Chapter 71: Ch. 65 - A NOVEL APPROACH

Amara's outfit:

Chapter Sixty-Five

🎭 A Novel Approach 🎭

"The Dread Doctors by T.R. McCammon." Lydia read as her, Amara and Malia walked into the school. Lydia slowed down to a stop as she looked at the book Malia brought, making Malia and Amara almost run into her. "What is it?" Amara asked and Lydia stilled stared at the cover as she started walking again, "I don't know. There's something about it...Has anyone actually read it yet?"

"Just me, and I didn't understand any of it." Malia said making Amara hum, "We should probably all read it." She said and Malia nodded. "Kira's working on that." She said and Amara nodded as they walked up to Malia's locker.

"Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name." She said as Amara looked at the book before turning it over to read the back.

"In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive. Days later, they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists know only as the Dread Doctors." She read then hummed looking up at them, "Sounds familiar." She said and Malia nodded.

"How does it end?" Lydia asked and Malia shook her head, "It doesn't. This is supposed to be Volume One." Malia said making Lydia hum. "Oh, let me guess- there is no Volume Two?" Lydia asked and Amara sighed, "Something tells me we're living volume two." She said and Lydia nodded slightly. "Then maybe the real question is... Is this a novel or someone's prediction?"

"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Malia asked turning around as they sat in class making Amara look over at Lydia who was looking at the book. "Look at this. Look at the "Acknowledgements" page." Lydia said holding the book out for them to read.

"For providing scientific perspective and invaluable insight... this book is dedicated to Dr. Gabriel Valack." Amara said then closed her eyes and groaned, "Of course it is." She mumbled.

🎭

"Amara, I'm going with you guys." Stiles said, grabbing his jacket as Amara stood in his doorway, "I thought you said you were sick." She said and he pursed his lips. "I'm slightly under the weather..." He said and she raised her eyebrows, not believing him for a second.

"You don't have to come. Malia's not going, either." Amara said and he looked at her crazy, "Malia's not going because she knows that place is a nightmare asylum of insanity and death, okay? Let's go." He said as he put his jacket on and winced slightly making her squint at him. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You winced."

"I have a bad elbow." He said and she raised her eyebrows, "It was your shoulder." She said. "Pain radiates. It does that." He said and went to walk out the door but she moved in front of him making him sigh. "Amara, you guys are not going without me. You remember what happened to Deaton when he talked to Valack?"

"So?" She asked while shrugging making him squint at her, "So, I'm not letting you go to a place where one of the orderlies almost killed you and Lydia." He said making her scoff and look at him crazy. "They did almost killed you twice." She said and he shrugged.

"And we're all still alive. See? Teamwork." He said before going to walk past her again but she moved in front of him again making him sigh. "What's going on?" She asked making him look at her, "Nothing." He said and she raised her eyebrows. "I can smell the blood on your shoulder. Talk to me." She said before gently pushing him back towards his bed making him sigh and sit down as she sat down next to him.

"I did something and I think I might lose people because of it." He mumbled and she looked at him worriedly, "You know I wont judge you, right?" She asked and he sighed and nodded. "I know..." He said in a slight whisper and she nodded, "So what happened?" She asked.

"I killed someone..." He whispered and she nodded slightly, "Who?" She asked. "Donovan." He said and she raised her eyebrows, "You mean the guy who said he was going to stab your father to death?" She asked and he nodded and she looked at him confused. "What happened?" Amara asked and Stiles sighed softly, "He bit my shoulder with some mouth on his hand so I hit him with a wrench and ran off into the library... At some point I started climbing the scaffolding to get away from him but he followed me and said he was gonna eat me so I pulled this pin and a bunch of scaffolding fell and one went right through him." Stiles explained and Amara nodded slightly.

"Okay, I dont see the problem here." She said and he sighed, "The problem is that I killed someone, Amara!" He said. "In self-defense! Donovan, a Chimera, attacked you, a human, and you acted in self-defense. You wouldn't have been able to hold him off until you got to call someone and for that someone to come. You did what you had to do to survive. There's nothing wrong with that." She said and he sighed softly.

"Scott's not gonna think of it like that." He mumbled and she rolled her eyes, "If Scott tries to pull the 'we shouldn't kill someone' line or treats you any differently, I will kick him out. I can do that, I was the first Alpha." She said and he looked at her with a small smile. "Thanks Amara." He said and she smiled and patted his leg, "Just remember, if you were a Werewolf... Your eyes wouldn't be blue."

🎭

Amara spammed the intercom button until Lydia started swatting her hand away. "Be patient." Lydia and Amara pouted, "But that's boring." She said before walking over to where Scott and Stiles were.

"When the other Chimera, Lucas... When he came after us, I heard Kira say something in Japanese." Scott said as Amara walked up to them, "That doesn't sound too bad." Stiles said. "Kira doesn't know any Japanese." Amara said and Stiles shrugged slightly, "Still not terrible."

"I also think I might have stopped her from killing Lucas." Scott said and Stiles nodded slightly, "Okay... Wasn't he trying to kill you, though? I mean, that just sounds like self-defense." Stiles said and Scott sighed. "It was more than that. I mean, she nearly took off his head."

"Maybe she had no other choice? There's gotta be a point where self-defense is justified. Tracy killed her own father, and Lucas would have killed you." Stiles said and Scott shook his head, "They're not the bad guys' they're the victims. We  shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save." Scott said and Amara shook her head.

"That's not how this world works. Eventually there will be moment were someone is in a kill or be killed moment. And trust me when I say this, you'd much rather have a friend whose killed then have another friend die." Amara said. Scott sighed softly and shook his head, looking down while Amara and Stiles looked at each other.

Before anyone can say anything else the gate buzzed and opened making them look at each other before walking over. Scott opened the gate and they all walked through. They started walking up the stairs and then the gate shut making them all stop and look back.

"Please empty your pockets into the container." The orderly, Schrader said as he placed a plastic bucket on the counter. "We're here to see-" Scott started to say but Schrader cut him off again. "Please empty your pockets into the container." Schrader said again making them all look at each other before sighing and taking their stuff out. "Please remove your belt and place it into the container." He said looking at Kira making her eyes widen, "I kind of need the belt. I mean, it's crucial to the outfit.'

"Please remove your belt, which patients will attempt to take from you and use to strangle either themselves or others." He said and Kira sighed, "Right. Got it." She said as she took off her belt before putting it in the bucket.

Lydia grabbed Amara's arm making Amara look at her to see her looking at the orderly uncomfortably. Amara instantly looked over at him and saw him staring creepily at Lydia making her slightly step in front of Lydia. "How about you stop staring at her before someone burns your eyes out." Amara threatened, giving him a deadly warning look.

Before anyone could do or say anything someone walked through another door making them turn to look at them to see Dr. Fenris. "Follow me." He said and Amara gently planned her hand in Lydia's back, still glaring at Schrader as they walked away.

"I'll remind you that I'm only doing this as a favor to Deaton, and I'm doing it against my better judgment." Dr. Fenris said as they walked down stairs, "Hey, what's the etiquette for talking to this guy? I mean, do you ever look at the other eye?" Stiles asked.

"I wouldn't. In fact, while you're down here, try not to make eye contract with anyone or anything." Dr. Fenris said looking back at them making Amara raise her eyebrows, "Hey uh- Is him and Peter Hale still roommates?" Amara asked and Dr. Fenris glanced back at her.

"You don't have to worry about seeing your father. Peter Hale was moved to a different room." Dr. Fenris said and Amara nodded slightly, "Awesome."

🎭

They walked into a long hallway but stopped when they noticed Scott and Kira had stopped. "You didn't think you were all going, did you?" Dr. Fenris asked making realization cross over Amara features. "Mountain ash." She said and he nodded.

"Everywhere, but heavily concentrated down here. Although, I'm quite curious how you made it through." He said, looking over at Amara and she shrugged slightly. "I don't feel like explaining it." Amara said as he swiped his card through the reader then opening the door. "Valack's cell is the last one at the end of the hall." He said and they glanced back at Scott and Kira, "We'll be right here." Scott said and they nodded before slowly walking through the door.

As they walked through the hall Lydia wrapped her arm around Amara's arm. While they walked, Stiles glanced into one of the rooms in shock making Amara look over and hummed. "He's so ugly.." She mumbled making Lydia pinch her arm as they walked up to Valack's cell.

"Tell me what you just saw." Valack said, looking at Stiles, "Me?" Stiles asked confused. "The creature in the previous cell? The Sluagh? The myth is that they can take on the appearance of the lost souls that have become inextricably bound to it. Happen to have seen any lost souls, Mr. Stilinski?" Valack asked.

"Everyone down here." Stiles said and Valack smiled, "Don't give up on us yet. We're all works-in-progress." He said making Amara hum. "Where did you hear that from?" She asked making him smile at her, "Wise words from a former cellmate." He said as he stood up and walked over to the glass.

"Did you bring the book?" Valack asked and Stiles pulled the book out from his waistband and held it up. "Very nice. First edition. Of course, there was only one printing." Valack said and Amara squinted at him, "There is no T.R. McCammon, is there?"

"No."

