents, Alya, Nino, Ms. Bustier… they cared about her. Of course they would be worried about her.
But, a nasty thought entered her brain. Were they disappointed in her? After all, she had risked her life in an irresponsible way. Would her parents feel embarrassed by her actions?
Her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. Her head hurt just from staying away.
Grippin her blankets, a deep slumber filled her mind and she fell asleep.
And suddenly Marinette was in the forest.
The girl turned around furiously. What the hell? She was standing in the middle of a clearing between the trees. The same clearing they had found the lumberjacks and the bear. The sky was stained in red, glowing over the forest on a scarlett glow. Despite standing up straight, the dim ache of her wounds followed her.
Her heart was pounding behind her ribcage. How had she ended up here?
Marinette turned around desperately, looking for a path out of here. There was none. She was completely alone. And yet… she didn’t feel alone. She felt like there was some close to her. That someone was watching her.
It was then when she felt it.
Small droplets of water falling on the top of her head. She thought at first it must have been a slight drizzle, or just the morning dew. That is, until she lifted her hand towards her head, feeling a sticky substance clinging to it.
She looked at her hand.
It wasn’t water. The liquid was dark.
With her whole body trembling, Marinette looked up. A scream got stuck in her throat. Up there, in the twisted branches of the trees, were hanging the lifeless bodies of the lumberjacks.
She gasped horrified. Marinette tried to scream. To move, to shout, to do anything. She couldn’t. She could just look with horror at the empty and twisted bodies hanging in the trees. They all had deep gashes that were oozing with blood wich fell like rain over her. The girl couldn’t do anything as she soaked i the scarlet liquid.
And in the middle of them all, laid his father. His arms were dislocated and his head was wounded, but worst of all was the gaping dark wound in his chest.
Marinette started laughing uncontrollably, thinking the worst wasn’t the blood. It wasn’t the gashed or the abnormal limbs. It was the eyes. Red and empty eyes, looking at her no matter how she moved.
It was then that she heard the growling. The sound made her shut up, turning around. In the middle of the clearing was the animal that had caused it all. The giant bear was looking clearly at her, panting and growling. Marinette tried to run away, but her feet were glued to the ground. She couldn’t move as she saw the animal, walking in circles around her.
And suddenly, the animal started changing. It’s edges became blurry and it’s muscles moved without warning. It stood up and started walking on its back paws. It’s limbs started elongating with a series of terrible cracks. It’s furr started falling onto the ground, where it became small puddles of black ooze. The girl stared hypnotized as every one of the factions of the bear turned into familiar features. Very familiar.
Soon enough, in the middle of the clearing, chat Noir stood before her. And he was as terrifying as her worst nightmares had painted him. Sharp claws and dangerous limbs. Too dangerous. It’s green eyes glowed in the dark, breaking the dull scarlet mist around them. One more proof that this monster was not natural.
The creature grinned from ear to ear, though its smile didn’t reach its empty eyes. It’s teeth shone in the dark. Not a single sound broke the silence, not even the whisper of the wind.
“... Chat Noir?”
The monster didn’t answer. It just tilted its head, still with its demonic smile. The girl gasped with a shaky breath, feeling the tears flow down her face.
“Please” she whispered with battered breath.
But the monster didn’t care for tears or pleas, so it blinked its empty eyes and with unnatural speed jumped to her neck.
Marinette jolted awake with a gasp, sitting in the bed. Her heart was pounding on her chest and tears flowed down her cheeks. A terrible pain shot through her back. ¿Where was she? The shadows were surrounding her. It was just like her nightmare. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t run.
She raised her hands to her head, grasping desperately her hair, trying to get a grip on reality. Breathe Marinette! Breathe!
But it was no use. She couldn’t even breathe correctly. She couldn’t do anything. The shadows creeped closer to her. SHe was alone in the forest and she was going to die a horrible death just like the lumberjacks and her dad and everyone who had tried to cross the forest.
She felt more than saw a presence in front of her, and a distant voice could be heard beyond her foggy brain.
