BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER THREE: SHOTGUN SHELLS

SCOTT climbed out of his seat pulling it forward to make sure River was able to climb out as well.

She handed the gun off to him for a brief moment while she climbed out from the backseat taking the gun back as soon as her feet touched the dirt covering the ground in the area Stiles had parked in.

"We're seriously doing this?" he questioned, Stiles furrowed his eyebrows at the question, "you're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town." River tried her best to not let out a sigh, they argued more than any two girls she'd ever met.

"I was trying to get a good nights sleep before practice tomorrow." he sighed, River sped up so she was walking beside him, "practice for what?" the boy glanced up ahead to where Stiles was, "lacrosse." she absently nodded her head thinking about his words.

"Right, cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort." Stiles called out, the two teens pushed through the branches and followed after him River listening as they argued, Scott sighed obviously unsure of how to get his point across to Stiles, "no, because, I'm playing this year, in fact, I'm making first line." he replied, River could tell he wasn't very sure about his own statement but was still trying to sound confident.

"Hey, that's the spirit." Stiles spoke happy that his quieter counterpart was finally learning how to be more confident in himself, "everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." he added.

"Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?" Stiles let out a slightly higher pitched sigh, "huh, I didn't even think about that."

"And uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?" he questioned, River pumped the shotgun the sudden unexpected noise it created causing both boys to jump, "we've got this." she smiled breezing past both of them, Stiles rolled his eyes looking to Scott, "she's crazy." he mumbled, the boy simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"While it's not something that I thought of, at least we have the psycho maniac with a gun." River glanced back at the two of them pointing the gun at Stiles' feet, "hey, hey no, I need those." he backed up trying to hide behind Scott as they began to ascend a hill of sorts.

"It's comforting to know you've planned this out with your usual attention to detail." Scott spoke upon reaching the top, "I know." Stiles panted the boy showing obvious physical strain as he collapsed at the top of the hill. The quieter of the two pulled himself up the rest of the way leaning against a tree as he continued to speak, "maybe the- a, severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?" Stiles rolled his eyes taking deep breaths to try and slow his heart.

River was still ascending the hill the gun making it just the smallest bit harder, Scott gestured to her the sound of her crushing leaves underfoot louder than he wished, "why" he took an inhale from his inhaler, "why don't you help her." he spoke taking another large inhale, despite his better judgment, his friend walked over to where she was and held out his hand to her, unsure if he was going to rip it away or not she hesitantly grabbed it.

He pulled her up using his weight as a small anchor, she stumbled slightly at the top but caught herself before she could fall, the honey eyed boy suddenly dropped onto his stomach flicking off his flashlight, he glanced behind him to see both of them still standing, "get down." he hissed, without speaking, the two exchanged a look of utter confusion quietly lowering themselves to the ground.

"I'm assuming those are the cops?" Stiles nodded his head his eyes taking in the sight of all the police officers and canines ahead of them. "Come on." he grinned jumping to his feet before he took off, "STILES WAIT!" Scott whisper shouted, the boy didn't pause still dashing through the woods trying to maneuver around all the branches that stuck out in the oddest of places, both the teens tore after him Scott bringing his inhaler to his lips every few seconds.

"Wait up! Stiles!" he called after him, the boy slowed after a few more moments of running Scott calling out his name a final time, he turned to look at him unable to locate either the boy or the girl.

A loud barking came from in front of him as he turned around a dog and flashlight violently attacking his senses, he fell back into the dirt trying to put distance between himself from the bright light and the intense barking.

"Hold it right there!" both teens- Scott and River- had hidden behind a set of trees praying to god and back that they wouldn't be caught. The barking didn't dampen and it seemed that the brightness of the flashlight was intensifying by every second Stiles sat under it, the deputy handling the canine gently pulled back on the leash adjusting his light source as he did so, "hang on, hang on." he mumbled taking a few steps back so the dog wasn't so close.

A few deputies could be heard crashing through the trees and brush stopping as the man before Stiles held out his hand, "this little delinquent belongs to me." it was Stiles' Dad, Stiles scrunched his face up at the noise pushing himself to his feet, "Dad, how are you doing?" Stiles quipped.

Scott and River exchanged a look the boy trying to tell her something but being unable to talk in his regular volume, he gestured to behind them- where Stiles and his father were- as if he was beckoning for her to go, she shrugged her shoulders unsure of what he was trying to tell her, he leaned in bringing his lips close to her ear, "you need to go with Stiles, you need a ride home." he whispered.

River pulled away her eyes widening, she brought her hand up mocking the motion of the dog, "cop with dog." she mouthed, Scott rolled his eyes once again gesturing to Stiles and his father.

"So, do you listen in to all of my phone calls?" the sheriff asked, the rain was beginning to come down harder now, not enough to soak them but enough to leave them seeking warmth. "No, not the boring ones."

River restrained herself from laughing having finally heard the boy say something funny, the sheriff glanced over his son's shoulder waiting a few seconds before returning his gaze to Stiles,

"Now" he began, "where's your usual partner in crime?" he was glancing around now trying to locate who the girl could only assume was Scott, "who, Scott?" the boy chuckled following his fathers gaze, "Scott's home." he added still trying to catch his breath.

"The first day back at school tomorrow." he spoke between breaths, his fathers face said everything he was thinking- from the fact that he didn't believe him to the fact that he knew Stiles didn't care much about school much less the first day- "it's just me. In the woods, alone." as if the sheriff couldn't be any more obvious that he didn't believe his son even for the slightest fraction of a second, he shone his flashlight into the woods.

"Scott, you out there?" the two hidden teenagers exchanged a look that could only be described as deers stuck in the headlights, they remained silent for a few moments hoping that the two males would leave, "Scott?" he called out again, neither of them moved to make their presence known as thunder boomed overhead.

Scott gestured for her to go the girl scowling at him as she did so, the sheriff immediately pointed his flashlight towards her temporarily disabling her sight, "drop the gun." he ordered, she did as told and brought her hands up to block the light from her face taking a few moments to recover, "not Scott, just me." she mumbled, the sheriff let out a sigh glancing at his son for a brief second.

"Thought you said you were alone Stiles." the boy shrugged his shoulders pointing to her as if he had no idea how she'd gotten there, "now again, is Scott out here?" he questioned, he looked to River this time hoping that she was more honest than his son, "no, it's just the two of us out here." she replied crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just the two of y-" the sheriff stopped when he realized what he had said, more so what he was implying, he scratched the back of his head trying to ease the tension swallowing all of them whole, he absently pointed behind him as if he was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Well, young man, I'm gonna walk you and your friend, back to your car." River cringed at the way he said friend- as if he was insinuating that they were something more, "and you and I" he paused gently grabbing the boy by his sleeve, "are gonna have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy."

The girl silently followed behind them having picked up the shotgun from its place in the mud, it wasn't till they were close enough to catch glimpses of the streetlights through the tree branches that the deputy began to talk again, he glanced over his shoulder looking to River, "so, how did my son drag you into his little adventure?" River shook her head feeling just the tiniest bit sorry for the hyperactive boy, "I asked to go." she replied, the man blinked his eyes twice back to back slightly surprised at her answer.

"Take it from me, you shouldn't go on these adventures with him, he always gets in trouble."

Stiles mumbled something under his breath finding it quite unfair he wasn't even able to defend his actions- not that there was much he would be able to use to defend himself based on the circumstances- River didn't respond instead preoccupied with following behind the two males as Stiles' jeep came into view.

The sheriff released his son's sleeve watching as both teens made their way to the jeep, "I wouldn't recommend carrying that around in public." he gestured to the shotgun watching as River gave a curt nod of acknowledgment, she was going to carry it around if it meant she didn't die.

She had a feeling plenty of that already happened within the confines of Beacon Hills.

She'd read news articles on the place, she'd seen them on the news, animals attacks that were far more than questionable in the eyes of many- including herself- dead bodies were also a common thing to come across in the town giving her all the more reasons to want to get out of the hell hole she was condemned to for the next few weeks.

Both the teens climbed into the old jeep the sheriff watching as Stiles started the engine and slowly started to pull out from where he'd parked but fifteen minutes ago, he gave his father a small wave watching as the man let out a sigh and turned to return to the woods with his assigned canine.

"What about Scott?" she questioned as he turned the steering wheel and took off down the road, "he knows how to get home, he'll be fine."

While the statement offered her the slightest bit of comfort, she didn't believe it.

Chances were he'd get attacked by an animal on his way home and would end up on the news the next morning, she kept this to herself knowing the two boys were extremely close from what she'd seen and heard throughout the night, all she could do was hope Scott made it home unscathed and alive.

Hope that he wasn't killed by something, or someone.

BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER THREE: SHOTGUN SHELLS