A sigh escaped my lips as I turned up the volume on my phone, letting the music blast through my headphones. After Liam had left the field in a fit, I ended up staying with Mason to watch Corey. I knew that if Liam really needed me he would have called.

But now, as practice ended and darkness had begun to fall on Beacon Hills, I still found myself in the halls of BHHS, waiting for Liam to emerge from the locker rooms. It was safe to say I was getting impatient. We had a test in history tomorrow that I needed to study for, so sitting waiting for my boyfriend was not what I wanted to be doing.

I knew that if I marched in there and told him it was time to go that he would oblige, but I didn't know who else was in there, and I wanted to let Liam calm down a bit.

I was emerged in a game on my phone when two pairs of feet stopped in front of me. I took out my headphones, looking up to see Mason and Corey.

"There you are." Mason sighed, looking around for a moment, "Where's Liam?"

I pocketed my phone as I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder toward the locker room, "I have no idea what the hell is he doing."

Mason and Corey shared a look, "We have a test tomorrow." Corey pointed out.

I nodded, giving a small shrug, "I know. So please go in there and get him so we can all go home and study."

The two boys nodded before making their way into the room. Corey held the door open, leaning back out to look at me, "You can come in, Syd. No one else is in here."

I let out a small grunt as I pushed myself from where I had been standing for the last hour, following Corey and Mason inside. As we rounded the corner, Liam looked over to us, an oddly suspicious grin on his face. "Hey guys!" he greeted, in the process of tying his shoe, "What are you doing here."

I stopped in front of him, a pointed look covering my face, "Looking for you."

"History test...tomorrow," Mason added, stopping beside me, "We need to study."

Liam nodded, "Yeah...right-"

I looked away from Liam as Corey attempted to lean into one of the lockers, but instead he basically fell into it due to the fact that the door was missing. I looked back to Liam who tried to play it off, "That's a good idea. I should study since I have no idea what it's on." he muttered, adding a nervous laugh.

Corey, with a confused look on his face due to the lack of a door, pulled himself from the locker before speaking, "It's on Mussolini and the role of fear-baiting in the rise of fascism." he answered, "We can study together."

Liam laughed as he dropped his foot from the bench, accidentally kicking something in the process. My eyes caught on the locker door, and I soon realized that he had ripped it off. I resisted the urge to call him out on it, and instead remained silent.

"Can we take the test together." He joked, which earned a small chuckle from Corey.

But, it seemed that Mason hadn't been listening as his attention was caught on something else. "Hey," he spoke, his eyes looking past Liam, "Guys, look."

All of our gazes followed his, which lead to blood that was smeared all over the floor, like something had been dragged. I felt my heart rate speed up as Liam stood, taking a small step toward the blood.

I shared a nervous look with Mason before the three of us followed after Liam, all of us taking slow steps as we followed the trail to whatever had produced all of this blood.

My heart rate seemed to speed up as we all remained silent, taking slow steps closer and closer to the source of the blood. As we rounded the corner leading to the showers, I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I stifled a gag. There in front of us was a body, but it wasn't just any body. I had no face, and it was almost as if all the skin had been ripped off. A lacrosse helmet lay beside it, leading us all to the assumption that this was someone we know-knew.

"What," I whispered, my voice shaking, "The hell is that?"

---

Ten minutes later, the boys and I reconvened in the hallway, each of us short of breath after running all across the school.

"Library's empty." Mason announced.

"Gym too." Corey added.

I nodded, trying to slow my breathing, "Same with the field."

Liam held up his phone, slight worry in his eyes. "Aaron's the only one I can't get a hold of." he explained. His task had been to contact the entire lacrosse team to ensure everyone was okay.

Mason looked between the other three of us, "Anyone check the parking lot?" he questioned, "See if his car's still there?"

Liam and Corey and I shared a look, not saying a word before we all nodded, rushing out of the school and to the lot.

The sound of our feet smacking against the tarmac filled the night air as we pushed through the school doors and into the cool night. We all stopped, our breathing laboured as we scanned the cars still left in the lot. There was one there that didn't belong to any of us.

"That must be Aaron's." I announced, looking over to the boys in slight terror.

Mason nodded, "So that means he's still here," he acknowledged, "Or..."

