All That Glitters Is Silver

It was Thursday night at Beacon Hills Long-Term Hospital, my first day back after the horrific events of last weekend. It was also the night that Derek would visit his uncle. I had long since given up on doing math homework and was now tapping my foot impatiently, half hoping he wouldn’t show.

I sighed agitatedly, watching the clock tick by painfully slow. There was only five more minutes left in visiting hours so his window was closing fast. I stood up quickly, starting to pace, unsure of how this conversation was going to play out if he did show up.

We needed to talk about how we had sex, that was a given. I also had devised a meticulous plan to get Derek to tell me about what was going on in this town. This plan was devious and, if it came to it, there would be some seducing. Although, I hoped it didn’t come to that.

“Cassie,” A deep, gravelly voice called softly. The breath I was taking in choked in my throat; my well thought out plan flew swiftly out of my mind.

“D-Derek,” I stumbled mindlessly over my words. What was wrong with me? “You need to sign in.” I shoved the clip board toward him. In my nervousness I pushed it too far and it dropped over the edge. “Not again.” I muttered under my breath. Derek bent over but I could have sworn there was a ghost of a smirk upon his thin lips.

But, when Derek set the clip board back on the desk, lightly pushing it back, and shaking his head, he looked stoic, his eyes cold and distant. “I’m not here for my uncle.”

I gulped, feeling the heat rise to my face, like every other time I was around Derek.

“What can I do you for?” I pushed a stray hair behind my ear, my eyes darting around the room, praying that my boss would come relieve me.

Derek gave me a stern look when I glanced back at him. His bright blue eyes seemed to be x-raying my entire body and, possibly, soul. “I think we should talk.”

I nodded, swallowing with some difficulty. “I agree.”

“About Saturday…” He seemed ashamed, probably about me.

“I’m sorry.” I blurted. It was reflex. Whenever my parents started to scold or punish me, I always apologized immediately. I really hated conflict.

Derek seemed taken aback by my instant response. “I—What?”

“What the hell happened that night, Derek?” I said so quietly that even I could barely hear myself.

Derek sighed agitatedly, turning his head away from me like I was something indecent to look at.

“Derek,” I stressed, all the emotion and anger I’d bottled up were unleashed. “You were hurt, badly. And—And you just healed within minutes! And what was that—that thing that was at the school. That was no mountain lion. That was a huge, brown wolf!”

Derek cringed, though I was unsure why. I had managed to keep my harsh words at a whisper, not alerting anyone to his presence.

“It was a mistake.” He answered in a calm low voice. “You were a mistake.”

“W—What—What are you talking?” I blubbered. He wasn’t the one who got to say it was all a mistake. That was supposed to be my part in this. Derek was supposed to tell me all I needed to know about Saturday and forget about the sex.

“What happened, with us,” His thick, dark brows furrowed, “I’m sorry I led you on like that. I was just lonely and it had been awhile.”

My jaw dropped, hardly believing my ears. He seemed so monotone, so rehearsed. But all I could register was that I had been used. My eyes quickly welled up with burning tears that I prayed wouldn’t fall, giving away how hurt and broken I was. This hadn’t been how I pictured this conversation going.

“You poor thing.” I laughed without a hint of humor, “I hope my virginity was good enough for that long break you’d had. If only I had known it had been so long, maybe I would have given myself up to you sooner! Sorry if it was disappointing, not up to your high standards. But, I hear you loud and clear and I couldn’t agree more. I don’t ever want to see you again, Derek Hale.” I spat, shoving my possessions back in my backpack with more force than necessary. I didn’t care that my shift wasn’t over, I was leaving.

“Cassie,” Derek started, his whole voice changed, it was softer now, but I ignored him as the intercom suddenly went off.

“Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk. Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk.” I let out a sigh of relief, realizing I had a reason to leave Derek without embarrassing myself by running away.

“Goodbye—” I said coldly, glaring up at where Derek had been. But he was gone, vanished into thin air. I took a deep, shaky breath, collecting myself to see what Nurse McCall needed. I could cry about the reality of love and sex later.

I heard a large crash as I packed up my belongings. Alerted by the noise, I swiftly made my way to the sliding doors that led outside of the Long-Term ward. As I turned the corner, something crunched underneath my sneakers. I glanced down to see tiny pieces of glass decorating the red, swirl patterned carpet. Feeling fear rise in my throat, I peered cautiously around the corner and gasped.

The glass doors had been shattered as if someone had rammed into them. But that was impossible. They were reinforced double paned windows that could probably only be broken into by a bulldozer or tank.

The moonlight gleamed through the shards of glass still attached to the frame. I could see that outline of something in the glass, the thing that had broken through it. Horrified, I slowly inched toward the door, noticing some hair and blood on the jagged pieces sticking out. Reaching out a shaky hand, I tugged on the hair. It was short, brown, and coarse. This wasn’t hair, it was fur.

A sick feeling arose in the pit of my stomach as I watched the crimson liquid fall to the floor.

“Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk. Cassidy Argent, please report to the front desk.” That cool voice called again.

As I turned to leave and tell Nurse McCall about this strange incident, I heard something that made all the hair on my body stand up straight, chilling me to the bone. A howl, like the one I’d heard Saturday, broke through the night. I could have sworn that everything froze in that moment. My breath was almost visible in the cold night.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind me.

“Hey, Cassie, I’ve been calling you for the past ten minutes. What’s—Oh my God!” Nurse McCall gasped, seeing the unsettling scene before me. “What happened here? Are you okay?” She glanced at me with concern.

I nodded slowly, terrified. “I think it was that mountain lion….” I said, slight hysteria in my timid voice.

Nurse McCall kindly sat me down, worried for my wellbeing. She checked my eyes quickly for head trauma. I was probably just in shock. “Stay right here, I’m going to get some help.”

I sat still in that uncomfortable chair, obeying Nurse McCall. I stayed in that chair when the police came, questioning me about what had happened and collecting evidence. I only moved when my parents came and took me home. They were worried sick about me, as they had the right to be.

It was the second attack of that mythical mountain lion in the past week. And for some reason, I didn’t think it would be the last.

I kept the promise I made to myself after Derek left. I waited until I was alone in my room to let myself cry. The stress of moving, Derek, my parents, and having two close calls with whatever this thing was that was wandering the streets of Beacon Hills, all streamed down my face in wet, salty tears. I wished I’d never met Derek Hale.