Lily's P.O.V

I woke up screaming. I was drowning in sweat and for the first time in a long time the last thing I wanted to do was go back to bed. Maybe I had post-traumatic stress disorder or something. Deciding to give up on sleep, I slithered from between the covers and jumped in the shower.
I sat at the bottom of the bathtub, allowing the almost scalding water to fall into my eyes and sting them. I wanted to wash away the night and as I sat in the cascading waterfall, dried blood became loose and washed away.

When I got out, the first thing I did was check my phone. Due to the tragic death of Freddy Read, tenth grader and lacrosse star, the game had been moved to Monday night to allow people to grieve. Isaac had texted me asking how I was but his text was riddled with errors which told me he was nervous. He had a right to be. I was nervous; I just had this overwhelming crushing terror that something bad was going to happen today, maybe tomorrow. Olivia had called and once I dried off , I caught her up on all the events and we'd talked for what seemed like hours.

The best thing about the weekends was normally; no school. No bullies. No one walking in on you because you're invisible but today the only thing I longed to do was go back to school were it was safe.

Stiles's P.O.V:

Monday Morning.

It was attempt number two of my counseling session. I hadn't shown up the first time because I thought I hadn't needed to. Obviously, my dad had found out and threatened to sell off my Jeep if I didn't go. So here I was, sat in the guidance councilor's office with a shrink.
"Hello, Stiles," Mrs. Morrell purred, reclining in her chair. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," I lied. I was far from anything resembling good. "All things considered, I mean."
"Stiles," she began, "You don't have to-"
I was toying with the head of my lacrosse stick, pulling at the stiching, when I spoke words I thought I'd never say to anyone else. "You know when you're drowning; you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out; the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's actually kind of peaceful."
Mrs. Morrell sighed softly and sat a little straighter. "Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?"
"I don't feel sorry for him."
"Can you feel sorry for the nine year old Matt who drowned?"
I looked right at her when I answered, anger welling inside me. "Just 'cause a bunch of dumbasses dragged him off into a pool and he couldn't swim, doesn't give him the right to go off killing them one by one. Oh, and by the way, my dad told me that they found a bunch of pictures on his computer of Alison but not just of her, he'd photoshopped himself into these pictures, like of these holding hands and kissing, like he had built this whole fake relationship." My voice sounded sickeningly bitter but it was the truth.
She spoke softly. "One positive thing came out of this though, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so but it's not the same. It's just like tension when we talk, you know, same thing with Scott."
Mrs. Morrell linked her fingers and rested her chin on her hands, leaning forward. I admired how remarkably calm she seemed. The councilor was very mysterious indeed. "Have you talked to him since that night?"
"Not really but he's got his own problems to deal with. I don't think he's spoken to Alison either but I think that might be more her choice. Her mom dying hit her pretty hard, but it brought her and her dad together."
"What about your other friend, Jackson?" at Jackson's name my tone audibly shifted.
"Jackson? Jackson hasn't really been himself lately. Actually the funny this is as of right now Lydia is the one who seems the most normal and then there's Lily, it just seems no one really knows what's going on with her right now. One minute she's happy and then the next she's so full of anger she's red in the face." I was tugging on the shaft of my lacrosse stick while I spoke, remembering the night Matt had hit my dad over the head while just lay there and could do nothing. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.
"What about you Stiles? Feeling some…anxiety about the championship game tomorrow night?"
"Why would you ask me that?" I stared down at the net and realized I was chewing on the disgusting material. "Oh, uh, no, I never actually play but who knows with two of my team mates dead and another missing who knows, right?"
"You mean Isaac. One of the three runaways," she replied, looking away wistfully. "You haven't…heard from any of them have you?"
I paused at the question not sure how to react, then I looked round and frowned. Something didn't add up in my mind. "How come you're not taking any notes on this?"
Her expression faltered. "I- I do my notes after the session."
"How about we get back to you? Stiles?"
I sighed. "I'm fine. Yeah, aside from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant, overwhelming crushing fear that something terrible is about to happen."
"It's called hypervigilance," she explained, using hand gestures "The persistent feeling of being under threat."
"But it's not just a feeling, though. It's… it's like it's a panic attack. You know, like I can't even breathe… like…" my voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.
Mrs. Morrell finished my thoughts. "Like you're drowning?"
"Yeah." I said, nodding.
She sat up straight in her chair for the first time and leaned in closer. I hated how her expression was unreadable. "So, if you're drowning and you're trying to keep your mouth closed until that… Very. Last. Moment. What if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?"
I frowned, playing with my lacrosse shaft again. "Well, you do anyway, it's a reflex."
"But." She said more forcefully. "if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time, right?"
"Not much time." I responded honestly.
"But more time to fight your way to the surface?"
I replied only to try to cut her short. "I guess." This, of course, failed.
"More time to be rescued?"
"More time to be in agonizing pain. Did you forget about the part where you feel like your head's exploding?"
"If it's about survival," she replied, sounding like a great military leader "isn't a little agony worth it?"
I slumped in my chair, my argument laying in taters around me. I closed my eyes and pushed down on them with my fingers as if wishing them to explode so I wouldn't have to see anything impossible ever again. "And what if it just gets worse? What if it's agony now and then… and it's just hell later on?"
The Councilor seemed to contemplate this more some time. "Then think about something Winston Churchill once said. 'If you're going through hell, keep going.'"

