𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧

[1] 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

–·•••·–

Isabella let out a deep sigh as she watched the "Welcome to Beacon Hills" sign pass by.

She was finally back home, after spending the summer with her abuela in Mexico. What was supposed to be a time of rest had quickly turned into a blur when her grandmother fell ill.

Sadly, though, just as quickly as her time away had started, it was over. School was about to begin again at Beacon Hills High.

Isabella had begged her dad to let her stay a little longer, but he reminded her that it was time to come back and get ready for the first day of school. So, reluctantly, she packed her things, said her goodbyes, and made her way back to California.

She didn't mind Beacon Hills—it was a quiet town where nothing much ever happened. But what Isabella dreaded the most wasn't the town itself, it was the people.

She never felt truly seen here, except by Scott, Stiles, and occasionally Lydia (when she wasn't busy pretending to be the perfect little princess). But even so, it always felt like everyone was watching her, like if she said or did too much, they'd whisper behind her back.

It wasn't the stares that bothered her so much—it was the feeling that they were all judging her, especially when the long sleeves of her shirts would shift just enough to reveal the burns on her arms.

It was suffocating.

She'd heard them whispering, calling her a freak.

And, in a way, she was. She was one of the only two survivors of the Hale fire, a survivor who wasn't supposed to make it out, but did. Her scars were proof—proof that she should have died that night.

The worst part was that, thankfully, she couldn't remember much of the night itself. All she had were fragments of the story her dad had told her, bits and pieces meant to soothe a young, confused mind.

A "ding" from her phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced down and saw a message from her dad—something about a "body in the woods."

She quickly checked the road to make sure it was clear before sending a brief response.

Another "ding" pulled her attention back to her phone, but before she could read it, something caught her eye. A deer suddenly darted out from the woods in front of her car.

Startled, Isabella slammed on the brakes, her body jerking forward with the momentum of the car—her forehead slamming into the steering wheel.

"Fuck!" she groaned, rubbing her hand over her forehead, but she immediately pulled it away when the pressure made the pain worse.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shake off the dizziness. After a moment, the ringing in her ears began to fade, and she cautiously opened her eyes.

The deer was gone.

Her heart raced as a sinking feeling hit her stomach.

Quickly, she threw off her seatbelt and scrambled out of the car, rushing to the front. There was no sign of the deer.

Relief washed over her, and she sighed, rubbing her hands over her face, being careful not to press too hard on her sore head.

"It's fine. Everything is fine," she muttered, shaking her head with a nervous laugh.

She started to walk back to her car, longing for her bed and a cup of hot chocolate. But as she did, a cold tingle ran down her spine.

Her breath hitched. She turned to face the woods, scanning the dark trees. The full moon barely illuminated the path ahead, casting long shadows across the ground.