Once in a Lifetime

17

Lydia, Malia and Tabitha entered the school and Tabitha stared at the book in Malia's hand. Malia had told her that the people in masks were called Dread Doctors and that she'd found the book in Tracy's room.

Tabitha pointed to the book. "Why the hell would anyone read this?"

Lydia stopped and Malia and Tabitha asked, "What?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. There's something about it. Has anyone actually read it?"

"Just me," Malia replied.

Lydia's pace quickened and she said, "We should probably read all of it."

Tabitha nodded. "Probably."

Malia glanced between them. "Kira's working on that. Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name."

Lydia stared at the front cover for a moment and flipped it over to read the summary. ""In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later, they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors."" She nodded. "Sounds vaguely familiar. How does it end?"

Malia shrugged. "It doesn't. This is supposed to be volume one."

Tabitha frowned. "Is there a volume two?"

"I think we're living volume two."

Lydia looked at them. "Maybe the real question is... Is this a novel or someone's prediction?"

The girls sat down, Malia in front of Lydia and Tabitha next to Malia. Malia turned moments later to face Lydia. "Why is your heart beating so fast?" She turned to Tabitha. "You seem more panicked than normal."

Lydia ignored Malia and flipped through the pages, stopping at the last one. She let out a soft gasp. "Look at this, you two. Look at the acknowledgements page." She turned the book around.

Malia read the words aloud. ""For providing scientific perspective and invaluable insight... this book is dedicated to Dr. Gabriel Valack." Do you two know him?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. And I know where to find him."

Tabitha made her way to Stiles' house to inform him of the plan she and Lydia had come up with.

Stiles picked up a gray jacket from the end of his bed. "Tabi, I'm going with you."

Tabitha tilted her head. "Well, according to your text this morning, you're sick and needed to spend the day at home."

He shrugged. "I'm slightly under the weather."

She shook her head. "You should stay here and rest. Malia isn't coming either."

"Malia's not joining because she knows that that place is a nightmare asylum of insanity and death, okay?" He slipped on a jacket and Tabitha noticed his wince. "Let's go."

She frowned. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You winced."

He avoided her eyes. "I have a bad elbow."

"It was your shoulder."

"Pain radiates. It does that," he said before sighing. "You are not going without me. You remember what happened to Deaton when he talked to Valack?"

"Scott and Kira will be there."

Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Okay, there's no way I'm letting you go to a place where one of the orderlies almost killed you or Lydia."