Shatter My Reality

Tap Tap Tap

The flames flickered in the reflection of Lydia's eyes as she concentrated on them. Her hands clasped around Stiles'.

Malia sighed in annoyance and tapped her finger on the side table where her hand rested. This was pointless. They'd tried this already.

Lydia's eyes unfocused, and everything went silent around her, except for the tapping of Malia's fingernail on the wood surface.

Tap, tap, tap.

Each tap was like a steel drum in Lydia's head. But behind it, she heard something.

"Malia, come here," Lydia said, her eyes still on the flames.

Malia frowned but knelt by Lydia's side.

"Tap again."

"What?" Malia frowned.

"Tap the table," Lydia snapped. "Like you were."

Malia set her hand on the table and glanced at the others in confusion before doing as Lydia said.

Tap, taP, tAP, TAP.

Lydia focused on the sound as it grew louder in her ears. Her unfocused eyes focused back in but she wasn't in the loft anymore. Instead, she was in the woods. A cool breeze whipped around her. It was dark and she couldn't see past the few surrounding trees. Her heeled shoes crunched the twigs and leaves beneath her. She heard the tapping. It was now a heavy drum. A rhythmic pound. A heartbeat.

She turned to see any clue as to where she was. When she spun around she saw Stiles. He was so close to her; ten feet at most. His back was pressed against a tree.

"Stiles," Lydia's voice cracked through the darkness in a loud whisper.

No answer.

Stiles leaned slowly, glancing around the tree before snapping back into place. He pulled in a breath and held it.

Lydia's eyes strained to see what he was hiding from. But all she saw was darkness.

The pounding of Stiles' heartbeat slammed against Lydia's eardrums. A loud Rhythmic tap.

Suddenly there was movement. A blur. And then Blood sprayed across Lydia's face.

She yanked back, pulling from Stiles' grip and nearly knocking the candles over as she scrambled back. Her eyes wide and heart pounding. She was back in Derek's loft.

"Lydia?" Stiles reached for her, but Malia reached her first.

"Whoa, what was that?" Malia asked, her arm around Lydia's back.

"I saw... I saw Stiles." She panted. She wiped at her face as if the blood would be there.

Stiles swallowed.

"He was hiding in the woods from... something. Then there was just...blood." Lydia shook her head. She checked her outfit, expecting to see the spray across her plaid skirt. There was none.

"Blood?" Scott repeated.

"Like a spray of it. I don't know, it was sudden." She shook her head. It felt so real.

"But it was Stiles' blood?" Malia asked.

Lydia looked to a quiet Stiles and nodded solemnly.

"You didn't see what did it?" Peter asked.

Lydia shook her head.

"Great, so we've learned nothing new," Peter quipped.

Lydia shot him a glare. "There isn't exactly a handbook on how to predict someone's death."