Someone was dying— and nobody was there to help them.
Marco could feel it in every fiber of his being as he stood in the packed parking lot fighting the supernatural shake that ran along the surface of his bones. A message— a call for help sent from the dying student inside the walls of Beacon Hills High.
The feeling was one he'd felt before. Shifters sensory capabilities were worlds above that of the average man. In more than just sight hearing and smell. And some shifters were better than others.
Others like Marco. He could feel it all. The shake, the pain, the fear, the feeling...the feeling— odd.
"Somebody is dying…." The words he'd said to Scott and Stiles who'd long since fought off the seizing pulse and moved to figuring out who it was. He only now realized he'd given them partially false information.
Somebody was dying. But they were doing something far different as well. Something that caught Marco's attention when it shouldn't have. They were feeling...sensing. Sensing the supernatural.
That same violent chill he felt radiating from Scott's bandaged hand. The student inside felt it as well— and from so far away…
Not a fact. But an indisputable possibility. It was more than a seizure. He knew that.
"Interesting….." He mumbled as he closed his shaking hand into a fist.
"Marco!" Scott yelled, "You coming? We can help her."
Stiles stopped as well, turning partway through the sea of students to face him in wait for his reaction.
Marco reached up, pulling the rubber band from his hair to let his gold and silver adorned dreadlocks fall around him like a dark lions mane, "No. I'm not coming."
Scott looked confused, "Bu—"
"Last time I checked I'm no medic and I'm not obligated to help a soul that resides in this teenage cesspool. I have my own problems...and maybe a few more solutions than I thought.." Marco interrupted Scott, ending in a whisper made more to himself than anyone else as he watched his shaking hand once more.
Scott's face went hard with anger as he turned to attempt to rescue the dying student that went by the name of Erica. Stiles sighed and rolled his eyes before chasing after Scott, only stopping once he noticed Marco leaving— back the way they came. Away from the High-school.
"Marco….that's the wrong way." Stiles said as his head spun from Scott to Marco. The Wolf and the Other. The Hero and the Mystery. He stood between both- questioning one and fearing for the other.
"Maybe." Marco said as he continued to walk off.
Before disappearing behind the sea of fearful students and yellow buses, he left a final word to Stiles.
"Keep watch of Scott. That hand injury looks quite serious….people may notice….."
Stiles shook off a shiver before leaving after Scott.
Marco stood at the exit, watching his hand that still vibrated slightly, "Sense...sense may have been a better word than notice. Either way."
And then he was on the move. Motives unknown to all but himself. As it should be. As it may not remain for much longer…
***
Erica lay in the dark confines of her hospital room in absolute silence. Too silent. Leaving her with nothing to do but to remember the embarrassing events that transpired less than an hour before back at Beacon Hills High at the foot of the rock climbing wall.
She just wanted to train— to prove that she could. She'd shown nothing but fear and incompetence far too many times…..and all they'd do is watch. All they did was watch. Watch her fail— watch her blunder and slip. Watch her fall from the wall and shake and grovel at their feet like a legless dog.
And this time it was worse than ever. Right when she'd gotten higher than ever. Her happiness had barely made it to her face when the coldest sting— like a knife sheathed in icy flames, crammed into her spine. Grabbing hold of her nervous system and shaking it with the anger of a thousand gods.
The pain ran along her skin, her hair, her legs and her hands.
In fact, she could still feel it in her right hand. A steady cold heat. A depressive force that made her deeply discomforted. Panicked.
"No….just in my head." She spoke into the silence, trying to wipe away her tears with her left hand.
"Dammit…..just in my head." She repeated.
Suddenly the cold that ran along her hand spread like a virus— like a flame on a gasoline trail. Focused, intense.
She shivered and whined, fearing for another attack on the rise. Only no coppery taste filled her mouth.
Nothing did. In fact, all the saliva in her mouth had fled. Fled like the creatures in a woodland when a predator enters.
"Help.." she cried, unknowing of why while she reached for the call button. Fingers moving as fast as she could manage. No success.
It had fallen. She could see the remote laying at her side on the floor. By the door that was opened….creaking silently in the shadows as it moved on its dried hinges.
It wasn't opened before.
The chill intensified in ways she couldn't describe. It froze her soul. She didn't want to move.
If she did…..it would begin.
Panic filled her. So did the memory of her fearfully falling from the wall.
Anger.
It warmed her.
She growled and rolled herself off the bed, smashing into the floor like a thrown doll.
"Ack!" She screamed in pain as her weak knees hit the cold shadowy tile floor.
