Taken (Teen wolf~Dread Doctors)

Chapter 9

After all of my classes, I go to my locker. I put in the combination, and as soon as I open it someone grabs my arm and turns me around. "Hey what're you-" I cut myself off when I see it's Scott. "What're you doing?"

He takes his backpack off of his back and pulls something out. A book. "This is about the Dread Doctors. You need to read it so you can remember all of your encounters with them."

"Why would I want to? I hardly even remember last night's, just that it's horrifying."

"Because we're trying to stop them, but everyone needs to know who they are if we're gonna succeed."

I take the book and flip it to the back cover.

In a New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later, they emerge transformed wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors.

"I was never buried."

"Yes, you were. You just don't remember it."

I shake my head. "Look, I don't know what's going on, I'm still really confused. But I was never buried. You've got the wrong girl." I hand him back the book, shut my locker even though I never got to use it, and start walking away.

"Why else would you have been there?"

I shrug. "I don't know. But I wasn't buried, I'm not wreaking havoc, and I'm not spreading terror. So, I think you've got the wrong girl. And I was never passed out for days at a time in a hole."

He sighs. "I know you're the right person-"

I interrupt "no, I'm not." I walk away, out of the school. I go over to Theo's car, where Theo is waiting in the driver's seat. I get into the passenger's seat. "Hey. Sorry I'm late, Scott was talking to me."

"Scott? About what?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. Just about the Dread Doctors and stuff, some book he wants me to read."

"You don't need to read the book."

"I'm not going to."

He nods and pulls out of the parking spot. "Are you freaked out by all of this?"

"Freaked out? Are you kidding? I'm terrified."

He sighs. "You'll get used to it." We sit in silence for a moment, until he says "I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"If Mercury starts dripping from any part of you, call me right away."

"Mercury?"

He nods. "It'll be silver, and it'll probably start dripping from your nose."

"What happens if that happens?"

"Then you're not what the Dread Doctors are looking for."

"And if I'm not what they're looking for?"

"Then they'll kill you."

I nod. "And, if I don't bleed Mercury?"

He shrugs. "We haven't gotten that far yet."

"We?"

"We-as in me and Scott, and the rest of his Pack. We haven't seen a chimera that doesn't ooze Mercury."

"Do you think I'll be the first?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

We sit in silence for a few more minutes, until I decide to ask a question. "Why did you let them get me? I mean, I was in your car, why'd you let them take me?"

He sighs. "I didn't. After you fell asleep we were stuck at a traffic light, and one of them stood in the rode, blocking it so we couldn't pass. And suddenly, the car was unlocked. I reached over you to lock your door again, but one of the three grabbed me and pulled me out of the car, and the third opened your door and grabbed you. I tried to fight back but they just threw me back into the car and... vanished."

"And how did you find me?"

"We'd already been looking for the layer, a member of Scott's pack was kidnapped with his girlfriend, another of the chimeras. Hayden Romero. She's your age, you should talk to her about all this."

I shrug. "Maybe."

We sit in silence again, until we pull up in front of my house. "Thanks." I turn to him and quickly smile at him while reaching onto the floor for my backpack.

He surprises me by leaning forward and pressing his lips against mine. I'm shocked when it happens, and I kinda jut sit there for a second, but then I kiss him back. This is my first kiss, I've got no clue what I'm doing.

He pulls away a second later. "Sorry I-"

I interrupt "it's fine. I don't mind." I smile at him again. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

He smiles and nods. "Sure will."

I kiss his cheek then step out of the car. I go up to the door, unlock it, and step inside.

My father calls out "Echo?"

"I'm home."

"Come to the living room."

I walk into the living room and see my mom and dad sitting on the couch.

"Your mother told me... about you."

I nod. "And?"

He sighs. "May I see it?"

I nod and say "I don't know how to make myself shift yet, so you've gotta make me angry."

My mother says "we saw you kiss Theo."

My dad says "we don't think he's good for you. He's gonna be leaving for college, won't that hurt you?"

"It'll hurt me but I'll deal with it. I'll have gotten a year with him."

"But what if by then you really like him, and when he leaves it destroys you? Do you really wanna go through that?"

"I like Theo and Theo likes me. I'm not gonna leave him because you tell me to."

My mother says "break up with him or you'll never go anywhere except school ever again." Her face is absolutely serious. She is either telling the truth, or she has an excellent poker face.

My vision slowly gets sharper, along with the rest of my senses.

My father gasps a little. "Your-your face! An-and your eyes!"

I nod. "Yeah. This is me now."

"Honey I-I don't know what we're gonna do about this. I mean, you're horrifying!"

I roll my eyes. "Great way to boost my self-esteem, dad."

"No I-you know what I mean!"

"But that's the thing. I'm not sure that I do know what you mean anymore. You tell me to break up with my boyfriend, you call me horrifying, what're you playing at here?"

My mom says "you know exactly what he's trying to say."

I nod. "Yeah, I do." All of my senses return to normal, and I say "he's trying to tell me I'm a monster."

"He's not calling you a monster!"

"Then what is he calling me?"

My father sighs. "This is just gonna take some... getting used to."

My mom says "you're our daughter and we love you, but you're also a... were whatever."

"Werejaguar. I'm a werejaguar. And if you don't like it, I'll leave."

"You don't need to leave, just give us some time to get used to it."

I sigh. "Fine. I'll be in my room." I walk past them and go to my room, locking the door behind me.