Forever and Always (Sciles)

105: Growing Panic and Urgency

Stiles POV

After a while of nothing happening, and I'm about to tell Lydia that maybe we should try something else, her face slackens completely, all emotion and concentration wiped off it, the rest of her muscles in her body relaxing too, including her arm that is reaching out towards the tree stump.

"Lydia? Are you okay?" Ben asks nervously while I take a tentative and careful step towards Lydia. She doesn't answer Ben's question, continuing to stare down at the Nemeton, her eyes seemingly vacant and distant, her jaw slack, causing her mouth to open ever so slightly. I stand right beside her cautiously, watching her carefully, ready to pull her out of this weird banshee trance state if I need to.

"Stiles? What's happening with Lydia? Is it normal?" Ben asks worriedly from behind me, tugging on my arm slightly. I turn back to face Ben for a moment.

"Don't worry, she's a banshee. This is sort of a normal thing for her. She gets visions or has these feelings that usually end up leading to dead bodies or weird supernatural stuff." I explain to my friend. I watch as Ben gulps nervously.

"You don't think that she is sensing... Well, you know-" Ben frowns at me worriedly, but I cut him and his thought off quickly, refusing to think about that scenario.

"No. They're not dead. They can't be. We can save them." I tell Ben stubbornly, but also determinedly. Of course I have the fears of all the terrible outcomes in the back of my mind, but I really don't need to panic right now and I'm trying my best to remain positive. Until I see the bodies, there's always hope that I can save my friends.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Ben nods, looking slightly less worried and freaked out. We then turn our attention back to Lydia and watch her carefully. Eventually, she gasps and stumbles back. Before she can fall over, I manage to catch her and hold her until she regains her balance.

"What is it? What did you see, or feel?" I ask the banshee urgently as she spins around to face Ben and I. She looks worried and nervous, but she also looks confident, which I'm going to try and take as a good sign.

"I think I know where everyone is. I... I don't know what is exactly happening or even what the creatures that took everyone are, but I just have this gut feeling that I know how to find them. I felt a deep coldness inside of me and I could see dirt and a weird eerie purple glow. I feel like there is almost a pull inside of me, and I need to follow it." Lydia tells us, and I feel my hope rising again.

"Great! Where is it?" I ask eagerly, wanting to get started on figuring this whole thing out.

"It's on the other side of the preserve, but it's underground. That's why I'm feeling colder and damper than usual." Lydia replies seriously.

"Underground? Interesting. Anyway, I'm sure the three of us will be okay. We just have to find the missing people and bring them back up here." I say, feeling pleased to finally have some sort of lead.

"Yeah, but if they're just underneath Beacon Hills and the preserve somehow, what's keeping them from returning?" Ben asks, ruining my slightly happier mood.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Lydia sighs heavily.

"Well... Is everyone okay? Could you feel that?" I ask, really sincerely hoping that at least this answer can go my way.