THREE.                    The Dark Moon
JANUARY 5. 2012

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A LOOMING FIGURE STOOD OVER Cordelia Collins's hospital bed. She was sleeping, after days of refusing to sleep as she'd only wake up screaming. But after Melissa McCall gave her some medicine, the girl had passed out hours ago. She was blissfully unaware of the horrors happening outside of her room.

     But the Nogitsune knew that. The idea made him smirk. He brought his hand to the girls face, pushing a blond strand behind her ear. Cordelia had always been a light sleeper. He knew that, too. She flinched at the unfamiliar touch, scrunching her face as consciousness began to take over. She fluttered her eyes, looking at the dark figure before her.

     Stiles.

     She gasped, shooting up and backwards in her bed. as she looked up at him. Her back banged into the back of the hospital bed. Her shoulder, bandaged from the stab wound, ached and burned from the intense sudden moves. He got closer, bringing a finger to his lips. The shushing should was the opposite of comforting, sending terrified chills down her spine. Cordelia looked around, hearing the sounds of screaming outside her room. She was scared. Lost. Confused. He grabbed her wrist, waving her along. Cordelia tumbled out of bed, her bare feet patting against the tile floor. She yelped and gasped. Her shoulder hurt. She hissed, wincing at the bright lights as she looked into the hallway.

     Bodies, blood, screaming nurses and patients. She gasped out in horror as Stiles grabbed onto her tighter, pulling her into him. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched a masked creature slice through her own doctor. She tried to stumble back, only stumbling into Stiles more.

     "You're not Stiles." Cordelia seethed, shaking her head as she sobbed. "You're a monster."

     "What is it, Cordelia? Afraid of a little chaos?"

     Cordelia finally screamed.

SHE SHOT AWAKE. Her scream filling her bedroom as she flung herself upwards. She couldn't breathe, her hand clawing at her chest as she looked around. She wasn't in the hospital. There was no Nogitsune. No Stiles. No Oni. No blood. No murder It was just a dream. A flashback, rather. A memory from only a few months ago.

The blond girl let out a deep breath as she pushed her hair back. She was sweating, her bangs sticking to her forehead and her hair sticking to her neck. She closed her eyes, breathing in. Her heartbeat was slowing down, to her relief. She just needed to shower to clear her mind.

It was what she always did. The nights she woke up hyperventilating, crying, screaming, thrashing at air as if she was fighting for her life from invisible threats. In a way, she was. That much she knew from everything she learned. The darker truths about Beacon Hills and the people in it. The hunters. The werewolves. The druids. Whatever the hell else they discovered in the last year of their lives, all summed up into a summary by Scott McCall all those months ago, when Cordelia was in the hospital.

"That wasn't Stiles, Cordy. He'd never do that to you."

That was true. At the very end of the day the Nogitsune was not Stiles. It just took his face. Stole it from Stiles and stole it from Cordelia's memories. A face that she once thought was her best friend, her cousin that was more like a brother. A face she now feared.

She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her body had been on autopilot. She barely processed showering and changing into her clothes for the day until she was staring at her reflection, the bags under her eyes, the red rim from tears and exhaustion. She blinked slowly. She refused to let it take over her life. Not like this. It was time Cordelia forced her life back into normalcy. She was going to go to school, see her friends, and not worry about anything else. She was going to have a normal day. That started with getting ready, and waiting for Lydia and Malia to pick her up.

Luckily for the Collins girl, she had multiple ways to get to school. Usually, before, she'd take the bus. But ever since the Nogitsune, she'd cycle through. Some days, she'd get picked up by Lydia, others Scott would let her ride his bike with him, and very rarely, she'd get picked up by Stiles. However, that only happened if he was picking up other people. He never picked her up alone.

Cordelia was wearing a tank top and jeans, fiddling through her closet as she thought about what to wear. She glanced at her mirror, her eyes dancing on a scar visible under the spaghetti strap. It wasn't always noticeable. Like in Mexico, where she wore a tank top but the strap was thick enough to hide it from her cousin and his friends. That was the first time she had worn a tank top since the night she got the scar.

Lydia and Malia stood in the doorway of Cordelia's home, staring down at the calico cat who hissed and snarled at the werecoyote. Cordelia was in the kitchen, grabbing a quick breakfast.

"I don't think your cat likes me." Malia said pointedly, keeping her hands in her dusty-rose-colored cardigan. She had her brows furrowed as she looked back up towards the blond.

