𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄 • 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜 𝐋𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐲

𝟎𝟒.

Breanne holds her hand over her brother's mouth, trying to keep him quiet while listening to Boyd circle the shed.

Their heads turn at claws ticking against the metal walls. They follow the sounds down to where moonlight spills in through the rusted and bent space between the shed's side and floor.

Claws slip in through the space, feeling about for a hold.

Backing further away, Breanne and Billy watch helplessly as the claws grasp around the wall and begin to pull at it.
Metal tears as Boyd wrench the wall up, separating the entire exterior of the shed from its floor. With a furious growl, he hurls the collapsing steel frame into the air, exposing the two screaming children.

But just as Boyd takes a step forward to attack, something rolls right in front his feet.
Breanne's jar.

Lid removed, the fireflies soar out of the opening, bursting up in a cloud around Boyd's head. Enraged, he waves his claws at the flickering lights.
When the fireflies finally scatter, Boyd focuses his yellow eyes forward to see the two children--are gone.

Carrying a shocked Breanne and Billy under their arms, Scott and Maya give a momentary but satisfied glance back to the darkness behind them as they race through the woods. Fast as they can.

"You guys lost him?" Derek questioned on through the phone.

"We kind of had to" Scott answered as Maya kept a look out for any and everything.

"That's not exactly the plan."

"Trust me, I know. Which is why Scott and I think we all should stick together."

Passing the phone back to Scott, Maya glances nervously about the woods.

"Trust me, he's too strong, too fast, and way too angry for just 1-2 people to handle. We gotta' do this together."

"Boyd might be more dangerous anyway." Derek said through the phone and Scott enter facial expression changed within a split second, "How come?"

"He's Bitten. Cora's Born. She might have more control. I'm by the trails at the entrance to the preserve. Can you meet me? And Maya to wolf out, find anything to help find them"

"Yeah. We just need to drop something off first..." Hanging up, Scott looks down at Billy and Breanne, clutching fearfully to his and Maya's legs.

"Did you hear what Derek said?" Scott asked and Maya nodded, "Yeah but I need you to take my clothes for when I turn back"

Scott nodded in agreement as they walk away with the kids still clutched onto them.

－𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒：𝑙𝑦𝑑𝑖𝑎'𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚－

Pushing aside her homework, Lydia gets up from bed to shake off the nightmare. When her feet hit the floor, though, she puts a hand to her head with a pained gasp.

At her dresser, she finds the bottle of ibuprofen empty.

"Mom, I'm going to the store. Mom, did you hear me?" Lydia called out.

She got no response in return. Not even a hush.

"Of course, you didn't. You would have heard me screaming like a lunatic." She said to herself as she grabbed a jacket.

she pauses to notice the full moon outside sigh, she shakes her head at herself.

－𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠－