章 20: Abomination
"Thanks for coming with me Scar," Stiles says as the duo sit across from each other in the waiting area of the mechanics.
"Yeah, no problem. I had nothing better to do." Scarlett replies.
Stiles looks behind Scarlett, through the window where the mechanic is working, he quickly stands up and walks through the door trying to get the man's attention, "Hey, hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? All I needed was a starter." The mechanic's voice is muffled by the closed door but Scarlett can see him answer Stiles, they have a brief conversation then Stiles turns to walk back to the waiting area.
As the door swings shut behind him, Stiles starts wiping his hand on his pants. He then goes to pull out his phone and opens his mouth to address Scarlett. Before he gets the chance he looks down at his hand and says, "What the-?" and he switches his phone to his other hand.
"What's wrong?" Scar asks, watching him in concern.
"My hand..." He trails off as his phone slips through his finger, falling to the floor.
Scarlett stands up in alarm, and opens her mouth to ask once more what's wrong, but Stiles' attention is locked on something in the other room and he starts screaming, "Hey! Hey!" Scarlett turns her head to look, she can see some type of creature lurking in the shadows. Just as she finds the creature the mechanic looks up finally hearing Stiles screams.
Before he can react the creature claws at the man cutting the back of his neck. The man falls to the floor, lying helplessly underneath Stiles' jeep. As Scarlett watches this happen, Stiles falls to his knees, almost simultaneously.
"Stiles!" Scarlett rushes to his side and rolls him onto his back. She looks out the window and stands making her way towards the door to help the man.
"Don't!" Stiles screams at her, his voice laced with concern.
"What? I need to help him! That thing is out there!" Scarlett exclaims.
"We don't know what it is, it could kill you." She looks back and forth but her mind is already made up, she sucks in a breath then opens the door. "SCARLETT!"
Scarlett rushes out trying to find where the creature went, but can't find it anywhere. The stand that the jeep is on has started slowly moving towards the mechanic, Scarlett can just make out his voice, "Help, help me."
Not seeing the creature, Scarlett moves towards the man and tries to pull him away from what will possibly be his death. She doesn't move him very far though because a tail wraps around her neck pulling her roughly away.
Scarlett starts gasping for breath, her hands move to try and loosen the grip. Scarlett's vision starts going black but before she can pass out the creature lets her go. She falls to the floor, gasping in air as one hand rubs her neck. She looks over to see the creature moving away and when she looks towards the mechanic, she sees that the jeep has already crushed him.
Once Scarlett finally catches her breath, she makes her way back over to Stiles. He has managed to call 9-1-1 and the operator's voice can be heard, "Hello. What's your emergency?"
Scarlett reaches down and picks up his phone, "Hi, my friend and I are at Sal's Auto Mechanic's. The mechanic is dead."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Stiles and Scar stand in front of Sheriff Stilinski, as Stiles talks to his dad he flexes his hand, "We already told you dad. We walked in and the Jeep was on top of the guy. That's all."
"What's wrong with your hand?" Mr. Stilinski questions, noticing the odd behavior.
"Nothing. Can we get out of here now?"
"If there's something you don't feel like you can tell me..." The Sheriff starts saying, looking between his son and Scarlett.
"You think we're lying?" Stiles asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not. I just worry about you. And if maybe you saw someone do this, if you're afraid they might come back to make sure you don't say anything about it..."
Stiles looks away, "Neither of us saw anything. At all. Can we go, please?"
"Yeah. But not in your jeep. We're going to have to impound it. Sorry, kiddo. Evidence." Mr. Stilinski starts walking away.
Stiles screams after his dad, "Well, make sure they wash it!"
*_*_*_*_*_*
As the two teenagers wait for Scott to come pick them up with the twin's moms car, Stiles turns to the brunette, "That was stupid of you."
Scarlett scoffs, "I needed to try to save him Stiles."
"I get it. But you're human. You could have died out there."
"But I didn't." Scarlett argues.
Stiles shakes his head and scoffs in disbelief, "That's not the point, Scarlett! You could have. But instead of pausing to think, you ran out and put yourself in danger."
Scarlett opens her mouth but she's unable to form words as she gazes at Stiles. There's a look in his eyes that she can't quite place, so instead of trying to defend her actions more she instead closes her mouth and shakes her head.