Cordelia walked back into view, wearing a light green shirt and a cardigan over it. She glanced towards Tinkerbell, watching her usually tame and gentle cat hiss. Back arched and stood in a threatened way, Tinkerbell seemingly glared at Malia. "Maybe it's cause you're a dog." Cordelia hummed, "It's why she doesn't like Scott." Cordelia kicked out her foot, scaring the calico cat into running up the stairs. "Are we ready to go?"

     Malia looked slightly over Cordelia's shoulder, just seeing into the living room through the stair railings. "Where's your mom?"

     "Working," The blond girl answered quickly. "Now can we go? I promised Mason I'd help Garrett with our math assignment," She said as she pushed herself through the two girls, and out the front door. Lydia and Malia shared a look. They knew Cordelia didn't like talking about her mom, but even this was weird for her.

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CORDELIA WALKED DOWN THE HALL, shoving her notebook into her shoulder bag that she got from Allison back when Cordelia transferred to Beacon Hills High. It was a small, simple gift. A simple attempt from the Argent girl to bond with Stiles's cousin. Allison had always been nice to Cordelia, even if they hadn't been all that close.

"Hey!" Cordelia turned her head, eyes lighting up faintly at the sight of Violet trotting up towards her. Cordelia's eyes lit up, glad to see a normal face in the halls. "Did you hear about tryouts?"

"Only from you," Cordelia hummed. "A hundred times."

Violet groaned, rolling her eyes playfully. "I'm sorry! It's just that Garrett's been so excited for so long and that makes me excited and Mason's excited and I want you to be excited, too!"

The blond girl raises a brow. "I don't play lacrosse."

"No, but your cousin and his friend do, don't they?" Violet hummed brightly.

"Oh, yeah, cause those two are—" As Cordelia is about to make a sarcastic comment, her eyes flicker up to her locker, her feet coming to an abrupt halt. Her converse skidding on the floor cause squeaking sounds as she stares, wide eyed.

Oh, god.

A person is standing at the locker next to hers. She couldn't see his face because of his locker covering it, but judging by the stature that she had memorized, she knew exactly who it was.

"Cordelia?" Violet nudged the blond in confusion, watching her unmoving face. "What's wrong?"

All she could do was let out a sheepish whimper, silently cursing at whatever higher power did this to her. Sucking in a heavy breath, Cordelia moves to take a step.

Until someone picks her up.

Cordelia gasps as Stiles Stilinski hoists her up by her waist, carrying her along as Scott and Kira follow closely behind. Violet watched in confusion, her friend disappearing down the hall with her cousin. "Did you see the news?" Scott asked the blond.

"Why are you carrying me?" Cordelia asked her cousin, not seeing the boy she was avoiding looking in her direction.

"There's an axe murderer," Kira told her. Cordelia scoffed, realizing they were ignoring her question.

"A family-murdering axe murderer." Stiles corrected.

     Scott nods as he approaches his locker. "I already heard about it." He confessed.

     Stiles stopped. "Wait. What? You did? How?" He inquired, moving his head around Cordelia's frame.

     Cordelia kicked her legs. "Can you put me down now!?"

     The cousins squirmed until Stiles finally put her down. She stood in between him and the locker. "My mom called me. She knew we'd see it on the news." Scott explained to his friend.

     "Perfect, let's go."

     Scott stopped the Stilinski from walking off. "We've got Econ in five minutes."

     "All right. Did you forget the part about the family-murdering axe murderer?" Stiles asked. Cordelia furrowed her brow.

     She sighed, "Stiles, I know you probably hit your head a lot in lacrosse, but did you forget that your dad's the sheriff?" Stiles looked at his cousin, scoffing in disbelief. "They want us to stay out of it." Cordelia held up a finger, clicking her tongue. "Actually, they want you to stay out of it. I'm perfect and have done nothing wrong, ever."

     Stiles pointed his finger, "Okay, there is no Cordy in us, alright? Us is me, Scott, Kira, Lydia, and Malia." The blond rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Stiles turned back to Scott. "There's a family-murdering axe murderer and we're not going to do anything about it?" Stiles asked in confusion and disbelief.

     Kira shrugged at him. "Maybe we should just let the adults handle it." She said sheepishly.

     Stiles looked between them, scoffing. "So the three of you, you just want to stay here, school, go to class." Kira and Scott looked at each other, nodding at him. "Never heard anything so irresponsible in my life."

