𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒, tmr x tw | ✓

2: Flies and Failure

They start running, their backpacks on their backs.  While they're running, Thomas notices strange symbols on some of the trees. He wonders why nobody's saying anything about them. They probably put them there, he thinks.

After a while, they take a break. At the same place, Minho and Thomas did a month ago. One of the trees right next to Thomas has another symbol on it. The buzzing of a fly zooms around his head once again. He moves his hand at the noise, slightly annoyed.

"You alright, shank?" asks Minho.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just an insect or something," replies Thomas. Minho gives a nod before drinking some of his water. Intrigued, Thomas stares at the tree. He traces the symbol with his finger.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asks Newt. Gally and Minho move their eyes to Thomas, somewhat curious. 

"yeah, I am," replies Thomas, shaking his head. "This symbol is just strange."

"Symbol?" repeats Gally.

"Yeah, a symbol. You haven't seen them? They're on several trees throughout the woods. Just like this symbol, on this tree," He points at the symbol. Thomas is starting to think he's losing his mind.

"Are you really okay?" asks Gally. Thomas resists the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes. I just feel like I've seen this one before." Minho looks at Thomas with worry. Newt scrunches up his nose, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"There's no symbol on the tree, Tommy," says Newt carefully. When Thomas looks from him to the tree, the symbol is no longer there.

"Oh, you're right..." says Thomas. "I must've... seen it wrong or something," I swear it was right there, on that tree. Right in front of me. Something inside of him almost wanted to say 'we'. "Forget it. Let's just continue running."

They keep running. His friends can't help but worry about the boy. When it appears to be quiet, the buzzing sound seems to echo through his head. It's like he's the only one who can hear it. It keeps getting louder.

When it's close to getting dark, the four get back. They eat something and go to sleep. Thomas dodges all questions asking if he's okay, saying he's just tired. He doesn't go to the bonfire and goes to sleep.

His sleep isn't peaceful.

"Where's my dad?" I ask. I know it's me saying those words, but I don't remember ever saying them. I feel a tear roll down my face.

"How should I know?" asks a woman. I recognize her from somewhere but I can't put a name to her face. Just like the man standing next to her. The woman turns to the man and puts on her sweetest voice: "Derek... tell me you don't believe this."

I don't know what he isn't supposed to believe. Until I suddenly do. This is me from before the maze... What is happening? Why am I living this again? I'm dreaming.

When he opens his eyes, he feels the need to run. His head hurts as memories flush through his head and return to where they once were. As he's running, he remembers Scott. He used to be his best friend. He remembers his dad. His mom. The supernatural. Lydia, a girl with strawberry blonde hair. A dead girl, lying in Scott's arms, Scott's face tear-stained: Allison. He killed her. The man from his dream flashes before his eyes: Derek. Isaac. Erica. Boyd. He runs toward the cliff, trying to ignore the symbols on the trees. They're not real.

When he gets there, he stops. He clutches his head and screams. 

His name isn't Thomas, it's Stiles. Or is it? He remembers him now, but he isn't really Stiles anymore. He is Thomas. He looks up, expecting to see the moon. What he didn't expect was to see the nogitsune, standing right in front of him.

"You're dead," says Thomas, trying to stop his voice from trembling. He laughs at him, his terrible-smelling breath giving Thomas the urge to vomit.

"I'm not dead, Stiles," says the nogitsune, grinning. "I might be starving, but I am anything but dead. You don't have to worry about me though. I'll be fed soon."

Thomas's heart beats through his chest and he feels so panicked he might actually puke. This can't be happening. This can't be happening again.

"And when I'm fed," continues the nogitsune, taking a step closer, looking Thomas straight in the eyes, "we will make everyone suffer. We will burn down this 'very safe' home of yours."

"Never," says Thomas. "No."

"We will, Stiles." taunts his nemesis. "You will. We will. You will let me in. Whether you like it or not. You'll have to let me in eventually."

As his words echoed through Thomas's head, he felt the nogitsune's dirty hands push him off the cliff. Somehow, he doesn't scream. When he's about to get impaled by a tree, he wakes up for real. He sits straight up, trying to catch his breath, but not waking up Newt in the process.

The nogitsune is dead, he tells himself. He is dead and it was just a dream. But somewhere deep down, he knows it isn't. Something bad is going to happen, and there's nothing he can do to stop it.