Hollis stood in the stillness of the forest, camera raised to her eye. The forest was still save for the twigs that crunched under her feet, the occasional wind that rustled the leaves and the chirping of birds as they fluttered above. By the time she had gotten home, her dad had been on his way out. Other than a brief greeting, they hadn't had a chance to delve into a conversation other than the basics. Hollis had informed him of the car, who's stalling had ceased on the drive home. The news still disturbed him, seeing as how the car had just been repaired a little over a month ago. He had advised against going out but Hollis was itching to get some pictures taken. She didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Carrillo, considering the generous extension she had given to her.
Her submission to the literary magazine was long overdue but she still had a chance. Although she hadn't been certain if she wanted to enter anything at the start of the year, that doubt had faded. Now was her chance to get a piece of her work published, even if only the students and faculty would see it. It was still something, though. A short story accompanied by a picture of her own taking would be perfect, just like Mrs. Carrillo had suggested a little over a week ago. But the idea for the story was still out of reach, and Hollis knew that the picture would have to come first.
Focusing the lens upward, she took a picture of the treetops. The blue sky was radiant against the now changing leaves that were tinted with reds, yellows and oranges. A smile spread across her face as she quickly set the camera setting to black and white. She snapped another picture then moved away from her spot, eyes searching the area for something else, something...better.
She moved deeper into the Beacon Hills Preserve, moving up to where the view would be more spectacular. Hollis knew that it was a dumb move, considering that the mountain lion was still out there. For all she knew, it was in the forest with her right now, watching her. She shook that thought off despite the chills that went down her back.
When that thought left, another entered. This one seemed to disturb her more than possibly getting attacked by a wild animal. Her mind traveled back to earlier that day in the school parking lot, to the obvious lie Stiles and Scott told her. They were horrible liars, that much she knew. But that fact they tried to force down that ridiculous story about Derek traveling all the way to the school to get to the hospital was ridiculous.
She felt angry but, most of all, hurt. The reason for their lie was unclear and, even though she wanted to know the truth, it was beside the point. Something was clearly going on, and she couldn't help but recall Jackson's earlier words of drugs. It seemed ridiculous but, then again, what could it be?
Lost in her thoughts, she had trekked up the hill. Her boots caught on roots and rocks and slipped on leaves during her walk but she had made it.
"Finally," she said breathlessly, grabbing onto the tree in front of her. She took a second to catch her breath but when she looked forward, her breath caught in her throat. Her previous thoughts of Stiles, Scott and Derek vanished from her mind as she looked ahead. The view from this far up was amazing. The entire town of Beacon Hills was laid out before her, tiny dots that were presumably houses and buildings.
Hollis reached for her camera, too excited to rest. Looking through the lens, she captured the brilliant fall colors that made up the small town. She could surely use this as a start to a story, perhaps darken the image or make certain colors show while making the entire photo black and white. Whatever she would do, she was beyond excited. Ideas for a haunting yet beautiful story revolved around her mind. After she snapped a few more pictures from every angle and distance, she decided that she had enough.
She quickly looked through the pictures on the small screen to make sure that they weren't distorted. They weren't. Smiling, she put the camera into her bag.
The amount of time it took her to take those few pictures was longer than Hollis had thought. The sky had turned from a bright blue to a darker shade, turning the afternoon into early evening. A thought lingered in her mind, an urge to take another picture of the day at its end. It would be beautiful with the different sky colors mixing with the twinkling lights that started to come on down below. But... If she didn't start to head back now then she would be risking the chance of walking the forest at night. With the animal still on the loose, it was dangerous. Her being here right now was dangerous as it was and being here at night was even more so.
With a sigh, Hollis fought the urge of reaching for her camera. But the urge won. A few moments passed as she adjusted the lens and settings then brought it to her eye.
It's worth it, she thought with a smile as she snapped a picture of a town that would soon be swallowed up by night. She checked the picture and, satisfied, returned the camera to her bag.
Hollis retraced her footsteps, taking the same path back down. The time it took her to walk the length back to the road, to where she had left her car, night had befallen. The beautiful afternoon had turned eerie and dark. The sensation of something, someone, watching her unnerved her. A shiver passed through her as she hugged her jacket closer and quickened her pace to the car.
Once she was inside the safety of the car, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She let out a shaky laugh and told herself she was being silly, paranoid. Taking her keys, she turned on the engine that sputtered to life. Her heart sunk when the 'check engine' light appeared but when she put the car in drive, it moved along slowly.
"Thank God," she said quietly.
But as those words left her lips, the car halted. She hit the gas but the car stubbornly stood in place. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned the car off. Hollis waited a few seconds before turning the key, only to get a few protests that didn't get further than that.
"Ok, seriously?" Hollis sighed, resting her head on the steering wheel. "This is not happening right now. Come on, car." She tried to start the car but failed and, after a few tries, she knew it was no use. Pointless.
