"Kasey, we're opening presents, come on!" my mom persisted as she grabbed a hold of my upper arm and led me into the dining room. I glanced around in confusion; how did I get in the living room? Why are we opening presents? Did I miss something?
Upon entering the dining room I took in the sight of my friends and family gathered around the table. Scott was sitting in a chair with an empty seat beside him and there was one of those cheap metallic party hats sitting on the table. I wanted to speak out in question about the odd situation, but my mom ushered me into the seat before I could utter a syllable.
Scott grinned as he snatched up the hat and placed it on my head, the elastic slapped against my chin and I winced at the stinging pain. The room was silent apart from my mom's incessant chirping about the presents. Whose birthday is it?
"What's going on?" I asked my brother, who was now greedily taking the plate of cake that Deaton had handed him. Why is Deaton here? Why is he wearing a purple party hat? Whose birthday is it? What the hell is going on?
He glanced at me with a mouthful of cake, "It's our birthday party."
"Happy Birthday!" Stiles chirped as he sauntered over towards me with a decorative box. The wrapping paper was baby blue with metallic silver stars printed on it and the lid of the box was secured with a blue ribbon. He placed the box on the table in front of me gently.
I glanced up at him uneasily, "Stiles, I—It's not my birthday."
Stiles smirked at my hesitance; the smirk itself brought a swirling amount of doubt and fear in the pit of my stomach. I have seen this smirk before, I think. Otherwise it wouldn't make me feel this put off.
"I love you, Kasey. Just open the box," he murmured before pressing his full pink lips to my temple. They lingered for a moment as his hand pushed a strand of my curled hair behind my ear; the gesture made my skin crawl. This wasn't right. Stiles wasn't supposed to make me feel uncomfortable.
I gulped as my hands tugged at the ribbon, their fearful shaking making it a difficult and grueling task. Scott was egging me on by elbowing me in the side, urging me to rip the box open at a faster rate than I could seem to manage for the time being.
"Tick tock, Kasey!" I glanced at Scott as the words left his lips. Tick tock. Tick tock. Hickory dickory dock. Hickory dickory dock. His eyes were flashing red, and my heart lurched at the sight. What's happening? Tick tock. Tick tock. My fingers were bleeding from the paper cuts that the wrapping paper had given me. Tick tock. Tick tock. I jerked the lid off the box to see it filled with nuts and bolts. What?
Stiles chuckled as he lowered himself beside me, his mouth right by ear, "Tick tock."
My eyes fluttered open at the incessant and incredibly annoying humming sound echoing around in my ear-drums. The first thing I noticed as the hood of exhaustion was pulled from my eyes was that I was not in my bedroom. I propped myself up on my elbows slowly, letting my russet brown eyes scan my surroundings. I have no idea where I am, but at least it's indoors and not the woods this time.
My body moved fluidly as I rose to a standing position, taking in the sight of the warehouse type building I had wandered into during the odd ours of twilight. The humming sound was loud. It was practically drowning out anything else that could be making any noise around me. There appeared to be several electrical units secured behind several different gates surrounding me. Where the hell am I?
I glanced down at myself to find that I wasn't in my pajamas. I was wearing jeans and a jacket over my tank top. I had shoes on too. My right hand slowly moved to my jacket pocket, where it landed on a set of keys. I hastily jerked them out into the open, only to find that they were the keys to my car. I drove here. In my sleep. I drove to a power station in my sleep.
My phone started blasting the annoying preset ringtone I have yet to change. Upon glancing at the screen, I let out a sigh. It was my mom. I can't let her know that I got out of the house while I was sleeping. Is that even possible? How can I drive all the way to a power station while I was sleeping? I let the phone ring as I dropped it back into my pocket and searched for the exit. I have no freaking idea what I'm doing here.
The beeping from my phone continued, telling me that I had a number of missed calls, voice mails, and text messages. The sun was up and shining through the windows in the next room, so I think it's safe to say that I am running late to school. After wandering around aimlessly, desperately searching for an exit-- I ended up at a stairwell. I took this time to check the time, it was 11:43...Lunch would be starting in seventeen minutes. Hopefully I can make it to school by then.
Another text message popped up on my screen, it was from Stiles. I tapped the screen instantly, pulling open the message.
Kasey where are you? I'm freaking out here. Please call me or text me.
