Chapter Fifty-Eight
⚡Relics⚡
"It's a relic." Lydia said as she held out Jake Sullivan's ID to Scott and Malia in the hallway, "What's a relic?" Malia asked confused. "An object with a fix association to the past. Jake's ID was left behind after he was taken and Gwen found her sister's bracelet in her bathroom." Lydia explained but Malia still looked confused.
"How can someone be erased and still leave something behind?" Malia asked and Lydia sighed slightly, "Conservation of mass. The total of mass of any isolated system remains constant." She explained and realization crossed over Scott's features.
"So the Ghost Riders have a weakness." He said and Malia nodded slightly, "A relic would be the prove that Stiles and Odie existed." She said and Scott smiled, looking hopeful.
"And we could bring them back."
⚡
"You want to look through my house?" Charles asked as Lydia stood in front of his desk and nodded, "Yours and the Sheriff's. People are leaving things behind. So if Odie and Stiles left anything..." She trailed off and he furrowed his brows slightly.
"Why it would be there?" He asked and she sighed softly, "You can't just erase people. They leave things behind." She said and he nodded slightly. "You know, I was up late last night grading papers and making future assignments. I wanted to put them in my car but I needed help so I went to call Grant but I didn't. I said another name..." He trailed off and she nodded.
"Odie."
⚡
After talking to the Sheriff, Lydia stood around in Charles' and Grant's house, looking around at all the pictures. "Want anything to drink while you look?" Grant asked making Lydia look over at him with an awkward smile. "No, I'm good. But thank you though." She said and he nodded, "Alright, tell me if you need anything." He said and she nodded.
He went to turn around to walk away but stopped and turned back to her, "Oh and, don't go into any of the bedrooms. They're the ones with closed doors." He said and she nodded. He smiled and walked away making her start to look at everything again.
She slowly started to walk down a hall before subconsciously stopping at a dark grey door. She glanced around the hall to see all the other doors were unpainted wood doors except for this one. She slowly pressed her hand against the door, "You feel it don't you?" A british male voice said making her jump and turn to see a sixteen year old boy standing next to her.
"What?" She asked and he smiled softly, "Follow your gut feeling. You have for a reason." He said and Lydia turned back to the door for a moment before turning to him again only to see he was gone. She sighed softly before turning back to the door, she slowly wrapped her hand around the door knob and was about to open the door.
"What are you doing?" Someone asked suddenly making her jump away from the door and turn to see Grant, "I told you not to go into any of the bedrooms." He said and she looked at him wide eyed. "I- I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." She said and he scoffed slightly, "Clearly." He said.
"I uh... I'm gonna go to the Sheriff's house." She said then awkwardly walked away before Grant could say anything. He watched her walk away until he couldn't see her and more before looking at the door and shaking his head slightly before walking away.
A few minutes after leaving Grant and Charles' house, Lydia now stands in the living room of the Stilinski house hold looking at pictures by the TV. "Something I can do to help." Claudia asked making Lydia look over at her, "No. Thank Mrs. Stilinski." She said with a smile making Claudia smiled and nod.
"Well, good luck. I'll leave you to it." Claudia before walking away. Lydia sighed softly as she then turns around, looks at the hallway where she talked to the old woman the other day.
She slowly walks down the hallway and finds the exact spot the old woman was standing and she hears air escaping from behind the wallpaper. She tries to touch the wall but then a man appears next to her making her jump. It was like back at Charles' house but this time it was a different guy.
"You didn't see it, didn't you? It's right in front of your face."
The guy's words echoed as Lydia turned to the wall and once she touches it, she turns her attention back to the guy only to see him gone. She sighed before slowly grabbing a piece of wallpaper and starts peeling it but someone grabs her wrist.
"What are you doing?!" Claudia asked and Lydia tried to take her arm away but Claudia's grip tightened. "You're hurting me." She said and Claudia lets her go before trying to stick the piece of wallpaper back to the wall.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Lydia said making Claudia scoff and look at her, "I think that's something we can agree on."
⚡
Lydia sat behind the computer in her mother's office when Natalie walked in, "Were you tearing Cluadia Stilinski's wallpaper off her wall?" She asked incredulously making Lydia slowly look up at her. "No." Lydia said and Natalie gave her a look making Lydia purse her lips, "Maybe. Yes... I also might have tried to go into a room at Charles' house right after Grant told me not to." Lydia said making Natalie sigh.
"Both Claudia and Grant are worried about your mental health." Natalie said and Lydia sighed softly, "I saw people in the hallways of both houses. People that Grant and Mrs. Stilinski didn't see." She said and Natalie nodded slightly. "If Claudia and Grant don't see ghosts. That's because they're not a Banshee. Sure Grant is a werewolf, but they don't see ghosts." Natalie said.