Unbuckling the seatbelt, she got out of the car and into the dark night that was lit by a few spread out streetlamps that hardly provided any light at all. Popping the hood, Hollis stared determinedly into the engine. All she saw were pieces of metal with wires that connected to other things. What those 'things' were, she had no idea. A few minutes passed before she lowered the hood, the sound reverberating off the street.
Pulling her phone out, she dialed the Armor Tire and Services Center. The phone was answered after a few rings, and she sighed in relief when she heard the mechanic's voice.
"Armor Tire. This is Tucker," the young male said.
"Hi!" Hollis said, almost too cheerfully. She cleared her throat then continued. "This is Hollis Griffin. You guys fixed my car a month back or so and..."
"Do you want to pick it up?" He asked, his voice uninterested.
"What? No. I-I already did. But it's been stalling these past few days, and the check engine light is on and..."
"Oh, okay," Tucker said, and she could picture him nodding. "Well, bring it in and I'll take a look. We're closing soon but if you hurry, you can drop it off tonight."
Hollis leaned against the hood of the car and sighed. "I can't. The car doesn't even start. I'm stranded on the side of the road and...."
"Right, right. I get it," he said. "Well, uh, then bring it in tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, running her free hand through her hair. "No, you don't get it," she said with a small, humorless laugh. "I can't bring it in. The car doesn't start. Do you think you can send a towing truck or something?"
The sound of him typing on the keyboard flooded through the receiver. He stayed quiet for the better part of a minute, and the music from a radio far off was audible. "I can't send one tonight, unfortunately. We're closing soon, like I said. But tomorrow I will, okay? At about ten in the morning."
His words floated around her mind, and she closed her eyes. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Alright, fine."
"Great," he answered, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Anything else I can help with?"
"No, thanks. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and shook her head before she put her phone in her pocket.
Her eyes looked around the dark road and towards the forest that looked darker, if that was at all possible. A slight wind picked up, whistling as it rustled the branches and loose leaves that covered the ground. At every snap of a branch, every chirp of a bird, Hollis jumped. She knew she was being silly but, then again, she was stranded on the side of a road...alone and in the dark.
She kicked herself for coming out to take pictures, for having taken so long photographing one scene and for stopping to take that last one. Perhaps if she had been finished earlier and hadn't stopped, she could have gotten a towing truck. But, she hadn't.
Hollis glanced off into the forest, where the sound of faint footprints sounded. The steps were quick, agile. She told herself it was a deer or, to make herself feel better, a bunny. But then a low growl sounded, which threw the bunny theory out the window. Eyes wide, she searched the forest but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But, upon another look, her eyes caught something that made her heart race: a pair of red eyes staring through the almost bare branches, focused directly at her.
Slowly, she backed up until she stood by the drivers' side door with her hand on the handle. But Hollis knew that the chance of escaping, of driving down the street and being home in a matter of minutes wouldn't happen. She fished her phone out and turned the screen on, illuminating the small area in front of her. She stared at the screen, wondering whom she could call. Her finger hovered over the numbers. Taking a deep breath, Hollis looked back towards the forest. She hoped she had imagined the red eyes but one look told her it wasn't in her imagination. Another growl, louder this time, emanated from the animal. But, she could see that she was only being watched as the animal hadn't moved or attacked.
Yet, she thought as her heart sped up.
The sound of a car tore her eyes away from the animal. The headlights bright, Hollis shielded her eyes with her hand and willed for the driver to stop, to help. Much to her relief, the car slowed as it approached before it had come to a complete stop. Still blinded by the headlights, she didn't know who it was until her name was spoken.
"Hollis?" Stiles asked, walking around the car and towards her.
She sighed in relief, forgetting the fact that she was upset with him. Hollis closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.
Clearly surprised, it took him a moment before he hugged her back. "Are you ok?" He held her at arms length, moving a few strands of her hair out of her face. "What happened?"
Hollis nodded with a sigh. "It's a long story. Well, not really long but...." She looked over her shoulder but could no longer see the glowing, red eyes. "My car kind of broke down. I came out here to take a few pictures but now I'm stranded."
"Are you sure that's it? You looked freaked out," he said with concern.
A small laugh escaped her lips although it held no trace of humor. "I saw that mountain lion people were talking about. It was back there," she said, looking in that direction again. When she looked up at him, she noticed the worried expression on his face. "At least I think I saw it. I don't know. Maybe it's just my imagination but..." Hollis paused and shrugged.
"What's wrong with the car?" He asked, briefly looking at it.
"It's been stalling but now the 'check engine' light is on. It won't start."
"Ok. We should go. Come on, I'll take you home," Stiles said.
"I can't just leave my car," Hollis said.
"I'll call my dad. He'll take care of it, don't worry," he told her with a nod.
Hollis considered this then nodded. "Let me just grab my stuff."