Stiles's P.O.V:

A few hours later…

It was the day of the big championship lacrosse game, the one that had been set back so many times and I was sat on a bench near Stiles. The whole team had gathered around our Coach to indulge him of the pleasure he was allowed every year to recite the speech from his favorite movie, Independence Day.
"In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind," he began, complete with his fake microphone. "'Mankind.' That word should have new meaning for all of us today."
"What the hell is he doing?" I turned at the voice and for some reason saw Mrs. McCall stood in the middle of a boys' locker room.
"He does this every year. It's his speech from Independence Day. It's Coach's favorite movie."
"…the day the world declared in one voice: 'We will not go quietly into the night!' Today, we celebrate our independence day!" the crowd cheered wildly, hollering and whooping as the Coach bowed before Gerard emerged from somewhere behind him.
"Well spoken, Coach," he said, furtively moving him out the way so all the attention was on himself. "I might have chosen something with a little more historical value but there's no denying your passion and while I haven't been here long there's no doubting my pride in having a winning time in this school. I know you'll all be brilliant tonight even with only one co-captain leading you. Now, I am your principle but I'm also a fan so don't think I'll be content to watch you merely beat this team. Get out there and murder them." To everyone else it was a play on words and inspired school spirit but for me, Scott and Mrs. McCall, we were all not that stupid enough not to recognize the threat especially as he looked at each of us while he said it.
"You heard the man!" Coach Finstock yelled, "Asses on the field!"
I saw Scott running up to Coach, clearly furious as I was herded onto the lacrosse field.

Scott's P.O.V:

Stiles had just rushed off to go play Lacrosse with the team – clearly nervous – whilst his dad loudly declared to his block of the bleachers that his son was on the field when Gerard's voice sounded in my ear.
"Scott? Can you hear me?" the person questioned and then, after reading my expression, said. "You can, good. Then listen closely because the game is about to get interesting."

Erica's P.O.V:

Dune buggies rumbled over the midnight terrain of the forest. The hunters paused for a while whilst we squatted behind a tree.
"Play it again," Chris instructed Alison. Howls sounded through the woods. I felt so stupid for falling into such an amateur trap. I looped my fingers through Boyd's as they rattled away into the night. I knew it wouldn't be long. They're spies would be everywhere and meeting them in a confrontation tonight would be inevitable.
"You only live once, right?" Boyd said, trying to soothe me but the words brought no comfort.

Tonight I was sure I was going to die.

Scott's P.O.V:

"Let's put a real clock on this game, Scott," Gerard said, toying with his small medicinal container. "I'll give you to the last thirty seconds of the game and if, by then, you haven't delivered me Derek then Jackson if gunna kill someone."
I was suddenly snapped out of my mutinous thoughts by the harsh edge in his voice when he spat the words. "So tell me, Scott, who's gunna die tonight? Should it be your mother, who so bravely came out to support you or maybe the Sherriff, your best friend's father? Should it be that intelligent, powerful yet naïve young witch, who, even now, only cares about what's going to happen to you, her friends and Isaac Lahey or how about the pretty little redhead who managed to survive the bite of an Alpha? Or maybe one of these innocent teenagers with their whole life ahead of them? Or should I do everyone a favor and kill that ridiculous coach? It's up to you Scott but you are going to help me. Take. Derek. Down. Because if you don't, I'll have Jackson rip somebody's head off right in the middle of the field and drench everyone you love and care about in blood."
The whistle blew, announcing the beginning of the match and my ear drums practically exploded.

