A/N I own no rights to One Tree Hill or the song used in this chapter.
Before you go any further this story will have a much darker theme, more along the lines of season nine than season one. I have wanted to write a story like this for a very long time but couldn't think of a good enough storyline, it is rated teen right now but that may not be the case in a couple chapters so it might change to mature just because of the themes to this story.
This story is more of a next generation story, but the parents will also be very much included.
There will be talk of different types of crimes and etc before you go forward.
I wrote another story years and years ago, right after tree hill ended under another account that I have forgotten the password to. So, some of these characters are the names of characters that was used then. At the end of the chapter I will have a list of the couples and the children that they had so not to have any confusion.
My former fanfiction name was Heavenlytreehilllife if you happen to recognize some names.
I tried to sit down and look up all the ages of the characters, but with all the Time jumps everywhere I looked it was never specific and even when I added it up myself sometimes it just didn't seem to add up with others so I will never set a specific age for anyone just an age group.
On to the story!
Additional disclaimer: all rights go to their Rightful owners.
Florence and the machine: Seven Devils
Holy water cannot help you down
Hours and armies couldn't keep me out
I don't want your money
I don't want your crowd
See I have to burn
Your kingdom down
Holy water cannot help you now
See I've had to burn your kingdom down
And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out
I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out
Life would never the same again, for any of them. That much was clear. It happens to be the only thing that was clear. It couldn't be erased or undone. The seven of them would have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives, that is if they didn't end up in jail—prison.
But, right now—in this current moment that didn't seem to matter. The only thing that seemed to matter was there was no going back, no changing it.
Just a little over three hours ago Lydia Bob Scott was a normal teenaged girl celebrating her school's victory in the basketball championship with many of her peers before she made the fatal mistake of following a stranger into the woods. She could easily remember all the times her parents told her not to talk to strangers, although at the time he didn't feel like a stranger.
Now, Lydia was deep in the woods sitting next to her best friend on a tree stump her cheer uniform covered in blood and dirt—that did not belong to her. She tugged on the edges of her older brothers large jacket that was draped around her shoulders as the cool night air cut through her like glass.
"Here," Lydia heard.
It was the first time she managed to pull her eyes away from her the spot in the ground she had been starring at as she continually replayed the night over and over in her head.
When Lydia looked up she saw her cousin, Sawyer Scott, had returned. She couldn't even remember where she had gone but she had a large duffel bag in her hand, that looked as though it was as old as she was.
The blonde curly haired blonde knelt down in front of her cousin as she unzipped the bag "I brought some clothes, you two need to change" Sawyer told Lydia.
Lydia looked to her left to find her best friend in the exact same physical state she was in, Catalano, the teenaged daughter of Chase and Mia Adams. She hadn't even wanted to go to the party in the first place, but she did after Lydia begged her to knowing her mom would let her go if Catalano went.
Now, they both wished they had just stayed home watching the Bachelor.
Sawyer handed them each a long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweats "you can go change behind one of the trees" she said as she stood to her feet.
Neither of the girls spoke but both stood and walked away.
As Lydia removed her cheer uniform she found that her body was covered in the blood, she closed her eyes and took a deep breathe doing her best not to get sick at the sight. She had never had a weak stomach, until this particular gruesome night.
After dressing in the clothes her cousin had given her, noticing how incredibly large they were on her and barely able to hang on her body she walked out to find her cousin had started a small fire.
Sawyer stood up and walked over grabbing Lydia's cheer uniform out of her hand and tossed it in the fire.
"What the hell"? Lydia asked as she watched her clothes slowly turn to ash.
"We can't have anything to trace us back to here, this night. Especially, something with another man's blood all over it".
"I thought Jamie said no one would ask questions," Lydia said.
"Hopefully," Sawyer said nodding. "But, someone would definitely ask questions if they were to see that outfit".
Lydia crossed her arms "can't I just wash it"? She asked.
"You could but that wouldn't ever come out and even if it did exactly how would you explain that to Aunt Haley and Uncle Nate"?
Lydia hated it but Sawyer had a point.