     Scott watched as his best friend spun away. "See you at tryouts?" He called out to the teenage boy. Stiles waved him off, rounding a corner. Cordelia rolled her eyes.

     "This was a useless conversation." She deadpanned, walking away from Scott and Kira, leaving them to their own devices.

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MONICA COLLINS RAMBLED ON THE PHONE. Her youngest daughter sighed and rolled her eyes as she kept her free arm crossed over her chest. "Yes, Mom, I get it. No parties," Cordelia explained distastefully as she walked down the path towards the lacrosse field. She could see the entire team running laps, even from so far away.

     "I'll be back next weekend. You know how busy I get when I'm in New York."

     Cordelia exhaled through her nose, "Trust me, I know," She said blandly.

     Monica Collins was standing in the airport. She was going on another work trip. She went on pretty much any she could get her hands on. Most recently, was New York. "Good. I love you, Cordy. Okay? Call me if you need anything."

     "Love you too, Mom, bye." Cordelia hung up the phone as she finally got to the bleachers, sitting next to Malia. "Did I miss anything?" She asked, looking in the direction of Malia, and next to her; Kira.

     Kira anxiously shook her head. Malia piped up, "Stiles thinks that guys a werecheetah." Cordelia followed Malia's pointed finger. Wearing a gray shirt and sweatpants, was a familiar face doing push-ups on the field.

     Panic. Sheer panic flooded over the blond as she hunched her back. "Oh, dear god, somebody end me." She hissed as she quickly turned away.

     Malia and Kira both looked at the small blond. They watched her as she dug through her back, using her hair to hide her face. "Do you know him?" Kira asked, looking back at the field.

     Cordelia pulled out a textbook, holding it over her face so nobody on the field could see anything below her eyes. "His name's Liam. He was a classmate of mine at Devenford Prep," She explained, "And he's freaking great at lacrosse."

     Malia's eyes trailed between the boy and Cordelia. "Why are you hiding from him?"

     "Hey, Cordelia!" All three girls turn their heads to see Garrett waving at her happily. Violet's boyfriend, who was also really good at lacrosse. And a great friend of Cordelia's. He obliviously and obnoxiously grinned and waved as he pointed her out in the midst of students. Cordelia smiled nervously, waving back. In her peripheral, she could see him. Liam Dunbar's eyes scanned the bleachers, before eventually landing on a familiar face. Cordelia squeaked, moving her book in front of her face.

     The older girls stared at Cordelia with a weirded out expression. "Because I," Cordelia sighed as she decided whether to tell them or not. "May or may not have had a major crush on him for years," She looked back over, seeing Liam still sending her looks. "But then he and I had this huge fight before I moved, and I haven't talked to him since."

     Kira's eyes widen in surprise. "Does Stiles know?"

     "No!" Cordelia snapped, pointing a finger. "He doesn't know and he will never know!" She warned. Kira nodded awkwardly, turning her gaze away from the suddenly aggressive girl.

     Malia scribbled in her textbook with a red pen. She paused, a sense waving over her that didn't come from Cordelia. She looked up, turning to Kira. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, almost annoyed.

     Kira looked over, eyes wide. "Me? Nothing. We were talking about Cordelia." She exclaimed. The blond raised a brow, leaning over to get a better look at the kitsune.

     "You reek of anxiety. And it's distracting." Malia stated bluntly. "What's going on?"

     Kira fiddled with the lacrosse stick, shrugging. "Scott and I sort of had this thing happen." She slouched, "But it wasn't much of a thing. And I'm starting to think it never was anything at all."

     Malia looked at Cordelia, unsure what to say. Cordelia slowly leaned forwards, "What do you want it to be?" She asked the Yukimura girl.

     The Kitsune looked down for a moment. "More." She confessed. She frowned, leaning onto the lacrosse stick. Cordelia and Malia shared looks, unsure what they could tell her to make her feel better. Neither of them were as close to Scott, they didn't know how to make her feel better.

     Malia's eyes trailed to the line of lacrosse players. Like Stiles, whose ball didn't exactly make it in the net. But Liam's, his did. The goal could barely process the ball before it was suddenly behind him.

     "That guy's good," Malia states, watching in surprise.

     "I told you he's good," Cordelia cut in.

     The three girls almost painfully watch as Scott did terribly. "Nice, McCall," Garrett teased. Cordelia closed her eyes, groaning as she leaned into her textbook.