"I think they were trying to help me find something Odie and Stiles left behind. A relic." Lydia said and Natalie raised her eyebrows, "Did you?" She asked making Lydia sigh. "No. They both sent me away before I could find anything." She said and Natalie laughs sarcastically and nodded, "That's probably because you were tearing wallpaper and going into places you shouldn't go."
Natalie walked around the desk to see Lydia was looking at and sees that Lydia found Claudia's student information making her sigh. "Oh, honey. I've known Claudia since high school. I trust her." Natalie said and Lydia pursed her lips, "I wanted to look up Grant too but, he lived in France..." She trailed off.
"Do you know what a confirmation bias is?" Natalie asked, "The tendency to interpret an information in a way to confirm it is really a interception." Lydia answered and Natalie nodded. "Yes! It's a bias perspective. You're looking for prove to support what you believe it's truth. Because you want it to be truth." Natalie said and Lydia sighed.
"Stiles and Odie are real. I know it." She said and Natalie sighed, "Do you believe there's a possibility they're not?" She asked and Lydia shook her head making Natalie nod.
"Okay. Tell me everything you know. I'll be your unbiased perspective."
At the lacrosse field, the players are getting ready to play as a huge crowd of people cheers them on. Scott turns to Liam and Corey as they walk up to the sidelines. "I'll stay with Steinbach and Wallace." Scott said before turning to Liam and pointing ar Gwen, "You stay with Gwen." He said then turned to Corey.
"You're on Okafur." He said making Corey look over at Okabur tying his shoes then at Scott in doubt, "What if I see the Ghost Riders?" He asked. "Yell. Get ready to fight." Scott said before the referee blew the whistle.
Okabur gets the ball and runs toward the goal but one player of the Bulldog team knocks Corey, right next to Okafur, much to his annoyance, and steals the ball. "Find your own space." Okafur said making Corey sigh softly. The player that took the ball from Okafur runs toward the goal of Beacon Hills, throws the ball and scores, making the crown boo.
Gwen and another player from the Bulldogs face off and the referee blows his whistle to start the play again. Gwen takes out the ball but Liam goes against her and both of them fall on the ground and groan in pain. Gwen takes out her helmet and raised her eyebrows at him, "Do you wanna call off?" She asked as the Bulldogs scored another point.
Now the Bulldogs are winning 2-0, much to Coach and the Beacon Hills crowd's disappointement. Next, Wallace or Steinbach gets the ball but Scott bumps into him making the three of them fall on the ground, much to Wallace and Steinbach's annoyance. "C'mon, man. There's no ghost in here, McCall."
The Bulldogs score again, making the result 3-0, much to Coach Finstock's anger. "What are you doing out there?! I'm gonna kill the three of you!"
After a while, Scott slowed to a stop as he watched players from Beacon Hills and players from the Bulldogs completely fighting each other or in screaming matches. "What's gotten into everyone?" Liam asked as he walked up to Scott who shook his head slightly.
"What if it's the Wild Hunt? What if it's affecting everyone?" Scott suggested and almost instantly thunder roared above them and the wind started blowing harder. Soon enough rain started falling heavily along with lightning crackling, "They're here." Corey said, running up to Scott.
"Liam!" Scott yelled as Liam, who stood next to Gwen staring out in the distance in front if them, took his helmet off. "I see them!" He called back staring at the three figured on horses heading to the field. All of the sudden lights cracked and sparked before shutting off and the ref blew the whistle, signaling for the game to end.
Players started to run off the field while Liam grabbed Gwen and ran over to Scott and Corey and a couple other teammates that they were keeping eyes on. "Okay. We've got all three, right?" Scott asked making Liam turn to him, "Scott, there were four." He said making Scott's eyes widen
Scott grabbed Corey's wrist to see a Ghost Rider on a horse dragging a teammate before he disappeared in a could of green smoke.
"Oh my God! They're real." Okafur said as he took off his helmet, "We got to get out of here." Wallace said and Liam shook his head. "Stay together, we'll protect you." He said making Gwen look at him crazy, "How?" She asked as three Ghost Riders started running toward them.
"Run!" Scott yelled and they went to run as he grabbed Corey's arm. They all stopped when they turned around to see themselves surrounded by Ghost Riders. One of them pointed their guns before shouting at Okafur making him disappear in a puff of green smoke.
