Ma-Ri Was Feral

Ma-Ri's fingers flew across her phone, composing a quick text message. "She's on her way. Get ready." She tapped send, a smirk playing on her lips.

Everything was falling into place. She then dialed a number, holding the phone to her ear. "It's happening," she whispered into the receiver. "Be ready to go live in five. I'll give you the signal." A low chuckle rumbled in her throat. This was going to be bigger than she have ever imagined.

Her self-satisfied reverie was shattered by the sharp ping of an incoming text. Her brow furrowed as she read the message: "Noelle hasn't arrived yet. Are you sure she is in the hotel?"

"What?" Ma-Ri muttered, her eyes widening in disbelief. "That's impossible. I saw her go down that hallway myself." She replayed the scene in her mind: Noelle turning the corner, her confident stride, the way her hair bounced against her shoulders. There was no way she could have gotten lost or turned back. Something was wrong.

A knot of anxiety tightened in Ma-Ri's stomach. This wasn't part of the plan. Every second that ticked by increased the risk of something going wrong, of someone interfering. She couldn't afford any such complications.

"I'll check it out," she typed back, her fingers trembling slightly. She shoved her phone into her pocket and stormed out of the room, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. A sense of urgency propelled her forward, a growing unease that threatened to unravel her carefully constructed scheme.

She reached the designated room, her hand hovering over the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to remain calm. She needed to assess the situation, to figure out what had gone wrong. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn to block out the afternoon sun. The air was thick with a strange, almost cloying sweetness. Ma-Ri wrinkled her nose in disgust. Before she could process the odd atmosphere, a sharp pain pierced her arm. She gasped, her head snapping to the side. A figure stood beside her, a syringe clutched in their hand.

"What?" She shrieked loudly and the figure dropped the syringe and the lights went on.

"Andre, you fool! Why did you inject me?" She screamed at the man standing before her and looking confused.

"Ma-Ri? Why are you here?" He asked in a shaky voice. "I thought you were Noelle."

Before she could snap at him again, a dizzying wave of heat spread through her body. Her vision blurred, and the room began to spin. She tried to speak, to scream, but her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth. Her limbs felt like lead, unresponsive to her frantic commands.

She stumbled backwards, her hand clutching her throbbing arm. And when Andre reached out to help her, she wrested her arm from him. The room swam before her eyes, the furniture seeming to warp and twist into grotesque shapes. She felt a strange tingling sensation spreading through her veins, a burning heat that intensified with every passing second.

Panic seized her. She knew, with chilling certainty, that she was in serious trouble. She tried to focus her mind, to fight against the encroaching fog, but it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave.

As she struggled to comprehend what was happening, her clothes began to feel unbearably tight, almost suffocating. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse, her movements clumsy and uncoordinated. She could barely feel her own hands, they felt so disconnected from her body.

The room seemed to pulse around her, the shadows dancing and swirling in a hypnotic rhythm. She felt a strange compulsion, an overwhelming urge to shed her clothing, to free herself from the constricting fabric. Her hands moved with a will of their own, tearing at her clothes, ripping buttons and tearing seams.

Through the haze of the drug, Ma-Ri dimly registered the sound of the door opening. She turned her head slowly, her eyes struggling to focus. Standing in the doorway was Noelle, her expression a mixture of amusement and detached curiosity.

Noelle watched as Ma-Ri, completely oblivious to her presence, continued to undress herself. The aphrodisiac was clearly taking effect, stripping away her inhibitions and leaving her vulnerable and exposed. Ma-Ri's movements were jerky and uncoordinated, her eyes glazed over with a mixture of confusion and arousal.

She watched as Ma-Ri finally managed to strip off the last of her clothes, her body trembling and flushed. She turned to Andre, her actions desperate and needy. The drug had taken full control, leaving her completely at its mercy.

Noelle felt a pang of something that might have been pity, but it quickly vanished. Ma-Ri had brought this on herself.

Noelle stepped further into the room, her eyes fixed on Ma-Ri as she ran after Andre who tried to fend off her advances. He had no chance, Ma-ri was feral.

The scene before her was both disturbing and darkly satisfying. If she had not had foreknowledge about what was happening, it would have been her in this position. Her life ruined.

Justice, it seemed, had a way of finding its own way. The reporter, who had been alerted by Ma-Ri herself, was now in the room, recording the entire scene. Ma-Ri's attempt to ruin Noelle would become her own public downfall.