     Stiles looked over, "Hey, Garrett," The boy hummed with a sarcastic smile. "Shut up."

     The practice continued in a similar fashion. Scott and Stiles completely sucked, while Liam did amazing. Kira leaned over to Malia and Cordelia. "Isn't the captain supposed to be one of the best players on the team?" They watched as Scott failed another shot. "Or good?"

     "I thought so," Cordelia said. Garrett began jogging over. "I'll be back," Malia and Kira watched as Cordelia set aside her stuff, walking towards the boy.

     They met in the middle, both of them on either sides of the edge of the field. "Cordy, glad you could make it," Garrett said with a grateful smile.

     The blond girl sheepishly shrugged. "Violet basically begged me to considering she couldn't make it." She hummed as she looked over Garrett's shoulder. Her eyes landed on Liam, who frowned at the two of them.

     Garrett turned back, watching Liam turn sharply away. "He's been asking me about you since this morning." The boy chuckled.

     Cordelia looked over. "He has? Why?" She said with wide eyes.

     "Recognized you from Devenford, I guess." He said with a shrug. Cordelia nods, trying to hide any form of emotions. "He asked if he could sit with us at lunch, tomorrow, so he could talk to you again."

     So he could talk to you again. Cordelia's mouth hung open in surprise as she slowly nodded. She couldn't say no, and make herself look like she hated the boy. She could never hate him. But the panic rising in her considered if that was easier .  Coach Finstock blew his whistle, causing both of them to look over. "See you after practice?" Garrett pointed at the girl who nodded awkwardly.

     "He seems nice," Kira chirped as Cordelia sat back down.

     The blond girl sighed. "He's my friend's boyfriend," She explained to them both.

     Malia frowned, "I smelled him. That didn't smell friendly." The werecoyote deadpanned. Both Kira and Cordelia looked at her. "It smelled funny, like Stiles when he sees me naked." Cordelia practically gagged, slowly shaking her head back and forth.

     "I really wish I could erase that from my memory."

     The three girls watch as Scott and Stiles successfully block off all of the players from the goal. Garrett went first, falling after Scott smacks down his lacrosse stick. Kira and Cordelia cheered, while Malia frowned in confusion. It happens again and again, Coach even cheering them on. Cordelia clapped, Kira cheered, and Malia smiled.

     That is until Liam came into view. Cordelia's eyes were wide as she looked over at her cousins, and then the boy. She knew how good he was. The whistle blows, and Liam runs forwards. As expected, he dodges Stiles easily. Cordelia winces, watching as Liam manages to move past even Scott. Liam tossed the ball into the net, the entire team cheering. Kira groaned in frustration, Malia scowled, while Cordelia slouched. She watched as Liam looked over at her with a cocky grin on his face. A grin Stiles noticed.

     Things began to click into place. Devenford Prep. A school both this Liam kid and Cordelia went to. The eye contact. The stupid grin. Cordelia's shy expression as she nervously hid behind her text book or Malia's shoulder. His jaw unhinged as Stiles looked back and forth.

     "Oh, my God," Stiles uttered in disbelief.

      Scott walked closer to his friend. "What?"

     "The kid has a crush on my cousin."

     Malia stood up from her spot. "That was luck!" She blurted, her expression turned into one of annoyance of seeing Scott and Stiles be so unbelievably terrible.

     "Oh no. Malia, don't get involved." Stiles muttered from the field.

     Malia cupped her hands over her mouth. "Do-over!" She demanded.

     "Sweetheart, there's no do-overs." Coach said, "This is a practice."

     "Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles."

     Coach points at Malia, "I'll take that action," Malia grins in victory. He turns his head sharply, "Hey! Get back in there, Liam."

     The boy gets back on the field as Malia sits back. Cordelia sighs, looking back at her cousin and Scott. Liam runs forwards. Stiles jumps to block him, but Liam swiftly dodges once again. However, he doesn't see Scott coming. Scott pushes, the boy falling over Scott's shoulder. He suddenly falls, a large sound coming from his leg. Finstock's whistle falls out of his mouth in shock. Cordelia's eyes are wide as her mouth hangs open in horror. Scott and Stiles pull off their helmets, looking at the boy in worry.

     "Oh, crap," Cordelia whispers, scrambling off the bleachers and running closely behind Coach Finstock.

     Liam scrambled around as Coach runs over. "Don't move! Don't touch him!" He shouts.  Cordelia comes to a slow stop, looking the boy over.

