Begin Transmission
Lacy here with our next Effie chapter. But first, happy new year, guys! Okay, moving on. We're one step closer to getting Stiles back and getting Effie out of Eichen. We know Stiles is alive, others are starting to remember him and now it's time to let Effie know. So we're gonna start with another visit to Eichen before heading into the episode. Haven't decided yet if Derek's going with Scott and Lydia or staying in Beacon, but we'll find out. Read on!
Disclaimer: I own only Effie.
End Transmission
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Effie didn't bother fighting her tears as Derek's words sank in. They'd contacted Stiles. They'd talked to him and he was alive.
"Did you tell him where I was?" Effie asked, her voice choked.
Derek nodded. "He asked and I couldn't lie to him. He wanted to know if you were alright and if Peter made it back."
Effie frowned, wiping her eyes. "Peter was taken?"
"Apparently." Derek said. "I didn't even notice he was gone until Scott mentioned him being back." he smirked a bit. "Forgot my own uncle and didn't know."
Effie shrugged. "As far as we knew he was locked in here. That does explain the lack of complete creep factor to this place, though."
Derek chuckled. "Yeah. To be honest, I was kinda hoping you'd have an ally."
"Derek," Effie gave him a look. "I wouldn't trust Peter with anything after what he pulled with Kate. Much less accept him as an ally, locked in a psych ward or not." she sighed after Derek's understanding nod. "So, Canaan. What is it?"
"Don't know yet." Derek crossed his arms. "Scott and Lydia are looking into it. As soon as we figure it out, we'll be one step closer to bringing Stiles, and you, home."
"Just be careful." Effie warned. "You've all seen the Riders now. You're all targets and I really don't want anyone else being erased."
"We're working together." Derek shared. "Almost as one pack. Started with Parrish and Lydia, but now Scott's joined us with Liam and Hayden."
"And Malia?" Effie questioned.
"Still not entirely convinced Stiles is real." Derek sighed. "But I think she's coming around. Things that had been confusing her are starting to press more on her thoughts. She knows they all mean something, are all connected to what's going on, she just hasn't made the jump yet."
"She will." Effie nodded. "I know she will."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Derek looked around the town Stiles had sent them to. Canaan was a ghost town. Not a single heartbeat could be heard, or a single scent caught on the wind.
"It doesn't make any sense." Derek said. "There should be something."
"I wonder why Stiles would send us here." Scott questioned as they walked down the deserted street.
They stopped just in front of a large banner, hung between light poles across the street.
"This is the place I saw in the mirror." Lydia said, referring to a vision she'd had at school. Scott and Malia moved to look at things left on a picnic table. "What happened to this place?"
Derek shook his head. "I don't know. But if it was erased, like Stiles, we won't remember anything about it until we find something to jog our memories."
A gate squeaked off to the side, like someone had moved it, and the four turned to look that way. Almost as one, they headed towards the carousel that had been taken over by weeds. One of the horses had blood covering most of its head and when Scott tried to step on the platform, the entire ride started moving.
"I don't have a good feeling about this place." Derek voiced what everyone else was thinking. "Be careful."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Chasing after a little boy in a ghost town. Yeah, cause there was no way that could go horribly wrong. But they were all seeing him, instead of a single person having a hallucination, so all in. Or so Derek was saying to convince himself that this wasn't a terrible, terrible plan.
Walking down the street, losing sight of the boy, they all stopped when they saw the curtains move in one of the houses. Figuring this is where the kid went, they headed for the front door. Scott pushed the door open, while Lydia called out after Derek knocked politely. Ghost town or not, manners were still a thing.
"You okay?" Lydia asked, seeing Derek shake his head with a silent laugh.
Derek nodded. "Yeah, I've just got an Effie type voice in the back of my head."
Lydia smiled. "Nothing wrong with that."
They looked around the main room of the house, taking in the eighties feel of the decor. Everything was very neutrally shaded, lace was a prominent feature and so were dead plants.
"Visitors?"
They turned as a voice sounded from the next room. A woman with short hair in a long sleeved floral print dress was smiling in surprise.
"I can't believe we have visitors." she said cheerfully, coming towards them. "Oh, Caleb will be so happy to see you. It's been such a long time since he's had anyone to play with. Oh, you must be thirsty. Come on in and have a seat while I get you something to drink." The woman actually trotted back out of sight.