Catalano slowly appeared from out behind the trees and tossed her uniform into the fire without so much as a hesitation. She never even looked up before sitting back down in the spot she was just moments ago.
"I need your jewelry" Sawyer said holding her hand out.
"Why"?
"Lydia" Sawyer said, threateningly.
The teenager removed her necklaces, bracelets, rings, and even the small anklet her dad bought her.
Fortunately, Catalano only had a bracelet on, the friendship bracelet that she shared with Lydia.
"It would have to be a lot hotter than that small fire pit to melt gold," Lydia told Sawyer.
"I'm aware".
Sawyer rolled her eyes as she stuffed the jewelry into her pocket as her cousin sat back down next to her friend. Or who she assumed was her friend, she wasn't entirely sure at the moment.
It could have been seconds, or minutes, or hours, or days and Lydia wouldn't have known the difference as they continued to wait. She was certain this was how the people on the boats waiting after the Titanic sunk felt.
Lydia was dramatic, even under good circumstances let alone that she had only just become a criminal in high school.
"What is taking them so long"? Lydia asked, her voice shaky, although she wasn't sure if it was from the nerves or the cold. "They have been gone for two hours".
"It's not like they are out getting ice cream, Lyd. Would you relax"? Sawyer asked.
"How could anyone relax right now"? Catalano asked startling the two Scott's at the sound of her voice. "I'm not relaxed! Neither of you should be relaxed either. There were two murders less than twenty feet from where I'm sitting right now, we saw two people die. How could anyone relax? No one is relaxed".
It suddenly occurred to Sawyer that Catalano wasn't only the youngest of the group she found herself in the woods with, but she was the daughter of the sheriff in Tree Hill.
The blonde slowly walked over and sat on the opposite side of Catalano that Lydia was sitting on and wrapped her hand around the young girls. "I just meant that—it's going to take the boys some time".
"How would you know how long it takes"?
"She watches too many Criminal Minds episodes," Lydia said before her cousin could actually answer. "And law and order".
Sawyer had a witty comeback for her cousin, but instead sh,e bit her tongue as to not upset the jet black haired girl who sat next to her. She was already fragile enough as it was.
The three girls sat alone, the only noise was the sound of the wind whistling through the air and the muffled music from the party in the far distance. No one spoke, for what felt like an eternity but instead the,e three held hands as they continued to wait.
"Who's there"? Sawyer asked shinning her flashlight toward the area after hearing the sound of the rustling dead leaves.
"It's just us," James Lucas Scott said, his voice barely above a whisper as he stepped out from behind the trees.
He was followed by his teenaged cousin Keith Scott, adolescent Jude Baker, and the only cousin even if it was by marriage that was the closest to his age, Logan Evans.
Lydia looked up at the sound of her older brothers voice, the blood dripping from his white shirt and covered head to toe in dirt and sweat. All four of the men were. It wasn't a look they wore too often, or at all. The sweat was common, but they were barely recognizable.
"How—" Sawyer began to ask a question but it occurred to her, she didn't quite know how to ask this particular one. Or if she even wanted to know. Instead, she sat staring at them, her mouth hanging open.
Jamie said "we took them over two miles across the Tree Hill line, so it will be out of our jurisdiction. If they are ever found it shouldn't never land on my desk".
As he was growing up everyone always thought Jamie would follow in his footsteps and play basketball, Jamie included. But, no one ever considered that instead of gracing the arena's of the NBA he would one day graduate from the police academy. No one certainly ever thought that just a few years later he would would be walking around with a gold badge on his hip.
"I'm exhausted" Keith said as sat on a small tree log.
"Are you sure you're up for this"? Logan asked him.
"After what we just did—I don't think stealing a car is to much of a leap" Keith replied sarcastically.
"He meant physically" Sawyer said as she stood up. "All four of you look worn down".
"You try carrying two—".
"Don't" Lydia said as she looked at Catalano to make sure she wasn't going to get sick at her cousins statement. "Don't say it".
"We can do it" Catalano said as she looked up for the first time. "Lydia and I, we can go get the car".
"No" Jude said shaking his head. "We can't let you—".
