Where Does the Red String Go? -Miraculous Ladybug AU Soulmates

Chapter 11- Flashback

Marinette's POV
7 years ago

"Mommy?...Mommy?..." little Marinette says. She had went to the mall with her mom but she couldn't find her anywhere.

"Mommy?" She cried out. Where did she go? Little Marinette wandered through the mall, the hours passed but she couldn't find her mom.

"MOMMY!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. It was night time now and there was no one at the mall.

"Hi there little girl, would you like some candy?" A man with a mask approached her. He had a big lollipop in his hand. Marinette stopped crying and nodded eagerly, wanting to eat the candy.

"Can you find my mommy? I don't know where she is." Marinette says as she tries to grab the candy from the strange man's hand.

"You can have the candy if you follow me." The man says as he begins to walk out of the mall. Marinette stops, wanting to find her mom first. "I want to find my mommy first. Pwease?" She says, looking up at the man. The man sighs in frustration.

"I found your mommy. I'll take you to her, follow me!" The man says. His tone had changed, becoming sugary sweet when it was harsh moments before.

Marinette nods joyfully and follows the man, happy to see her mom. The man takes her to an abandons alleyway with a big black truck.

"Is my mommy in there?" Marinette asks. The man nods and she happily climbs into the back of the truck, looking for her mommy.

"She's not there." Marinette's eyes fill up with tears as her mouth opens to scream. All of a sudden a big hand clamps on her mouth. "Don't you dare cry you little bitch." A rough voice says.

Marinette shrinks back. Where was her mommy? Who were these men? Her eyes fill with tears as she tries to scream. Her little fists struggle against the man as more men emerge from the shadows.

"Where'd you find her?" One of them says. "At the mall. Her mother wasn't there so I don't think anyone saw us."

Marinette's heart thudded painfully in her chest. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to die? Marinette started to sob, having only learned the concept of death three days ago.

"Worst case scenario they'll see the truck. But we switched license plate so they won't be able to track us." The men say as the man holding her hugs her tighter.

Her breath comes out in gasps. She can't breathe. She feel herself being tossed into the back of the van as the vehicle moves. Her cheek is scraped on the cold interior and her arms are bruised.

Where were they taking her? Panic begins to slowly worm its way into the 7 year olds heart as her body freezes up in panic. She can't move, the only thing she registers is the painful beating of her heart.

No, no, no! She clenched her fists together. She would not cry. Even then, she knew she had to keep it together.

The truck jerks into a painful stop, sending her smashing into the the wall. She looks around the truck, hoping for something to use but finds a couple worn boxes with nothing in them.

The back door opens and the men grab her. "Just lock her in there until we come back." They say as they lift her up with ease. "What if she escapes?" A man asks. Marinette begins to squirm, kicking the men with all her strength but with no avail. "Please. This little bitch is as dumb as a rock." Marinette hears a door being clicked open and the wood scraping her knees.

"See you later little girl! Or never." The men chuckle as they get in their truck and speed off. By now, the sky has grown dark and there was little light source. They had thrown her in small room with barely any space to walk. The walls were barely higher than her.

Marinette's heart somehow begins to beat even faster, the walls constructing her as her breathes come out in shallow pants. The cold metal sticks to her clammy skin, the walls pressing tighter and tighter against her. Too tight. She screams as her lungs are constricted and her head pounds.

Her limbs are squished, wounded up tight like a spring. She can't tell where her legs start and her arms ends, it was so tight. A bundle of arms and limbs. Her lungs fight for air, sweat pouring off her face as she lets out a shrill scream of pain.

She can't take it anymore.

Somehow, the police found her. Perhaps it was the screaming or a gut feeling but they found the house.

Her parents told her that it took ages for her to get her in the police's car. They said she would start to scream and thrash, fighting everyone.

She wouldn't sleep without the light, and every time she saw a lollipop she would go white with fear. She wouldn't go in small spaces, or put on clothes and blankets that were too constricting. Her clumsiness got worse. Her stuttering even more. She'd panic over the smallest things and overanalyse everything.

Her parents took her to every child therapist they knew. Nothing worked.

And Marinette is still haunted till this day.