In This Together ▷ Stilinski

Chapter 26. Finding an Anchor

"Kasey, we're opening presents, come on!" my mom persisted as she grabbed a hold of my upper arm and led me into the dining room. I glanced around in confusion; how did I get in the living room? Why are we opening presents? Did I miss something?

Upon entering the dining room I took in the sight of my friends and family gathered around the table. Scott was sitting in a chair with an empty seat beside him and there was one of those cheap metallic party hats sitting on the table. I wanted to speak out in question about the odd situation, but my mom ushered me into the seat before I could utter a syllable.

Scott grinned as he snatched up the hat and placed it on my head, the elastic slapped against my chin and I winced at the stinging pain. The room was silent apart from my mom's incessant chirping about the presents. Whose birthday is it?

"What's going on?" I asked my brother, who was now greedily taking the plate of cake that Deaton had handed him. Why is Deaton here? Why is he wearing a purple party hat? Whose birthday is it? What the hell is going on?

He glanced at me with a mouthful of cake, "It's our birthday party."

"Happy Birthday!" Stiles chirped as he sauntered over towards me with a decorative box. The wrapping paper was baby blue with metallic silver stars printed on it and the lid of the box was secured with a blue ribbon. He placed the box on the table in front of me gently.

I glanced up at him uneasily, "Stiles, I—It's not my birthday."

Stiles smirked at my hesitance; the smirk itself brought a swirling amount of doubt and fear in the pit of my stomach. I have seen this smirk before, I think. Otherwise it wouldn't make me feel this put off.

"I love you, Kasey. Just open the box," he murmured before pressing his full pink lips to my temple. They lingered for a moment as his hand pushed a strand of my curled hair behind my ear; the gesture made my skin crawl. This wasn't right. Stiles wasn't supposed to make me feel uncomfortable.

I gulped as my hands tugged at the ribbon, their fearful shaking making it a difficult and grueling task. Scott was egging me on by elbowing me in the side, urging me to rip the box open at a faster rate than I could seem to manage for the time being.

"Tick tock, Kasey!" I glanced at Scott as the words left his lips. Tick tock. Tick tock. Hickory dickory dock. Hickory dickory dock. His eyes were flashing red, and my heart lurched at the sight. What's happening? Tick tock. Tick tock. My fingers were bleeding from the paper cuts that the wrapping paper had given me. Tick tock. Tick tock. I jerked the lid off the box to see it filled with nuts and bolts. What?

Stiles chuckled as he lowered himself beside me, his mouth right by ear, "Tick tock."

My eyes fluttered open at the incessant and incredibly annoying humming sound echoing around in my ear-drums. The first thing I noticed as the hood of exhaustion was pulled from my eyes was that I was not in my bedroom. I propped myself up on my elbows slowly, letting my russet brown eyes scan my surroundings. I have no idea where I am, but at least it's indoors and not the woods this time.

My body moved fluidly as I rose to a standing position, taking in the sight of the warehouse type building I had wandered into during the odd ours of twilight. The humming sound was loud. It was practically drowning out anything else that could be making any noise around me. There appeared to be several electrical units secured behind several different gates surrounding me. Where the hell am I?

I glanced down at myself to find that I wasn't in my pajamas. I was wearing jeans and a jacket over my tank top. I had shoes on too. My right hand slowly moved to my jacket pocket, where it landed on a set of keys. I hastily jerked them out into the open, only to find that they were the keys to my car. I drove here. In my sleep. I drove to a power station in my sleep.