Chapter 13: Secrets Revealed
"And what is dead may never die,
but rise again harder and stronger."
Carrie's cold and unmoving body scared Scott and Stiles more than the lurking Alpha did - she just dropped without another word and started shaking. What was she seeing, Scott though, and why did she call out 'dad', he was dead - wasn't he? She was unmoving, lying in Stiles' arms, and her body was going cold, almost as if she was dead, but the shallow breathing and very subtle raising and falling of her chest meant that Carrie was alive. Scott assured Stiles of that fact since he could still hear her heart beating. But neither of the boy could figure out how to help her, and on top of everything, Lydia, Jackson, and Allison were asking questions about what was happening to Carrie.
Carrie's actions reminded the boys of the night that Carrie had followed them to Derek's house and they unearthed Laura Hale's body. The only difference was that this time there was no screaming and she wasn't waking up. Both Scott and Stiles knew very little about Carrie and her clairvoyant power - actually, as far as they knew, Carrie new just as little as they did - and it made their situation frustrating. They wanted to help their friend but they had no idea if she was seeing something, or if something was seriously wrong. "We have to get her to her mom," Scott whispered to Stiles. "Maybe she'll know how to help her."
"I think her grandmother is in town, so hopefully one of them will be able to help. But first, how do we get out?" Stiles whispered back.
Scott looked around, quickly glancing at the other three who were huddled off and away from them. There was no way they could climb out the window, they were on the second floor and it was highly likely that the Alpha would get them before they reached the ground. Then Scott noticed the door beside the blackboard. "What about that?" Scott suggesting, nodding his head towards it." Stiles looked over to where Scott was indicating. "It leads to the roof. We can go down the fire escape - to the parking lot in, like, seconds."
Stiles shook his head, "See that lock on the door - that's a deadbolt. There's no way we could open that without the proper key. And how do you expect us to get Carrie's lifeless body down the fire escape?"
Scott was silent for a moment. There had to be some way that they - "The janitor has a key," he said suddenly, trying to be as quiet as possible. "And I'll carry her myself. I'm strong enough…"
Stiles rolled his head, knowing that what Scott was suggesting was just asking for trouble. "You mean his body has it."
Scott thought for a moment, and looked down at Carrie. He needed to get those keys to help his friends. His head snapped up as an idea formed in his mind. "Stiles, I can get it. I can find him by scent, by blood."
"Well, gee, that sounds like an incredibly terrible idea," Stiles said, voice flat and a blank expression on his face. "What else you got?"
Scott started to stand up, "I'm getting the key."
Stiles furrowed his brows and shook his head, pulling Scott back down. "Are you serious?"
Scott nodded, "Well, it's the best plan. Someone has to get the key if we wanna get out of here." He knew that it was dangerous, but there wasn't many options left. Either they wait here and risk getting caught, or he goes out there and finds the key. Scott was adamant that he wasn't just going to sit back and wait, and possibly risk the lives of everyone. He wouldn't do that, not when there was a sliver of a chance he could lure the Alpha away from everyone.
"You can't go out there unarmed," Stiles said, voicing his opinion. The Alpha was strong, much stronger that Scott was. He could easily tear Scott apart like he did Laura, and then they'd really be screwed. After gently setting Carrie down with her jacket wadded up and under her head, Scott and Stiles explained their plan to the others. Like Stiles, Lydia and Allison thought it was a bad idea.
Allison was especially against it. "Scott you can't go out there, you can't leave. Shouldn't we be calling the paramedics for Carrie?"
Scott and Stiles looked at each other. There wasn't much that they could say about what was happening to Carrie since one: they didn't even know if it was that she was having a vision, and two: the others didn't know that Carrie was clairvoyant. "Well, it's better than nothing," Scott answered. "A-and she's fine. Just… passed out." Stiles rolled his eyes.
"There's gotta be something else," Allison pleaded.
"There is." Lydia turned to look at the chemistry tools sitting on the teachers station.
"What are we gonna do? Throw acid on him?"
"No," Lydia answered. "Like a fire bomb. In there is everything you need to make a Molotov cocktail - Self-igniting Molotov cocktail." Lydia looked around the group, and at first her expression looked satisfied but then it faded and she shrunk away from everyone. "What? I read it somewhere."
"We don't have a key for that either," Stiles pointed out.
With a humorless expression, Jackson broke the glass to the chemical cabinet with his elbow, pulled out the required items, and Lydia started to mixed up the cocktail. Allison pleaded with Scott, begging him to stay with her and protect her. Scott wanted to stay with Allison, he really did, but leaving the classroom was the best chance anyone had. The Alpha was after him and his friends weren't going to get caught in the cross fires. She knew that she wasn't getting anywhere with words, so Allison pulled Scott in for a kiss - hoping that it would convince him stay. Scott gave into the kiss, his arm hooking around Allison, but when the kiss broke, he turned to Stiles. "Lock the door behind me…"
It was so silent but actually quite nice. There were no calls from her friends, no sounds of the Alpha walking down the hall, just pure silence. It was so quiet that maybe she should just roll lover and go back to sleep; It couldn't be time to get up. Everything that had happened at the school - The creepy voice, the even creepier force, and the Alpha chasing her and her friends - must have been a very, very bad dream. Carrie rolled over, and groped for the blankets, but her hand only grasped air. Wait a minute…
She clenched her eyes, squeezing them shut. She wasn't in bed, she was in the school. She was still running from the Alpha, but why wasn't she hearing Scott or Stiles voice? Something just wasn't right, and she didn't want to find out what that something was. She remained still, keeping her eyes squeezed shut, for a while longer. Then she couldn't take it and she had to find out what was going on. Carrie took a deep breath and slowly cracked her eyes open, but had to quickly shield them with her hand. She was not in the school, that was for sure.
Carrie pushed herself up and looked around. She had been lying on the floor in the middle of a brightly lit, white room. The ceiling was lined with rows upon rows of fluorescent lighting, causing the room to have that eerie white glow to it. The silent room seems to go on and on, that if you tried to run from one end to the other, you'd get no where. She pushed herself up, dusting her dress off at the same time, and spun around. At one end of the room Carrie could see what looked like the stump of a once large tree. Green moss clung to it in various places and a dark haze seemed to be standing upon it. What was a tree stump doing inside a completely sealed room?