"Let us what"? Catalano asked tilting her head to the side. "We are all already facing multiple prison time charges, you four need to sit down and get rid of those shovels and change. Lydia and I can go get the car. Half the party has probably fanned out anyways and the rest is more than likely passed out drunk. We are smaller and quieter than you anyways".
"She has a point" S,awyer said with a small shrug. "You two go, I'll meet you at the Tree Hill line".
Logan tossed Lydia the set of keys as the two stood up.
"You four" Sawyer said as she began to dig into her large duffel bag "need to change".
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
Before the day is done
It wasn't often that Jamie found himself behind the wheel of the comet, his aunt's beloved car that she passed down to her daughter. Although, after the years he spent as a rookie cop he had become a pro at parking where he wouldn't be seen, so to catch the speeding residents of Tree Hill.
That talent came in handy when he parked the comet behind the welcome to Tree Hill sign before turning the key shutting the Engine down and turning the headlights off.
"Thank you," Sawyer said quietly, breaking the silence in the car. "For what you did for Keith. I really appreciate it, it wasn't an easy thing to do. But, he is just a kid... he isn't even eighteen so thank you".
Jamie looked over at his cousin "they are all just kids. But, I didn't just do it for him—I did it for Lydia and Catalano, too".
"I know but still thank you," Sawyer said. The eldest child of Lucas and Peyton let out a long sigh. "I believe this is the closest I have ever felt to Dan," she told Jamie.
Sawyer had met Dan Scott once, but she was a week old so the memory had faded, but she still blamed him for the nightmares afterward.
"Not a fun feeling is it"? Jamie asked, to which she shook her head. "I remember when I found out—I swore to myself I would never be like him. It's why I decided to go into the police force after high school, to put men like him away".
Sawyer took her cousin's hand as his eyes fixated on the road in front of them.
"I need your wedding band, Jamie," Sawyer told him.
"What? No. We burnt my clothes I can wash—".
"Jamie we can't risk anything. You can tell Madison that it just fell off at work or something, she won't be mad".
Jamie looked down at his left hand as he twirled the ring that laid on his finger, where it had been for five years before removing it and handing it to Sawyer.
The young blonde opened the passenger door and stepped out of the car. She carefully walked over to the edge of the river and tossed his wedding band into the water followed by a small Plop. Then reached into her pocket and threw the jewelry she had obtained from her cousin and Catalano before tossing each piece individually to make sure it landed in the rushing water. She then slowly returned back to the car where she found Jamie waiting.
"A storm is coming in tonight," Jamie told her. "The weather said it's going to rain for the next three days, any evidence left in the woods should be gone by the end of the week".
"You mean blood"?
Jamie nodded "yeah, blood," he told her. "My ring should be out of the state before tomorrow that river connects to the ocean about forty-five miles south".
And now all your love will be exorcised
And we will find you saying it's to be better now
And it's an even sum
It's a melody
It's a battle cry
It's a symphony
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
And I'll be dead before the day is done
Catalano Adam was certain her wobbly legs would give out from under her any moment. She wasn't sure how long they had been walking but she didn't remember the walk being this far when she made the travel in search of her friend hours earlier.
"The music is getting louder, we are about there," Lydia said as she pointed up the hill. "It's just up there, I see Greyson's cabin".
"I feel like we have been walking forever," Catalano told her.
"Well, I might have gotten us lost for thirty minutes or so I just didn't say anything".
"Of course you didn't" Catalano sighed shaking her head. "You don't even care if what you're doing actually concerns anyone else—except you. It's Lydia's world and we all just live in it. All hail the queen".
Lydia stopped and turned to face her friend who she found leaning against a tree "What is your problem"?
"Are you kidding me right now"? Catalano asked, her voice full of rage. "What world do you live in exactly? Because, where I come from this isn't exactly a typical Friday night. It's almost two in the morning and I just spent the last half an hour trapping through the woods with you away from" Catalano lowered her voice as she narrowed her eyes at Lydia "a tampered double homicide scene".
"I know that," Lydia said. "Don't you think I know the seriousness of this? Netflix is as close to an orange jumpsuit as I want to find myself".
"How can you make jokes about this"?
