The Art Of Drowning ― 𝐒. 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐈

one.

DANIELLE WAS SITTING IN THE PUBLIC library, a table occupied with the books she planned on gaining information from. She'd talked to Lydia who was finally awake and Nel left when Lydia was leaving to take a shower. Nel knew what she saw that night. It wasn't human. It had soulless eyes that flashed red, and fangs. He looked more like a creature than a human.

When Nel looked at her wrists that were cut because of his claws, she shuddered and pulled down her sleeves, removing her laptop from her school bag. She opened it and watch the screen light up, as she typed in her password before her desktop was displayed. She reached for the book and the bundle of papers she asked from the librarian. They were worn out and the paper was yellow.

Carefully, Nel untied the thin rope holding the fragile papers and she placed one out of the stack and took a deep breath as she began reading. "In folklore, a werewolf or occasionally lycanthrope is a human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf , either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (often a bite or scratch from another werewolf) and especially on the night of a full moon. Early sources for belief in this ability or affliction, called lycanthropy, are Petronius (27–66) and Gervase of Tilbury (1150–1228).

"The werewolf is a widespread concept in European folklore, existing in many variants, which are related by a common development of a Christian interpretation of underlying European folklore developed during the medieval period. From the early modern period, werewolf beliefs also spread to the New World with colonialism. Belief in werewolves developed in parallel to the belief in witches, in the course of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Like the witchcraft trials as a whole, the trial of supposed werewolves emerged in what is now Switzerland (especially the Valais and Vaud) in the early 15th century and spread throughout Europe in the 16th, peaking in the 17th and subsiding by the 18th century."

With furrowed brows, she began typing down notes on the subject, only the important points. As she continued reading and making more notes, she heard someone sit in front of her and she looked up from her screen, hands still on the keys. Nel frowned upon seeing the boy.

"Stilinski," she acknowledged. "What do you want?"

"I had to tell you," he said quietly. "Lydia, when she was taking a shower, she just started screaming and when the nurses went to check up on her, she was gone."

Nel took a moment to take in the information before she leaned back in her chair. "So she's just gone?"

"The police can't find her."

After waiting for a minute, Nel spoke up, "You know about Greek Mythology?"

"Of course."

"So you must know the story of the Lycaon, right?"

Stiles stiffened. "Yes. I-I do."

"It's all true, isn't it?"

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DANIELLE HAD LEFT THE LIBRARY HOURS ago. Millions and millions of thoughts were clouding her head, and she didn't know what she believed. Either this was all true or it wasn't because Stiles had not given her an answer. He just left with a scowl on his face. 

Nel was currently in the forest with her brother because he offered to find his sister's best friend. Of course, Max knew the strawberry blonde girl well because she was always with Nel and they talked quite loud, so Max always used to join in on silly conversations about how Jackson became such a jackass in a matter of seconds. 

It was late, too. The dark sky was clear except for the moon and Nel had practically given up. She and Max walked out of the forest to find the police cars and they headed towards them. 

Both of them shook hands with the Sheriff and Nel spared a glance in Stiles' way.  "Did you find Lydia?" Nel asked quietly to the Sheriff.

"No, I'm afraid not," the Sheriff sighed. "But we will find her, so don't--"

"Lydia?" Max gasped a little, seeing the strawberry blonde girl, standing naked, her forearms covering her breasts and her hair in a tangled mess of branches and leaves with her eyes as wide as saucers. "Lydia!"

"Well?" She questioned, moving her arms to prove a point. "Is someone going to get me a coat?"

Stiles stared, completely mesmerized by the now completely bare girl and fainted. Nel rolled her eyes and before anyone could see anything else, she rushed towards and covered her. Shrugging off her coat, she slipped it over Lydia and pulled her best friend in a long hug.

"Thank God, you're alive. I wouldn't be able to live without you."

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