Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

How the hell am I even supposed to respond to this?

What do I say? What do I do?
I mean....FUCK.

My brain is on fire, completely incapable of processing reality right now. She’s… so… HOT.
Like, ridiculously, unfairly, stomach-dropping, brain-melting hot.
I can’t stop staring. My eyes are practically glued to her like a dumb, drooling dog. Holy shit, is this what thirst feels like in real-time?

Then, as if sensing the sheer overwhelming energy of my gaze, she stiffens. A flicker of something maybe embarrassment, maybe instinct flashes in her golden-green eyes before she grabs my towel and yanks it over herself.
And that’s when it finally hits me.

Shit.
She’s really a human now. She’s no longer just Mari, my soft, spoiled, sassy little cat—she’s a full-fledged person. A living, breathing woman standing in front of me.
I should probably start treating her like one.
I instantly snap my head to the side, forcing myself to look anywhere but at her. Respect, 7. RESPECT.

"I...I’m sorry… Mari?"

I freeze.

She… does not.

Instead, her golden-green eyes widen, her breathing quickens, and she suddenly looks around, panicked.
Her hands HANDS fly up in front of her face, and she stares at them in pure horror.

"MEO- WHAT IS THIS?!"

She wiggles her fingers like they’re some kind of alien parasite attached to her body.

Then, she stumbles backward, her movements clumsy, as if she’s not used to having legs.
Her head snaps back to me. "WHY AM I STANDING LIKE THIS?!"
I open my mouth.

Nothing comes out.

My brain has officially left the chat.
Mari keeps spiraling.
Her hands pat down her arms, her stomach, her thighs, as if she’s trying to confirm that, yes, this is real.
Then she looks down at herself.

She freezes.

Oh. Oh no.

Her tail is gone.

Her ears are gone.

Her fur. Gone.

Her eyes slowly lift back up to me, filled with pure betrayal.

"WHERE. IS. MY. FUR?!"

I flinch. "I...uh..."

She whips back around, staring into the bathroom mirror.
Then absolute silence.
For a solid five seconds, she just stares at her reflection.
Her hands touch her face, her soft skin instead of fur, her long, silver-gray human hair instead of ears.
I can literally see her entire brain breaking in real-time.
Then

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

She SCREAMS.
Which, naturally, makes me scream too.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Mari spins back to me, eyes WILD. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

"ME?! I DIDN’T...."

I throw my hands up, completely panicking.

"MARI, PLEASE JUST CALM DOW-"

Then it happens.

Mari’s gaze drops.
Her eyes widen.
SLAM.

She slams the bathroom door in my face.
I stand there, still in shock, my entire brain fried to ashes.
Millions of thoughts crash into each other at once.

I slowly, slowly, sink to the floor, my soul leaving my body.

What. The. Hell.

A million thoughts start flooding my brain at once, crashing into each other like a chaotic freeway pile-up.

What the fuck just happened?

Why is Mari a human?

Why is she so hot?

Why am I so… blushes....never mind.

My legs suddenly feel like jelly. I slowly sink to the ground, my brain fully melted into useless goo.

Is this it? Is this how I die?
I take a deep breath. No, I need to get my shit together. Mari probably needs time to process this too. She’s literally a cat-turned-human. That’s got to be even weirder for her.
With shaky legs, I push myself up and stumble toward my closet, pulling out a set of comfortable clothes. Something simple. Something she can wear.
I walk back to the bathroom door, hesitating for a second before knocking gently.

"Hey… open the door. You’re gonna need these."Silence.

Then

"Go away!"
Her voice is rough, raspy, like her vocal cords haven’t been used in years. It comes out uneven, almost foreign like even she’s surprised at the sound of her own voice.
I take a deep breath, rolling my eyes. Oh, so she’s gonna be difficult.

"Listen, you stubborn feline! If you don’t want to be standing there cold and naked, open this damn door. There’s literally NOTHING in there for you to wear. I’m trying to help!"
Another beat of silence.

Then...click.
The door cracks open just enough for me to shove the clothes through. She snatches them fast, yanking them out of my hands before immediately slamming the door shut again.
😾😾😾😾
I sigh, rubbing my temples as I shuffle back to my bed and drop down onto the mattress.
My head is pounding.
This is too much to process, and I’m pretty sure she is feeling the same way.
I let out a long, exhausted exhale, staring up at the ceiling as my thoughts spiral.
How do I even communicate with her now?
Does she even fully understand what’s happening?
Do I need to teach her everything? Oh my God, what even IS this situation?!
My breath catches as a realization slams into me.
Wait.
Was it…?
“Could it have been… the ritual?!”
No. No way. That was just some dumb internet thing, a random blog I found out of boredom. There’s no way it actually.
Footsteps.
Soft, careful ones, moving toward me.
I freeze.
"What ritual?"
Her voice is clearer now, less strained, but still carrying an edge of uncertainty.
I slowly lift my head...
And there she is.
Mari, standing in front of me, wearing my clothes.
My oversized hoodie, the sleeves practically swallowing her hands.My skirt, sitting just a little awkwardly on her frame.
Her long, silvery-gray hair cascades over her shoulders, her feline-like golden-green eyes locked onto mine with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Hands on her hips.
Looking down at me.
Giving major tsundere vibes.
…Cute.