But she pressed on, reaching out for the button beside her bed. It felt good in her hands. Safety. The button called for safety.
In a flash, she pressed it. Her chipped polished nails clicking on the red plastic surface as she spammed the button.
"No…..no no…" she whispered, moving her blond curls out of her vision to view the cord that should've been plugged into the wall.
Only it wasn't.
Nothing was.
The whole room. It suddenly felt disconnected from the entire world.
The chill came once more. This time from behind her. On the other side of the bed.
Her insides shrunk as the darker contours of a shape in the shadows loomed at the back corner of the room beside the recently opened window.
The winds didn't blow. As if the room really was disconnected from everything.
Leaving her with whatever stood tall enough for it's head to nearly touch the ceiling.
She couldn't make out anything other than the shape. It was too dark.
Her tears too thick in her eyes.
"Wh- who are you?…..you can't be here." She whispered with effort.
The one in the shadows responded by opening its eyes.
Blue rays of light emerged from the beings slitted eyes. Shedding light on its otherworldly damaged black armor, deep hood and the massive spear it held at its side like a monstrous sentinel.
A soundless scream escaped her lips.
The Blue-Eyed Beast was in her room. Watching her. Fixing those horrifying orbs of death on her.
It looked so unreal. Every breath. Silently rising its massive chest, pumping blood into its massive leathery grey skinned arms covered in unbelievably smooth black fur.
Even it's feet seemed unreal. Reminiscent of a quadrupedal creature. Massive sickle clawed paws pressed into the tile floor.
How didn't she hear.
It wasn't real.
"EeErIcA….."
Her heart dropped into her stomach.
"Please….please— don't kill me! I haven't done anything….nothing!" She pleaded.
"I…..nOt hERe to…..To KiLL…." The Beast announced. It's voice sounding as if it were lined by the gutteral roars of a lion.
Erica wasn't calmed by its words.
"What? You kill everything…..you're….you're all over the news.."
"NO!" The Beast snapped.
Erica yelped.
"OnLy ThOse…..tHaT dEsErVe iT…." The Beast said as it flipped its spear and slammed the blade into the tile floor, cutting a spiral design into the ground.
"Wh…..what?" Erica whispered.
"YoU kNoW…..hoW iT FeEls…..fOr ThOse tHaT nEEd To FeEL yOuR aNgeR…..yOuR VioLenCe….." The Beast explained.
Erica suddenly remembered the students laughing at her— mocking her as they recorded one of her many seizures. They deserved her violence…..
She shook off the thought. Wondering why she was agreeing with a murderous and mindless beast.
The Beast continued, "YoU kNoW thE FeElIng….oF mAnY ThinGs…..ThInGs oTHerS dOnt…."
The Beast held up its right hand as it finished speaking, showing her many things. The thick paw like padding on its humanoid palms. The retractable black cat-like claws. And the shake in its hands. The vibration.
Reflexively she raised her own. It shook all the same. And suddenly, as the beast moved, it shook harder. Not the same striking cold she felt before in any way. But she still felt the shake.
As it closed in, her fear grew. It's cold blue eyes demanded it. But now wonder was added to the mix.
She wasn't seizing. But that shake remained, like she were holding a cord containing lightning. Power. Something…..supernatural.
"Wha….."
The Beast stoped no more than a few feet from her and slammed its spear into the floor before dropping to all fours to face her.
"YoUre iMpUre...wEaK...phYsiCaLly— anD AfRaid….nOt A NaTuRaL boRN…..bUt yOu hAVe aN AbilItyyy…..a sIxTh SeNse…..rAre….aNd YoU kNow PaIn..."
Erica stayed silent. Frozen by fear and growing curiosity. The shake in her hand had become a silent thrumming sensation, slowly spreading up her arm.
"YOu…..kNoW….pAiN— InjUsTIce...yOU hAVe thE ChaNCe tO kNow….pOwer….aS weLL…eErIcaaa…."
She was transfixed in the Beasts eyes. Dulled into a stasis by the vibration in her arm.
"How…." She whispered.
"POwEr...it iS gaInEd thRoUgh tHat wHicH yoU alReady KnowwwW…..pAIn." The Beast explained.
Before she could even attempt to ask any questions, the Beast removed its mask and lunged at her, fastening it's jaws over her shoulder in a flash.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
Her screams rang out through the hospital soon after.
But when the help finally emerged, nothing remained. Nothing but tossed sheets, an open window. And the spiral in the floor.
"God damn these teenage girls.." The leading nurse, Mellisa McCall said as she approached the open window.