Ariana's head was pounding as she awoke, her vision blurry and limbs heavy. The effects of whatever drugs Matt had given them still flooded her system, making her head spin. As her vision slowly came into focus, she saw Matt and Nora lying unconscious beside her, their naked bodies tangled together.
Ariana shook her head, trying to clear the haze from her mind. She felt sick, her stomach churning as memories of the depraved sex acts they'd all engaged in came rushing back. She tried to sit up but her body felt weak, trembling from exhaustion and the after-effects of the powerful drug cocktail.
Looking over at Nora, Ariana could see her sister was still breathing but very shallowly. She seemed pale, her body covered in a sheen of sweat. Ariana dragged herself over to check on Matt and found him in a similar state - alive but only barely, his breathing dangerously slow.
Ariana took some deep breaths, trying to calm her rolling stomach. She knew she had to get out of there and find Mike. As the gym manager, he must have some kind of antidote in case something went wrong with the drug. She looked over at Nora and Matt again - they were still unconscious but breathing. Ariana had no idea how much of the supplement any of them had ingested at this point. She wasn't even sure what was in the drug cocktail swimming through her system right now.
Slowly, Ariana dragged herself to her feet, holding onto the wall for support. Her head spun and her legs felt like jelly but she pushed herself forward through sheer willpower. She managed to make it to the sink where she splashed some cold water on her face, which made her feel slightly more coherent.
Ariana grabbed the first clothes she could find, pulling on a t-shirt and shorts from the messy bedroom floor. Her limbs still felt weak and shaky as she moved, but the cold water had helped clear her head slightly. She knew she had to get to Mike right away for an antidote before it was too late.
Leaning heavily on the walls, Ariana made her way to the front door. She almost collapsed several times, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. But she forced herself onward through unwavering determination.
Finally, Ariana made it outside into the fresh air. She blinked against the sunlight, feeling nauseous. Stumbling over to her car, she fumbled for several minutes trying to get the key in the ignition with her trembling hands.
When the engine finally turned over, Ariana peeled out of the driveway, tires squealing as she raced towards the gym. She drove recklessly fast, weaving between cars, desperate to get to Mike as soon as possible. The world seemed to spin around her but she gripped the wheel tight, singularly focused on her goal.
After what felt like an eternity, Ariana pulled up outside the gym building.
Ariana stumbled through the front doors of the gym, struggling to remain upright as she made her way towards Mike's office. Her body still felt weak and shaky from whatever concoction of drugs Matt had given her and Nora. She had to pause several times, leaning against the wall and taking deep breaths as the world seemed to spin around her.
Finally, Ariana reached Mike's office door. She pounded her fist against it frantically. "Mike! Open up!" she shouted, her words slightly slurred.
After a few agonizing moments, the door swung open.
Mike opened the door, an annoyed expression on his face.
"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.
Ariana stumbled into his office, clutching the edge of his desk for support.
"You have to help me," she pleaded, her words still slightly slurred. "That supplement you gave us...something's wrong. My sister and I took too much, I think. We need an antidote."
Mike let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Look, there is no antidote for that stuff. It's just something to rev you up before a workout, that's all. The effects will wear off eventually."
Ariana shook her head in confusion. "But we can barely move or stay conscious. My sister is unconscious right now...we need something to counteract the effects quicker."
"Well that's your own damn fault for taking too much," Mike snorted derisively. "Only supposed to take a little bit at a time. There's nothing I can give you to sober you up quick. You'll just have to let it work its way out of your system."
Tears of frustration welled up in Ariana's eyes. "Please...there must be something you can do to help. We didn't know any better."
Mike just shrugged. "Only thing you can really do is take very small doses of the supplement periodically to gradually get your body used to the effects again. Going cold turkey might be too much of a shock to your system after taking so much."
Ariana stared at Mike in disbelief. Was he really suggesting she take more of the dangerous supplement that had caused this whole mess?
"What? No, I don't want any more of that stuff!" she protested. "I just need something to counteract the effects before my sister gets worse."
"Look, a little bit more will level you out, trust me," Mike insisted. "Your body got too big a shock going from nothing to a huge dose. You need to taper it off slowly."
Before she could react, Mike had opened a bottle and poured some of the sinister looking liquid into a cup for her.
"Here, just drink this small amount, it will help," he said, holding the cup out towards her.
Ariana hesitated, repulsed by the thought of taking more of the vile concoction. But her body did still feel incredibly weak and unstable. If a small dose would stabilize the effects and buy her more time to get Nora proper medical attention, maybe she had no choice.
Reluctantly, Ariana took the cup from Mike's hand and stared down at the contents. Then, closing her eyes, she quickly swallowed the small amount of liquid, trying to ignore the sweet taste.
Ariana stood still for several long moments, waiting to feel the effects of the additional dose Mike had given her. At first she felt nothing, and a spike of anger and frustration went through her that he had tricked her into taking more of the tainted substance.
But then, gradually, she noticed a warmth spreading through her limbs, her head clearing a bit. She blinked a few times as she realized her balance and coordination seemed to be coming back. Her legs still felt a little shaky, but no longer like limp noodles about to give out at any moment.
Ariana turned to Mike with a mix of skepticism and surprise. "I...actually am feeling a bit better," she admitted reluctantly.
Mike gave her a smug, knowing look. "See? I told you a little more would level you out."
As much as she hated to agree with him after the mess he'd gotten her into, Ariana did have to admit she felt more clear-headed and steady than before.
"I still don't fully trust you," she said, glaring at him. "You're the one who gave us this stuff in the first place without proper warning. But...thank you for giving me something to counteract the effects for now."
Mike held up his hands. "Hey, don't blame me for any of you taking way more than recommended. I was just trying to offer a helpful supplement, not get anybody in trouble."
Ariana bit her tongue to keep from yelling at him about his irresponsible actions. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't waste time arguing now.
"I need to get back to my sister and Matt," she said urgently. "They're still unconscious and I have no idea if this is doing permanent damage."
Mike shrugged again casually. "They probably just need a little boost like you did. I can give you some more doses for them."
"I'll give you more doses, but it's gonna cost you," Mike said, eying Ariana lasciviously.