She-Wolf

After Images

With a hunter's arrow still sticking out of his chest, Brett Talbot runs through the woods of Beacon Hills. He knows he's being pursued by both Tamora Monroe and Gerard Argent. He stops to catch his breath and looks at his phone, no service.

Brett attempts to pull the arrow from his chest, but, realizing he can't, he presses himself up against the tree to drive the arrow further into him and out his back. With more of the pointy end of the arrow now protruding, he's able to reach around, grab it, and rip it from his body.

~~~

Tamora Monroe is impatient with Gerard. She says they're allowing Brett to gain too much ground. The old man calls her an amateur. She brags that she killed a hellhound and "took out" a werewolf, but he points out that Halwyn and the werewolf in question were both wounded and alone at the time. He warns her not to mistake luck for skill.

They bicker about tactics. Gerard says the longer they wait, the weaker Brett will become. She counters that the extra time will give him a chance to find help. He offers up a quote, "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." She recognizes it as Sun Tzu.

Brett's phone rings. Gerard and Monroe set off to follow the sound. They find the phone lying on the ground still ringing. Brett throws Gerard's arrow back at her but the old man pulls her out of the way just in time, and it hits a tree instead. Monroe catches sight of Brett in the shadows and raises her rifle to fire. He dodges the shots and runs away into the night.

~~~

Mason and Liam play video games in Liam's bedroom. Liam wins. Mason doesn't want to leave and suggests a sleepover. Liam wants to know why since they've not had a sleepover since they were 10. Mason says that he keeps seeing the bloody, faceless lump of a body they found in the locker room earlier.

He explains about after images and an extreme version called Palinopsia. It means "seeing again" and the image doesn't fade. Liam wants to know where Mason sees the body. "Everywhere," he replies. Just over Liam's shoulder, near the door, we can see the arm and lower torso of the bloody faceless lump.

~~~

Melissa McCall bolts the doors to the hospital morgue. She pulls out the drawer containing the bloody lump of a body intending to take a tissue sample. She hesitates and chides herself to "get it together." She pulls back the sheet covering the body and gasps. She is afraid and quickly covers it back up.

Managing her fear but still breathing heavily, she pulls the sheet back once more. She retrieves a scalpel and reaches out to cut away a piece of flesh. As the tool comes close to the body, all the lights in the room flicker. She reaches forward again, almost makes contact with the blade, and the lights go out completely.

Melissa manages to get her phone light on. It appears that the body is no longer lying in the drawer. Fear takes her as she runs for the exit and out into the hall, knocking into Reed as a result.

~~~

Scott and Selene sit down into the car when Scott halts his movements to look at Selene.

"What?" Selene asks, not meeting his eyes.

"You know what." Selene sighs signaling she does know what he means. She leans her head back against the car seat.

"I don't know Scott. It's just... something is wrong." Scott gives her a sympathetic look before starting the car. As he looks behind him to check the driveway, Lori runs behind the car. Scott shoots Selene a look with his eyebrows raised but the girl isn't looking. She unfastens her seatbelt and jumps out of the car. "Lori, what's wrong?" 

"It's Brett," Lori replies and Selene visibly pales. "I found this. It's his, and he's missing, and I heard gunshots." Selene looks over her shoulder towards Scott who has also gotten out of the car.