I let out a shaky sigh, "...That's his body."

"We have to keep looking." Liam exclaimed, already heading back for the door, "We have to know for sure."

The other three of us slowly nodded before taking off after Liam. We rushed down the hallway, our shoes squeaking against the floor as we went.

We had made it down one full hallway of classrooms with no sign of Aaron, and were onto our second when Liam came to a halt, causing the rest of us to stop behind him. He turned to one of the classrooms, slowly walking toward it. I followed his gaze to see a figure sitting at one of the desks, his back to us. Aaron.

I shared a look with Mason and Corey before we followed Liam into the classroom, stopping as he spoke to Aaron. "Aaron?" he called, tentatively taking a step forward.

Aaron turned slowly turned around, an eerie smile playing on his lips. "Hey, guys." he greeted, as if sitting alone in a dark classroom was anywhere close to normal.

"Thank God you're okay." Mason breathed. "Where have you been?"

The smile didn't leave Aaron's face as he spoke, "I forgot we have a history test tomorrow." he explained.

"We've been trying to call you." Corey pointed out, his voice slightly exasperated.

"Oh," Aaron mumbled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He tried to press the home button, but the screen remained black. "Must have died." he admitted.

I stole a glance at Liam who was watching Aaron intently, a suspicious look on his face. I didn't know Aaron well, but I knew him enough to know that he was acting weird.

"We should get going," I announced, giving Liam a pleading look. We needed to call the Sheriff about the body, and get out of this school. I couldn't stand being anywhere near that body for any longer.

Liam gave me a small nod, beginning to turn away from Aaron, "We'll see you tomorrow." he spoke, his voice still slightly reserved, as if we was unsure.

Aaron nodded, the grin still on his face. "Bye guys!"

As the four of us made our way out of the school, I couldn't help but feel something coil in my stomach...and that something was fear.

---

The door closed behind me with a slam as I entered the house, my backpack slung off of my shoulder as I kicked off my shoes.

"Hey!" Scott called from the kitchen, grabbing my attention.

I poked my head through the doorway, a small smile coming to my face at the sight of he, Lydia and Malia standing around the island. "What's up." I greeted, setting my bag down as I moved to join them.

"Practice just ended?" my brother asked, his eyes flying to the clock hanging on the wall behind him.

I shook my head, coming to a stop beside him. "No," I answered, my voice shaky, "We found a body."

Their faces fell, "A body?" Lydia echoed, her brows knitting in concern.

I nodded, chewing on the inside of my lips as the image flashed through my head once again. "Yeah." I whispered.

Malia looked over to me, "Like a dead one?"

I pulled my eyes up to meet hers, "It was dead." I confirmed, "Definitely dead." When Scott gave me a worried look, I continued. Letting out a shaky sigh, I told them the truth. "It had no face."

My brother's eyes grew wide, "Did you call Sheriff?" he questioned, urgency in his voice.

I nodded once again, "He was on his way with the coroner when I left. Liam and Mason were waiting for him." I explained, nervously pulling at my fingers. "Hopefully they'll be able to identify it."

The three of them shared a nervous look, like the knew something that I didn't. I looked over to my brother, narrowing my eyes every so slightly. "What?" I questioned, "What's going on?"

Scott and Lydia exchanged another glance she spoke, "An orderly at Eichen-" she cut herself off more a moment, shaking her head, "He killed everyone in the closed supernatural unit."

My eyes grew wide as my face fell, "Why?" I demanded, already feeling sick to my stomach at the thought.

"Fear." my brother answered. "The rats, the wolves, it's been the trend all along." he elaborated, causing my heart to drop. Fear had been exactly what I had felt the minute we found that body, and it had lingered over me the entire night at the school.

"Everyone's scared," Scott continued, "Maybe that body has something to do with it. And maybe that's why there are new hunters in Beacon Hills...they're trying to eliminate the cause of the fear."

I looked to Lydia and Malia, each of them casting their eyes downwards, seemingly not wanting to be the ones who had to answer my next question.

Finally, I looked to my big brother, "Scott," I whispered, "What's everyone so afraid of?"

He let out a low sigh as he glanced down for a moment. When he looked back up at me, his eyes were sad. "Us, Syd." he admitted, "They're afraid of us."