"Carrie."
When she heard the familiar voice call her name, Carrie instantly spun around and a smile spread across her features. It was really him. Her dad was standing right in front of her. She had never expected that she'd get to see her dad like this again. She knew that he'd only come to her in her memories, but now, here he was. Without a second thought she ran straight to him, arms held open. A laughter formed in her throat and she didn't care about holding it back. She was so happy to see him that she was sure she'd start crying the moment that her dad wrapped his arms around her.
Once she was close enough, Carrie pushed with her foot and fell towards her father, expecting to land in his arms. Except, that didn't happen. She fell through his body, which flickered as she did so, and landed hard against the white concrete floor. Her head hit the ground, her nose and chin starting to hurt immediately after, and she skidded to a halt; This was what, the second or third time she had done that tonight. Carrie was really starting to hate running at all. She groaned and pushed herself up onto her elbows, her knees coming under her, and she stayed like that for a moment.
When she finally stood up, she cautiously turned around. Mason has a sad smile on his face, and his arms were stuck at his side, almost as if he didn't want to tempt Carrie into trying to hug him again. He was just as excited to see his daughter as she was to see him, but he didn't want her getting hurt - physically or emotionally - anymore than she already had. "I know what you're going to ask," he said, stepping a bit closer, "I don't actually have a physical body, nor do you. That force you were feeling and saw outside the door, that was what I look like in the living world."
"What do you mean physical body?" Carrie asked, head tilted to the side and brows knit together. She didn't know what her dad meant, but she was physically here right now. She could reach down and touch- Carrie's hand went right through her own leg, touching nothing at all. "Wait, what?"
"You're in the in-between. You're in a place that's not quite death, but not quite living. And some people get stuck here for long periods of times." Mason gestured behind Carrie, "He's been here for hundreds of years."
Carrie looked behind her. She guessed that he was talking about the shadowy figure that sat on the tree stump, unmoving. It was a shadowy figure, nothing solid more of a black splotch against the whiteness of the room. She wasn't sure if she liked what her dad was telling her, it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. "So am I dead?" she asked after turning back to face Mason. She knew that she had wished for death as she ran from the Alpha, but now that she was, she wasn't sure if she liked the idea.
Mason shook his head, "No, your body is alive, but because of your clairvoyance, your mind is here. To your friends it should look like you're just in a very deep sleep." At least that's what he assumed was happening in the living world. Once Carrie was pulled into the in-between, he had latched on and came with her, so he didn't really know what Carrie's friends were seeing. Truthfully, he didn't want to frighten her and cause some sort of reaction to happen that made it so she couldn't go back to her body. She had to believe that her, her mind, and her body would be okay.
Carrie thought about that. Could her body really survive this? She sure as hell hoped so. Then she thought of another thing. "How?" she asked.
"It's all you. It's your gift that brought you here," he explained. "You're clairvoyance is… different. It's not like your mom's or your grandmother's."
Carrie looked away, her lips pursed and brows knitted together. She didn't want to be any more different than she already was. She knew that her ability was stronger than her mothers, but she didn't think that she was stronger than Jane. It was just an assumption, since Lacey mentioned previously that she believed her mother had a strong clairvoyance, but also since Jane had known to give Carrie the flash light. But, she still didn't want to be anymore of a freak then she already was. She didn't want to be super extra special, she wanted to be normal. "So, Derek was right…" She whispered.
A tender smile appeared on her fathers face, "Yes he was. Everything he told you - about the Pythia and how she was able to do more than a regular clairvoyant - is true. You're special, and that means that you'll be a target if the wrong person finds out."
Carrie dropped to the ground and crossed her legs. She didn't want to sand, she didn't want to do anything. When Derek told her about the Pythia there was a part of her that hoped it wouldn't be true. That it was all just rumor or simply a fairy tale. Carrie played with the hem of her dress as her dad came closer and sat down in front of her. She looked up at him, smiling weakly. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
A defeated look appeared on Mason's face, "You weren't ready." Carrie had been so reclusive with her feelings, that when he was alive, he hadn't been sure if Carrie' was clairvoyant. She never mentioned it to him, never talked about it, so he just ignored it possibility. That might have been the wrong route, but he couldn't bring himself to talk to her about it, to mention it and possibly make her think he was crazy. Also, there was something else holding him back. "and letting you know this came with a bigger secret, one that I have kept hidden from-."
"Wait, more secrets?" She started shaking her head and her hands, "Oh no, I'm done with secrets."
"I don't have much time Care, but you need to know, because if you know it will give you a greater chance of surviving…" Mason said forcefully, trying to express the importance of his secret.
Carrie frown slightly, "Fine, what is it?" She was really getting tired of all these secret's coming out. First she found out that her mother is had the same power as her, then that her mom really did want to be in her life but it was all her fault that she wasn't, and then that she actually had a grandmother - who is also clairvoyant and detested her father. Now her dad was confirming the hair-brain idea that she was this weird telephone to the gods who could talk to ghosts, and on top of that he wanted too tell her more secrets. She didn't want to have any part of it.
"You have a brother. He was suppose to be dead but I couldn't kill him… Your mother has no memory of this. I locked the truth in your mind and your grandmother has been coveting that information for years. Don't-" Mason's body started to flicker in and out of existence. He looked up and around, then back at his hands.
Carrie scooted closer to him, shaking her head. "Dad? Dad, wait. Don't go. I-I don't understand. A brother? How can I have a brother? I'm an only child." Her voice started to crack and she felt the inevitable tears prick at her eyes. She had just got her dad back and she wasn't ready to let go. She wanted to stay here, to ask so many more questions. It wasn't time, he had to tell her everything.