I didn't want to call and attempt to explain this to him, only to have to re-explain myself once I got to school. So, I sent a quick text telling him that I was okay and that I was on my way to school. The power station was empty, which struck me odd; shouldn't people be working right now?
My car was the only one in the lot.
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
"Thank God," Stiles breathed out in relief as he jumped up from the table he had been sitting at, approaching me and wrapping his broad arms around me tightly. I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest, the steady rise and fall lulling me into a tranquil state.
I hadn't realized how much I missed him just holding me against him like this. It feels like it's been years since we've been able to just be a normal couple, I can't remember the last time we even went out on a date and just spent time together. After a few moments of bliss in Stiles' arms, he led us back over to the table where Scott, Allison, Lydia, and Isaac were all gathered.
Scott was watching me wearily, "Where were you?"
"I have no idea, some power station," I shrugged as I placed my elbows on the table. I didn't have my backpack with me, meaning I won't have anything for my afternoon classes. Today is certainly shaping up to be a terrible one.
Allison managed to ask the question that my brother was preparing to ask after hearing my odd response, "A power station?"
"Yeah. I don't know. I guess I like, drove there last night. I don't remember," I mumbled dubiously. There is no doubt that my response would set off warning bells in everyone’s' heads but I have no other way of answering them without lying. And I really don't want to lie to them.
I risked a hesitant glance at my friends around the table. Thankfully Stiles picked up on how uneasy I was feeling, he placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze before glancing at me with his heavenly tawny brown eyes that cause my heart to spring into overdrive.
"Okay, so you drove in your sleep?" Isaac asked, his abashed tone made me even more uncomfortable about the entire situation. Apparently, my sleep walking has now evolved into me driving around Beacon Hills in a sort of fugue state.
Scott sighed, "Well I think what happened with Kasey this morning goes along with everything we were just talking about. Like, what happens to a person who's had a near death experience and comes out of it seeing things?"
"And is unable to tell what's real or not," Stiles added, wanting to get his two-sense in the conversation as well.
Allison bit at her nail, "And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives."
"Or ends up gaining like a split personality in the middle of the night that likes to wander around Beacon Hills." I muttered.
Isaac glanced around the table, "They're all locked up because they're insane."
"Ha. Can you at least try to be helpful, please?" Stiles retorted sarcastically. Even though I have grown rather fond over mine and Isaac's newly found friendship, I do agree that he needs to be more helpful in this situation. Especially since none of us seem to be getting any better.
I know that if Scott and I end up being locked up in an Asylum then he won't have a place to live because my mom isn't just gonna let him stay there without Scott or myself. It would be too weird, plus Isaac and my mom have a weird vibe when they're alone, Isaac tends to have that effect on people though.
"For over half of my childhood I was locked in a freezer so being helpful is kind of a new thing for me," Isaac declared as he shot Stiles an annoyed look.
I let out a sigh, "Are we still milking that?"
He nodded, "Yes, we are still milking that."
Stiles opened his mouth to interject a sarcastic remark no doubt, but before he could a girl whom I didn't recognize approached our table. She had dark brown curly hair to die for, and her shoes were adorable. I have no idea why she is coming over here but hey, maybe she knows someone.
"Hi, sorry... I--uh, couldn't help but overhearing what you guys were talking about and I think I might actually know what you're talking about," she stammered as she glanced at all of us with a cute and innocent smile on her face.
I raised an eyebrow at her assumption. How would she know what we are talking about? I guess she doesn't mean the topic of Isaac being locked in a freezer because I honestly have no idea how she would know about that, so that leaves us with the whole losing our minds thing.
"There's a Tibetan word for it, it's called Bardo. It literally means in-between state, the state between life and death." She finished awkwardly. She looked uncomfortable just standing there and her hands were constantly adjusting the binders and notebooks in her grasp as she spoke.
Lydia quirked an eyebrow curiously, "And what do they call you?"
"Kira," Scott interjected, everyone at the table glanced at him in confusion. He blinked rapidly before glancing at Stiles, "She's in our History class."
"So are you talking Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia asked as she cocked her head to the side. I smiled at how she was now embracing being a genius. I am really happy that she uses it as a weapon rather than leaving it dormant whenever she is around people. I guess that was one of the many benefits to Jackson Whittemore leaving Beacon Hills, it gave Lydia the boost of confidence she needed to let her genius side take over.
