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 for the Ibuprofen empty.
"Mom, I'm going to the store. Mom, did you hear me?" to herself, "Of course, you didn't. You would have heard me screaming like a lunatic."
Grabbing a jacket, she pauses to notice the full moon outside the window. With a sigh, she shakes her head at herself. "Lunatic,"
~~~~
The door to Lydia's car clicks open. She steps out with her eyes on her phone as she thumbs a text message, walking briskly across the empty parking lot.
But she stops short.
Slowly peering up, she finds she's not at the store, but at the Beacon Hills public pool. Glancing about in confusion, her breath tightens noticeably.
And then she spots an object in the darkened pool. Something floating there.
Inching forward, Lydia tries to make out what it is. With each step, it becomes clearer... A body floating in the water.
"Oh God....," she whispers terrified.
She starts toward it, but then indecision halts her. She looks back to her car. Then to the body in the pool.
"That's not a dead body," A voice says behind Lydia startling her. She turns around and sees Bella.
Bella walks over, "It's a CPR mannequin. The real body is on the lifeguard chair.
slowly turning her head to look up.
Perched in the lifeguard chair is the body of an eighteen year-old boy, wet blood still flowing down his clothes from a horribly slashed throat. Lydia screams.
Bella winces, "there's the scream,"
"Who are you?" Lydia asks, once she stopped, backing away from Lydia.
"I'm you..." Bella begins to say, but Lydia interrupts.
"What?"
Bella sighs, "What I mean is I've been where you are now, blackouts wondering around only to wake up near a dead body, random screams not knowing why you screamed, any of that ring a bell, Lydia?"
"How do you know my name?" Lydia asks, freaking out.
"I'm Bella," she introduces herself, "and I know your name because Astrid told me I'm part of her pack,"
A bit relaxed but still cautious Lydia asks, "Do you know what's happening to me?"
Bella nods, "It's because you're a Banshee Lydia and so I'm I,"
~~~~
An electric candle clicks on inside a tent. One-by-one, over a dozen light up, an amber glow flickering around a young woman named Caitlin. She looks out the open tent flap.
"You coming?"
"There's a snake out here the size of a train." Emily says from outside.
Caitlin chuckles, "Kick it."
"If I kick it, it will swallow my foot and drag me back to Mordor." Emily jokes.
Caitlin shakes her head amused, "Then step over it."
Caitlin hears a shuffle of feet and then Emily bursts through the flap of the tent, scrambling inside. They both laugh as she falls back into Caitlin's arms. Then Emily notices the candles.
"Nice touch."
Caitlin threads her fingers through Emily's. Then slowly lowers her lips to Emily's for a gentle kiss.
"You're nervous." Caitlin tells her.
"You make me nervous." Emily responds.
"Is that good or bad?" Caitlin asks.
"All good." Emily answers smiling. She brushes Caitlin's hair from her cheek, a thumb against her soft skin. Caitlin leans forward to kiss her again, but
Emily sits up. "Okay, that's a mood killer."
She nods to the silhouette of a large beetle crawling up the outside of the tent, a Pine Sawyer at almost two inches long.
Caitlin thumps her hand against the beetle. The silhouette disappears. But another beetle begins crawling up. Caitlin thumps that one as well.
"Okay?"
Elily sighs in relief, "Better."
They kiss. More intense this time, bodies pressing closer. Emily's nervousness subsides as she lets Caitlin kiss her chin, her neck and--she screams.
Caitlin lurches back in shock. Then glances up to see what Emily's looking at. hundreds of beetles crawling over the tent, dark silhouettes pressing down on it.
One beetle pushes in through a hole in the tent. Others pour in after it, a dozen of them inside the tent.
"Oh my God--I can't--I can't stay in here." Emily says freaking out.
"Wait--Emily, wait--" Caitlin says.
Emily, already yanking the zipper up on the tent flap, she crawls out and beetles tumble off the side of the tent into her hair. She slaps at them with her hands, spinning furiously in the dark.
Staggering further from the tent she trips over a root, tumbling into the dirt and leaves with a painful thud.
She blinks, looking about in a daze, unable to see the tent anywhere. But as her eyes focus, she sees something utterly incredible...
Thousands of beetles scurrying out of the shadows. Coming right for her.
Emily scrambles back in terror. But the beetles cover her, enveloping her body, literally drowning her in a sea of shiny, black exoskeletons.
Finally, their numbers dissipate and like a receding wave, they vanish into the woods ahead. Except, ... Emily is also gone.
~~~~
Stiles's Jeep roared into the parking lot, tires screeching as he slammed on the brakes, sending a cloud of dust swirling around them. He flung the door open and leaped out, heart pounding in his chest.
"Lydia? Lydia!" His voice echoed against the cold, empty surroundings, his breath visible in the brisk air.
He scanned the area, his eyes widening when he finally spotted Lydia standing a few feet away. She hugged herself tightly against the biting chill, her expression one of distress as she stood next to a figure he didn't recognize.
