Pure × Isaac Lahey

55.

x x

       The quiet air of the Sheriff's station was broken as Agent McCall rushed into the pit, going for one of the few deputies remaining.

       "Hey," addressed McCall to Parrish, "is this the exact transcript of Scott and Stiles' phone call?"

       Parrish looked up from his computer, "It's what he gave us."

       "But these words. Stiles says, 'Something smells terrible. My eyes are watering.'"

      Deputy Parrish only shrugged, unsure of what the FBI Agent was pawing for.

      "Hi, I'm Melissa McCall. I was hoping to see Agent McCall."

      Raphael turned at the sound of his ex-wife's voice, leaving the deputy be and walking out to Melissa. "What are you doing here?"

       "My shift was over," she told him. "I just wanted to see if I could help."

       Agent McCall paused for only a moment, "Come with me."

       The two sharing the same last name ducked out of the police department, Raph fishing out car keys from his pocket with his good hand.

       "The thing he said...what Stiles said on the phone isn't him in a basement. I don't think he's inside at all." Raph climbed into the black SUV, turning on the car as Melissa buckled her seatbelt. "I think I know where he is, and I don't think he's awake."

       "So what are you saying?"

       "I'm saying," began Agent McCall, "maybe the real question might be, how do we know he's not still asleep?"

       "You mean he's been asleep this whole time?" Melissa questioned.

       "Well, people who sleep walk can do crazy things. One guy goes down to the kitchen and cooks an entire meal. Another guy's found mowing his lawn naked."

       Melissa scoffed lightly, "Why's any of that matter?"

       "Remember that townhouse apartment we lived in?" asked Raph as he drove on. "There was that one night I came home drunk-"

       "Oh, one night?"

      Raph hesitated, "Let me finish. So I'm drunk, passed out on the bed. I get up to go to the bathroom. Then suddenly I hear you yelling, 'What the hell are you doing?'"

       "Because you were in the closet peeing into the laundry basket," Melissa expressed.

       "Yeah," said Raph, laughing, "I thought it was the bathroom."

      Melissa sighed, "Oh, no, you were drunk off your ass."

       "Yeah, but I was convinced it was the bathroom." Raphael looked over to Melissa, "So how do we know Stiles isn't just convinced he's in some kind of basement and isn't actually there?"

       And with that, Melissa didn't know what to say.

       Raph softly nodded, "I think when he called Scott, he was still asleep. And is still right now."

       Melissa shook her head, "Then where is he?"

       "I've got an idea about that too."

x x x

       "Just keep driving."

      The atmosphere within the Argent SUV was electric, both Elora and Charlie set out in the folded down back seat with items not even found in witchcraft shops. Chris drove, constantly glancing behind himself to the siblings as he headed east.