Kira quickly sat down in the empty space on the bench beside me, "Either, I guess... but all the stuff you guys were just saying, all of that stuff happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states, where you can have hallucinations. Some you see or some you just hear. And you can be visited by peaceful and wrathful deities."
"Wrathful deities? And what are those?" Isaac questioned Kira. I was curious as to how she knew all of this information, but before I questioned her on it I wanted her to explain everything she knew.
She shrugged, "Like demons."
"Demons?" I echoed as I glanced at Stiles wearily he let out a sarcastic chuckle before supplying one of his usual witty remarks, "Why not?"
Allison glanced at Kira anxiously, "Hold on, if there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?"
"Death. You die," she stated simply.
I let out a sigh and dropped my head onto the table, "Well that's highly reassuring."
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
"It sounds like your subconscious is trying to communicate with you," Deaton stated as he led Stiles, Scott, and myself back to the examination room in the animal clinic.
After school let out, Stiles revealed to me that earlier in the day, while I was sleeping at the power station, he hallucinated his entire Economics class was doing sign language and they wouldn't speak, even Coach was in on it. Honestly, that sounded a hell of a lot creepier to deal with than waking up at a power station and having a dream about receiving a box full of screws for a birthday present.
"Well, how do I tell my subconscious to use a language I actually know?" Stiles inquired, his voice sounded raspier than usual. I glanced at his face intently, noticing the purple staining the pale skin underneath his eyes. He hasn't been getting any sleep at all lately. I couldn't ignore the searing heat in my chest at seeing him in such a sleep-deprived state.
Deaton stopped his brisk walking and turned to face Stiles, "Do you remember what the sign language looked like? The placement and the movement of the hands?"
"You know sign language?" Scott asked in astonishment. I don't know why he seems so surprised; Deaton is a man that has literally pulled out so many plot twists for us that nothing he can do will ever surprise me again.
He glanced at my brother, "I know a little. Let me give it a shot." He stated as he nodded his head at Stiles.
I watched closely as Stiles lifted his right index finger and began swirling a few of his left digits around it, "The first one was like that." He paused as he glanced up at Deaton uneasily; it was obvious he feared that he hadn't replicated the sign correctly
Deaton nodded once, "That's when."
Stiles bit down on his lip and held his hands side by side before parting them like a swinging door, "Then there was this, twice."
"That's door," Deaton said, a look of realization was etching its way onto his face, I could see it. He was starting to put the pieces together for something. The wheels were turning, and it was making me highly uncomfortable. What is with doors lately? Why do I keep thinking about, dreaming about, and end up talking about doors?
Stiles then held out his thumb and placed it under his chin before jutting it out in Deaton's direction, "Then this was in between those two."
"That's it?" our own personal Obi-Wan asked. Great, he knew what it meant. He obviously had learned enough sign language to decipher the hidden message that Stiles' subconscious was sending him
Stiles nodded as he nervously played with his hands, "Yeah."
Deaton's dark bister eyes flitted between Scott, Stiles, and myself as he stated the hidden message, "When is a door, not a door?"
"When is a door not a door?" Stiles repeated in confusion, it was a riddle. A riddle that I have been reliving non-stop every night for the past fifteen days. Images from my nightmares infiltrated my brain. Every single time I tried to close a door it wouldn't close, every single time I was running from the fog someone was telling me to close the door. When is a door not a door? When is a door not a door? When is a door not a freaking door?
"When it's ajar," I said quietly. It was finally making sense. The door can't be a door when it's ajar. The literal definition of a door is a movable, solid barrier for opening and closing an entryway. It can't be a door if it doesn't close. Why didn't I see this before?
Stiles scoffed, "You're kidding me. A riddle? My subconscious wants to tell me a riddle?"
"Not necessarily. When the three of you went under the water, when you crossed from unconsciousness to a kind of super consciousness...You essentially opened a door in your minds," Deaton explained.
"And when I connected myself to Stiles..." My train of thought died as I realized what was happening to me. My subconscious and my ability were both warning me. Telling me that my mind has been opened to things that it shouldn't be, all because I connected myself to Stiles. My door has been opened and for some reason I can't close it. Why can't I close it? What is keeping it from being closed?
The fog. It never closes because of the fog. What the hell is so damn important about the black fog with the yellow glowing dots?
Deaton nodded at my conclusion, "Your mind has been exposed."