A small, sad smile appeared on his face, and he moved his hand up, ready to pet her hair like he had once done when he was alive, but stopped when his hand moved through her. Like Carrie, his hand moved right through her body. "I know, baby girl, but I don't have much time. Your body isn't handling this well - you already weren't handling just hearing my voice. The burning sensation you were feeling before coming here, that's because you're not trained and your system is being overwhelmed," He explained, talking as quickly as possible, "You need to train your body and mind, unlock your third eye. Train with Jane, learn whatever you can from her, but don't let her know that you know about your brother. She can't be trusted."
The tears finally gave way, rolling down her cheeks as she continued to shake her head. "Daddy, don't go. I'm not ready. I don't want to loose you again," she pleaded. Her heart was breaking all over again. She was feeling like she did the night of his accident. It was like she was reliving that experience all over again.
"I'm sorry baby girl, but I have to do this to you before-" Mason leaned forward and his lips met her forehead, though this time his touch didn't slip through. Then he started flickering out of existence at a quicker rate, his entire body disappearing for seconds at a time, then eventually fading away. Carrie sat there, eyes wide, wishing that he'd come back. He never did, only his voice, a faint whisper that she had to strain to hear, came back. "When you wake up, you won't remember any of this until you open your third-eye. At that time, I'll come again - stronger but not - Just-" His voice trailed off until she couldn't hear it at all. Only silence was left in the wake of Mason's exit.
"Dad wait!" She yelled, pounding her fists against the ground, "NO!"
"Trust-"
She looked up, fist clenched tight. "Trust who dad?" she whispered to the void. She remained still, not caring to move. Carrie wished and wished for her dad to come back, telling herself that she was weak and stupid for not being able to keep him here longer. Finally, it got too much for her. Her tears turned into sobbing, and she collapsed to the ground; bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. This night was horrible. She just wanted to get back and leave forever. She wanted nothing else to do with werewolves, clairvoyance or pythia crap, and she didn't want to be anywhere near the alpha. She was finished, mentally and emotionally.
Carrie remained huddled up on the cold floor, holding herself tight. There wasn't much she could do. She was all alone, again, her father left her, and she didn't even know how to get back to her own body. She was stuck in this horribly bright room with just her heartbreak to comfort her. If she didn't already believe that she was dead, she'd wish herself dead. Then she started to feel something. The room around her started to shake and the lights began flickering. Carrie scrambled to her feet and looked around. There was no noise, it was still completely silent, yet everything was moving.
Then, she was hit by a force that felt like she had just been hit by train, and she shot back. Her torso fell backwards, her arms cartwheeling in front of her. The force at her chest brought her to the back of the room, farthest away from the tree stump. And just before her body crashed into the wall, everything went dark. The lights in the room shut off in a blink of an eye, and Carrie was left falling into the dark abyss.
After Scott left the classroom, the atmosphere became even more tense. Allison was jumping between her shared concern for both Scott and Carrie. Lydia, while she was concerned for Scott, seemed to be more worried about Carrie, on top of dealing with her own fear of being locked in the school. Jackson, well he looked unfazed - which pissed Stiles off and he was itching to punch his smug looking face again. And Stiles, well, he tried to have faith that Scott would come through and return with the keys, so he forced himself to watch over Carrie. She was still out and unresponsive, which was really starting to worry him. How long could she be out for?
Currently the four remaining were grouped together against the wall in a way that anyone, or thing, passing by wouldn't be able to see their shadows through the frosted glass. Stiles had Carrie in his arms. He couldn't very well just leave her lying on the floor. It was a bit weird and creepy. Periodically he'd check her breathing, just to make sure that she was in fact alive. The last thing that Stiles wanted was to have to deliver Carrie's dead body to her mom.
At one point while the group waited, Stiles had once again tried to slap Carrie wake - it works in the movies, so why couldn't it work now? He also tried to shake her awake, but Lydia and Allison had threatened to kick him out and into the hall if he didn't stop. Now they sat quietly, waiting for Scott to return. The only sound that could be heard was their breathing, no one dared to speak. Then Allison was the first to speak. She hands had started to shake badly, and her tears were fighting to surface again. "I don't get this," She whispered, "I don't get why he's out there, and why he left us. And I can't - I can't stop my hands from shaking."
It was Jackson that moved to comfort her. He wrapped his hands around Allison's and squeezed them. "It's okay," he said, locking eyes with her, "It's okay, it's gonna be okay."
Allison pulled in her bottom lip and nodded, "Okay." Allison turned to Stiles, "Is she doing okay? Why isn't she waking up?"
Stiles shrugged. "I-I don't know. She's breathing b-but, something's wrong. I know it is."
"Jackson, you handed me the sulfuric acid, right?" Lydia asked, looking intently at the chemicals sitting on the counter. "It has to be sulfuric acid. It won't ignite if it's not."
Jackson sneered at her and snapped, "I gave you exactly what you asked for, didn't i?"
Lydia nodded and looked away. "Yeah. Yeah, i'm sure you did." They lulled back into a silence thanks to Jackson's snarky reply. Each time Jackson opened his mouth, Stiles' itch to punch him got even more intense. It was killing him that Jackson was here, and the way he snapped at Lydia was horrible. She was just checking, since Scott's life was currently on the line, and he guessed that there was potential that Scott's only weapon would fail him.
Then out of no where, a howl echoed through the silent school, startling everyone. It was loud and fear inducing. It was the kind that shook you to the core and lasted with you well after the sound ended. Then, Lydia gasped, and Jackson winced in pain, his hand shooting up and grabbing the back of his neck. And, unexpectedly, a scream came from Carrie, and she was startled alive, beginning to flail in Stiles' arms. "Carrie, oh my god dude. Calm down," he whispered harshly.
"Carrie, you're okay!" Allison explained, a large smile on her face as she looked over at the girl still in Stiles' was looking around, eyes wide and close to tears. She looked scared and unsure of her surroundings, and her body was starting to shake profusely. Stiles once again wasn't sure what he could do to help her, she hadn't said anything. She wrapped her arms around Stiles' midsection, burying her face in his shirt. Stiles looked at Allison and Lydia, and shrugged.