Lily's P.O.V

Never in a million years did I except to find myself at a Lacrosse game sitting next to Lydia Martin. For one, my brother sucked and was always on the bench, for two, I hated Lydia. Although, right now, I was seeing a side of her I thought would never be possible. Lydia was actually being nice to me, actually acting like a proper human being. Beside me was Olivia and beside her was Aunt Jen.
"I'm sure he's just warming up," Lydia commented as Stiles was tackled to the ground yet again. Meanwhile, Andrew scored a goal. I mean scored an actual goal!
The six of us jumped from our seats, cheering like mad people and jumping up and down like giant, demented bunnies. Andrew winked at me and I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.
Then I saw Gerard. He smiled a sadistic grin at me.
"Hello, Lily," he said, I could only hear him because of my new, enhanced senses. "Are you ready for the real game to start?"

Scott's P.O.V:

I shot up as another member was brutally smacked into the ground. Someone grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back into my seat. "Sit down, McCall!" Coach Finstock snarled.
"But Coach!" I spluttered. "We're dying out there!"
"Oh, I'm aware of that," Coach replied, staring out solemnly across the pitch. "Now sit."
Somebody appeared beside me just as I hung my head and Coach disappeared. I didn't even need to look up, I'd already sensed who it was. "You came to help?"
He tilted his head with a boyish smile. "I came to win."

Lily's P.O.V:

When I was sitting back down on the cool metal of the bleachers after another round of hectic cheering, Isaac's voice sounded in my head.
Lily,the voice in my head whispered. I erected immediately searching for the source. Don't! …don't make it look obvious. We're on the stand-in bench. Come met us but be careful, Gerard is watching. I glanced at Gerard who was glaring at Scott and Isaac with what I assumed was contempt. I rolled my eyes and got up carefully making my way towards them.
"Yeah?" I said as I reached them, tugging on my scarf to make me warmer.
"We need you to distract the coach whilst Isaac takes the players' out the game." Scott, explained gesturing to the bench full of substitutes.
"Why?" I frowned suspiciously. "This is something more than a Lacrosse game, isn't it? That's what Gerard said-"
"Wait, Gerard spoke to you?" Isaac said, worrying threatening to mask that beautiful face.
"Not exactly," I said honestly. "He just told me that the real game is about to start…." I suddenly had a grim idea of what he meant by that. "And I think I know what 'the real game' is."
Scott and Isaac exchanged a look as if they knew, too, and we all said together. "Chess."

Erica's P.O.V:

"Come on!" I screamed at my slower Pack mate, Boyd, "Run!" The Hunters had found us and they were hot on our tails, the dune buggies announcing themselves as they tore through the barren landscape.

The buggies engines rattled to a stop as we approached a clearing. For a while, I thought we were going to make it. Then I heard as an arrow soared through the air and connected with my leg.

The arrow clung to my thigh and my knees buckled, as scalding pain burst through my body. Boyd ran back for me but I screeched at his stupidity "No! Go…Go!" he looked at me one last time and I nodded solemnly before he took off.

Alison strutted from the forest, raising her bow. I looked at the arrow as it came directly at my head.

Isaac's P.O.V:

"You got a plan yet?" Lily asked. Looking at both of us but mainly Scott. Scott was always the one who had the plan.
"Nope," he admitted, glancing around the bleachers nervously. "Right now…It's pretty much just keep Jackson from killing people."
"Well, that might be easier if you're actually in the game," I replied, pulling on my gloves and generally straightening my uniform.
"We'll have to make it so Coach had no choice but to play you," Lily chimed, trying not to keep looking back at her aunt. Even from here I could feel the weight of her glare pressing down on the three of us. She was suspicious, but controlled.
"Well, how are we gunna do that? Coach has a bunch of guys he could play before me," Realization hit him as he looked back at me. I gave a knowing look. "Can you do it without putting anyone in the hospital?"
"I can try," I said pulling on my Lacrosse helmet. "But I'll need someone to distract coach…"
Before the words even left my mouth, I could see who Scott was thinking about. "No. I am not putting her in danger-"
"Isaac," Lily said, cutting me off. She looked immensely frustrated at being mollycoddled but I didn't care, I'd rather have her sat sulking on the bleachers than in a coffin. "I know about this world now. I'm a part of it, too. That makes me responsible. So, if anyone here dies tonight I'll have the blood on my hands as much as you will and I won't be able to live with myself if…." She bit her lip and trailed off, glancing up to the bleachers where five people I recognized were cheering and laughing, oblivious to the danger. Lily then looked out across the Lacrosse game and her eyes darted to her cousin and Stiles.
"Can you distract him or not?" Scott said a little more forcefully than his usual tone.
"Yes," Lily replied with furious conviction. "Just… give me a minute."