"I'm sorry okay? I just- If I could do something I needed to try." She pauses wetting her lips, "Maybe it was stupid of me but I- I couldn't just sit there and do nothing."
Scarlett's eyes start to glisten but she holds back the tears, refusing to cry. When Stiles notices the tears trapped in her eyes, his face softens, "Scar," he puts his arm around her. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
Scarlett bites her lip and whispers, "I know." She then looks back up to Stiles, realizing just how close the two are sitting. Before either of them can react, the sound of Scott pulling up sends them springing apart. Stiles gets in the passenger seat and Scarlett gets in the back, sliding to the middle so she can easily talk to the boys. Scott knits his eyes together looking between Stiles and Scarlett.
Finally he breaks the silence, "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, " Scarlett whispers as Stiles nods.
"You were right. It's not like you. It's eyes were almost... reptilian. But there was something about them." Stiles says.
"What do you mean?" Scott asks his best friend.
"You know how when you see a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see is their eyes? You feel like you know them but you can't figure out who it is."
"Are you saying you know who it is?"
"No. But I think it knew me."
This is when Scarlett decides to speak, "I think it knew me too. I didn't really get a look at it but," She hesitates, running her hand gently across her neck, "It had the chance to kill me but didn't. This thing, it has an agenda. I don't think it wants to kill just anyone."
"Are you sure you're okay Scarlett?" Stiles asks, as Scott looks in the rearview mirror at his twin, his eyes filled with concern.
"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little in shock."
*_*_*_*_*_*
The next day at school, Scarlett stands by Scott and Stiles as Stiles talks to her brother, "Sorry about the other day. I'm trying. We'll get through this. I know because I love you. I love you more than- oh my god. You and Allison seriously have to find a better way to communicate or at least use Scarlett and not me."
"Um no thanks, pretty sure it would be more awkward for me to say that to my twin than for his best friend to say it." Scarlett replies.
Scott nods in agreement, "Did she say she's coming to the game tonight?"
"Yes. Message complete. Now tell us about your boss." Stiles replies.
"He thinks Allison's family has some kind of record of all the things they've hunted. Like a book."
"A bestiary." Stiles and Scarlett say in unison.
"A what?" Scott asks, looking between the two teenagers.
"A bestiary." Stiles says once more.
"I think you mean bestiality."
Stiles and Scarlett share a look then Stiles speaks once more, "No. Pretty sure I don't. It's like an encyclopedia for mythical creatures."
"Why am I the only one who doesn't seem to know any of this stuff?"
"Because you're too busy spending your time thinking about Allison." Scarlett smirks. Stiles mouth twitches into a smile as Scott glares at her.
"If it can tell us what that thing-"
"And who." Stiles interrupts.
Scott nods. "We need that book."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scarlett stands leaning against the lockers as she talks to Allison about what Scott said earlier. "I think you mean-" Allison begins.
Scarlett cuts Allison off before she can finish the sentence, "I mean bestiary. Honestly, it's like you two share a brain." Scar shakes her head.
"Can you describe this thing?"
"It's probably a book. Old, worn-"
Now Allison cuts Scarlett off, "Like bound in leather?"
Scarlett nods excitedly and stands up straighter, "Have you seen it?"
"I think so..."
Scarlett quickly texts Stiles so he can tell Scott. As they wait for his message Allison and Scarlett walk down the hall. About a minute later she gets a message. "Where does he keep it?"
Allison pauses, thinking, "His office."
Once again Scarlett messages Stiles and waits for his response. She doesn't even have to wait a minute before she gets a response, "Can you get it?"
"Not without his keys."
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scarlett sits in the stands right behind the team bench where Stiles sits. Lydia wasn't at the game tonight and for obvious reasons she wasn't sitting with Allison. Melissa was here but Scarlett told her she wanted to sit behind Stiles to keep him company in case he didn't play tonight. Stiles and Scarlett both cringe as one of their classmates gets tossed in the air like a rag doll by an opposing team member.
"Come on! Is that thing even a teenager? I want to see a birth certificate!" Coach yells from the sidelines. He makes his way over to Stiles, "Who or what is that genetic experiment gone wrong?"
"Eddie Obomowitz. They call him The Abomination." Stiles replies to his Coach.