"So what does that mean? That the door is still open?" Scott asked in confusion, clearly he hadn't put the pieces together as quickly as I had. Even though the door being ajar concept makes sense, it doesn't explain why I am roaming around Beacon Hills after hours.
"Ajar," Deaton reiterated. It's not open, it's just ajar, slightly pushed open, just enough to allow something in. If Kira is right, and there are literal demons inside of us...I have no idea how to handle that.
"A door... into our minds," Stiles said breathlessly. He had been silent as he processed over the new information, letting it seep into his fractured mind.
The night that Stiles and Scott went under is mostly a blur, I can't remember anything really. I do remember Deaton explaining how I had to be put under by a dose of Ketamine because I was acting rash. What if the reason I can't remember what was happening during that time, is because my door was being forced open?
"I did tell you it was risky," Deaton stated after a moment of silence. I do remember that part of the conversation. They had blindsided me and expected me to just go along with watching them die. I knew that there was going to be a consequence for dying and coming back to life, I never thought that it would be this drastic and outlandish though.
"What do we do about it?" Scott asked. The gears in his head were grinding out ideas and not very well thought out plans, I could see it. He needs answers because he is worried about not only himself, but also his twin sister, his best friend, and the girl that he's in love with.
"Well that's difficult to answer," Deaton said, his answer was so irritatingly vague. I know that this sort-of thing doesn't happen on a daily basis but he should have at least known ways to help them work through this whole Bardo state that we are now in because of the sacrifice.
Stiles then quickly rushed out, "Oh, no, wait a second, I know that look. That's the ‘we know exactly what's wrong with you and we have no idea how to fix it’ look."
I didn't want to ask him how he knew about that specific look. The way he described it made it obvious that someone has given him that look several times; either that or he has physically seen someone be on the receiving end of that look. I wonder if it's because of his mom. He very rarely talks about her or how it has affected him over the years. Once we get all of this Bardo stuff sorted out, maybe I should reach out to him about his mom.
"One thing I do know is that having an opening like that into your mind, it's not good. You each need to close that door. And you need to do it as soon as possible," Deaton declared finally.
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
Close the door. I need to close the door in my mind, as soon as possible. How exactly do I even go about doing such a thing? I can't see the door; therefore I have no idea where it is. I can't touch the door therefore I physically can't close it. So, how am I supposed to close it before things get worse? Before I get worse?
Stiles and Scott were pondering the same question, thinking of ways to close their own door, as we exited the animal clinic. I had planned on going over to Stiles' house tonight, maybe sleeping with him will help keep me from getting up and moving, but before we could get in the jeep another car pulled up.
I knew immediately that it had been Sheriff Stilinski, simply because the vehicle was a Tahoe with Beacon County Sheriff Department printed on the side in green and mustard yellow lettering. Plus, who else would come and seek us out at the animal clinic this late at night?
Stiles quirked an eyebrow at his father's sudden appearance, "Dad? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here because... I could use some help," He drawled out as he rubbed his hands together awkwardly. His eyes then flitted to my brother, "Actually... your help."
It was obvious that by wanting Scott's help it meant that his werewolf abilities would be involved. I'm relieved that Sheriff Stilinski finally knows the inner-workings of his son's force as well as the fact that Stiles' knows the inner-workings of his dad's force. It is so much easier to be around him, my mom included, now that they know everything there is to know about us.
"Why me?" Scott asked dumbly, obviously he hadn't put the innuendo together as quickly as I had. I always knew that I was more intelligent than him, but this is just plain pathetic.
"Because eight years ago, almost an entire family died in car accident. One of the bodies, a young girl named Malia, was never found. There's enough evidence to have me thinking that a werewolf could have caused the accident and then dragged her body away. If you could somehow get a lock on her scent, if you could somehow help me find her body, it might provide the missing clue," Sheriff Stilinski explained, his tone of voice was serious and urgent.
I racked my brain for a memory of hearing about this story, but I must have been entirely too young to retain such a heinous act. I would have been nine years old when Malia ‘went missing’. I wonder how old she had been? Is she around the same age as us or is she older?
"But what if it was a werewolf?" Stiles asked slowly, his honey brown eyes giving their undivided attention to his father.
Sheriff Stilinski glanced at his son in determination, "Well, there's somebody out there who murdered an entire family. Someone who still needs to be caught."
