Forgotten [Book Two of The Twins series]

Twenty-Five

I sat across from Hope while we tried to figure out how what the monster could be. But it would be much easier if it weren't for the constant Christmas caroling. I stared down at the notepad in front of me before snapping the pencil in two and putting my head in my hand. "I'm trying to work!" Hope exclaimed. "So of you don't fa-la-la-la leave, I'm gonna give you all another piercing." She threatened holding him up her own broken pencil. The three witches scampered away. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sounds like someone could use a little help getting in the spirit." Kaleb announced walking over to us. "You want to help? Find me an ax." I told him. "So, that's a neg on the nog?" He asked. "We need to figure out what monster's making everyone so freaking merry, then kill it." I said making the motion of strangling it with my hands. "Whoa. That's naughty as hell, Stiles." Hope voiced. "I got to do all I can to make it on Santa's nice list. 'Cause I've been asking for this one thing every Christmas and, uh, I never got it. But I'm hoping that this is the year." He explained slurping eggnog from a ladel. 

"Hell yeah. You sure you don't want to hit this?" He asked us as I glared at him. "If I started hitting stuff now, I might never stop." I answered as Hope sighed. "There's got to be someone around here as miserable as us." She stated. She tilted her head a bit before pushing her lower lip out. She looked up at me with a smile. "I'm not gonna like this, am I?" I asked. "Nope." She answered getting up and walking away. "I was afraid you'd say that." I breathed following after her getting away from the incessant singing. 

"And for the love of God!!" I spat reaching for a dagger hanging on the wall next to me. "SHUT! UP!" I shouted throwing the knife at the three singing witches. It flew passed their heads, burying its blade deep into the dark wooden wall directly behind them. They looked at the embedded blade next to their heads with wide eyes. They looked back at me with fear written on their face. "Or the next time I won't miss! GOT IT?!" I raged storming out.

"You're right. I am miserable. So why would I help you two?" Clarke said as he stood in jail cell. "Am I just supposed to accept the fact that he's been imprisoned underneath our school?" I voiced. "Yes." Hope answered. "'Kay." I stated. "Believe me, I wish that there was another option, but you're the only one around here besides my brother that's not eating figgy pudding." Hope to him. 

"On the bright side, me being miserable must be why I'm immune to the Christmas spirit. What's your excuses?" Clarke sounded. "I used to love the holidays. But...I lost a lot of my family, and everything changed. Everyone running around here all thankful for what they have..." Hope explained. "You realize what you're missing. What? If anyone can relate to being alone, it's me. I've never even had a Christmas. That's it. You want my help figuring out your monster? Let me eat, drink and be merry for once in my life. Go out with a bang. Now...should an old acquaintance be forgot?" Clarke sounded. I sighed dropping my head. "You were right, Hope. I wasn't gonna like this at all." I said before walking out before Hope let Clarke out of the cell.

I stood in the main den as Hope watched Clarke eat food. "Wow, you really are the son of a bottomless pit." She told him before Dorian handed Clarke a ribbon and pencil. "Here." Clarke said handing his plate of food to a passing student. "Turn." Clarke told Hope turning her around to write on her back. "Quit stalling. Tell me what I'm looking for before I run out of goodwill towards mud men and there unpleasant consequences." Hope told him. 

"Mm. My best guess? The Krampus." Clarke said. "What the hell is a Krampus?" She asked him. "Well, it's the monster that brought all this snow and ice to town. And think of it as the anti-Santa. Santa Claus rewards good boys and girls, right? Well, the Krampus does the opposite. It seeks out hatred and anger instead of peace and joy." Clarke explained as I closely watched him put his wish into the fire. "We're literally surrounded by peace and joy." Hope told him. Clarke turned around. "Not for long." Clarke announced. "What did you just do?" Hope asked him as I rose to my feet slowly. 

"You should be proud of me, Hope. I took a page out of Stiles' playbook. I found another loophole." He answered with a grin before walking away. I walked over to Hope and stood beside her watching him leave. "It's about to get real ugly soon, isn't it?" I asked. "Yeah, probably." She answered walking away. "Man, this day just keeps getting better and better." I exclaimed sarcastically. She spun around to glare at me. I threw my hands into the air. 

"Hey, don't give me that look. I'm not the one that let the homicidal maniac out of his cage, now was I?" I asked her with a smirk. She squinted her eyes, opening her mouth before closing it realizing how I was right. I patted her shoulder before walking away. "That's okay, I got this. I'm the most miserable person on the planet." I called out.

I pushed Clarke into another room before Hope closed all the doors with a wave of her hand. "Cloustrum." She incanted. "You're spelled inside this room." Hope told him. "So, if I were you I'd tell me exactly what you wish for. Or someone's gonna lose their head...and it won't be me or my sister." I threatened walking towards Clarke. "You'll find out soon enough. Because as you can attest, I've been a very bad boy this year." He said with a smirk. "Hope." I voiced. She closed her fist while I watched Clarke's airway tighten as he began to choke. 

"Yes, of course. You have been troublesome indeed. However, I'm guessing you haven't met me before. The name's Stiles and I'm practically the walking definition of bad. How ya doin?" I spat as he held his throat, collapsing to the floor. I tapped a finger to my chin. "What was it that my sister said? Oh! That's right! Unpleasant consequences." I said squatting down in front of him. I snapped my fingers before a metal bat materialized in my right hand. I stood up and twirled the bat around pointing it at his head. 

"So, this is how this gonna go, mate. You're going to tell me what you wished for and perhaps I won't have to redecorate this room with your brain matter." I announced. His eyes went wide as I smiled widely. "Come on now. It's not that hard, mate. It's a simple answer, really." I told him practicing my swing watching him struggle to breath. "A savior." He strained. I looked at Hope before she released him. "You want to protect Landon, right? Well, don't worry. The Krampus is coming to rescue me instead of going after him. And it'll kill anyone dumb enough to get in its way." Clarke explained. "Not if we're ready for it." Hope argued. 

"By "we," Do you mean the school full of idiot kids drunk on Christmas cheer? Or the grown men running around actually drunk, believing that Santa Claus is real? Good luck dampening their spirits and getting them to listen to you." Clarke told Hope. Clarke was knocked aside and was pinned to a nearby wall by black blur. 

"That's no way to treat a lady." The newcomer snarled wearing a gray Henley, dark gray jeans, black Italian boots, and a black leather jacket. His face morphed with bright glowing yellow eyes, veins traveling up his face, and fangs lining the inside of his mouth.

"Now, let me tell you. Stiles is probably the most wicked person I know. But he's no more wicked than I. Why you may ask? Because...I taught him everything I know. After all...I am his father." The man said with a smirk standing before Clarke. A smile drew upon my face. "Like I said, this day keeps on getting better and better." I announced. "Dad!" I exclaimed with a smile. "Stiles. Wanna tell me why you have a bat?" Dad asked. 

I looked at the aluminum bat in my hand before looking back at dad. "Blame Kol. He gave me the idea." I explained. "Of course he did." Dad sighed before slamming his elbow into Clarke. He crumpled to the floor unconscious. Dad looked down at him before clapping his hands together, rubbing them briefly before looking up at us. "So...someone wanna tell what the bloody hell is going on here?" Dad asked.