I stayed home the next day. I convinced my dad I was sick with a fever. Easy enough with my powers. I needed the day to think. My dad drove for work, and I watched him leave from my window. I looked past the drive way and looked over the tree tops.
When I first came back, I had a feeling of nostalgia when I looked over Beacon Hills from this window. Now, I felt like I had crossed into a whole new dimension. ‘What else was out there that I didn’t know about? What was really going on in this town?’ I thought back to all the strange behaviors of those around me. ‘Who else knew about this? Who else was involved?’
It had been a few hours when my dad texted me.
Dad: How are you feeling?
Me: Mentally or physically?
Dad: Lol. Look, if you’re feeling up to it. Could you pick up some medication at the vet?
Me: Sure
Sighing, I got up and got dressed. The vet’s office was right next to the old pool where I used to compete. So it wasn’t a far drive. I pulled up to the vet’s office and walked in only to be surprised. “Scott?” I asked.
Scott turned around and smiled. “Narssy! Hey. What can I help you with?” He put the broom down and went behind the counter.
“Well, actually I’m here to pick up a prescription for my dad.” I said with a smile. He raised his eye brow. My eyes widened. “I mean! For his shop! The new fish, he, I—“
Scott started laughing. “Narissa, calm down. I was only pulling your leg. I’ll be right back with your stuff.” He walked into the back room.
Bored, I looked out the window and saw something weird. Standing at the door to the pool was something that was hunched over and dragging something. I put my purse down on the counter before going to follow whatever had just walking into the building.
When I got to the building, I caught a small burst of light out of the corner of my eye. I looked up and saw someone had sabotaged security cameras. I walked into the building. The only lights came from the ones that were in the pool. I walked over to the trophy case and looked around. Something wasn’t right. A chill went up my spine. Someone was watching me.
I heard movement behind me. I spun around, only to have something heavy thrown over me. I instantly recognized the feeling of what had been thrown over me. It was in a net! The net was pulled shut very fast. I was knocked off my feet. I struggled in the net to get a look at who was doing this to me. I froze.
Yellow slit eyes looked back at mine. Scales surrounded its eyes. This was the same thing that had killed Isaac’s father. Now it had me trapped in a net. I screamed. A blood curdling, hair raising scream.
Scott walked back with Narissa’s things. “Alright. So all you have to do--? Narissa?” Scott looked around, but couldn’t find Narissa. He looked down and found her purse lying on the counter. He picked it up, but dropped it when he heard someone scream. “Narissa!” Scott’s eyes turned yellow and his claws came out.
The lizard like creature covered its ears and hissed. It glared at me before shoving me into the pool. Cold water greeted me as I sank to the bottom of pool. My ears popped, and I realized I was in the deep end. I struggled to get out of the net. The familiar feeling of my feet changing into a tail came over me. Something inside me clicked. I started to panic. I thrashed wildly. It was as if the fish part of me felt like I was going to die.
My tail hurt, and my back arched. It was hopeless. My lungs started to burn. Somewhere in the back of my mind I realized that I had forgotten to take a breath before I hit the water. I tried thrashing again when I heard the water’s surface break again. I panicked and gave a small scream, letting what little air I had in my lungs out. ‘I’m about to be lizard food!’ I thought. What I saw next put me in a whole different sort of panic.
It wasn’t the lizard monster that had jumped into the water after me. It was Scott. He was swimming towards me. It wasn’t until he got closer that He noticed my tail. I froze in the water. He looked at my tail, and then at my eyes. His hand reached out and brushed my tail, as if to make sure it was real. The second it made contact, I backed it away.
I slumped a bit. It was so hard not to breathe in the water that surrounded me. I was getting lightheaded. Scott snapped back when he seemed to realize how exhausted I was. He untied the end of the net and opened the end. I grabbed his hand and shot like a bullet towards the surface. Our heads broke free from the water, and I gasped for air.
I had my back to Scott. I didn’t want to look at him. How was it so hard to keep a secret here, when I had gone undetected for a year? Even though I was free of the net, my heart was still racing in fear.
“Narissa?” Scott whispered. Tears flowed down my face. I took a breath and dived back down into the water. I swam to the pool’s corner and curled my tail to my chest. I pressed myself as close as I could to the pool wall.
Once I had my lungs full of air, I could hold my breath for twenty minutes. ‘Maybe he’ll leave if he gets bored.’ I wished to myself. I put my head down; I could feel my scales on my face. ‘How long would it take for him to get bored? Was he going to tell everyone? Derek knowing was one thing. But Scott…. He’s never going to trust me again.’
I felt something on my shoulder. A hand. I looked up hesitantly. Scott was in front of me. His eyes looked into mine, trying to tell me something. He held his hand out to me and motioned with his other one that he wanted me to come up to the surface. I pressed myself as close as I could to the wall and shook my head. Scott winced at my obvious fear.
He shook his head and closed his eyes. He opened them again, and I let out a bit of air in surprise. His eyes were a luminescent yellow, he had sideburns and fangs. His nails turned to claws as he reached out for me again. Scott was like Derek. Scott was a werewolf. He gave me a pleading face, and I could see he was having a hard time holding his breath. I nodded, took his hand, and swam us back to the surface.
We swam to the waters edge, and Scott got out of the pool. He was breathing deeply, and I just hung the pool’s edge. My scales glittered in the pool light when I looked down at them.
“How long?” He asked.
I couldn’t meet is eye. “The week I moved to Australia.”
“And how long have you known about werewolves?”
“Since yesterday. It’s why I skipped school today. I was trying to figure something’s out….”
Scott shrugged. “Understandable I guess.”
I looked up from the water. “You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you?”
Scott smiled at me. “I didn’t tell you. Are you mad at me?”
I sighed in relief. “No… does Stiles know?”
Scott winced. “He was kinda with me when it happened.”
I smiled a bit. “He’s going to freak when he finds out.” Scott started laughing, causing me to laugh as well. After a bit. I tried to get out of the water, and with Scott’s help, I got dried off. Once I was back to having legs, we were about to leave, but Scott stopped at the door. “What is it?” I asked.
Scott looked at me, his werewolf eyes glowing. “ I smell blood.”