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
Once again, I found myself partaking in another illegal escapade with my boyfriend and twin brother. I should not be surprised that they had asked me to tag along, but to be honest I was more than hoping that these types of illegal acts were far behind us. The only difference this time around, was that Sheriff Stilinski actually knew about what we were doing. In fact he had assigned us this ‘mission' and he was aiding us by acting as a diversion for Malia’s father.
I was exhausted when I woke up this morning and as far as I could tell, sleeping with Stiles proved to help with my sleep walking because I woke up held in his arms. We both had a few instances where we jolted awake, or in Stiles' case started screaming bloody murder, but eventually we fell into a deep sleep and managed to get about four solid hours each.
Stiles led our illegal search party into the Tate household, I was surprised that he was taking the lead, normally we send Scott in first in case we get caught, since he can run away faster that's usually our best bet. I winced as he pushed the door open and the hinges creaked loudly, Scott shot him a look as he continued to push the squeaky door open.
Once we were inside and the door was closed, Stiles made a dash for the bed and started handing off several different stuffed animals to Scott. I busied myself with looking around Malia's room, searching for anything that could possibly be of use.
I noticed a framed picture of two young girls on a blanket in the woods; it looked like they were having a picnic. The smaller girl was holding a bald baby doll, the one who I presumed to be Malia, was sitting beside her grinning widely. I snatched my phone out of my pocket and snapped a photo, maybe we could use it for something, I don't know.
Scott pressed a stuffed elephant to his nose and inhaled the scent deeply before jerking it back, "All I'm getting is some animal smell," he stated.
"What kind of animal?" I asked in confusion whilst turning on my heel so I could face them, putting my back to the door that led to the hallway.
My brother's eyes widened, "Dog."
I then heard the loud bark that nearly caused me to scream, I jumped at Stiles and Scott fearfully, not knowing if the dog would attack or not. My mouth went dry when I took in the sight of the Rottweiler positioned outside of the door, snarling his teeth and barking loudly.
"Apollo! Apollo shut up! Shut the hell up!" Mr. Tate shouted from the other room, I prayed to God that Sheriff Stilinski wouldn't let him come back here.
The dog, or Apollo I guess, instantly stopped barking and whimpered before he turned around and pranced down the hall. I released a breath I hadn't realized that I had been holding, and also the amount of fabric from Stiles' shirt that I had balled up in my hand.
Stiles rolled his eyes before grabbing a book off of Malia's desk and handing it to Scott, "Here try that."
Scott sighed as he sniffed at the book; I didn't see his face light up with the sign of good news, so I figured that he wasn't able to get a scent off of it either. "Anything?" I asked skeptically.
He shook his head from side to side, "All I'm getting is that dog."
"Well that's not very helpful," I sighed in annoyance. Stiles' phone then beeped and he hastily jerked it out of his jacket pocket.
His eyes darted across the screen as he read the text, "My dad just said he left and we need to go. Come on."
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
I was once again in the back seat of the jeep, but this time I really didn't mind. I was kind of enjoying having this much space, so I laid back on the seat and studied the photo that I took of Malia and her sister while Stiles headed to the spot where Sheriff Stilinski wanted to meet up with us about a mile down the road from the Tate household.
Malia wasn't that young to where she would be holding a baby doll was she? I wouldn't think that she would be the smaller of the two girls, but maybe I'm wrong. I just have a gut feeling that she's the older sister in this picture.
I didn't have much more time to try and figure out which girl was Malia before the jeep came to a stop. Due to my lounged out position, I had to scramble up over the seats quickly so I could keep up with Scott and Stiles.
"I'm sorry. I tried as hard as I could, I mean maybe if it wasn't so long ago I might have been able to do it," Scott blurted the second that Sheriff Stilinski caught sight of us.
Sheriff Stilinski shook his head from side to side, "It's okay, and it was a long shot. In fact it was a pretty terrible idea, I think I just ripped a wound open in that poor man. I never should have brought you three here, I don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for trying," he finished as he clapped Scott on the shoulder. He smiled at me before climbing into his car, I returned the gesture as he bid farewell to Stiles and sped off, leaving a small dust cloud in his wake.
"Aren't there a lot of cases that go unsolved?" I asked Stiles after a moment of silence. I hated seeing Sheriff Stilinski so gutted about something that was completely out of his control.
Stiles shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded, "Yeah, but I think this was one that he thought he could have figured out right now."
"Why is it so important now though?" I prodded, wanting to know the full extent on why he was opening up a case from eight years ago.