Their attention was momentarily distracted from Carrie when Jackson leaned forward and and started screaming. His hand was still clasped against the back of neck and he looked like he was in excruciating pain. Then, as soon as it started, his screaming stopped. Lydia and Allison crawled to his side, but he threw them off. He fixed his jacket and stood up. "What? I'm fine." Lydia moved to check him over, but like before, he snapped at her: "Like, seriously, i'm okay."
Allison looked weary of his answer, "That didn't sound okay at all. And, what's on the back of your neck?" Lydia asked, trying to look around him.
"I said I'm fine," Jackson snapped, swatting her hand away.
"It's been there for days," Lydia explain, almost sounding spiteful, "He won't tell me what happened."
"As if you actually care," Jackson shot back.
"All right, can we not argue for half a second here?" Allison asked, voiced raised. She crawled back over to where Carrie and Stiles were sitting. While Allison and Lydia had were fretting over Jackson, Carrie had unlatched herself from Stiles and now sat next to him, head resting against her needs and arms wrapped around her legs. She wasn't talking and it was becoming another concern. What had happened to her that would make her stay silent? As much as Stiles want to know, he couldn't ask her right in front of the others since they didn't know about her. Allison sat beside Carrie and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Hey Carrie. You okay?"
Carrie didn't raise her head, she just shook it. Allison glanced over to Stiles but he just shrugged. "What happened?" She asked.
It took a minute for Carrie to respond and when she did, they had to ask her to repeat herself because she spoke so quietly. "I don't remember," she repeated only slightly louder, "Last thing I remember was running out of the cafeteria. Then I woke up here."
"Nothing?" Allison questioned, her tone as gentle as possible. Carrie clearly was not doing well with the stress of the night. Allison was close to unravelling herself, but some how she had kept it together.
Carrie raised her head and looked everyone over. "Where's Scott," she asked, ignoring Allison's inquiry.
"He left," Stiles answered for Allison. The instantly Carrie uttered Scott's name, Allison froze up. It was as if Allison had momentarily forgotten about him and by hearing his name, her fragile walls had come down. Carrie looked just as distraught.
"What do you mean he's out there," Carrie demanded, quickly scrambling to her feet. "He's going to get hurt." Stiles snacked a hand around Carrie's waist as she moved to open the door. She fought against him, trying to get him to let go.
"Actually," Allison started, standing up as well, "He should be back by now." It was Allison that heard the noise, the clicking of a key in the lock. She ran towards the door, jiggling the knob and pounding the glass with her free hand. "Scott!" she yelled, "Scott! Where's he going? Scott!"
Eventually Carrie slipped out from Stiles' hold and ran to the door, joining Allison with yelling for Scott. The two pounded their fists against the door, their voices cracking, and they only stopped once Lydia yelled stop. "Stop! Do you hear that?" She asked, turning towards the windows of the classroom, "Listen!"
Allison and Carrie stopped yelling and in the distance they could hear the faint sounds of sirens, followed by the alternating blue and red lights. "My dad!" Stiles exclaimed. They all ran to the window, pressing close against each other and looked out. The legions of squad cars surrounded the building, and multiple officered poured out from each door. The kids started to bang on the window in hopes of gathering attention. When Stiles noticed his dad, he found a window and opened it, and called down.
"Stiles?"the sheriff yelled, "Oh boy… Okay kids, we'll be there shortly."
As Stiles, Carrie, Lydia, Allison, and Jackson filed out of the classroom, Scott came to join him. Carrie stepped out line and pulled him into a hug. Stiles glanced over at Allison to see if she'd do the same, but surprisingly she had walked away with Lydia and Jackson. Scott stepped closer to Stiles, and he put a supportive hand on Scott's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. It wasn't long before Sheriff Stilinski ushered the three away from the investigation going on in the classroom. "So are you going to explain what's going on here," he asked of the group to no one in particular. The three explained what had happened as they walked through the school and towards the outside word, leaving the supernatural parts out. "You sure it was Derek Hale?"
Scott nodded, "Yes." He was thankful that Carrie voice her opposing opinion, and now that he thought about it, she was being uncharacteristically quiet. When he had seen her up and walking around, Scott's heart had skipped a beat. She was safe and alive, but for now he'd have to wait to get an explanation. Scott was still set on blaming Derek, that hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed with his confrontation with the Alpha was his determination to keep his friends safe - which was something that he needed to discuss with Stiles.
"I saw him too," Stiles offered.
The Sheriff sent him a questioning glance, which made Stiles slink back awkwardly. Sheriff Stilinski turned to Carrie, "And what about you? Did you see Derek Hale here tonight?"
Carrie shook her head, and glanced over at Scott and Stiles. Scott wondered if she'd keep quiet or admit that she didn't believe Scott. "I-I didn't see him," she answered quietly, "I really don't remember much. It was all…"
John nodded sympathetically, "It's okay, Carrie. I understand."
Carrie tried to smile but it just ended up turning into a frown. She zoned out as Scott and the Sheriff spoke, and she started thinking over the night. She truly didn't remember anything before running through the second level of the school. She had to have lots hours of the night, right? And why had Stiles been holding here, but mostly, what had caused her to black out? If it was a vision she should have seen or remembered something from it, shouldn't she? It just wasn't adding up to her. Something was wrong, and what frustrated her the most was she didn't know how to figure it out.
It was only after the Sheriff walked away that Carrie looked over at the boy's. They had turned to her and were waiting for her to notice. Carrie leaned away, feeling unnerved by their piercing gazes. She knew what they were waiting for but she played like she didn't. "What? What are you two looking at?"
Scott and Stiles swapped concerned expressions. "Carrie, what happened. One minute you were saying something about your dad, then you stropped to the ground and passed out," Scott explained.
A puzzled expression took over Carrie's features, "My dad? What are you talking about..."
"You told us to look at the door, and then you called out 'dad'," Stiles explained.
With a blank expression, Carrie replied, "My dad is dead." The two sounded like they had gone crazy. There was no way that- wait didn't Derek mention something about dead people? "Anyways, what happened with you Scott? Why did you leave the class."
Scott shook his head. "Oh no, we're not done talking about you," he told her, "you really don't remember anything that happened tonight?"
Carrie nodded, "Well, at least everything after we ran up to the second floor."
