It’s not dark any more. It’s the first thing Scott notices, and now he’s thought about it the place - he would say room, but he isn’t sure that’s what it is - fills with a light so bright his eyes hurt. This makes him aware that he has eyes, and that he can screw them shut to block out the light.
In what feels like a second, but could be ten minutes, the light dims and he cautiously opens his eyes.
Scott isn’t at all surprised to find himself in the Reserve, staring at the Nemeton. It looks the same as it always has; the scarred trunk of what was once a massive tree, roots still spreading in all directions. He knows on some level that this isn’t real. He knows that he’s dead; that his body is lying in the school library bleeding still, but this feels real enough. When he stretches out his hand the surface of the wood is rough beneath his palm.
“It’s not real.” The voice comes from behind him. A voice so familiar his heart clenches painfully, even though it’s been years since he’s heard it. He doesn’t turn around for a moment, unsure if he wants to look.
“I know.” Scott turns slowly in place, a jumble of emotions rushing through him as his eyes take in Allison. She looks almost exactly the way she did when she died; brown hair loose and wavy, green jacket, pink dress and black tights leading down to her boots. There’s a bow and quiver slung over her back and archery gloves on her hands. She smiles sadly at him, Scott can see tears in her eyes.
“You’re not supposed to be here.” Allison takes a step towards him, her hand twitching up as if to reach for him but falling before she can.
“Neither are you.” If he hadn’t known he was dead, this would’ve convinced him. Scott takes a step towards her, reaches his hand out to touch her cheek. She feels solid, warm. Alive. A tear spills over, he wipes it away with his thumb. “I’m so sorry.” He feels tears fill his own eyes.
“It wasn’t your fault.” A shake of her head causes another tear to spill over. She covers his hand with her own where it rests on her cheek. Closes her eyes for a moment. Pulls his hand away from her face, tugs him over to sit on the stump side by side. “You shouldn’t be here.” She says again. “It’s not your time.”
Scott doesn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t hers either. He looks around again, noting that the part of the Preserve they’re in disappears in to mist about ten feet away in every direction. “Have you been here all this time?” He asks. It makes sense, that the Nemeton would keep a part of them even after death. They gave their lives to it.
“No, I don’t think so.” She’s holding his hand in both of hers, staring down at it like she expects it to disappear. “I’m not sure if I was somewhere else, or nowhere at all. But I haven’t been here.”
Scott nods, like that makes sense to him. He’s not sure he ever really believed there was anything after life, but it’s a nice thought. “What happens now?”
“How?” He doesn’t ask why. He knows why. There is more work to be done. He could rant and rave about how unfair it all is, how he’s only a teenager and shouldn’t have to deal with it all, but it isn’t his way. It would be nice to stay here, with Allison, but there are people back home who need him. Mom, Stiles…Kira.
“I don’t know. But you don’t belong here, can’t you feel it?” There’s a resigned sadness in Alison’s voice, like she too had thought about him staying but knows he can’t.
“I don’t-” he begins, but he’s interrupted by a whisper of his name that echoes through the trees. “Did you hear that?”
Allison nods, her fingers squeezing his briefly. “That’s your cue, I suppose.” Someone calls again, louder this time. It sounds like his mom.
“I don’t want to go.” Scott feels like a weight is crushing his chest, forcing the breath out of him. There’s blood in his mouth, covering his chest and he chokes on a pained sob. “Allison!” She’s suddenly ten feet away, still sitting on the stump of the Nemeton. He reaches for her and she stands, runs over to him where he lies on the floor and drops to her knees beside him. Cradles his head on her knees, presses a kiss to his cheek. “You have to live, Scott.” Scott grips her hand, but she feels less real now, colder. “It’s ok.”
Suddenly he’s back in his body and he does. The sound is full of pain and anguish, it feels like it’s being pulled from him rather than something he’s doing by choice. When it’s over he lies panting on the floor and his mom pulls him to her, cradling him in her arms. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Scott takes several deep breaths, hiding his tears against his mom’s neck. “But you brought me back.” There’s a little bitterness in his voice, but nobody mentions it. There’s no time for that, he still has work to do.
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