Stiles glanced at me, "He wants to be able to solve one more while he's still Sheriff."
I rose an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean by ‘still Sheriff’? Is he quitting or something?"
"Your dad is having him impeached."
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
Anger. That was the only thing pumping through my veins as I stomped up the stairs of my porch into the house. Scott was stumbling behind me, fired up as well, but he knew that he wanted to be the one to address the situation because God forbid if I do it, there won't be a house left. I will burn this shit to the ground if I have to, just to get my point across. I don't want to let Scott take the reins on this one though, because this has been building between my father and I for so many years, and now I finally have the proper chance to let it all out.
The moment I pushed through the front door, I knew I would find him in the living room. I dropped my bag to the floor and stomped over to him, he was standing by the television talking on his cell phone. When he saw me his eyes widened slightly before he muttered a good-bye to whomever he had been speaking to.
"Kasey—"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted wildly. Scott finally managed to catch up to me at that point; he dropped his helmet onto the couch and flung his arms over his chest as he awaited our father's answer.
He glanced at the two of us in confusion, "I don't know what you're talking about?"
"Getting Stiles' dad impeached! What the hell is wrong with you! Why would you do that?!" I was screaming and I had no intention on trying to calm myself down.
My dad sighed as he rubbed at his temples, "I am only trying to help—"
"That doesn't make any sense! Who are you trying to help, Dad?" Scott yelled, finally getting to take a metaphorical swing on our father.
Through the years of my burning hatred for the man standing in front of me, Scott has kept his opinions of our dad to himself. He has just silently agreed with whatever I said and just helped me keep my cool and not lose my sanity. It was now obvious that Scott believes that our father is just as much of a monumental disappointment as I do.
"Scott!" my dad snapped, obviously caught off guard by the fact that Scott was on my side in this argument rather than his.
My brother rolled his eyes, "What? I can't believe that you'd do this to my best friend!"
"I'm not doing anything to your friend. I'm doing my job," our dad stated calmly. He even attempted holding his hands up to show that his intentions were anything but personal.
I scoffed, "Yeah well your job sucks, much like your ability to be a decent freaking parent."
"Some days I can't argue that, Kasey," he sighed, his eyes flashing with a thousand apologies that he refused to say aloud.
My mom walked in between us and glanced at the three of us in confusion, "Can somebody tell me what the hell is going on?"
"He's trying to get Stiles' dad fired!" I shrieked as I ran my hands through my hair.
I can't believe this! The nerve that this man possesses is just astounding. First he thinks he can just stroll back into this house and Scott and I are going to welcome him with open arms, and now he thinks he can just impeach Sheriff Stilinski without giving a damn reason? He's insane!
Rafael shook his head from side to side, "No. That's not true."
"What are you doing?" Mom asked in confusion.
He sighed before glancing at her, "Conducting a case for impeachment."
"That sounds a lot like getting him fired," she stated, her irritation with the situation was growing, it was obvious as she placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
I groaned in exasperation, "Thank you!"
"The lack of resolution and ability to close cases is what's going to get him fired. My job is just to collect the information. And it's the job that my superiors have given me," he responded as he glanced at Scott and myself.
My chest was heaving up and down rapidly as I began to hysterically rant once again, "Since when do you care about doing what people need you to do?! We needed you here and you left! Mom needed your help raising your two kids! Scott needed your help with lacrosse! I needed my freaking father! Your job was to be our parent and you left! You left!"
I was too far gone to even comprehend what he was saying in response to my outburst. I was too far gone to question why my mom was leading Scott out of the living room. I was too far gone to shove my dad away from me as he grabbed a hold of my shoulders and started asking me what was wrong.
What's wrong? What's wrong? I don't know, I can't breathe. Why the hell can't I breathe? It hurts, everything hurts. I need to get away from him. I need to get away from here. I need out. I need to get out of my own head. I need to close the door. The door. The door is still open, why won't it close? I want to scream. I need to scream. I can't scream. I'm stuck. I'm stuck just standing here not being able to breathe. The room is spinning. It's spinning and I can't make it stop. Why won't it stop?
"Kasey!" my mom was now in the living room, she was telling my dad to get away from me, I think? What the hell is happening to me? I need to sit down, why can't I move? I feel like I'm paralyzed.
