Nightmares

27

Lydia sent Tabitha a text to meet her at the school swimming pool.

Tabitha ran to the school, as it wasn't too far away, and made her way to the pool.

When she got there, Lydia was hovering over a dummy. Tabitha looked around, then up at the chair just as Lydia screamed.

"Lydia!" Tabitha called, catching her attention. "Why are you here?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I was on my way to the store to get ibuprofen for a headache and I ended up here. There's a dead body, Tabitha."

"It's all right. Call the sheriff's station while I call Stiles. He can help."

She nodded and called the station. As soon as Stiles arrived, he asked, "Lydia? Tabitha? Are you okay?"

Lydia glanced to Tabitha. "I'm okay. Tabitha's okay. That, over there..." she pointed to a lifeless boy in the lifeguard chair, "Not okay."

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'm gonna call my dad."

"I already called 911," Lydia replied.

Stiles frowned. "You called the police before you called me?"

"I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?"

"Yes!"

Tabitha glanced Stiles. "I did call you while she called 911."

Stiles called Scott and relayed the information. He said after a moment, "Yep. Throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the frickin' Shining over here. Two little twin girls come out of the woods, start askin' me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised."

"Make sure it was them? Scott, who else is going around ripping throats out?"

Stiles hung up and Tabitha asked, "The werewolves?"

He nodded. "Boyd and Cora. That's what Scott is thinking."

Tabitha turned to Lydia. "You want some company tonight?"

Lydia nodded. "That'd be great."

The police arrived and escorted Lydia home. Stiles insisted on following them. When they got inside, Lydia said, "I had a police escort, and I've got Tabitha with me."

Stiles shot her an innocent look. "I know the inner workings of that force, all right? They're not as reliable as people think."

Tabitha crossed her arms. "As do I, and you still didn't have to follow me and Lydia to her house."

Lydia frowned. "Well, you also didn't have to follow us into my room."

Stiles glanced around the room. "Well, I... uh, yeah, I don't have an answer for that. I can leave."

Tabitha crossed her arms. "What, Stiles? You look like you're dying to ask something."

Stiles shook his head. "Well, I'm not... I haven't been dying to ask anything. I... no questions here for Stiles. Nothing."

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Tabitha and I can see it on your face."

He shrugged. "Maybe my face just has, like, a naturally interrogatory exp... expression."

Tabitha shook her head and deadpanned, "No. It doesn't."

Lydia nodded. "The answer is, I have no clue how I ended up finding that body. I didn't even know where I was until I got out of the car."

Stiles frowned. "Yeah, but the last time something like this happened..."

Lydia let out a sigh. "I know. Derek's uncle."

"Peter," Tabitha realized. "That was you?"

She shrugged. "I didn't know I was doing so."

Stiles turned to Tabitha and said, "Melissa needs me at the hospital. Says she has to show me something. I'll call you. Or text you. Or both."

Tabitha nodded and Stiles waved goodbye.

When he left, Lydia turned to Tabitha. "Did you see how he was looking at you?"

"The doey-eyes. Been that way for awhile," Tabitha said.

"And you're not with him?"

"I like being friends with him."

"Love and friendship always ends happily or in heartbreak. It's either The Princess Bride or Romeo and Juliet."

"I really don't want to talk about this anymore. Did you take ibuprofen?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My headache is subsiding. Thanks for coming."

"Of course."

Lydia and Tabitha sat in a comfortable silence and Tabitha got a text from Stiles. Tabitha let out a sigh. "Heather, Stiles' friend, is dead."

"I'm sorry, Tabitha."

"No, it's fine. I just... I feel bad for Stiles."

"How are you, Tabitha? Honestly."

Tabitha shrugged. "I've been better. My aunt, uh, I don't know why she's here."

"Have you told Stiles?"

"No. He doesn't need to worry about me more than he does."

"Tabitha-"

"Don't. Please. I'll tell him in my own time."

"You really should tell him soon. He's a very observant person and I'm sure he already knows something's up."

"He's already asked about my aunt."

"What'd you tell him?"

"That it was my business."

"Tabitha!"

"What?! He doesn't need to know everything about me!" She glanced at the clock. "It's late and we have school tomorrow. Goodnight."

A honk outside sounded and Tabitha looked out Lydia's window to see Stiles motioning for her to come down. Moments later, her phone buzzed. 'Tabi, I need to show you something'.

Tabitha sighed and glanced at her friend. "I'm being summoned. You gonna be all right here?"

Lydia nodded. "I'll be fine. Go on."

Tabitha made her way outside and followed Stiles to his Jeep. She climbed into the back since the passenger's seat was taken by her other friend. "You okay, Stiles?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Sorry to take you from Lydia."

"It was a relief, actually."

"Why, did something happen?"

"Some things were said."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Mostly."

---

They arrived and Stiles took his friends to the morgue and showed them Heather's body. Tabitha noticed a dark line around her throat. Scott glanced up at his friend. "So Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?"

Stiles gave him a grim look. "You're gonna wish they did."

Tabitha stared at Heather as she asked, "Why?"

Stiles let out a sigh. "I'm not exactly sure yet. The other girl who was out in the woods. Emily? Eventually they're gonna find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather... That guy Lydia found at the pool. All three were virgins... And they're all gonna have the same three injuries... strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called the threefold death."

Scott frowned. "So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?"

"Sacrifices. Human sacrifices."

"Oh, my god," Tabitha mumbled.