Lightning of Her Skin

Stiles had told her to stay inside that night. So of course when she got a text from Hunter about a house party at his place Sophia said yes. Stiles didn't rule her life she reasoned with an angry tone inside her head. She tramped angrily down the street towards the address that Hunter had sent her, arms crossed against the Indian summer breeze and pouting. How dare he try to order her around? How dare he blank her for two days and expect her to listen to his insane request? How dare he get inside her head so much that she actually raged against him?

What was becoming of her? That a tall, gangly boy could overtake her emotions so quickly? As an army brat Sophia had spent her life moving around to different army bases. A lot of families are lucky in that they get stationed somewhere for long periods of time. Her old friend had been stationed in Salisbury for seven years whilst she'd only spent a few blessed years there. Because she moved around so much Sophia had learnt from a young age how to say goodbye. In fact saying goodbye was considered one of her finest talents. There was a subtle but complex way with her friendships in that they were always firm and close but easy enough to detach. It was probably because all of the people she knew were in the same predicament. There was the one time in Africa when they were deployed there for Embassy security when she made friends with a boy called Dumisani and that is her only lasting friendship. Complain like she did however it was actually pretty wonderful. Maybe not so great on the social interaction side of things but she was always very well looked after and got the best education. Not academically but in life. Travelling so much tended to give street-wise smarts and common sense. When her parents had divorced, her mother choosing to lead a stationary life instead, Sophia had elected to stay with her father. Until he'd been deployed to Afghanistan. The front line was no place for a teenage girl.

With the mutual decision of 'no Afghanistan' and her decision to not go to stay with her mother in Cleveland Sophia was sent to her father's sister in California. She'd never had an American experience so she'd jumped at the chance.

Not even a week in however and she was all abound with confusion. Did she enjoy it here? Why was everyone so mysterious? Even Danny had disappeared tonight. Had said that a friend and him were going to do some lacrosse practice and raced off, laughing off Sophia's warning from Stiles.

Sophia was so busy ranting in her head that the time she realised she was lost was when she felt the brush of grass against her toes. Hurriedly snapping out of her inner rage, only to make it outer by cursing out loud, she spotted a sign that said 'Beacon Hills Preserve: Do not enter after dark'.

“Well. That went well.” She all but growled, digging around inside her blazer pocket for her phone, desperate to contact someone who knew where she was. The sun was beginning to set and there was no chance she was walking the road in the dark.

Suddenly her ears were filled with the sound of a loud roaring that seemed to come from every direction. Then a silence. No wind blew. No rustle of the trees. The only thing she could hear was the breath she released and her feet shuffling as she turned, “hello?” Yes Sophia. Yes, a furious animal will most definitely respond to that, she thought sarcastically, berating herself for her response. Nothing called back. No more roaring. No angry beast hurtling towards her baying for her blood. Which was good...

With no answers Sophia moved on instinct. She slipped out of her bad-choice strapped heels, dangled them in her hand, shoved her phone back in her pocket and moved towards the sound. Of course! Of course she'd go towards the danger. More inward cursing happened but it wasn't enough to stop. Common sense flew out the window when possible adventure was involved.

Another great roar trumpeted around her, sounding closer than before and a little to her left. She changed course, sneaking as quietly as she could towards the noise. Her father had, in his wisdom, taught many ways to remain quiet while walking, just in case she needed to escape as a little girl. Constant vigilance, faint paranoia and a fierce paternal streak made him a good soldier as well a father that made her feel safe. When she was ten she'd asked for hand-to-hand combat training 'just like her Daddy'. Needless to say he'd taught her a few moves and ever since then she'd learned them to graceful perfection. She could still be overpowered easily but she could at least surprise people and it gave her the confidence to fend off attackers if need be. Also the fact that she could handle most gun weaponry (having asked for weapons training at 13), the compact Ruger 380 pistol tucked in her tiny handbag as 'proof' helped her feel powerful. Maybe it was this combination of all things made her emboldened enough to hunt down the animal noise. Or maybe she thought she could be a soldier like her father. Little girl playing at being strong.

Another roar, almost by her ear this time.

“Sophia!” A frightened screech rang through her ears. Twisting her head sharply, her eyes caught sight of Stiles and a darker man in a leather jacket racing towards her, “what are you doing!? I told you to stay inside!” He was borderline hysterical as he grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her as if to prove his point.

“I was going to a party! I got lost!"

“IN THE PRESERVE!?”

“Yes in the- will you stop shaking me? Yes in the Preserve. I was going to phone Hunter to pick me up but then I heard this animal thing-”

“So you ran towards it?” Stiles flailed his hands around in a panic whilst she stared at him with a 'duh' face on and nameless older man looked faintly curious, staring at her chest like it held a secret he couldn't uncover. She felt almost violated but it didn't register as the raw animal noise sounded out again. Stiles and the handsome, surly bloke's heads snapped to attention, almost in fear. Definitely in fear the way the dark one's jaw flexed. Growling whispered in Sophia's ear. She twirled in the other direction, instinctively delving for her gun, that would probably be most ineffective in the current situation, “and you have a gun? We are going to have a long talk after this.”

“Yeah, you first buddy.”

A panting from her side. The steady thumping of a walk from their side. Some red eyes in the darkness. Were they... wolves?