Tether ⌲ Stiles Stilinski [2]

twenty-six

Against all odds, I slept peacefully. Allison's words of wistful nostalgia from the day before had clearly lodged themselves into my own head, leading me to dream about a much simpler time. A happier time, when we were eight years old running and laughing along the beach on one of our summer holidays.

We splashed each other playfully and enjoyed the moment innocently without stopping to look back at the shore for Mom or Dad. At one point, she ran on ahead of me to dive into the deep blue ocean, showing off the swimming skills that always beat mine. When her dark hair disappeared and melted into the water as if she had become a mermaid before my eyes, my heart carried some distant yearning feeling. Like I missed her. I woke up knowing that it was the innocence I missed, and the weightless air of a childhood with her.

After showering and getting dressed, that sense of peace was gone. I was back to thoughts about Stiles and when we would get our next clue, or what was the next move in the fox's game of chess. I walked quietly down the hall of our apartment to check if my sister was awake yet.

Holding my hand up to the door to knock, I halted my movements suddenly when I heard a hushed male voice speak from inside her bedroom.

"I knew this was a good idea," Isaac was saying. "Coming to see you."

I heard my sister give a light laugh. "I still think giving you the alarm code was a bad idea."

"Mmm. I don't know about that."

I stepped back from the door frame. After seeing Isaac in the hospital just yesterday, still sick in bed, I was highly confused and astonished at first as to how he got better so quickly and found his way to our house. But the reason why he had been stuck in the hospital was because his supernatural healing hadn't kicked in yet. Clearly, it finally had, and he had wanted to spend the first chance he could with his girlfriend.

A smile grew on my face. Our talk could wait, I was just glad that my sister had some happiness this morning too. I would ask her and Isaac about what had happened to him when I got back later.

For now, I needed to get out. I wanted to clear my head and just go for a quick walk before my father woke up. Naively, I hoped that the magic answer for saving Stiles' life would pop into my head as I went, as if all it took was some fresh air for everything to come to light.

The air was cold, autumn dipping into winter, but the sun was shining down anyway. Leaves still clung onto the trees stubbornly as I passed them, morning joggers were still in shorts and t-shirts, but I hugged my jacket around me tighter. No matter if it was entirely stupid or not, I kept frantically turning my head when every shift of light caught my attention. As if the Nogitsune would be on the sidewalk across the street, waving to me.

A school bus passed and my eyes trailed the red brake lights until it turned its next corner. Would all of us be going back to school normally in a matter of days? Weeks? Months? How long would it be until we were done with this entire mess? How long until I got Stiles back?

Our brief encounter with the Nogitsune in Derek's loft had been so short we hadn't even had a slight chance to act on the scroll's advice, the translation about changing the body of the host to exorcise the spirit out of him. I still hadn't stopped to seriously consider Stiles being turned to a werewolf, and wondered if Scott had done the same.

The wind picked up so I changed course to stay in the sun, chasing after whatever warmth I could get. I willed myself not to think of the Nogitsune or Stiles. This walk was supposed to be a healthy coping mechanism, not a means to lose myself to a spiral again just outdoors as opposed to inside my bedroom.

Look at the leaves, I told myself again. Appreciate the little moments of beauty still thriving in this cursed town. I changed course again to avoid someone walking their dog. Look at the sky.