"That is not a joke" Lydia promised. "Have you ever seen a redhead in orange. I promise you, it's not a pretty sight".
"Lydia"!
"Catalano"!
The two friends stood face to face both red in the face, though it was dark so neither could see that.
"I am scared, terrified," Lydia said as she sat down. "Jamie is about to have a baby girl. He is going to be a daddy, and if anyone ever finds out he will miss his daughter growing up. Do you really think I would joke about that? We would all go to prison. All seven of us, we might get a lighter charge because we aren't of age yet but what about Sawyer and Logan and Jamie? I swear to God I am terrified".
At some point during her speech tears began to flow down her pale cheeks, and she began sobbing uncontrollably.
Catalano bit on her bottom lip as she sat next to her friend, maybe she had forgotten to consider that everyone deals with things in their own way. She was so angry at Lydia for even dragging her to the party in the first place that she forgot to consider she had not just gone through one trauma tonight like everyone else but two.
"It's going to be okay," Catalano said wrapping her arms around Lydia.
"You don't mean that for a second do you"?
"Nope," Catalano said shaking her head. "But, that's what my mom tells me every time something bad happens on the Grey's Anatomy".
"That's a horrible comparison right now," Lydia said leaning away, to find her best friend smiling. It was a weak smile but a smile. "Everyone dies on that show".
The two laughed, for just a brief minute because for sixty seconds they felt like two innocent teenagers again. But, their smiles quickly faded when reality settled in.
"Alright," Lydia said standing up. "Let's go steal a car".
"I swear if I get valedictorian after this I'm going to law school," Catalano said.
The two slowly and silently made their way up to the hill until the approached the cabin. As they stood behind a tree they observed their surroundings to find that they had been right through the music had been left on the party was definitely over. The bonfire was quickly fuming out while everyone who had stayed was behind the closed door to the cabin.
Lydia looked up and found that there were very few cars left parked in the driveway before the two crept on the side of the house making their way over.
"Do you remember which car was their's"? Catalano asked, her voice barely loud enough to hear.
"No," Lydia said shaking her head. "But, I can about bet it's the douchemobile in the front".
Catalano didn't have time to react before Lydia took off.
"Wait" Catalano called quietly. "Why don't you try and match the key first. It could go off! You don't know if that's the right car".
Lydia slid the key into the door lock and turned it before opening the door.
"Get in".
The two girls got into the vehicle and Catalano fought the urge—and won, to ask how Lydia knew that this was their car as she put the key in the ignition and started the car. As she put the car in drive and began to drive away Catalano watched out the back window of the cabin and was pleased when they pulled off on to the highway.
"No one looked to see who was leaving," she told Lydia.
Even though the girls were in the clear, for the moment, Catalano could hear her heart pounding as her friend drove. It seemed with each mile marker that they passed her heart raced faster and faster. The young high schooler nearly jumped out of her skin as they approached the sign indicating that they were about to leave Tree Hill when a set of headlights flashed on.
"It's just Jamie," Lydia told her.
When Catalano looked she found that Lydia was correct as Jamie was now driving behind them.
"Just breathe," Lydia told her taking Catalano's shaky hand. "This is night is almost over".
Three towns later Catalano found herself pushing the car into a large river with three Scott's and was really questioning her friend making abilities.
The car slowly descended into the water as the four stood back and watched it.
"Alright," Jamie said. "Let's get out of here. This river is closed until Labor Day six months from now, we should be fine".
The four then loaded into the comet before heading back to Tree Hill as fast as Jamie could drive, without getting pulled over because that was the last thing any of them wanted currently. Luckily, he was successful.
Before the day is done
Before the day is done
Before the day is done
They can keep me high
'Til I tear the walls
'Til I save your heart
And I take your soul
And what have we done?
Can I be undone?
In the evil heart
In the evil soul
Logan Evans sat on the log watching the last piece of clothing that had blood on it slowly burn away. He ran his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair as he relaxed back, he looked across from him to find Keith sitting up against a tree looking up into the night sky as Jude sat on a tree stump staring at his hands—that he had been unable to get the blood off of.