Once she had everything, she climbed into the Jeep and closed the door just as Stiles ended a phone call with his dad. He nodded to her to let her know it would be okay, and she relaxed. She still had the faint feeling they were being watched but the fear she had felt earlier vanished. They started down the road with the first couple minutes in silence.
"Why were you out here?" Stiles asked, breaking the silence.
Her head resting against the seat, she looked over at him. "I told you. Pictures," she said and pulled her camera out of her bag for him to see.
"That was...Hollis, you could have gotten hurt." Stiles said, his eyes going from the road to her. "Or worse."
"I know, okay? It was dumb." Hollis brushed her hair out of her eyes. "But nothing happened."
"But it could've," he said with a shake of his head. "That animal could have attacked you."
"I'm not even sure if what I saw was real." Hollis thought back to what had been watching her. She could still see its eyes, hear it's growl in her mind. It had been close. With a shrug, she said, "I mean, what kind of mountain lion has glowing red eyes?"
Stiles looked at her with worry but remained quiet, his eyes focused on the road. "Next time, ask someone to go with you, Hollis. Or, you know, me."
Hollis stifled a humorless laugh, rolling her eyes. "Right. Well, I would've asked but you were too busy with...what was it again? Derek's so-called stomach virus?" She looked over at him, remembering the lie he had told earlier. "Or was it a flu? I can't really keep it straight."
"I...what?" He asked nervously.
"Forget it," she said with a sigh, shaking her head.
Stiles frowned. "What's wrong?"
"You lied, Stiles. That's what's wrong." She said angrily yet her face showed the hurt she felt. "Whatever was wrong with Derek and whatever you and Scott were up to was a lie. You two are horrible liars. I just...why couldn't you tell me the truth?"
"Hollis, I-" Stiles said then paused with a look of guilt. "I-I'm sorry. I can't...I couldn't," he said with a sigh, shaking his head. It looked like he wanted to say more but remained quiet.
Hollis played with a loose thread on her bag, keeping her eyes down. "You could've just said that you couldn't tell me, you know." She saw the surprised expression his face and, when he didn't say anything, she continued. "I don't expect you to tell me everything, you know. But you lied and that's not okay. I mean, yeah, I'll be annoyed when you say you can't tell me something but it's better than lying."
"Ok," he said, looking her way. "No more lies."
"Promise?"
"Promise," Stiles said, smiling.
That anger and hurt she had felt towards him faded. Although she wanted to know what he and Scott had been up to, she didn't press further and accepted it. As a smile tugged at her lips, she placed her hand on top of his. "Thanks for helping me out back there. I probably would've been stranded all night."
Stiles smiled but shrugged casually. "I'm sure someone else would've shown up to help."
"Yeah, maybe. But I'm glad it was you," she said.
His smile grew, and he looked towards the road. A couple quiet yet comfortable minutes passed by before he cleared his throat. "So, uh, what are the pictures for?"
"Oh, uhm, they're for that dumb school magazine," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "Mrs. Carrillo wants me to submit something so I figured I'd write a short story that went along with a picture and..." she trailed off then shrugged.
"That's not dumb," Stiles told her. "It's great. Really great."
Hollis smiled, turning her attention towards the loose string.
"Can I see the pictures sometime?" He asked.
"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I just need to make sure they're not horrible first but after. Definitely."
Her house appeared on her right with the first floor lit up. As soon as Stiles parked in the driveway, the door to the house flung open and her dad appeared. He looked angry yet worried as he walked to the car, waiting for her to get out.
Closing her eyes, she sighed but turned to Stiles. "This will be fun," she said as she unbuckled the seatbelt. "Thanks again."
"See you tomorrow," he said. "And good luck."
When Hollis stepped out of the car, her dad looked towards Stiles. "Thanks for bringing her home." Then he looked at her, his expression angry. "Do you know how stupid that was, Hollis? I told you not to take the car out tonight. You could've gotten hurt."
She opened her mouth to speak but her dad held up a hand, silencing her.
"I don't want to hear it." He shook his head, looking drained. "Just be glad the car didn't break down while you were driving. What was so important that you had to go out anyway?"
Hollis stayed quiet then spoke with a sigh. "I needed pictures for class so I went to the Preserve..."
"The Preserve?! With an animal on the loose?" Grant asked, shaking his head in disbelief. He opened his mouth and closed it, deciding against what he wanted to say.
"I'm sorry," Hollis said quietly, and his expression softened some. "I know it was dumb and dangerous but..." she paused, sighing.
"I know. Just...later, okay?" Grant said, running a hand down his face. He looked down at her, unable to meet her eye. "We'll talk later."
Nodding, Hollis stepped past him and into the house.
AN: The things Hollis goes through for photography, right? Good thing Stiles came to the rescue :) Do you have any ideas why the mountain lion didn't attack? If you do, please comment down below. Also, please don't forget to cast a vote for this chapter and share the story. I can't wait to hear from you! Until next week <3