"Hey, hey—Kasey, calm down. Just calm down," she said softly, her words were registering but the command was not. I can't calm down. I'm having another panic attack. Why am I having a panic attack? Why does it have to happen now? I have entirely too much going on to worry about a freaking panic attack right now.
"I—I can't," I choked as I grabbed a hold of her forearms tightly, squeezing them as I tried to slow my breathing down. It won't slow down, if anything it feels like it's speeding up.
She nodded rapidly, "Yes you can. Kasey, you've done this before, right? Find your anchor. You can do this."
"St—Stiles he's not...he's not—" I couldn't even get a sentence out. I can't stop this. I need Stiles. He's usually the one that helps. He's my anchor. I need him. I need Stiles. Where the hell is Stiles?
Scott then came out of nowhere and appeared in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders and forcing me to look at him, "Look at me, you can do this. Kasey, I believe in you."
I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to think of something to hold onto, something to calm me down. I let images of Stiles, Scott, Allison, Lydia, Isaac—hell even Derek, run through my mind. I need someone, something to ground me. I need someone. I need to do this. I can do this. I can do this.
Breathe, Kasey. Breathe in. Breathe out. You're okay. This will pass. Count to ten. One. I'm okay. Two. Stiles is okay. Three. Scott is okay. Four. Mom is okay. Five. Lydia is okay. Six. Isaac is okay. Seven. Allison is okay. Eight. Derek is okay. Nine. Sheriff Stilinski is okay. Ten. I'm okay.
My eyes slowly took in the room that was no longer spinning. I had managed to calm myself back down. Scott sighed in relief and pulled me into his chest, tightly wrapping his arms around my shoulders. My mom was smiling as well, it was apparent that she was proud of me and how I managed to do this on my own. My dad had a look of pure horror etched across his face, and I relished in the fact that seeing me like that upset him more than any of my words ever could.
☾ ☾ ☽ ☽
I don't know if it was the argument with my dad or if it was the idea of being utterly useless in this entire situation, but something pushed me to grab a hold of Scott and lead him out of the house. Something pushed me to drive the car to Stiles' house. Something pushed me to develop the plan to go searching for Malia's body, and now... that something was starting to tell me that this was a terrible idea.
"You know if my dad's right, that means there's another werewolf in town that we haven't met yet," Stiles said as we strolled through the woods in the late hours of the evening.
I was getting flashbacks, or well, I guess they would be classified as images since there aren't any actual memories with them. I don't know why I'm so scared to be out here right now, I have Scott with me and I know he will be able to keep my safe from anything stronger than what Stiles could keep me safe from.
"I know," Scott replied as he glanced at the GPS on his phone. I had been surprised that he actually suggested an intelligent plan. He put in the location of where the car that the Tate family had been driving was supposedly still at, and with his GPS he had managed to get a set of directions through the eerie and murky woods.
My eyes glanced around nervously. "Yeah well if it turns out to be like triplets that form into some Hydra type shit, I'm seriously considering packing my bags and moving out of this town," I muttered.
Stiles nodded, "Yeah me too."
"Yeah well I'm not up for fighting a Hydra either, especially since I can't even control my own transformation anymore," Scott said with a sigh as he maneuvered the flashlight around in front of us.
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket as I trudged along next to Scott. I had absolutely no patience for my hair on the drive over here so I pulled it up into a pony tail and called it a day. It was swaying form side to side as I hastily attempted to keep up with my brother, who was walking entirely too fast for Stiles and myself at the moment.
A coyote howl reverberated around the woods, seeming to hit every tree as it bounced around us. Stiles jumped and knocked his broad shoulder right into me, his hand shooting out and grabbing a hold of my arm. The sudden force from the impact of his body caused me to stumble and I hit Scott, which resulted in him dropping his cell phone down a small hill, and of course it happened to land in a puddle.
Scott shot me a look, "Seriously?"
"Okay, that technically wasn't my fault. Scaredy cat over here practically jumped on me," I stated as I held my hands up in defense. It's not my fault that Stiles doesn't think things through before he jumps on people.
Stiles swallowed nervously as he glanced down the hill, "Sorry buddy. I hate coyotes so much. They always sound like their mauling some tiny, little helpless animal."
"That's probably because they are," I retorted as Scott hopped down the hill. I rolled my eyes as Stiles attempted to slide down but he slipped at the end and nearly fell over. He responded with one of his usual spastic head bobs before turning around and grabbing a hold of me, placing a hand on both of my hips, and guided me down. The rock at the bottom was damp and my foot slid out from underneath me.