     "I'm okay, Coach. I'm all right." Liam said, screaming in pain when he tried to stand. Scott and Stiles grab him, keeping him from falling. "I think it's my leg."

     Cordelia looks at him, raising a brow as she looks at him again. "You think?" She retorted.

     Stiles glares at Cordelia, causing her to stop. "I think we better get him to the nurse." Scott and Stiles carry Liam off, Cordelia close behind.

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THE BACKSEAT OF STILES'S JEEP felt ten times more awkward with Liam sitting next to Cordelia. He would hiss and whine in pain, while Stiles and Scott guiltily look at each other. "This is why I don't play sports." Cordelia blurts.

     "Cordy, shut up," Stiles snipped.

     "No! You two broke a guys freaking ankle because he was a cocky asshole." Cordelia looked over at Liam. "And now you know not to be a freaking cocky asshole cause a guy will break your ankle,"

     Scott looked at Cordelia through the mirror. "Cordy, not right now, please?"

     The blond shrugged, "Well you three aren't talking and I hate silence, so." The girl said with an annoyed tone. "Do you want me to sing instead?"

     "Cordelia," Stiles shouted, turning to look at the blond girl for a moment. Everyone stared at Stiles, mouths clamped shut. Even Cordelia, who stared at her cousin with a rose brow. "Just stop, okay?"

     Liam glanced at the girl he knew from Devenford. She scoffed, sinking low into her seat. She didn't look much different than at the end of the summer. She still had the same mischievous twinkle in her eye she definitely got from Stiles's side of her family. Cordelia and Liam were never best friends, per se, but they were friends nonetheless. When she told him she would be transferring to Beacon Hills High School, Liam was devastated.

     But now, here he was, with a probable broken ankle in the back seat of her cousin's car.

     The rest of the evening was quick yet also slow. Stiles and Scott practically carried poor Liam into the hospital. Cordelia was a few feet, maybe more, behind. She stared at the doors of the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. She hadn't stepped foot in the building since the incident. Her eyes danced around the glass windows and doors, her memories vivid.

     "What is it, Cordelia? Afraid of a little chaos?"

     Her own screams of horror rang in her ears as she watched Scott open the glass doors. He had came back for her, noticing the girl standing frozen at the entrance. Stiles grunted as he held onto Liam, looking around for any nurses or doctors. Scott's expression was soft, kind, and gentle. The way it always was when he talked to Cordelia. The blond finally pried her eyes way from BEACON HILLS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL and looked at him. Focused only on him.

     "I swear it's okay." He tells her. Cordelia didn't say much. Scott wasn't there the day at the hospital. But he had heard about it. He had heard Cordelia's cries. He had held her when she spent multiple nights at his house after what happened. She'd cry in her sleep and all Scott and Melissa could do was hold her and try to soothe her awake, or hold her wrists if she tried to fight them off.

     His hand finally came out, waiting for Cordelia to take it. She looked down. She couldn't help but smile. A sad smile. Grateful for Scott, but wishing someone else would be as kind as him.

     Cordelia took Scott's hand, letting him bring her into the hospital. She didn't let her eyes wonder too much, focusing on the fabric of Scott's jacket, or Liam's injured foot. She focused on Melissa McCall's familiar face when she came around the corner. "Uh... Hi, Mom." Scott said awkwardly.

     Shortly after that, Melissa had Liam in a wheelchair. "Don't worry, Liam. We'll take good care of you." She told the boy as she pushed him off towards his room. Cordelia stood next to Scott, looking over. She inched closer, never touching him, but letting the McCall know she could tell he was upset.

Stiles shuffled on his feet, gesturing to the doors. "I got to get going. I promised Malia I'd help her study." He explained to Scott. Cordelia looked at her shoes. Everything was always about Malia, it seemed.

Scott nods, "Sure. I want to check on him anyway."

Stiles looked at his little cousin who stayed silent. She didn't look at him. She barely did anymore. She was busy giving Scott sad eyes. The human boy spoke up. "Hey, I don't need to say that wasn't your fault, right?" He asked.

Scott stared off into the direction of where Liam went. "I don't know." He confessed. Cordelia didn't have werewolf senses, and she wasn't all that great at handling emotions, but even she could see the guilt-ridden look in Scott's eyes.

"Scott, if you had used any wolf power that kid wouldn't be limping, he'd be crawling, back to the other half of his body." Stiles pointed out. He was being realistic. Not pessimistic, like usual. Not optimistic, either. It was just a simple-based fact.