"You wrote the book." Lydia said, "That's right, Lydia. Maybe you've already guessed that it's not just a book." He said as Lydia tighten her grip on Amara's arm. "What is it then?" Amara asked making him look over at her, "A tool... Designed to open your eyes."

"To what?"

"To them... The Dread Doctors."

"Why did you use a pseudonym?" Lydia asked, "I had a professional reputation once- I wasn't interested in ruining it by putting my name on a second-rate piece of trash." He said making Amara furrow her brows in confusion. "Then why write the book in the first place?" She asked and he looked over at her.

"You haven't even read it yet, have you? I wrote it because no one believed me. Because no one listened. They're here, aren't they? In Beacon Hills?" He asked and Amara raised her eyebrows, "What are they?" She asked.

"Not entirely human. At least, not anymore. They were scientists once... Scientists who worshiped the supernatural. Tesla said, "If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration." They found their secrets in electromagnetic forces- ways to prolong their lives, give them power, and, most importantly, making you forget you ever saw them."

"What do they want?"  Lydia asked making him look at her, "Good question, Lydia. Everybody wants something, don't they?" He asked and Amara rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" She asked and he held up a recorder and placed in the hand slot.

"Hit record." He said making them look at him warily, "What do you want me to say?" Lydia asked. "I don't want you to say anything... I want you to scream." He said and Amara instantly shook her head.

"Yeah no, that's not happening." Amara said as she took the recorder out of Lydia's hand making Lydia pull her and Stiles to the side, "He's the only one that knows anything." Lydia said and Amara looked at her crazy. "The guy is nutjob who drilled a hole into his head." Amara said and Stiles nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he's probably lying his ass off."

"How many have died so far?" Valack asked making them look at him, "All of them teenagers? Am I right? Want to know how many died the first time they came here? Wonder how many more will die if they succeed?" He asked and then the lights flashed.

"This did happen before." Lydia said and he nodded, "And now they're back- all because a few teenagers who never even considered the consequences decided to reignite a supernatural force they barely understand." He said making Amara sighed. "The Nemeton." She said and Stiles squinted his eyes at him, "How do you even know about that?"

"I know because I saw it!" He said then took off his bandage around his forehead to show the hold in his head that had his third eye. The lights started flickering more making them glance around, "Who did you come with?"

"Our friends." Lydia said and he looked slightly alarmed, "What are they?" He asked and Amara shook ber head. "Don't answer that." Amara said and Valack looked at her before realization crossed over his features.

"You brought a Kitsune." Valack said and then a light shattered making them jump, "What the hell is happening?" Amara asked. "She's disrupting the building's defenses." He said making them look at him, "What do you mean? How?" Lydia asked.

"It's not just the mountain ash that keeps this building secure- it's the electromagnetic energy. Eichen is built on the convergence to telluric currents. Ley lines. It's what allows it to keep certain supernatural creatures in... and certain others out. They knew you were coming. They're here. And you unlocked the door for them." He said making Amara sigh. "Of course..."

"Hit record. Do it now! It costs you nothing." Valack said and Amara squinted at him, "But it's worth something to you, so you're not getting it for free." Amara said. "What does the book do?" Lydia demanded but Valack didn't say anything, "Tell us!"

"I told you- it opens your eyes." Valack said and Amara rolled her eyes, "How?" She asked. "It triggers the memory centers of the brain, clearing the fog and bringing the images of the Dread Doctors into focus. I wrote the book in an effort to find out if anyone else like me had ever seen them before. I thought I could circulate it, an effort to trigger someone's- anyone else's- memory. They'd see the cover, a hint of memory... They pick up the book, read it... The suppressed memories surface, and they'd find their way to me to discover more. Just like you did." Valack explained.

"Did it work with anyone else?" Stiles asked making Valack look over at him, "You didn't see it on The New York Times' Best Seller list, did you?" He asked. "So, all we have to do is read the book?" Amara asked and he nodded.

"If you've seen them, if they've done something to you... Then the book will help you remember. Now, give me what I want."

"Tell us what they want!" Lydia demanded after giving Valack the recorder back after screaming, "What are they trying to do?" She asked. "Read the book! Anyone who's come into contact with them." Valack said as Amara started pulling Lydia back. "Lydia, we gotta go! Now!" Amara said and they started running down the hall.

"Read the book!"

They ran down the hall a bit before Stiles pulled them into a room. Stiles pressed himself against the wall while Amara tightly held Lydia to her chest. Amara tighten his hold on her when they heard Valack screaming.

Eventually everything went quiet making them start to relax slightly. "I think we're okay..." Lydia said and Amara nodded say anything, "Stiles?" Amara asked, looking over at him. "No, it's not okay. All of this? It's on us. Everything that's happened, everything that's going to happen- it's our

fault."

"It's our responsibility."