There once lived a man and a woman. Both were very good people, the man a protector of not only the law but of the people. The woman was good and kind. She knew the best way to help the land and its people, she kept the old ways and was loved by all. But one day the women became very very ill and then one she died. The man married a second time, but from his first marriage he had a son, which was what prompted his marriage, he felt he could not raise the boy by himself for he had done it for years and yet he still seemed to be failing. The boy was wild and adventurous just like his mother, the man hoped a woman's touch might calm the boy down. However the mean stepmother didn't like him, beat him, and tried to think of ways to get rid of him for good. Once, when the father was away on a business trip, the stepmother told the boy: "Go to your step-aunt's, my sister's, ask her for a needle and some thread so that I can sew you a shirt." For that aunt was Baba-Yaga with the Bony Leg.
Stiles wanted his father happy, he honestly did but something about Vasilisa just made him feel like he was being watched by a hungry predator. She cooed and pinched his cheeks and talked to him as if he was a small child. He wanted to smack her hands and yell but his Dad was smiling in a way that he hadn't in a long time so he put up with it. That didn't make him feel any less like she was looking at him like she wanted to eat him up.
He knew if he complained it would seem like he was jealous of someone else making his father happy so he didn't say anything. Just avoided going home as much as possible, which meant hiding out in the woods as often as possible. He could have gone over to Scott's but he was always busy with Allison or Isaac and he didn't want to bother Melissa. He debated on going over to the rebuilt Hale house but Derek already barely tolerated his presence and besides ever since Chris and Peter had started dating, Derek's old loft was also out of the question. So into the woods he went. Sometimes he made the long trip out to see his Babushka and other times he just found a quiet spot to read or work on his homework. He avoided most public places like the library or the cafe since everyone always wanted to ask him about his Dad and Vasilisa, which he didn't really want to talk about.
Since he was rarely home, Stiles was unaware of the recent string of disappearances of children, but when Geenburg's little sister went missing, no one not even the coach had the heart to really be harsh on the guy. Harris tried but in a rare show of back bone Greenburg called the man out on his shit, shocking everyone into silence as he stomped out of the room.
"It's getting really bad, I heard his sister is the 8th little kid to go missing." Miranda, one of the girls in Stiles science class, said to her friend.
"I heard a few teenagers have gone missing too," Aliane, Miranda's friend said. "They thought they were running away but with the little kids going missing so quickly they think the teens are being taken too."
Stiles sighed and tried to ignore them but it was bothering him. He knew he had to go home today maybe find out what was going on. His father was working at the kitchen table the files spread out before him.
"Dad?" Stiles said softly stepping over to the table.
"Hey kid," John said lifting his head up and giving his son a weak smile.
"Is it true that teenagers are disappearing too?" Stiles asked.
"Yeah kid it's true." John said. "Just promise me to stay close to home and with someone at all times. I know things have been strained with.."
"Dad its not that. I'm just busy with school." Stiles said quickly. "It's senior year, I need good grades to get into collage and a scholarship. "
"I know kid, you work hard and you do good." John said standing up and pulling Stiles into a tight hug. "I can't lose you kid, so be careful, please?"
"Okay Dad," Stiles said hugging his father back tight.
A heavy smell got into his nose and made it wrinkle, it smelt familiar but something about it was bitter. Stiles looked up over his Dad's shoulder, Vasilisa stood in the kitchen doorway watching them. A heavy wooden spoon in her hand, dripping with some kind of sauce. Stiles didn't know then what it was but he knew he never wanted to eat it.