The Runaway of Beacon Hills •• Derek Hale ••

Salt

I sat on the couch, or what was left of it after we finished burying Laura. I wiped the sweat and dirt off my forehead as I looked around the house I once knew. The entire house was charred, the furniture, the wallpaper, even the walls themselves. Everything was burnt to a crisp, there was nothing left of what was once a gorgeous home. It felt like a punch in the gut when I walked inside the house after what had happened, if that's how I feel I can't imagine what Derek's feeling.

"You think the new Alpha bit someone?" I asked as I leaned my head against the back of the couch and closed my eyes. When I didn't get a response from him I raised an eyebrow, opening my eyes I saw him standing in front of the broken windows. I knew his mind was racing with endless scenarios on what happened or who killed Laura.

"Derek... you okay?" I asked as I sat up. He just nodded in response. I sighed and patted the spot next to me on the couch "we should probably get some rest before we search for the new Beta tomorrow." I said with a yawn, the exhaustion hitting me harder.

"I know it's just-" I didn't catch the rest of what Derek had said because I had fallen asleep.

*********

I gasped as I woke up out of my not so peaceful slumber. I looked around and remembered where I was, I took a deep breath and tried to calm my erratic heart beats. A thin layer of sweat covered my body as I tried to remember my dream.

It's usually the same one over and over every night. It starts off with me being younger, being back at the hospital, back to that day.
I'm sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs as I watch my mother take her last breath, tears well up in my eyes as I look over at my little brother who was hugging our mothers body.

I got up and grabbed his hand and pulled him off of her, he was sobbing and yelling for our mother to come back. But she wouldn't, no matter how much either of us screamed for her to.

I took Stiles outside of her room to the chairs that had been set up along the wall. I pulled him into my chest as we both began to cry together. Our father was not here to help with the pain, he was most likely out helping other people.

I rubbed Stiles' back as a way to try and calm him down. His breathing was erratic and I knew he was having a panic attack. "Stiles... Stiles hey shhhh..." I said as I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"Just look at me okay... breathe with me.." I started to take several deep breaths until he finally caught on and began to breathe normally.

"See all better" I smiled weakly at him.

"Why?" Stiles asked. I looked at him confused.

"Why what?" I asked as I looked around the hospital to see if any doctors had come to my mothers room. But it seemed as if everyone disappeared, me and Stiles were the only ones in the room.

"Why did you leave? You promised you wouldn't... you promised you wouldn't leave me." he said as a single tear fell down his cheek.

"I- I'm sorry... I- I had to protect you. I'm a monster" I said as tears began to flow.

I looked down and noticed I had blood on my hands and my claws were out. My hands began to shake as I looked around me and noticed that all of the doctors and nurses were lying on the floor dead. Slashed up, by me.

My eyes widened with shock as I looked back at Stiles who was bleeding from his stomach. My heart dropped as I started to shake even more.

His blood was on my hands, everyone's blood was on my hands.

They're dead and it's my fault.

I truly am a monster.

I began to hyperventilate as I looked around again, I noticed my father was one of the bodies laying on the ground. I ran over to him and he was dead as well.

I fell onto my knees and began to cry, I tilted my head back and looked at the ceiling and screamed, I screamed until no noise came out anymore.

I shook my head as I tried to rid myself of the darkness. Normally I end up waking myself up because I'm not only screaming in my dreams, but in reality as well.

I sighed as I looked over at Derek who was fast asleep. I rolled my eyes and got up, there was no way I was getting back to sleep, my body buzzed with adrenaline and anxiety.

I walked to the front door and opened it. I looked out at the woods that surrounded the house, everything was so peaceful, so beautiful. I just wished for a moment that I could slow time down and enjoy everything.

With all of the emotions running through my head, the adrenaline making my nerves on edge. I took off running, I used my werewolf speed and ran faster than humanly possible. The more I ran, the more my feet pounded into the ground, all those emotions; guilt, fear, anger, sadness. They all seemed to disappear into the Earth with every step I took.

I hadn't been paying attention to how long I'd been running, but it had now gotten lighter outside than it had been when I started. The songbirds were beginning to sing even though the sun had not yet fully risen. I turned down a street and slowed my pace, I looked at the houses that occupied each sides of the streets. Somehow this all looked vaguely familiar.

I wanted to stop, to turn around and make my way back to Derek, but my feet had another idea. They seemed to have a mind of their own as they carried me down another street, this one seeming even more familiar.

I furrowed my brows as I looked around. My body suddenly stopped and I turned around to see if anyone else was around. The entire neighborhood was dark and quiet, the only things to be heard were my heavy breathing and the birds chirping in the nearby trees. I looked at the house that was in front of my and noticed that it looked familiar as well. Then it all clicked. This is my house, I walked closer to the porch, my heart beating faster and louder with every step I took.

Every fiber in my body was screaming at me to turn around to leave and disappear before someone sees me. But once again my feet had other ideas. I walked up the porch and put my hand on the railing and stared at the front door.

What do I do? I asked myself. Do I knock? What would I say? Do they hate me? Would they ever want to see me again?

All of these questions swirled around in my head as I continued to stare at the dark mahogany door. I wanted to walk to the door, I wanted to see if I could do it. But my feet were glued to the ground.

I decided to use my werewolf hearing, to see if I could hear anybody inside. I heard two heartbeats, but that's not what caught me off guard, what did was the voice.

"Wait what happened last night?!" A young male voice asked. I didn't pay attention to what the other person said, but what I did catch them say was one name.

Stiles.

My eyes widened as tears welled up in my eyes. My brother, the one person who I promised to protect, to take care of, was merely a few feet away from me.

"Yeah yeah. I'll be there in a minute." I heard Stiles say as he ended the conversation. I heard footsteps bound down the stairs and run towards the front door. "Shit" I said to myself as I ran and hid around the side of the house.

I peeked around the corner and seen my little brother. Well not so little anymore, he was easily taller than me, his dark hair was shaved in a buzz cut style. He seemed to be in a hurry as he opened the doors to a blue jeep and peeled out of the driveway.

Once I knew he was gone I let out a breath that I didn't know I'd been holding. Tears fell onto my cheeks as I leaned back against the house. Hearing Stiles voice and actually seeing him after all these years. It felt like someone opened that wound back up and poured salt into it and laughed as I suffered in pain. Derek better figure this shit out soon because I don't know how long I can survive in this town.