"If I hadn't been so worried about being captain he wouldn't be hurt either." Scott replied. Maybe it was pessimistic, maybe it was factual. That answer was up for debate.

Cordelia stepped closer, "Scott, it's okay to want something for yourself once in a while." She told him sincerely. Both boys looked at the petite blond. She shrugged her shoulders, her hands wrapping around the strap of her bag. "It was an honest accident. Simple sports injury. Happens all the time." She listed off as she looked at him.

"Team captain, Alpha werewolf." Stiles shrugged, patting his best friend's shoulder. "You're still only human."

The Collins girl looked over as Stiles began walking away. "I'm gonna stay back too," She blurted. Stiles and Scott looked at each other with worried glances before looking at her. She shuffled on her feet, feeling uneasy as she looked at Stiles. A flash of the nogitsune. "I want to check on something related to my dad."

     That was when Stiles's expression softened. The memories of Uncle Quentin still stinging when he remembered one of the greatest men he'd known. A man who deserved to be here. A man who deserved to raise his daughter. Stiles closed his mouth, nodding slowly. He couldn't argue with that. He refused.

Cordelia Collins walked around, her eyes tracing the familiar hallways that were once covered with blood. The screams. The Oni. She remembered it all. She was lost in it, spinning around when she'd remember another detail. It wasn't until she made it to her hospital room that she suddenly couldn't hear. Like she was in a fishbowl.

     The room was unoccupied. It looked the same. As if they preserved it from the very day she woke up in what felt like a never ending nightmare. She shook. Her body, her soul, her own eyes shook as she approached the bed. The vivid memory of his figure looming over her. The monster under her bed.

     "Cordy?"

     A yelp escaped her lips as she turned around, gasping as she saw Melissa McCall standing there. A familiar face. A safe one. Cordelia relaxed as she closed her eyes, sighing. "Sorry," The girl whispered.

     Melissa stared sadly. "What are you doing here?" She asked, knowing exactly what this room meant.

     Cordelia swallowed awkwardly. "I want to, um, look at my dad's file?" She asked. Melissa seemed unsure. "I want to know, I guess. Connect it to what Scott and Stiles told me really happened to him." She explained. Her eyes swelled with desperation. "Please."

     It didn't take long to end up with the folder regarding her dad's death. It was a quick ask of Melissa McCall, something people wouldn't really notice. The mother of the True Alpha made sure to take out the photos, for Cordelia's sake.

Quentin Collins, killed in a similar way as all of Jennifer Blakes's victims. A cord wrapped around his throat as he was displayed on a tree. He was the second of the three warrior victims. The first was a teenage boy named Kyle, and the third was Adrian Harris.

Poor Cordelia had been the one to find her father, displayed in her very own backyard.

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CORDELIA DIDN'T KNOW how much time passed. She sat in the hallway, in a chair just outside her old hospital room, reading her father's reports over and over. The visions of his murder fresh. Her heart ached. He didn't deserve that. Not someone as amazing as Quentin Collins.

     She just wished she could have saved him. 

     The distant sound rumbling caused her to look up from the folder. She noticed she was completely alone in the hallway, maybe even the entire floor other than the occasional patient. She looked around, wondering if it was maybe Melissa or Scott. One of them was surely going to take her home.

     "Hello?" The blond girl called out as she stood. She kept the folder in her hand as she walked towards the hall. "Scott? Is that you?"

     An eerie silence filled the air. A silence even a hospital shouldn't have. Cordelia could hear her breathing. It felt so loud. In her back pocket, her new phone began to incessantly vibrate. Cordelia looked down, letting out a quiet gasp as she stepped back from the stain of smeared blood on the tiled floor. Images flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes, turning away. Maybe it was a triggered response. A hallucination. It's not real. She dug into her pocket. Her heartbeat began to involuntarily pick up speed as she looked at her phone.

     MELISSA MCCALL: get out of the hospital! NOW!

     Cordelia's lips parted. The initial shock was momentary when something crashed into her from behind. She gasped as her head hit a cart of supplies. She slid to the ground, her phone clattering to the ground as she looked back. Sean Walcott, a classmate, and the youngest victim of the axe murderer, was snarling at her. He had white eyes and rows of razor sharp teeth. He was inhuman.