After speaking with Coach, Stiles and Scarlett discreetly move away from the bleachers and head towards the school, making sure to pass by Allison. Allison nods to whatever her grandfather was saying as she eases her hand down and drops the keys into Stiles' open hand.
Stiles and Scarlett rush through the parking lot as they hear cheers coming from the field. Stiles turns back to look as Scarlett continues forward, not realizing that he isn't with her. Only when she makes it to the school does she realize, "You've got to be kidding me... Really Stiles? Where the hell could you have gone?" She mumbled to herself as she wrapped her black jacket closer to her body and stepped inside the warm building to wait for him.
Waiting for almost two whole minutes, Stiles finally runs up to the school, "Where the hell did you disappear too? We were in an empty parking lot!"
"Not empty, Lydia was in her car. Crying."
Scarlett stops, taken aback, "What? Is she okay? She told me she wasn't coming tonight."
Stiles shrugs his shoulders, "I didn't really get the chance to ask, I needed to bring you these," he holds up the keys, "and help you find the stupid book."
Scarlett sighs as they make it to the office door and he puts the key in, "Just let me find it, it can't be that hard. Go back and talk to Lydia."
"It will be faster to find with the both of us here."
Scarlett shakes her head as they continue looking. "Hey guys," Scarlett's head shoots up at the sound of another voice.
"Really? Now?" She looks at Erica in disbelief, stopping her search for the bestiary.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Erica shoves Stiles and Scarlett forward into the darkened pool area where Derek casually bounces a basketball. "Stiles, Scarlett. What did you guys see at the mechanic's garage?"
"Seriously? This is what you wanted to ask? Haven't you ever heard of a phone?" Scarlett asks.
Derek just looks at the younger girl waiting for an answer. So Stiles speaks up, "Several alarming EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting."
Derek then punctures the basketball with a claw, deflating it. He lets the ball fall to the floor at their feet. "Let's try this again."
Scarlett shakes her head, "Well I for one didn't really see much. But it had a tail and it was scaly and rough."
"You felt it?" Derek asks in surprise.
"Yeah, I gave it a chin scratch, like a dog." She rolls her eyes. "It wrapped its tail around my neck, almost killing me. So yeah, I guess you can say I felt it." She snaps.
Derek then turns his attention to Stiles, waiting for him to describe the creature. Stiles sighs, "The thing was pretty slick looking. Skin was dark, kind of patterned. Is that enough? Because we have somewhere we need to be." When the two werewolves don't answer Stiles continues, "Fine, Eyes. It's eyes are yellowish. Slitted. It has a lot of teeth. Are we good now?"
Derek and Erica start to watch something behind the other two, Scarlett narrows her eyes at them gauging their reactions as Stiles continues once more, "What? Have you seen it? You've got this look like you know exactly what I'm talking about." Finally Stiles and Scarlett turns around. In front of them is the same creature they saw in the mechanics. Just as they turn around and lock their eyes on the thing, it leaps off the wall.
Erica jumps in front of Derek to try and protect him but the creature is faster. It shoves Erica brutally, her head connecting with the wall. She slumps to the floor unconscious. Derek quickly grabs Scarlett and Stiles to get them out of harm's way. "Run!" He yells at the duo. "Get behind me."
Stiles and Scarlett nod but they notice something. Scarlett tilts her head trying to get a better look as Stiles addresses Derek, "Derek. Your neck-"
As Derek turns, he reaches a hand up to his neck, and immediately drops to the ground, paralysis starting to take hold. "Scott, get Scott." He mumbles out.
Stiles makes a grab for Derek trying to drag him to the exit. Scarlett starts to grab his other arm to help but remembers that Erica is laying unconscious. She drops the arm she grabbed and rushes to Erica's side. She can just hear Stiles ask, "Where is it? Do you see it?"
"No. Hurry." Derek replies.
Scarlett now has Erica in her arms. She shakily stands up to her full height, "You are heavier than you look Erica." Scarlett mumbles to the unconscious girl. "And I really wish I wasn't in heels."
As Scarlett tries to quickly make it to the boys, she notices the creature lurking behind them, "Behind you!" She screams, this causes Stiles to lose his grip on both his phone , that she didn't realize he was holding, and Derek. Not being able to keep his hold, Derek falls backwards straight into the pool. Without thinking Stiles jumps in after him.
