CHAOS BACK AGAIN

4

Stiles Stilinski

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the rows of gravestones in Beacon Hills Cemetery. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves. Stiles Stilinski walked slowly along the familiar path, his hands tucked deep into his jacket pockets. The cemetery was quiet, as it always had been, a place of solitude where Stiles could think without interruption. He came here often, visiting the grave of his mother, Claudia Stilinski, to talk to her in the only way he could now.

When he reached her grave, Stiles felt a familiar tightness in his chest, an ache that would never go away. He knelt down, brushing some stray leaves off the headstone, his fingers tracing the inscribed letters of her name. The words felt cold under his touch, a stark reminder of the reality he had lived with for years.

"Hello, Mom. I'm here. Back again, as usual. I know it's been a few days, but things have been kind of crazy  well, crazier than usual. I just... I miss you. I wish you were here, more than ever. There's so much I want to talk to you about, so many things I wish I could ask you." Stiles said.

He sighed, sitting on the grass leaning against the gravestone, his gaze drifting to the horizon as the sun slowly set. The sky was a mix of deep orange and purple, a beautiful yet sad sight. Stiles often found comfort in the quiet of a graveyard, in the stillness that seemed to wrap around him like a blanket, soothing his troubled mind.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the silence seep in, filling the empty spaces left by the constant chaos in his life. But even here, in this place of peace, his thoughts were far from calm. The events of the past few days had been a whirlwind  new threats, new challenges, and of course, the mysterious man he'd seen at school. That stranger was lingering in his mind, a mystery he couldn't quite solve.

Stiles opened his eyes, staring at the tombstone, his thoughts drifting back to the mysterious man. There was something about him, something that set off alarm bells in Stiles' head. The way he looked at Stiles, with those piercing eyes, as if he could see right through him. It was unsettling, to say the least. Then there was that nagging feeling of recognition, as if he knew this man, but couldn't quite place his identity.

He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away, but they stuck to him like stubborn shadows. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, he heard soft footsteps on the cobblestone path behind him. Stiles stiffened, his senses on high alert. He turned his head slightly, just enough to see who was approaching.

To his surprise, it was the man from school the same stranger who had caught his attention earlier. Stiles' heart skipped a beat, a mixture of fear and curiosity swirling in his chest. What was this man doing here, of all places? And why was he approaching him?

The man walked over to the grave and stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable. He stood there for a moment, looking at Stiles with those same piercing eyes. Stiles swallowed, suddenly feeling exposed under the man's gaze. But before he could say anything, the stranger spoke, his voice low and soft, with a hint of something old, something strange.

"Mind if I join you?" the man said, quiet and mysterious.

Stiles blinked, taken aback by the question. Of all the things he expected this man to say, this wasn't one of them. He hesitated for a moment, his instincts telling him to be careful. But there was something in the man's tone, something almost... sincere. Against his better judgment, Stiles nodded.

"Oh, sure. Go ahead." Stiles replied cautiously but curiously.

The man smiled, a small, almost sad smile, and sat down on the grass beside Stiles. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching between them like a chasm. Stiles felt his heart pounding in his chest, his mind racing with questions. Who was this man? What did he want? And why did he feel like there was more than meets the eye?