Lily's P.O.V

I approached the Coach, once he'd just finished a conversation with a fan. "Hey, Mr. Finstock. I was wondering if I could ask you a question-"
"Can it wait, Lily? This is a big game."
Just as he turned round, Isaac smashed into a player. "Lahey!" he warned as the boy limped off the field. "Ramirez. You're in."
What are you doing? Isaac's astral voice fumed I thought you were supposed to be distracting him.
I'm trying! I responded, a little ticked off at his tone. Give me some credit, 'k?
"Now." I said, a little too quickly. "I mean, now, would be better."
He sighed, closing his eyes in exasperation and I thought the urge not to smack him for the gesture but it did give me time to think fast. "Okay," he finally said. "What do you want to know?"
"Umm…" I said, heart pounding and forcing myself to speak. "Why is inflation an economic problem?"
"Well," he began, thoughtfully. "Initiation if fairly common throughout most of the world, it's a problem because…"
His voice trailed off as I looked over his shoulder, worried for Isaac. I tried to convince myself I was being an idiot. Isaac could take care of himself but it did nothing to quell my nerves. I nodded politely and waited patiently as he called Murphy in.
Once the team was down to the bare minimum players, I thanked him and left as Isaac took down another boy.
"Lahey! What the hell is you're problem?" I heard the Coach scream as I walked up the steps towards the bleachers….

….. then I fell as searing pain coursed through my leg. I turned instinctively to Isaac to see he was paralyzed on the field, as Olivia came rushing over.

Erica's P.O.V

I ripped the arrow from my leg and tried to show as much bravado as possible even though it would do no good. The first arrow had missed. The second one would be accurate. As Alison shot at me, I knew my fate and shut my eyes against the inevitable….

…..but the arrow never came. I glanced fretfully up to see Boyd standing over me, growling. Alison didn't even hesitate as Boyd began to walk towards her. she began firing arrows in rapid succession, taking out her pent up grief out of others. Alison wasn't really aiming anywhere particular, just firing.
"Stop!" I begged, tears filling my eyes. "Please Alison stop!"

Just as she was about to put one in his head, her dad fired his gun. The bullet skimmed the edge of her bow, knocking it out of her grasp. Chris Argent then aimed the gun at Boyd. Despite trying to stand he collapsed against the soil, unconscious.

Immensely tired and defeated, I joined him on the dirt.

Stiles's P.O.V

I was just about to score when the player came right at me. I bounced off the troll and landed with a suffocated 'thwack' against the ground.

Scott's P.O.V:

I continued playing, despite all my instincts telling me to go to Isaac. I convinced myself as long as I could see Gerard, he was fine and I could see Ger-

Somebody the size of a steam train knocked into me and I fell to the ground.

Blearily I got to my feet… but I couldn't see Gerard. "Don't you know what the real bargain is Scott? It's Alison. It's always been Alison. You give me Derek and I'll let you have Alison."

I got to my feet rapidly and ran in the direction where they'd taken Isaac.

Lily's P.O.V

Olivia helped me limp into the school and I collapsed against a stretch of wall near the boys' changing room. I was panting but whatever it was in my blood stream was quickly fading. When I could finally stand without assistance I told Olivia I needed so alone time but she wouldn't budge.
"Please, Olivia, I need to be alone right now…"
"Well, guess what? I'm staying." She said placing her hands on her hips. This was weird behavior even for Olivia. I turned away from her slightly and she sighed. "You act as if we're not even friends anymore…" she whispered into the silence.
When I answered, I kept my back firmly to her "It's not that you're not my best friend anymore it's just… I don't-"
"You don't trust me anymore." She said it with so much scorn I thought her words had been a knife in my back.
"I'm sorry-" I began but was cut off by her. something that would cause me to live to regret our friendship.
"Oh don't apologize," she said in a cool, excited manner. "You're right. You can't trust me."

That's when I felt something stab into my neck. I fell onto the floor. I couldn't move. I couldn't even speak. But I could see, I could see that Gerard was waltzing towards Olivia and wrapping her in an embrace. Three men flanked him and one of them, bent down to pick me up.
"She's paralyzed," Olivia said, smiling that evil, sadistic smile. "She'll be no trouble."
"Very good, Olivia," he said with immense pride. "How would you like to come and help me take care of Mr. Lahey."

Run, Isaac. I telepathically said to him, praying he'd hear. They're coming for you.