"Do you think you were having a vision?" Scott asked. "Do you remember that?"
Carrie sighed, "No Scott, I don't remember and if I did, I would tell you." She knew that she sounded irritated and that she shouldn't take it out on Scott, he had just as eventful of a night as she did, but she really didn't remember. Talking about it was just going to make it worse, remind her that she was missing something. Thankfully Stiles changed the subject.
"Well, we survived, dude." Scott looked unsure of that statement. "You know? We outlasted the alpha." Scott shook his head. Carrie was with Stiles on this one. They had survived, the Alpha didn't get any of them. They had to celebrate their victories, regardless of how small they were. "It's still good, right? Being alive?" Stiles asked cautiously.
Scott looked nervously at the school, then shook his head. "When we were in the chemistry room, he walked right by us," he started, "You don't think that it heard us? You don't think it knew exactly where we were?"
"Well, then how come we're still alive?" Stiles questioned. He was right, Carrie thought, there had to be more of a reason for it not having killed them. The Alpha was so close to killing them, what made it change its mind.
"It wants me in it's pack," Scott said rather loudly. Carrie looked around to make sure that there was no one in hearing range. "But I think, first I have to get rid of my old pack."
Stiles narrowed his eyes ever so lightly, "What do you mean? What old pack?"
Scott sighed, a pained expression on his face. It was the expression that overtook Scott's features that had Carrie worried. Whatever Scott was trying to imply, it wasn't going to be good. "Allison," he explained and then paused for a moment. "Jackson, Lydia... You two."
Carrie stepped closer to Scott and grasped his hand. Scott was too kind to hurt anyone. There was no way that he could kill them. Much like she believe that Derek wasn't the Alpha, she believed that Scott wouldn't kill them. "The alpha doesn't want to kill us," Scott explained. As he paused, he gave Carrie's hand a small squeeze. "It wants me to do it, and that's not even the worst part."
"How in holy hell is that not the worst part, Scott?" Stiles asked, flailing about the way he did when he couldn't quite express himself with words. He looked baffled, and Carrie was sure her expression was mirroring his.
"Because when he made me shift I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill you.," Scott answered, "All of you."
If the Alpha could force Scott to shift, that meant that he could do it again at any moment. Scott wasn't safe, and at the same time, neither was she nor Stiles. They had to do something, and it made Carrie even more determined to figure out her power. She had to convince her mom to let Jane train her, the lives of her friends - including Allison and Lydia, even Jackson, were in danger - might just depend on her. IF she wasn't able to understand or harness her clairvoyance, she really was no help, and right now Scott could use all the help he could get. Carrie reached out and grasped Stiles' hand, and looked between the two boys. "It might not safe right now, but maybe if we can work together, we can keep each other alive." Carrie turned to look at Scott, a determined expression on her face, "I'm going to find out more about my power to help you Scott. We can do this."
Scott nodded, a fragile smile forming on his lips. But the smile quickly faded when he glanced over Carrie's shoulder. Carrie followed Scott's gaze over to one of the ambulances. There was a dark skinned man sitting in the back of the emergency vehicle as an EMP attended his injuries. Scott started to head over there, not saying a word, and both Carrie and Stiles followed. "There you are," the injured man said with a smile as the three got closer.
"How? How did you-" Scott asked, stuttering out his question.
The man chuckled, "Get out? Not easily, and from what they tell me, I'm alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise."
Immediately thereafter, Sheriff Stilinski showed up and ushered the kids away. "Guys, come on, let's let the EMT's do their job. You can talk to him later."
"Mr. Stil- John, am I able to go home now?" Carrie asked. "My car's here, so I can just drive myself home."
John shook his head, "No can do, kiddo. Since this is a crime scene now, your mom's going to need to pick you up. We've already contacted your mom, she should be here shortly. Just sit tight, then you can go home." John gave Carrie a supportive squeeze on her shoulder, then walked away.
Carrie turned to Stiles and Scott, but only Stiles was standing beside her. "Where'd Scott go?"
Stiles gestured behind her, "To talk to Allison."
Carrie turned around. Scott and Allison looked like they were in a heated discussion. Carrie hope that it wasn't anything bad. Scott was going to need to keep Allison close if he hoped to keep her safe. Carrie turned back to Stiles and pointed over to the ambulance, "Who's that?"
Stiles looked over his shoulder, "Deaton, Scott's boss at the animal clinic. We suspect he's the Alpha."
"Wait, what?" Carrie asked, confusion consuming her features, "You two just pinned it on Derek. What do you mean you think he's the Alpha?"
Stiles leaned back a bit, lips pursing as he evaded Carrie's questioning gaze. "We, uh, believe he's the Alpha," he repeated. "Derek confronted Deaton at his clinic, Scott found them, and we ended up at the school. Scott tried to use the speaker system at the school to call the Alpha, then Deaton disappeared and the Alpha showed up and stabbed Derek."
"So really you're just jumping to conclusions?" Carrie answered, sounding a bit snarky. This gave Carrie hope that Derek really was okay, that he was alive and not the alpha. She wondered where he was right now.
"Well it seemed like a valid hypothesis in the beginning," Stiles answered, rubbing at the back of his neck.
Scott appeared at Carrie's side, looking hurt. She frowned and tilted her head to the side, "Scott, what's wrong?"
He shook his head, "C-can you go talk to Allison, just make sure that she's okay? She's not talking to me right now..." Carrie pulled in her bottom lip, still frowning, and nodded. She gave Scott a quick hug before walking away from the boys. Carrie tapped Allison on the shoulder.
"Scott, I don't-" Allison cut herself off when she spun around and saw that it was Carrie. "Ah, I'm sorry."
Carrie shook her head. Now she was sure that there was something going on with her and Scott. Before tonight, the pair were practically head over heels for each other, yet now they were like two magnets of the same polarity - they couldn't get far enough away from each other. "Is everything okay?" Carrie asked, pulling Allison in for a hug.
Allison returned the gesture. "I-I don't know. I don't even understand what happened tonight. Why did Scott leave us in the room, he could have been killed. And what happened to you? Are you sure you're okay?"