"Once you shower—it should come off," Logan said the words, though he couldn't be certain because Jude never spoke nor did he look up. "But, after you boys get out of the shower to make sure to clean up with bleach".
Logan closed his eyes and sighed because even the word he said just sounded ridiculous to him. It was ridiculous because there was no way this was a casual conversation, but that's how it came out. As if they were talking about the championship or some girl, but instead he was giving the two teenagers tips on how to clean evidence of a crime off of them.
"Hey" they heard and looked up to find Jamie and Sawyer. "We got it taken care of, how did it go here".
"I have got rid of everything. All the clothes and their wallets. The shovels have been disposed of. It's all done " Logan said standing up.
"Where are Cat and Lydia"? Jude asked the first time he had spoken since the girls left.
"In the car, we really need to get going. It won't be long before the sun is up and you all really need to get home before your parents wake up".
Jamie felt a sense of shame wash over him, guilt. Without even asking he just told two teenagers that they would harbor a secret from their parents, he wasn't even sure how he would go through life without telling his dad about this.
But, he knew that he couldn't. None of them could.
Logan swung his foot kicking dirt and leaves over the fire effectively putting the fire out.
After double and triple checking the area to make sure nothing was left behind the group left. They found their way quickly through the woods and out where the cars were parked behind an abandoned building where Lydia and Catalano stood.
"I thought I told you to wait in the car" Jamie scolded his little sister.
Lydia rolled her eyes. "So, are we okay"?
"Yes".
"No one saw right"? Sawyer asked looking around, though it would be too late if they had.
"I am a firm believer that we are the only morons out running around in the woods in twenty-degree weather," Logan said.
He had a point, though he was wrong.
"We can never speak of this" Lydia said. "No one can find out".
"Really"? Keith asked. "Thought I would put it in the town paper next week just for kicks".
"Keith" Sawyer said threatening her younger brother. "This isn't a game. We could all go to prison, for the rest of our life. We know what happened was an accident but murder is still murder. No judge would ever see it as an accident, especially with the last name we happen to be blessed with".
"Dan still seems to be haunting us from the grave," Lydia said folding her arms.
"I don't think he is going to be the only one haunting us," Catalano said.
"Alright," Jamie said harshly, realizing that he was dealing with teenagers. "This—What happened here does not leave the seven of us. We don't speak about it to no one, not even each other after tonight. Are we clear"?
"Crystal," Lydia said.
"Holy water can't help us now" Jude said as they all began to Walk away.
It was the night that changed all their lives, forever. It was the night they would try and try to forget but would be haunted by.
Although, the nightmare was only beginning—but they didn't know that yet.
For it was the night that nine souls entered the woods and only seven souls left, but they didn't know about the one hiding in the shadows watching from afar as the seven devils drove away into the night.
Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
I'll be dead before the day is done
Before the day is done
A/N As promised
Haley and Nathan*
Jamie
Lydia
Danny
Lucas and Peyton*
Sawyer
Keith
LJ (Lucas Jr, but don't call him that he hates it!)
Brooke and Julian (might or might not be together still up in the air for their story line)*
Breyton (adopted)
Davis & Jude
Teddy
Chase and Mia*
Catalano
Clay and Quinn*
Logan
Jean (you may call her JJ)
Jake*
Jenny
A/n continued: as I said above I am not going to state their ages just to avoid confusion and I don't want to mix it up or get it wrong.
This will be a darker themed that I have wanted to write for so long but just never felt inspired for the right storyline. That was until the other day, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you did leave a review below.
I will try to update as often as I can, I do have children so it might not be as often as I want it to but I will do my best.
This will probably be the only chapter that I put the entire song in, I just found it fitting for the prologue because of the title of the song and the title of the story. I am still debating about that though, but each chapter will be based off of a song & Will always have one of the lines from the song in the chapter.
I also chose not to actually reveal what happened or who did what for a reason, it will be revealed in full but much, much later.
Disclaimer, I do not own Netflix, Grey's Anatomy, or any other song or movie or any other reference I may have in this chapter or future chapters. The only thing that is mine is the storyline and some characters.
Anyways, enough of my rambling thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed and if you leave a review please be nice. LOL.
Have a wonderful weekend :)