“... breathe with me Marinette.” it said with a shaky voice. “You are doing great, just keep breathing. In… and out.”
The girl could hardly pay attention to anything around her. She could barely see or hear the presence before her. But she did her best to just follow the directions of the voice.
Marinette didn’t know exactly how long they spent just breathing; inhaling and exhaling in the middle of the dark room. When she finally was able to calm her breath and her mind, she felt exhausted. As if all of her strength had been drained.
And of course, she was now able to recognize the worried face of Chat Noir.
A huge part of her wanted to feel humiliated and embarrassed for waking up the monster with her nightmare, but honestly, she couldn’t bring herself to care. The girl leaned back on the headboard, staging with empty eyes out the window.
At least the moon wasn’t red. At least there were no strange figures on the branches. She didn’t think she would ever be able to remove those images from her head.
“Are you feeling better?” asked the boy, but shook his head after a cold stare from Marinette. “Sorry. That was a stupid question.”
Marinette tried to smile at his attempts at a joke, but she couldn’t. Despite the differences he was still the creature from her nightmares. She couldn’t forget that.
The boy came close to her, sitting on the edge of her bed, but not close enough to scare her. And with a soft voice and gentle eyes he asked. “Is there something I can do to help?”
And Marinette didn’t know why, but for some reason, that was the question that broke her, as she burst into tears. And not just a single solitary tear flowing down her face, it was an ugly and painful cry.
Chat Noir jumped alarmed at her sudden reaction, but he didn’t go away. Marinette was way too hurt for her to actually care. She lifted her legs towards her, hugging them in the process, as she hid her face behind her hands. Every sob felt like a new knife on her back, tearing the flesh apart, but she didn’t care, She couldn’t anymore.
“I just…” she sobbed. “I just want to go home.” Marinette tried to clean the tears from her face. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
She closed her eyes, wishing to be anywhere else. To be with anyone else. She could feel the worried stare of the boy, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Truth was, Marinette was tired. She was so tired. Tired of feeling hurt, tired of the fear, tired of the doubts, tired of being strong and keeping herself alive. But she wasn’t strong. And she just couldn’t keep on pretending like she was.
So she ignored the monster sitting in her bed and she cried and sobbed for everything she had lost. For the peace and safety, for her health and the ability to run. And more than everything, she cried for the girl full of hope and strength she had been before that night. She cried for the girl that was gone.
She fully expected Chat Noir to leave her side. For him to get out of the house or to get back to his corner on the floor. Hell, she was expecting him to kick her out of his bed and his house and his life, but he didn’t. He just sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her.
Slowly, the tears dried up and the girl sat on her bed, even more tired than before if that was possible. Her back ached for the sobbing. Yet still, the boy didn’t leave. Instead, he came closer and asked in a whisper. “May I take your hand.”
Marinette stared at him with red eyes, but nodded.
To his surprise, the monster held her hand with the most gentle grip between his gloved hands, making sure she could take it away if she wished to. He held her as if he were holding a rose or a fragile bird. The girl gasped.
“I know how you are feeling,” he started. Marinette couldn’t stop herself from scoffing. “No no, I know you think I’m bluffing, but I… I really understand how you feel.”
The boy turned towards the window, with a longing expression. “I too had to leave home. Before… everything. And it was hard. It was really hard. I too missed my home and my family.”
That’s right, she thought, Chat Noir had mentioned he had a mother before. And damn, that was a whole new can of worms, to imagine the monster of the forest having a mother.
“Back then, I had no one who could help me. It was just Plagg and I against the world. And there were… so many things I didn’t understand. So many things I didn’t know.” he shook his head, as if trying to erase a memory. “Anyways, the past is the past; and I can't return home. But you can.”
He turned back to her, staring straight at her.
“I know I have said this before, but I promise I will get you back home.”
And Marinette saw his green eyes, and she knew the monster was a liar, but she was so tired; she longed to believe in him.
“I promise that the moment your wounds heal, I will get you back home.”
And although it was stupid and naive, the girl nodded. And deep in her bones, she knew she trusted him.