Carrie shrugged, "I'm just as lost as you are Allison, but I think he was did it to protect us..." She smiled up at Allison, "And I'm sure, nothing seems wrong..."
Allison leaned in closer, "You have a massive bruise forming on your chin. How did that happen?"
Carrie's hand shot up and she pushed at her skin, instantly feeling pain. What had happened to her in the time that she didn't remember? Apparently she had just been laying on the ground, but if she hadn't moved, how did she get the bruise. Carrie pushed the thoughts of her missing time to the back of her mind when Lydia stormed up to her and Allison.
"So, after tonight, I'm not waiting. Both of you need to clear your schedule and come to my house, no questions asked," Lydia demanded, crossing her arms. Carrie and Allison reluctantly agreed, saying that some good old fashioned girl time might just be what the three of them needed. They made plans to meet later the next night and spend the night at Lydia's. Carrie was relieved that Lydia had demanded they go to her house, she didn't have to try and lie her way out of going to Allison's.
Carrie was the last of the kids to be picked up and as soon as Lacey saw Carrie, she ran to her and gathered Carrie in her arms. Jane followed behind her and Carrie was sure she felt a cold sensation crawl up her spin, but she tried to ignore it. Lacey pulled out of the hug and held Carrie's face between her hands, "W-what happened to you?"
Carrie shrugged, a slight frown forming on her lips, "I-I don't know. I don't remember."
Lacey's brows knit together, "What do you mean you don't remember?" Lacey's eyes flicked over to Jane, and they shared a questioning glance.
Carrie looked between the two. She wasn't sure if she wanted to let them know what happened, but on the other had she needed to get Jane to train her. "Something happened," she started, testing the waters to see how Lacey would react. "Scott and Stiles said that I mentioned dad, fell over, and started shaking. Then I woke up a while later and I couldn't remember anything."
Jane step closer, "See, I told you she needs my help." Lacey shook her head and pulled Carrie closer to her. "Lacey, dear. She's struggling without my help. If you don't let her learn, there might be some serious repercussions."
Lacey looked down at her daughter, a worried look on her face, "I-I don't know..."
Carrie wrapped her arms around her mom, "I need it mom. I want to be able to understand everything that's happening to me. Please mom."
Lacey wrapped her arms tighter around her daughter. Lacey knew that she was holding her daughter back, but she had tried so hard to give her daughter a normal life. She walked away from her when she was a child and kept the supernatural life away from her, and Mason had given her a normal life in LA. With a sigh she gave in, "Alright. You can work together, but not tonight. We're going home and checking that bruise out. I think your chin might be black for a few days."
Thanks to the terrors that the six teenagers experienced last night, they shut down the school for the day. The rest of the student body was excited about the unexpected day off from their studies, but for Carrie, it was a day more strenuous than school ever was. Jane had woken Carrie up at the crack of dawn for an early morning jog, then meditation in the morning. Jane explained that the best way for her body to cope with the visions was to be at inner peace. Carrie did keep peace with her grandmother, but it wasn't until they got to the real teaching's that she struggled.
"You have to be relaxed. Your body is going to react negatively, things will be more violent if you're not in a natural state of relaxation," Jane directed Carrie as she walked around her. Carrie was sitting in the classic meditative position on the ground, legs crossed under her and arms resting on top of them. She had her eyes closed and she was regulating her breathing, trying to be as calm as possible.
The two were outside in the backyard - Jane had said that nature was good conductor for her clairvoyance. Jane was trying to teach Carrie a small trick that she had the potential of using. As matter is not created nor destroyed, there are remnants of everyone and anything in the world around us, especially in nature as it absorbs much of the essences that people give off - or so Jane says. Jane was prompting Carrie to focus on the world around her, and from that she could collect the pieces of matter that lingered around and produce a memory. One that you could apparently watch.
Carrie was struggling with this particular task. They had been trying for hours and hours, but nothing was working. Carrie could tell that Jane was starting to get frustrating with how little Carrie was advancing. But what did she expect, Carrie thought, this is the first day! Something about the way that Jane was pushing her to learn this trick made Carrie weary of it. Maybe Carrie was holding herself back but something in the back of her mind was telling her to hold back.
Finally Jane sat back down on the blanket, directly in front of Carrie. She crossed her legs under herself and shifted into a meditative position like Carrie was currently in. She cleared her throat and pulled Carries attention to her. "Okay, we'll leave that task for later," she explained, "Now take a deep breath and follow my direction. Keep your back straight, hold your breath and keep it as long as comfortable, and then put pressure with your tongue to the back of your teeth." Carrie followed her direction, feeling rather weird. "Now hum thoh. Focus on your breathing and let the hum reach your center."
Carrie tilted her head, "And what does this do?"
"We're opening your Third Eye," she answered as if it was obvious, "Your Third Eye is directly related to the 6th chakra — the psychic chakra, located on the middle of the forehead above the brows - This is where you'll need to focus your energy as you hum. It is closely associated with the 'pineal' gland. The pineal gland is dormant in most people, as is the true Third Eye."
At the mention of her Third Eye, Carrie felt something stir inside her. She knew this was something that she needed done, and thankfully she didn't have to figure it out on her own. To Carrie, this all felt foolish. Third Eye was just rumours that people said could give them powers, but how could she not believe it - it would be like saying there's no such thing as werewolves or clairvoyant. Carrie gave in and did as Jane directed. She started humming thoh, letting it reach her core. After a minutes of humming, Carrie cracked open an eye, "how long do I have to do this?"
"Until you feel something," Jane barked.
Carrie closed her eyes and tried to get back into the position and the mind frame that Jane wanted, but she just wasn't feeling it. Jane's harsh tone had put her on edge. She was about to say something, when Lacey called to them from the back door. "Carrie, Stiles is here to see you."
Why would Stiles be here? They hadn't made- the movie! She stood up and was about to leave when Jane grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you're going? We're not done here," she hissed out. Carrie tired to free herself from Jane's grasp, but she held on tighter. "Sit. Back. Down."