"I'm okay. But that… that over there? Not okay," Lydia replied, her voice shaky as she pointed towards the perimeter of the lot.
Following her gaze, Stiles's heartbeat quickened as he noticed the dark figure perched ominously in the lifeguard chair, silhouetted against the dimming light. He instinctively reached for his phone, determination igniting within him.
"I'm calling my Dad. We need help," he declared, anxiety creeping into his tone.
Bella, the unfamiliar girl standing with Lydia, chimed in, "She already called the police."
Stiles turned to her, incredulity written all over his face. "You called the police before you called me?" His voice was tinged with disbelief, his mind racing at the thought of anything happening to Lydia.
Lydia shot him a confused look. "Am I supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?" she questioned, her brows furrowing in confusion.
"YES!" Stiles erupted, the frantic worry overwhelming him.
Bella chuckled, a hint of amusement lighting up her features. "You really are as quirky as they said," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Stiles crossed his arms, a frown replacing his moment of panic. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.
With a faint smile, Bella introduced herself, "I'm Bella, a member of the Mikaelson pack."
His eyes widened, a new understanding dawning on him. "So you're…," he began, his voice trailing off as he tried to process the implications.
"A vampire hybrid? Yes," Bella replied, cutting him off smoothly and confirming his unvoiced question. She turns to Lydia, "I have to go but if you need me," she takes out a pen and paper writing on it before handing it to Lydia, "here's my number,"
Lydia takes it and Bella vamp speeds away leaving the two teen alone with the distant sounds of sirens.
~~~~
TIME SKIP
The powerful, knobby-treaded tires of Scott's motocross bike kicked up gravel as he skillfully maneuvered it to a stop at the bike racks in the bustling school parking lot. He yanked off his helmet, shaking out his tousled hair, and turned around slightly to take in the scene when...
Aiden thundered in on his sleek motorcycle, the roar of the engine echoing in the crisp morning air, and skillfully tucked it right next to Scott's bike. Almost immediately after, Ethan pulled in on the opposite side, his bike purring to a halt with a satisfying finality.
Scott glanced at the twins, eyeing their polished machines gleaming under the sunlight. He offered them a friendly nod in acknowledgment. However, the twins didn't return the greeting; their expressions remained steely and indifferent.
Suddenly, the growl of two powerful car engines rumbled through the parking lot, diverting their attention. Scott and the twins turned just in time to see a stunning blue Ford Mustang Shelby roar into the lot, its sporty design shimmering in the sunlight, followed closely by a classy white Ferrari F8, which glided in with effortless grace.
From the sleek Mustang, Allison, Boyd, Erica and Kathrine emerged, their presence commanding attention as they stepped out with an air of confidence. Kathrine's eyes glinted with mischief, and she couldn't resist throwing a smirk in the twins' direction, a charming yet teasing expression that carried a hint of mockery. Meanwhile, Bella gracefully exited the Ferrari along with Isaac, her stylish backpack slung over her shoulder. She cast a casual glance around before they all began walking towards the school building, the trio exuding a sense of poise and camaraderie.
As they made their way across the parking lot, Kathrine's mocking gaze lingered on the twins momentarily before she joined Allison and Bella, the three girls laughing lightly amongst themselves as they headed into the school, leaving an intriguing atmosphere behind.
~~~~
The cross country team--both boys and girls--gather beyond the fence. Ahead, trails lead into the outlying woods.
At the starting line, Isaac kneels to tighten his shoelaces. But then pauses, holding still. Gripping the laces, his hands curl into fists as he slowly turns to find Aiden getting into position on his right. Ethan steps in at his left. Both looking on Isaac like an old rival.
Coach blows the whistle and the twins race forward, moving far faster than any other runner.
"Pace yourselves!" Coach calls out.
Stunned, Isaac kneels there, motionless. But shock falls away to fury and he rises, bolting forward when--Scott grabs him, yanking him back.
Isaac looks at him with eyes glowing yellow. "It's them!" He shrugs free of Scott's grasp.
Scott, "Isaac, wait--Isaac!"
But he's off, vanishing into the woods ahead. With a frustrated breath, Scott charges after him.
Kathrine who was behind them sighs and takes off after them. "When did Betas start getting this reckless,"
Trampling leaves underfoot, Isaac hurtles well beyond his teammates. He spots Aiden up the trail. Then Ethan surges in from the side. Both of them just ahead, just out of reach.
Isaac races faster, pushing himself to catch up. When the path veers into a fork, however, he slows. Then, finally, he stops. Breathing hard, he glances around and Aiden shoves him to the ground. Ethan yanks him to his feet, easily overpowering him.
"Aiden, I always forget. How many bones are in the human body?" Ethan asks.
Aiden grabs Isaac's arm. "I don't know. Let's count,"
Aiden's grip tightens around Isaac's forearm as------------
Scott smashes his fist right across the twin's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. "That's one,"
Isaac wrests free of Ethan while Aiden gets back to his feet. He resets his broken jaw with a painful sounding crunch.