     Cordelia's eyes widened in horror as she could see the blood. So much blood. In his teeth. On his clothes. On her clothes. Fear and nausea coursed through her as she screeched. Sean let out another snarl as she grabbed a metal bedpan off the floor, smashing it against his head. He grunted as he fell to the side. The girl scrambled to her feet, running down the hall.

     Liam Dunbar limped into the hallway. He looked around the empty hall. The empty floor, as far as he knew. "Hey! Anyone hear that?" The boy looked back and forth. The eerie silence caused him to tense his shoulders. It was like a ghost town. No doctors or nurses. Not even his stepdad. "I thought I heard someone-"

     "Liam!" The boy turned his head at his name. A familiar blond girl he recognized as Cordelia Cordelia rounded the corner. He noticed the blood first. The blood, the terrified look on her face, and the fact she was screaming at him in a way that made his entire body go into shock. "Run!"

     The boy opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he sees Sean following close behind. Liam screamed as Cordelia grabbed him, pulling him along.

     Both teens are shoved to the floor, and Cordelia cries out as she is pulled by her ankle. Liam grabs a cart, "Cordelia!" The boy shoved it, the cart rolling towards the blond. She grunts as she grabs it, using whatever adrenaline to throw it over herself. Sean drops her, falling back. The Collins girl takes the time to crawl off the floor, helping up injured Liam.

     The two of them threw more hospital carts and beds in their path until they made it to the stairs. Liam hissed and cursed in pain, trying to be fast but also not hurt himself anymore. The two of them made it to the roof of the building, wind gusting around them.

     Liam practically fell onto the skylight as he held his ankle in pain. Cordelia fell next to him, breathing heavily. "I may want to die, but I will not be getting murdered by a cannibal!" She shouted as she held out her finger towards Liam. Instead of answering, the boy groaned in pain. The blond looked over in alarm, "Oh, crap."

     The door slammed open, both teens looking back to see Sean storming forwards. Cordelia screamed as he grabbed her by her hair, slamming her into the corner of the skylight. Liam shouted as Sean grabbed him. "Cordelia!"

     "Liam!"

     Scott McCall bursted through the rooftop doors, coming to an abrupt pause. Sean held Liam just at the edge of the roof, "Get back!" Sean warned, glaring Scott down.

     "Don't. You don't need to do this." Scott tried to reason. Cordelia laid on the ground, groaning at the excruciating headache she now had. "Whatever it is. Whatever you are, we can help you." Cordelia slowly pulled herself up, crawling to her feet.

     "No, you can't."

     Cordelia leaned against a fence, looking at Scott. "Let me help you."

     Sean shook his head. "Wendigos don't need help. We need food!"

     Liam screamed as he pulled himself out of Sean's grip. Cordelia gasped in horror as Scott jumped onto the platform. Cordelia screamed as Liam went over the edge. Scott shoved Sean without further hesitation, grabbing onto Liam. Cordelia froze. What could she do? Fight off a Wendigo?

     Sean grabbed onto Scott, trying to force the alpha to let go of Liam. Cordelia looked over, the wind pushing her hair back as she saw a new figure walking into the scene. She squinted her eyes in obvious confusion. The figure held a finger to his mouthless face, telling the blond to keep quiet.

     Scott's arms are pulled back by Sean, causing Liam to scream. "I can't hold on!" Liam cried out, fearing his death that was soon to come. A thought popped into Scott's head. An insane thought, but it was his only chance to save Liam. So, out of options and desperate to save everyone, Scott craned his neck and bit Liam's wrist. Cordelia closed her eyes tightly at the sound of Liam's screams. The girl saw the new person prepare his axe. This was the man who killed Sean's family. Cordelia gasped in horror, shielding herself away by ducking behind the skylight. She heard the sound of the man's weapon colliding with Sean's spine. Everything fell silent for a moment.

     As Cordelia opened her eyes and poked her head around the corner, she watched as Sean's body fell and Liam was brought back onto the roof of the hospital. Cordelia rushed to the boy, gasping at the sight of the bite on his wrist. Scott watched as the man did the same expression to him as he did to Cordelia moments before. Sean laid lifeless on the pavement, blood pooling on his shirt.

     "Oh, my God, Liam," Cordelia whispered as she grabbed the boy's wrist. Scott looked back at them as Liam groaned and hissed as the girl pulled his hand away from the wound. Cordelia looked at the bite on the boy's wrist, forcing her eyes back to Scott. Both of them shared a look of panic. Of fear.

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unedited because i'm hungover