Carrie yanked her hand back and stormed away without another word. She felt something deep inside her, something telling her to be weary of Jane and to keep herself safe. Carrie shrugged it off as she stepped into the house. She had forgotten to tell Stiles that she wouldn't be able to go to a movie since Lydia had demanded to hang out. She stepped into the living room where Stiles was lounging on the couch and she slid onto the one opposite him. "Hey," she greeted casually.
"You don't look ready for a movie..." Stiles stated, lazily turning to look at Carrie, "And you look like crap, like Thor's hammer Mjolnir tried to make out with your face."
Carrie glared at Stiles for his comparison, but chose to be the bigger person and ignore it. "About that," she said, wincing, "I can't go."
Stiles sat up, "What do you mean you can't go?"
"Lydia demanded I go over there for the night. It will be us two and Allison."
Stiles perked up at the mention of Lydia's name, "Oh. So it's going to be like a slumber party? With pillow fights and truth or dare?"
Carrie threw one of the couch pillows at him. "No Stiles, we are not acting out one of your fantasies." Then she got an idea. "Just hold on while I get changed and I'll make it up to you," she ordered after standing up. Carrie left a confused Stiles in the living room and scampered up the stairs.
Twenty minutes later, Carrie emerged down stairs with all clean and dressed in a pair of black leggings, a black tank with a tri-force on it, and a brown leather jacket. She sat on the bottom step and slipped on her t-strapped black flats. She grabbed her keys as she stood and turned to Stiles, "ready to go?" She jingled her keys and moved to the door.
Stiles wasn't sure what was going on but he followed Carrie out the door and to her black civic. They chatted along the way but Carrie refused to tell him exactly what she had planned. All she said was that she was going to try something new and that she hoped it actually worked. Stiles tried not to let his mind wander, but what could she have planned? Things got even more confusing once Carrie pulled up to Beacon Hills Reserve. He stepped out of the car and looked at the tall, looming trees. "What are we doing here?"
Carrie locked the doors and started walking towards the forest. "Just trust me, Stiles. It's going to be worth it!" Stiles caught up to her and he fell into stride with her. A mischievous grin appeared on Carrie's lips and she grabbed Stiles' hand and pulled him through the forest, the dew drops soaking her shoes. Stiles looked down at his hand, clasped in Carrie's, and a smile appeared on his lips.
He was still confused at what was going on, but he was enjoying it so far. "Care, where are we going?"
"Just hold on. We're almost there," she said, closing her eyes. She had to find the right spot for this to work. She wanted to show Stiles what she had learned. She let her mind relaxed while still paying attention to where she was going. She open herself to the world around her and pulling strength from the nature and earth. Finally she found it, a spot that was infuses with essences from the past, present, and future. She stopped and turned around to face Stiles, who was still looking lost and confused. She held out her free hand, nodding eagerly for him to place his other hand on top of hers, and waited.
While he grasped Carries hand, Stiles looked around him. "Okay, you have to tell me why we're out here in the middle of the forest. You're not going to harvest my liver and sell it, are you?"
Carrie pushed his shoulder, grinning up at him, "No, I'm not. You'll see. Now be quiet." Carrie grasped Stiles' hand again and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut and squeezed Stiles' hands hard. She could feel the energy around her and she started to hear the whispers of tiny voices. Voices of the past, present, and future. Then she tried her hardest to focus on the old voices, the voices that we stuck in a constant loop, repeating a scene over and over again. Then she focused a bit more, finding a specific voice that called out a very specific name.
"Maybe you should stop, you're starting to look constipated," Stiles said, sounding very serious - no teasing tone as he spoke.
"Shut up," she hissed, eyes remaining closed. "I'm almost there..." Then she heard Stiles suck in his breath and she slowly cracked open one eye, then the other. All around the pair were raising dewdrops that shimmered in the sunlight the fell through the treetops. Some drops were larger than other, and rose at a slower pace. A large smile formed on Carrie's lips. She was proud of herself, she had done it! She had done what Jane was trying to teach her, and somehow it was satisfying that she accomplished it without her around.
"Pick one," She whispered.
"What do you mean pick one?"
"Just pick one and you'll see."
Stiles looked at Carrie briefly as if she had finally jumped the shark, but did as she asked . He picked a medium sized drop that was hovering relatively close to his face and pointed at it. "This one I guess."
"Okay, now watch this." Carrie placed her hand underneath the drop until it sat on her hand, a perfect sphere resting on her palm. She pulled her hand closer and placed her hand over it. Everything she was doing was done purely on instinct. Jane hadn't told her what to do once she raised the water droplets. "Put your hands gently over mine."
Stiles followed Carries directions and placed his hands over hers. She remained silent for a second, the constipated look appeared on her face again. She let out her breath and slowly pulled her top hand away from the other. In Carrie's hand was now a medium sized crystal ball and Stiles could faintly see something moving inside.
"Stiles! Come back here," a familiar voice echoed inside him. He looked around, trying to find the source but there was nothing. It was a voice that he hadn't heard in a very long time, and one that he never imagined he'd hear again. A lump started to form in his throat.
Stiles features dropped when he turned back to the glass ball in Carrie's hand and he stood froze. "Was that..." he croaked out.
Carrie nodded, smiling cautiously. "Mhm. It is." She raised her hand so that he could see inside the ball.
Inside the newly formed crystal ball was a scene, almost like an old and worn out video placing back on a VHS player. It was of a toddler aged Stiles running away from his mom, Claudia, in just his diaper with paint splattered all over him. Faint toddler giggles could be heard amongst Claudia's calls for Stiles to come back. "How did you..."
"It's a trick that Jane taught me..." Carrie said quietly, still watching the ball in her hand.
The scene continued and inside the ball, Claudia collected the young boy and held him close. He wrapped his paint covered arm - paint sticking to his mother's hair - and told her, "I love you mommy."
"I love you too Stiles, my little boy. Always remember that, okay?" Claudia kissed the top of her sons head and received a tiny kiss on her cheek.
"Yes mommy."