"Seriously," Malia said as they moved slowly towards the dining room. "What is with her?"
Lydia sighed. "She's the woman I saw in the mirror."
Derek and Scott exchanged a look. That wasn't very comforting.
The three teens sat at the table while Derek hovered behind Lydia's chair. He tried looking as non-threatening as possible, but his wolf was growling just below the surface. Something about all of this was wrong. Very wrong.
"This was my mother's lemonade recipe." the woman, Lenore Lydia had said, brought back five glasses. "At least as much as I can remember. We always served this when we had friends to visit."
"We didn't come to visit." Malia said after chugging some of her lemonade. Derek really wondered about his cousin sometimes. "We're looking for someone."
"A friend of ours." Scott picked up. "Maybe you've seen him, his name is Stiles."
Lenore shook her head. "It's been a while since anyone came through Canaan."
"How long?" Lydia asked.
Lenore didn't answer, so Malia pulled a piece of paper from her pocket.
"Since April 8th, 1987?" the coyote asked.
Lenore's entire demeanor changed. "Why would you disturb those things? They don't belong to you."
"We need to know what happened." Derek insisted.
"There was a picnic." Lenore said. "A community party."
"Seems like everyone left in a hurry." Malia commented.
"People have been leaving Canaan for a long time." Lenore shrugged. "That's the day the last of them left."
"All at once?" Scott frowned. "They all just disappeared?"
"I didn't say they disappeared." Lenore snapped. "I said they left."
"Did they leave in a cloud of green smoke?" Malia asked.
"They just left!" Lenore stood, shouting as she shook the table. Her voice echoed through the room, dazing the four sitting there. Derek reached out a hand for Lydia, making sure the banshee was alright.
"We didn't mean to upset you." Lydia said once everything settled. "We'll go now."
The four made their way towards the front door, only for it to slam shut before they could reach it.
"No one is leaving." Lenore panted. "No one is leaving Canaan ever again."
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Lenore was a banshee. Of course she was.
Derek shook his head as Lenore's scream faded and his eardrums slowly healed themselves. It had been a while since he was on the receiving end of such a powerful blast.
"It's not my fault they didn't take me." Lenore said.
"I know why they didn't," Lydia stood and moved back to Lenore. Derek followed, but kept a bit of distance. Lydia could withstand a banshee scream. Derek's head was still ringing.
"You think I helped them because they brought back my dead son." Lenore accused.
Lydia stopped. "What did you say?"
Derek braced himself as the banshees both screamed, their shockwaves bouncing off each other. Hands over his ears, Derek waited for it to end. Waited for some sign of what was happening.
Finally, it ended, both women panting. Derek moved to Lydia, a hand on her shoulder.
"You didn't know what was happening, did you?" Lydia questioned. "You only saw them at the very end."
"They were all around me." Lenore said, her voice almost defeated. "But they didn't take me."
"It's because you're a banshee." Lydia said. "Like me."
Lenore walked passed them, over to a mirror by the front door. She wiped her hand across it so she could see her reflection.
"How long has it been?"
"Almost thirty years." Derek answered.
"You won't be taken." Lenore said to Lydia. "You'll be safe."
Lydia shook her head. "I don't want to be safe. I wanna save Stiles." she touched the woman's shoulder, causing Lenore to turn. "Don't let me be the only one left behind. I don't have a Caleb."
"Go." Lenore held out a hand and the door flew open.
"Lydia," Derek took her hand. "Come on."
The pair made it outside the door, standing together as they waited for Scott and Malia to join them. They started away from the house, only for Lydia to stop and face it, once again. Lenore and Caleb were watching them from the front door.
"You know you can still come with us." Lydia offered.
"I couldn't leave Caleb." Lenore denied.
"Lenore, you know he's not real."
Lenore looked down at the boy, than back at the group. "I couldn't leave Caleb."
Derek saw the defeat on Lydia's face and ushered her away from the house. There was nothing they could do for Lenore. Not any more.
~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~
Begin Transmission
I was gonna add Derek being there when they find out Theo is back, but decided against it. Of course he'll find out, but not yet. So we're only a chapter or two away from Effie being released from Eichen, because, as we know, John is starting to remember. But it's not going to be easy to get Effie to forgive him. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading!
End Transmission
