Glass and Thorns [Miraculous]

eighteen // may 3rd

Marinette's POV

My eyes slowly flutter open. I look around at my surroundings and try to remember what happened. I'm laying on my bedroom floor with a massive headache, my shirt blood-stained, and wilted flowers surrounding me.

It's early in the morning, but it's silent outside. I don't hear any cars or movement. Cold winds blow and howl against my bedroom walls. Dust floats through the sun beams piercing through my windows. My room is cold, almost like the heater hasn't been turned on in days. My mouth feels as dry as a desert.

I groan as I sit up and rub my head. What happened? I can't seem to remember anything.

Cards rest around me, surrounding my body. They read 'rest in peace,' 'gone but not forgotten,' and 'always loved'. There are bouquets of flowers not from my Hanahaki disease surrounding me. It's almost like people payed their respects to me, like I was dead, even though I'm not.

My body aches as I reach over for my phone. I tap the screen and the phone screen turns on. My eyes widen as I read the date. It's May. May 3rd. That can't be right, it was only the middle of April!

I immediately jump up and climb up my balcony. I peer at the park and quietly gasp. It's true. It really is May. The cherry blossom trees have shed all of their bright pink petals, and leave the trees alone and depressing. How much time has passed? Why did I fall asleep? Was I asleep because of the Hanahaki disease?

I exhale from disbelief, and I'm quickly shocked when I realize that I can see my breath. That's when I realize I have goosebumps. It's cold. Freezing cold. In May.

"Marinette?" I hear a quiet voice whisper.

I whip my head around and look behind me. A tiny red kwami floats behind me.

"T-Tikki?" I cry. "What happened?!"

Tikki looks at me with half opened eyes, then collapses into my hands.

"Tikki?!"

"Marinette, I'm so hungry..." the kwami quietly mumbles.

"Oh, of course! Let's head down to the bakery right now!" I exclaim, and climb back down into my bedroom.

Tikki weakly shakes her head. "No, Marinette... you don't understand..."

But I don't listen to her. I quickly slide down my stairs and reach the first floor.

"Here, Tikki! Eat your heart ou-"

I gasp and freeze in place. The bakery is destroyed. Glass windows are broken, with shards littering the floor. The bakery lock has been lock-picked. The cabinets and cupboards are open and empty. The cash register is gone. I slowly shake my head and stumble backwards, and collapse on the floor next to a family portrait.

My family portrait. Except, the heads of Mama and Papa are torn from the picture, leaving only me. I shudder and throw the picture away from me.

"Tikki..." I gasp, "... what happened?'

"Chat Blanc happened..." she weakly whispers from my hands.

Oh my god.

No. Please, god, no.

I cup her in my hands and slide her into my purse, then carefully dance over the dangerous glass shards littering the bakery floor. I exit the broken-in bakery and step outside, shielding my eyes from the sunlight.

The streets are empty. Cars are left abandoned on the streets. Leaves scatter across the sidewalk. Lights are off in twenty-four seven shops. Homes have been broken into. Military tanks are destroyed. Helicopters lay crashed in the streets. But most importantly, I'm alone.