The voices disappeared instantly and the ball shattered into tiny, tiny drops and rolled off of Carrie's hand. She watched them trickle off and splatter onto the ground. A silences fell between the two, since Carrie wasn't completely sure how Stiles felt about what she had just done. She pulled in her lips, holding them between her teeth, and looked up. Stiles had a small smile on his lips and tears in his eyes. She returned his smile. Then, Stiles gathered Carrie in his arms, and held her tight against him. "I haven't heard her voice in a very long time... Thank you, Care."
He was so overwhelmed by hearing his mother's voice that he couldn't contain himself. He didn't know what to say or do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind. He placed a kiss on Carrie's cheek. She blinked rapidly, stunned by his actions. She glanced up at him, but didn't do anything, and Stiles was just thankful that she didn't slap him. Carrie nodded with a tight lipped smile, not knowing what to say. All that she did was lift her arms and wrapped them around Stiles', returning the warm hug.
Later that night, Allison picked Carrie up from her house and they headed over to Lydia's. Her mother answered the door and let the girls in, directing the two to Lydia's excessively large room. Lydia had arranged her room so that each girl had their own twin bed, claiming that she didn't feel like making them choose which got to sleep on her queen-sized bed with her. Carrie briefly wondered who had spare twin beds lying around and she hoped that Lydia hadn't purchased them just for tonight. The girls chatted about their daily lives, keeping far away from the elephant in the room, and Allison told Carrie about troubles with Scott.
Lydia forced the other girls into doing all things stereotypical of a sleepover: manicures, pedicures, and even mud masks. It wasn't until the girls climbed into their separate twin beds that the conversation was finally steered towards what happened the night before, and surprisingly it was Allison that asked the first question. "Carrie, you've spent time with Derek, right? Do you think he's the one that was in the school, because you were really upset about it."
She shook her head. Carrie had to be careful around both Lydia and Allison as she talked about last night. She couldn't talk about a lot of what went on, so she had to think about her answers. "No, I didn't believe Scott," she admitted, "Derek doesn't seem like a cold blooded killer. He—Under all that angst, I think, there is an actual caring person."
Lydia groaned, "Enough about Derek Hale - who possibly murdered people and attacked Jackson and I at the video station - the real question is: What happened to you?
What could she really tell them? She couldn't tell them that she believed she was having a vision but couldn't quite remember it; They'd laugh at her and call her crazy. Carrie just had to stick with her original story. "I don't know," she answered with a disinterested shrug, "I guess I wasn't feeling well. You know, the stress of being chased in the school was getting to me..."
"You're lying, Carrie Deveraux," Allison stated, sounding more serious than one would have expected. "Your hands were ice cold and your lips were turning blue. That's not something normal that you just shrug off with a 'I wasn't feeling well'."
"Really, I don't know," Carrie said again, "I can't really remember much after we left the cooking class. It's like I was so scared that my mind has blocked it all out. It happens a lot with PTSD."
Allison looked from Carrie to Lydia, then back again. "You scared us," she stated, Lydia nodding her agreement, "we thought you were dying or that something was seriously wrong."
Carrie stood up and walked to Allison's bed, sitting beside her and motioned for Lydia to join her. Once Lydia sat beside Carrie, she threw her arms over the girls shoulders. "Listen," she started, "I'm here, I'm alive — a little bruised up somehow, but I'm okay. You don't have to worry." She paused and turned to each girl, giving them a supportive smile, "either of you, I'm not going anywhere."
Lydia stood up and placed her hands out, palm facing up. She motioned for them to do the same and to link their hands together. "Good, and it better stay that way," Lydia demanded in her usual tone. Lydia squeezed the girls hand, "We girls need to stick together, okay? Chicks before dicks and all that."
Allison turned to Carrie, "Have you at least figured out how you to that bruise." Carrie groaned and fell back, sneakily grabbing the pillow and smacking it against Allison's head. Allison turned around, mouth wide and grabbed the next nearest pillow, smacking it against Lydia's silk covered stomach.
The girls, once the pillow fight had ended, made a pact that they'd stick together, no boy drama getting between them and - in Lydia's exact words - a deadly trio who took no prisoners. Lydia was rather stuck on this girl squad that she was trying to forge between them, saying that she was tired of hanging out with just Jackson and wanted to do more together. The girls continued to chat for a while, before Allison and Lydia dozed off. Carrie was the last one to fall asleep, and just as she was about to, she received a text. She pulled out her phone and clicked on the new message.
Any naughty photos of Lydia to send me? - Stiles
Carrie shook her head and sent back a snarky reply, telling Stiles that he'd just have to use his imagination. His kiss he had placed on her cheek had startled Carrie. It wasn't that she didn't like it - to be honest she wasn't sure what she felt - but she just never imagined him ever doing that, they had just started being friendly. She chalked it up to the fact that he didn't mean to do it, he was just high from hearing his mother's voice. She rolled over and forced herself to sleep - pushing all thoughts of Jane, her clairvoyant tricks, werewolves and the Alpha, and even the kiss from Stiles. She wanted sleep and nothing more.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Huzzah! I told you I'd get this up to you as soon as possible (I think I got it done in record time too!). Changing from first person to third person has made writing so much easier, and I feel like it has made the chapters better. What do you think? Let me know what you're liking and what you're not liking. I'd love to hear from you all.
I'd like to give a shout out to the reviewers: Snowball A.K.A Winterwolf, BrittWitt16 (who has jsut started the journey through my story and has left long reviews of her thoughts for each chapter. I love them and make me giddy inside. Thank you!), AmyRoxx123, and .heaRt. Thanks lovelies, your reviews are so loved.
I know that there are some changes to night school scenes regarding what the canon characters say/do, but I tried to keep it the same. I hope you don't hate that! And there are some big reveals about my ssn1 (and into ssn2) storyline in this chapter, so I hope you pick up on those. We finally get to see and meet Carrie's dad - although he is just a ghost - which is exciting. And you see her kind of break down at the end which is something I feel was needed, since she's been bottling up all her feelings, just ignoring them all and just focusing on the supernatural. So I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, the next one should hopefully be up soon! (maybe I can get it up another one next weekend).
Enjoy~
xoxo