Scott tried to grab him, making him let go of Corey's arms but he froze when he realized he could still see the Ghost Riders. "I can still see them!" He yelled as Liam spun around. He noticed a Ghost Rider aiming at Liam maki him let out a loud growl before tackling the Ghost Rider off its horse.
They wrestled for a bit until the Ghost Rider threw Liam off of him before standing up and aiming at Wallace. Scott let out a loud roar but before he could do anything Wallace disappeared in a cloud of green smoke. "We can't stop them!" Liam yelled as he ran back over to them.
"Protect Gwen!" Scott yelled before letting out another loud roar.
Scott and Liam both growled at the Ghost Riders surrounding them as Gwen looked around. All of the sudden she ran up in front of them, "Come on!" She yelled and one of the Ghost Riders aimed at her. "No!" Scott yelled going to grab her but right as he got to her she disappeared in a cloud of green smoke just like the others.
Scott, Liam and Corey looked around to see the field completely empty, not a single Ghost Rider in sight as the rain cleared up.
⚡
"You want what?!" Melissa asked incredulously before realizing how loud she was and brought her voice lower as she looked at Lydia and Natalie, "You want what?" She asked.
"Claudia's medical records. Just for a minute. We know it's a lot to ask." Lydia said and Melissa nodded, "It's up there. It's way up there." She said and Natalie sighed softly. "As the more recently enlightened of the two of us, just trust me. There are lives at stake." She said and Melissa raised her eyebrows at her.
"Letting the two of you look at private medical records is completely and utterly against hospital regulations." She said making the two Martins look at each other, "So, we better make this fast." Melissa said.
A few minutes later the three of them stood in a back room as Melissa type away on a computer. "Sorry, guys. According to her medical records, Claudia never had children." Melissa said and Lydia leaned down to look at the screen before pointing something out.
"Well, but she had-"
"Frontotemporal Dementia..." Melissa trailed off before furrowing her brows, "There must be a mistake." She mumbled as she shook her head. "How long ago? She seems fine now." Natalie asked and Melissa read the screen for a second, "Ten years? I'm surprised she's still alive, honestly. It's a miracle." She said.
"Is there anyway you could look up Grant's medical records?" Lydia asked and Melissa typed something in before shaking her head, "It looks like his records haven't been transferred over from France yet." She said before typing something else. "But luckily, you can look up just about anyone on the internet." She said as she typed Grant's name into google.
"Wait, wait-" Lydia said before Melissa could scroll at all, "The first one. The first article." She said pointing at the top article titled "Un homme d’affaires français assassiné chez lui."
(Translation: French business man murdered in his home.)
Melissa clicked on the french article before running it through a translator then reading it. "A successful business man in Paris named Grant Alarie was found... dead in his home." Melissa making their eyes widened, she paused first a second as she kept reading before reading it out loud.
"His daughter, who will only disclose herself as Odie, was present during the murder and said that the women who murdered her father was her mother. Her mother goes by the name... Kate Argent..." Melissa read and Natalie shook her head. "That has to be a fake article someone wrote, right? It's impossible." She said and Lydia sighed and shook her head.
"It's not a relic... but it's a clue."
⚡
"Is he okay?" Scott asked as Melissa and another nurse wheeled Argent past him and Malia. "He has blunt force trauma to his temporal bone, three broken ribs, and multiple surface lacerations, which seem to be from whip marks? What he needs is a lot of rest." Melissa said before pushing him into a room.
"What happened?" Lydia asked as she walked up to them, "The Ghost Riders took everyone. We barely slowed them down." Malia said and Scott turned to Lydia. 'Tell us you found something." He said and she signed.
"I found out Claudia never had children. So, Stiles can't be her son." Lydia said and Malia raised her eyebrows. "What about a relic?" Lydia asked and just shook her head defeatedly. "There never was a Stiles, was there?" Malia asked and Scott sighed, "It doesn't even sound like a real name." Scott.
"I found out something else though. No relic but I found a French article." She said making them raise their eyebrows, "It talked about a French business man named Grant Alarie who murdered. His daughter, Odie, said that her mother who goes by Kate Argent killed him." She said making them look at each other wide eyed.
"If that article was real that means so is Odie. Which means Stiles probably is too. We have to keep looking. Check the school records again, or call Scott's dad-" Lydia said and Malia cut her off, "We're fighting the wrong battle." Malia said and Lydia shook her head.
"We're trying to bring Stiles and Odie back." She said and Malia shook her head slightly, "The Ghost Riders came back. We still have no way of stopping them. And whatever they are, they're real. We can't keep chasing people who aren't." Malia said and Lydia sighed.
"They didn't leave anything behind... Just us."