SYMMETRY ➽ D. HALE [1]

02 ; missing inhalers and brooding strangers

02 ➽ MISSING INHALERS AND BROODING STRANGERS

It was the understatement of the year to say that Elise didn't want to be back in the woods. It was the last place she wanted to be, after what had happened last night. The image of the mutilated corpse still flashed behind her eyes, and even after a full day had passed, she couldn't shake the feeling that the girl's lifeless eyes had somehow been watching her.

"I could have sworn it was right here!" Scott sighed, shuffling around a pile of crisp leaves. "We saw the body, the deer came running, and I lost my inhaler."

"Maybe it got moved. Like an animal took it or something," Elise suggested.

"Or, maybe it was the killer," Stiles said casually.

"I hope not," Scott huffed, getting up from his place on the ground, "Those things are like eighty bucks!"

A movement in the corner of her vision grabbed Elise's attention, and she glanced up, expecting to see a wild animal. Instead, her eye caught the image of a stranger. "Guys," Elise whispered, catching the attention of the two younger boys. "We've got company."

On cue, the stranger made his way forward. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice sending chills down Elise's spine. The stranger practically appearing out of thin air had only added to her unease. "This is private property."

Stiles opened his mouth to reply, but Elise cut him off, fearing he would say something regrettable. "Sorry, we didn't know. We were just-"

"Leaving," Scott interrupted, "We were just leaving."

Elise flashed her brother a look that read: there-is-no-way-we-are-leaving-your-expensive-ass-inhaler-in-the-woods, but he ignored it. She was bout to demand that the trio stay and continue looking, but the stranger pulled something out of his coat pocket and tossed it to Scott. Her brother caught it with ease.

When he opened his hand, Elise saw that his inhaler was resting in his palm. Had the stranger found it? Elise couldn't help but think back to what Stiles had said moments before- that perhaps the killer had come back to get rid of the evidence.

Were they evidence? Elise couldn't help but wonder, as she lifted her head to where the stranger had been standing. When she lifted her head, though, he was gone. The chilling feeling that had been plaguing Elise didn't subside as she turned to the boys.

"Guys, that was Derek Hale," Stiles exclaimed. The name sounded slightly familiar to Elise, but she wasn't sure where she had heard it before. Stiles sighed when the McCall siblings stared at him expectantly, waiting for more information. "His whole family burned to death in a fire like ten years ago! He's only like a few years older than us."

Elise felt her heart drop- her family meant the world to her, and she had no idea what she would do if she lost them. "I wonder what he's doing back," she sighed.

➽

Elise carelessly dropped onto Stiles Stilinki's bed, her bag tumbling onto the covers next to her. Scott, instead, sat at the corner of the bed. She knew he was on edge about the party going on later that night, but he was beginning to remind her of a puppy who's owner left him at Doggy Daycare for the first time. Stiles, on the other hand, paced mercilessly around the room.

"I've been up all night reading... websites, books, all of it," Stiles said, running a hand across is buzzed hair. "I found all kinds of information."

"How much Adderall did you have today?" Scott questioned jokingly, shrugging his backpack onto the ground.

"A lot. But that's not what this is about," Stiles breathed, sinking into his desk chair.