"Where'd it go? Do you see it?" Stiles asks, panicked.
"No," Derek answers, his eyes scanning the room.
Not being able to hold Erica anymore, Scarlett gently lowers her to the ground, slowly making her way over to the two guys to help them out of the pool.
"Come on, maybe it took off." Scarlett says, reaching down to grab a hold of the paralyzed Derek. Before either of them can answer, a piercing shriek makes Scarlett block her ears and look around to try and find the creature once more.
"Get me out of here before I drown." Derek says.
"You're worried about drowning? Did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth?" Stiles asks.
"Did you notice I'm paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?" Derek snaps.
"Come on, I can't see the thing." Scar reaches down once more to try and help.
But something behind her catches Derek's eye, "Stop!"
She spins around so quickly that she loses her balance and falls into the pool right in front of Derek and Stiles. Once her head pops above the surface Stiles asks, "Are you alright?"
Scarlett just nods and watches the creature, her eyes glancing towards where she left Erica. "What's it waiting for?" She asks, but no one replies.
Treading water beside Stiles, who is still carrying a paralyzed Derek, they carefully watch the creature. It slowly approaches the pool's edge but retreats back, as if it's afraid of the water. Noticing the same thing Stiles speaks, "You see that? I don't think it can swim."
*_*_*_*_*_*
The trio trapped in the pool continue to watch the creature for what feels like hours, until Stiles speaks once more, "I don't know how much longer I can do this."
"Don't even think about it." Derek says to Stiles.
"Trust me for half a second. Scarlett, do you think you could hold Derek? Or maybe grab my phone to call Scott?"
"I'll try the phone, I don't want to risk not being able to carry Derek." Scarlett answers.
She quickly rushes forward, pushing her upper body out of the pool and grabbing Stiles' phone before sliding back into the pool. The creature just misses her. She uses one hand to dial Scott, once he answers all he gets out is, "I can't talk right now." before hanging up. Exasperated, Scarlett sends him a text telling him where they are before throwing the phone away and swimming over to help Stiles keep Derek afloat.
"God, Stiles. I don't know how you've been doing this for hours."
"Yeah, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stay up." Stiles replies as their heads dip slightly below the water.
"The diving board. Try to reach-" They slowly make their way to the diving board, Stiles uses his free hand to grab it but slips and they fall below the water once more. A second later, hands grab them. Scott's hands. They lay on the tiled floor surrounding the pool, dripping wet. Scott is now a full werewolf and he lets out a roar, challenging the creature that emerges from the darkness.
Scott gets tossed through the air, slamming into a mirror. Glass shards rain down around him. The creature inches forward, moving to kill. Scott, desperate to find a way to protect himself and his friends, grabs a sharp piece of the broken mirror as a weapon.
The creature pauses, it focuses on its own reflection in the mirror shard. It tilts its head, almost like its reflection confuses it. The creature then hisses and retreats back, leaping onto the wall and disappearing. Once the creature is gone, they slowly stand up.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Outside of the school Stiles, Scott, and Scarlett gather around Scott's laptop screen as he plugs the USB drive in. Pages of pages of strange black and white images and text appears. "That's not English." Scott says.
"Is that even a language?" Stiles asks.
"It's archaic Latin." Both boys turn to look at Scarlett, surprised that she knows what it is. Before she can explain, Derek calls from behind them.
"It's called the Kanima."
"You knew this whole time?" Stiles asks.
"No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection."
"It doesn't know what it is." Scott replies.
"Or who." Derek confirms.
"Well, care to enlighten us on anything else you know?" Scarlett raises her eyebrow at the Alpha.
"Just stories and rumors. It's a shape-shifter but not right. It's-" he pauses trying to find the right word.
"An abomination." Stiles answers. Derek nods, he then glances at Erica and they both turn to leave.
They don't make it far before Scott speaks, "We need to work together on this. Maybe we even need to tell the Argents."
"You'd trust them?"
"No one trusts anyone. That's the problem. And while we're arguing about who's on what side, something stronger, faster and scarier than any of us is killing people and we still don't know anything about it."
"I know one thing. When I find it... I'm going to kill it."
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