Instinctively I snatched up a fistful of his shirt as he securely pulled me against his chest, "Wow you're clumsy."
I shot him an irritated look, "And you're annoying."
"Ouch, that as a bit harsh—"
"The phone still works," Scott said loudly, obviously trying to get Stiles and myself to stop the banter.
I swatted at Stiles' hand as he attempted to grab my waist and pull me back against him, "That's awesome, go Samsung."
Stiles then reached for the flashlight in Scott's hand, "Let me see the flashlight." I watched as he pointed the light off to the side as he stumbled around me. I gasped as I caught sight of the overturned car that was about twenty feet in front of us.
"I think we actually found it!" I squealed in excitement as I jogged over to the car. It has been in this exact same spot for eight years, eight freaking years.
Scott swallowed thickly, "Uh, why wouldn't they move it? Isn't it evidence?"
"Probably too much of a pain in the ass to tow out," Stiles stated as he crouched down beside the car, flashing the light inside of it.
I was much too interested in trying to solve this mystery, so I was down on the ground checking the inside of the car as well. I wanted to find the answers to help Stiles' dad. It's the least I can do since my piece of shit sperm donor is trying to get him fired.
"Hey guys, look at this," I said as I gestured to the linear markings on the dented door. They looked like a more gruesome rendition of nails on a chalkboard. Stiles directed the light to the door as Scott extended his fingers and ran them along the track of the lines.
Stiles nodded, "Animal claws would be closer together, right? A lot closer."
"Then it was a werewolf," Scott stated the thought on all three of our minds. It had to be something like him, his fingers matched up with the lines on the door perfectly. A regular coyote couldn't possibly do that, right?
I glanced at Stiles, "Your dad was right."
Without thinking I grabbed the flashlight from Stiles' hand and dropped back down to the ground, practically crawling inside of the car. My ass happened to hit the frame and I hissed as I felt the broken metal break the skin. It's a good thing I had my lockjaw vaccination.
"Kasey will you be careful? You're freaking bleeding!" Stiles stressed, I could practically see him running a hand through his hair as I continued to clamber around inside of the overturned car.
The light hit a small hand that was shoved beneath a seat. I squinted my eyes as I snatched a hold of it and jerked it out of the tight space. When I realized it was a baby doll, I quickly retracted my body out of the car and handed it to Stiles, "Look what I found."
Stiles held the doll in his hands as he glanced at it in confusion, out of nowhere the automated voice box inside of the damn stuffed chest then said, "I'm hungry." My boyfriend let out a very manly scream as he threw the doll right at me, hitting me in the shoulder. Scott jumped back and gasped as he pulled a hand to his heart. I, myself, let out a shriek, but at least I didn't throw the damn flashlight.
"I think I just had a minor heart attack," Stiles said from his position on the ground.
My eyes widened as I snatched up the doll and threw it back at him, "You just hit me!"
"Well I'm sorry, the damn thing just started talking I panicked," he muttered as he pushed himself up and dusted off the arms of his jacket.
I snorted, "So your immediate reaction is to throw it at your girlfriend?"
Stiles opened his mouth to retort but a low growling cut him off. I glanced over my shoulder to see two bright blue eyes shrouded with darkness in the trees behind me. Hesitantly I took a step towards Stiles and Scott.
"Please tell me you two see that,” Scott said slowly as he kept his eyes locked on whatever was behind that tree.
I gulped, "Oh, I see it."
The blue eyes then darted to the left and Scott wasted no time sprinting off after them. Stiles shouted at him to wait, but it was futile. Whenever Scott went off after something there was no stopping him. I learned this a long time ago.
"Well this is just great."
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Well, this chapter seemed to drag a bit while I was writing it. I really enjoyed writing the panic attack scene though, it was really fun for me. Stiles and Kasey haven't been having a lot of romantic scenes together so far, and this is just a warning that the Stasey relationship is not going to be a physical one this season. They both have a lot going on and after a particular scene in the near future, they won't be having too many affectionate scenes. I would apologize but I'm not really sorry, so... But anyway, I hope you are liking the direction that 3b is taking so far. I have so many awesome plot twists and such planned. It honestly is going to be one hell of a season and I hope you are all read for the twists and turns that I have woven into the storyline from the show with my own thoughts and plot lines!
Be sure to fan, vote, and comment what you thought! xx