nepenthe | d. hale

t h r e e

"So, you're like Lydia? A Banshee?" Isaac asked.

"We think so. I mean, mine and Lydia's... abilities are a little different, but it's the same idea. And it makes sense, being related and all." Regina replied as she took a sip of her water.

It was her first day back and she had reunited with Scott and Stiles and met Isaac and Allison for the first time. Lydia has already briefed them on Regina's history and how she knew everything going on.

"Okay, so what happens to a person who had a near death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott asked, zeroing back in on the conversation.

"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles continued.

"And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?" Allison added.

Scott's focus was on his hands in front of him. Stiles rubbed right above his eyebrow as he toyed with a pen and Allison's posture was far too ridged as she played with her lips between her fingers. Regina had always been good at reading people. They were all worried. Rightfully so, considering their current behavior.

"They're all locked up because they're insane." Isaac said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, as someone who was sent away for being insane, that's not really feeling like a good conclusion, Lahey." Regina commented, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ha. Can you at least try to be helpful? Please?" Stiles directed at Isaac, his irritated voice laced with sarcasm.

"For half my childhood, I was locked in a freezer, so being helpful is still kinda a new thing for me." Isaac said, his voice mimicking Stiles'.

"Lydia, you left out the freezer bit in your depiction of friends. Next time, please include all of the juicy, traumatic backstories." Regina said under her breath.

"Hi. Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about. And I think I might actually know... what you're talking about. There's a Tibetan word for it— it's called Bardo." A girl quickly approached their table. Regina stole a grace at her sister, who seemed skeptical.

The girl's final word rang in Regina's head. Bardo. When she was 14, she was so hellbent on trying to figure out what she was, she read a lot. Like, a lot. All different kinds of myths and legends. She recognized the word Bardo. It came up a few times when she was looking into communicating with the dead.

The girl continued, "It literally means—"

"In-between states." Regina said with her. The table turned to look at her, but her eyes were on the girl.

"Yeah. The state between life and death." The girl nodded, a small smile showing.

"And what do they call you?" Lydia asked, her tone not completely welcoming. Regina nudged her lightly under the table with her shoe.

"Kira." Scott answered. He received multiple confided looks, especially from Allison.

So those feelings aren't gone.

"She's in our history class." He shrugged lightly.

While the conversation continued, Regina thought back on everything she had read about Bardo. Kira didn't know what this conversation was in relevance to, but she may be on the right track.

"Hold on, if there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?" Allison asked.

"Death. You die." Kira responded, her voice still light, not knowing the significance of what she just said.