REAPING INNOCENCE ◦ STILINSKI [3]

INTERLUDE: THREE

INTERLUDE: CATERINA DANIELLE HALE

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Sheriff Forced To Reveal Mystery Behind Carter Hale's Death

Daily Press, March 26, 2015

The news of Beacon Hills High junior's violent death stunned classmates and faculty members on the campus. The eighteen-year-old died Saturday night after her car was forced off Dead Man's Bridge due to a severe storm, according to the Beacon Hills Police Department. "The accident occurred on the night of one of the worst storms this county has ever seen," said Sheriff Stilinski. He went on to explain that Dead Man's Bridge is the oldest bridge in Beacon Hills and hasn't been serviced in over two decades, which is what caused the water from the storm to collect so heavily. When asked, Dr. Charlie Marks, Beacon Hills Memorial's coroner, stated that the cause of death was admittedly drowning and the only other leading characteristics found from the autopsy was that Carter had suffered an extreme head trauma. "The trauma was more than likely caused by Ms. [Carter] Hale's head hitting the steering wheel when the car impacted with the water," said Dr. Charlie Marks.

When we talked to Sheriff Stilinski just last week, he claimed that Carter Hale's death was "an unsolved case with officers trying to rule out foul-play—

"Why are you reading that?"

The voice above Carter caused her to immediately fold the newspaper in half and look up bashfully. Malakai stood to his full height behind her and had a clear view over her shoulder. With once quick glance he knew exactly what she was reading. She could see the apparent look of disappointment furrowed on his face and began to wonder why she had the newspaper in the first place when she knew it would only make herself upset in the end.

Reading the words printed on the page was like taking an ice cold dagger to the chest but it didn't deliver the satisfying killing blow. The blade barely missed her heart and with each intake of air, it dug deeper and deeper until the pain of it was all she could feel.

Carter shrugged her shoulders. "You know how I like to inflict misery upon myself."

Malakai reached down to take the newspaper from Carter's hands and she let him. She watched as he quickly and simply tore the newspaper right down the middle before tossing both halves into the fireplace. The bright orange flames flickered blue when the ink began to mingle with the embers.

"I also know that reading that will also cause you more harm than good, Carter." Malakai said, his voice low and deep in his chest. She had been making great progress on coming to terms with her new nocturnal life. He just hoped that this didn't set her back completely. "You've been adjusting so well, don't let this erase all of the hard work you've accomplished."

Carter looked up and met his eyes heatedly, not appreciating the fact that he was chiding her like some misbehaved toddler. "Don't talk down at me like you know what's best, like you're some expert on death. In case you've forgotten, I was the one that died, not you. I'm the one that came back and had to completely abandon my life. I'm the one that had to watch my own memorial service from a fucking choir loft as my brother and my friends struggled to keep themselves on their feet. So don't mind me if I don't take every single thing you say about me adjusting into consideration."

A hurt expression flashed across Malakai's face before it quickly disappeared, but Carter had been paying enough attention to catch it.

"Well, at least you have the dignity to look slightly ashamed."

"Look, Carter, I'm sorry, okay?" Malakai responded while pinching the bridge of his nose. "I know that none of this is easy for you, but I do have some experience when it comes to death and how it has its adverse affects of various supernatural creatures. I witnessed and experienced firsthand how death affected Raeven—it changed her into a completely different person."

Carter's nostrils flared in anger. "A completely different person that you knew was going to come after me and try to kill me, but yet you did nothing to try and stop her."

"I thought that if I kept my distance from you and slowly eased you into the fact that you were being hunted, that I would be able to keep you from changing into someone else."

"Well, Malakai," Carter started, taking a step closer. "If you didn't want me to change, you shouldn't of let me die."

Malakai visibly flinched back at the malice in her words.

The air suddenly felt thicker and Carter swallowed down her rising anger. She felt a sympathetic look take over her features. She hated seeing him like that. She hated seeing the look on his face whenever he thought about how his life used to be before Raeven was killed by their father. She hated the fact that she knew exactly what to say to him to make him upset.

"No, I'm sorry," Carter said softly, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have let my anger and annoyance out on you. It's not your fault that Raeven ran my car off the bridge that night and I know that it isn't, so I shouldn't blame you like it is. I just hate being trapped in this abandoned shack all day everyday, waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Carter pushed herself out of her seat and swallowed the bile rising in her throat. "I'm just...I'm just not okay right now and I hate feeling like I have to pretend that I am. I feel so alone and I can't help but relive that night over and over again every single time I close my eyes."

"You're not alone, Car," Malakai stated. "Alright? You have me and that's all you need because I'm here to make sure that you're okay and that you stay safe."

Carter nodded once and looked to the floor. "Thank you, for everything."

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i know that this chapter wasn't what everyone was hoping or expecting for, but it's what i have at the moment sadly. i've already started working on the next official chapter and will hopefully have it ready in the near future. this interlude is really REALLY short but i just wanted to throw in some sort of memory from the time when carter and malakai were in hiding before anyone knew that she was still alive.