Isaac retreats back to Scott and the four boys circle each other. claws unsheathe, fangs snap.
Kathrine roles her eyes ready to intervene when a scream rings out.
They turn their heads at the shrill, terrified sound. Two runners hurry past, barely noticing them. Hearing others rushing to the scene, Scott and Kathrine move to follow, pulling Isaac with her.
They emerge into a clearing where the rest of the team has gathered. Among them, Stiles pushes forward to look while the three step in beside him.
"It's him, isn't it?" Stiles asks Scott but he doesn't answer.
~~~
Tearing through the woods, hands pushing aside errant branches, Graeme and other Deputies try to keep up with Stilinski who leads the charge. They breach the clearing where a cluster of teenagers surround the body.
"All right, back up. Everyone back!" Deputy Graeme yells out.
"Someone cordon off this area before they trample every bit of evidence." Stilinski orders.
Stiles walks up to him pointing at the blood on the back of Kyle's head. "Dad, look--look at this. It's just like the others."
"I know. Now please go back to school." Stilinski tells him and turns to Coach, "Coach, give us a hand?"
"You heard the man. Nothing to see here. He was probably just some homeless kid." Coach tels them.
"Coach, he was a senior." Scott reminds him.
"He wasn't on the team, was he?" Coach asks.
A panicked voice cries out from behind them. Heads turn to a girl named Ashley frantically pushing her way through.
"No, no, God no--Kyle."
Deputy Graeme grabs her before she can get to the body. She struggles, but then finally relents, falling into Graeme's arms in grief-stricken defeat.
Isaac's gaze remains fixed on Ethan and Aiden who look over Kyle's body with curiosity.
Kathrine pulls him away. Scott and Isaac follow close behind.
"What was our order?" Kathrine asks Isaac.
"But they--"
Kathrine cut him off, "What was our order?"
"To not engage," Isaac finaly answers.
"That was stupid what you did back there, Isaac and dangerous. They are trying to get a rise out of you do you can make a mistake. Don't. Let. Them," Kathrine tells him.
"Fine," Isaac concedes reluctantly.
"If they try something contact me, Allison or Bella through the mind link, okay?" Kathrine insists.
Isaac nods, "Okay."
~~~~
Hair in a ponytail, sweat dripping from her brow, Cora uses an overhead pipe for pull-ups. Derek watches, impressed but concerned, as she drops to the floor for push-ups.
"Stop. You're gonna burn yourself out," Derek tells her.
"Yeah, well, I'm done lying around," Cora responds.
"Then sit,"
"Are you going to help me go after them?" She asks.
He doesn't answer. So she keeps going, relentlessly pushing herself. Until Derek kicks out one of her arms. Cora hits the floor with a painful smack.
Furious, she's up in a second, swinging her fists at him. Derek blocks each blow with ease.
"Come on. Fight back." Cora tells him.
But he refuses to engage and Cora finally gives up.
"I can't believe I came back for this. I got my ass dragged into a vault for you? And all those rumors I heard. Powerful new Alpha. One of the Hales. Building a pack. You know how long I waited to hear something like that? You know what it felt like to find out you were alive? I get here and find out you're taking orders from an Alpha like yourself." She says frustrated.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Derek tells her.
"Who is she?" Cora asks arms crossed.
Before he can respond, a beeping grabs their attention. Derek looks to a blinking red light on a control panel.
"What's that?" Cora asks.
"Trouble," Derek answers.
The sound of metal locks wrenching free turns them to the steel door. Cora starts forward.
"No, wait---" Derek calls out but its too late.
She charges the opening door as Ennis barrels through like a rampaging bull. He slams Cora to the floor, then looks up at Derek with a fang-toothed smile. "Ready for a rematch?"
Kali flips out of the darkness, clawed feet arcing toward Derek. Responding fast, he grabs her ankle and tosses her.
She tumbles through the air, but lands on her feet underneath the pipe on which Cora was doing pull ups. Ripping it free, Kali swings it around.
Derek catches the pipe and Spartan kicks her in the stomach sending her flying back. The pipe now in Defense hand he uses it like a spear. He throws it at her piercing her shoulder.
She cries out in agony and pulls it out.
Ennis frowns watching the exchange not expecting this out come.
A tapping comes from behind her. Deucalion enters, sweeping his red-tipped cane across the floor. "Everybody done? Because just listening to that was exhausting."
He carefully takes a seat on the bench in front of Derek's work table and collapses his cane down to thirds. "So, let's chat,"
Ennis' cries of in pain followed but a loud crunch catches their attention. Looking over they see Astrid holding Ennis by the neck with one hand the other holding his now broken hand tight with Cora free.
"A big guy like you bullying little girls? That's just rude," Astrid says throwing Ennis aside. She turns to Deucalion an amused smile on her face. "Now we can chat."
~~~~~~~~~~~
AN: Remember to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts I love reading them.