Summary: What if Abby really never existed? What if she was nothing more then a figment of Luke's imagination? Will his family be able to help him? Or is he lost to them forever?
A/N: In this story Jimmy shot Keith, not Dan and Lily is Dan's daughter.
Teaser: These Dreams
Everything around him was blurry and out of focus as he made his way through what he believed to be Tree Hill High School. Small clouds of different colors flew by him, attached to horribly distorted faces with mouths that were screaming out in panic and fear.
They were falling over themselves as a hooded figure followed closely behind them with features that were cloaked in darkness. The figure was shouting something he couldn't make out before laughing with an ear piercing scream that shattered the windows and the glass doors.
He stood in the middle of it all as if he were afraid to move, afraid of what he knew was going to happen next, however there was nothing he could do but stand still and wait. Feeling the familiar sharp pains in his hands he looked down to see them covered in blood with pieces of the shattered glass sticking out of them. Oddly enough the second that he looked up to once again to study the scene before him all traces of blood and pain were gone and his vision was now perfectly clear.
There in the center of the hall stood a small brown haired girl with pale shin and big brown eyes that were staring straight ahead. It was almost as if she could see right through him.
"Hello" he called out to her as he began to approach.
"Hey, I know that you're scared and so am I but we have to get out of here before whoever did all of this comes back"
"It's too late. He's already killed them and we're next"
Her tone was eerie, haunting and trance like. She didn't bother to look at him as she spoke. The only thing the girl did, was stare ahead, fixated on something he couldn't see.
"Listen to me. We need to get some place where we can hide and wait for the police to find us"
His words had no affect on her. She simply continued her dead eyed gaze. He sighed and squinted as if doing so would better help her to understand the severity of their situation. Unfortunately before he could speak he heard loud foot steps approaching.
"Listen to me. Someone is coming so we have to hide"
The brown haired girl still remained motionless. However she did speak, slowly and with great effort.
"He's here. The murders here, he's found us"
Following her gaze the boy spun around to see his uncle standing behind him holding the same look in his eyes as the girl had.
"Uncle Keith? Oh my God, is it really you?" his voice cracked as he moved to embrace the figure instead he passed right through him just as a gun shot was fired.
The blond turned on his heels fast, swallowing hard; already knowing what he would see but could do nothing to control his actions or his words. Looking down he saw his uncle lying in a pool of blood with a hole in his chest.
"No!" he shouted as he kneeled at the man's side. Tears slide down his cheeks as he tried to revive the man all the while knowing that his efforts were in vain.
He felt waves of emotions that he couldn't described, however one was painfully clear, his heart was broken. He raised his head for a moment, looking up towards the heavens; silently asking why this had to happen to him and why was he being forced to relive this nightmare. As he pondered these questions the girl continued to stare ahead in peculiar detachment but this time she was focused on him. It was as if her only function was to observe, never to react or show any kind of emotion.
In the meantime he slowly removed his jacket and placed it over the face of his uncle in a desolate loneliness that left one feeling as if he or she were all alone in the world. He then stood, tarring his eyes away from the only father he ever knew and in order to look at the mysterious girl, feeling as if she were somehow responsible for his pain.
"You knew this was going to happen. Why didn't you stop him?"
"Why didn't you?" her tone was cold and biting.
"Because I wasn't the one standing there watching the whole damn thing! You were!"
"Oh was I? Are you sure about that?"
She was now smiling in a way that made him uncomfortable.
He took several angry steps in the girl's direction until they were standing toe to toe.
"This was what you wanted all along, isn't it? You wanted him to die, you wanted to watch it happen" he scoffed "Or maybe you're the one who pulled the trigger"
She laughed in great amusement before cupping his cheek with her hand. They boy noticed how hot it was as her hand burned his skin but yet he didn't budge one single inch. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.
"Maybe, but we both know who's really to blame. We both know who's always to blame for everything wrong in your life. Why would this situation be any different?"
He stood before her, paralyzed by despair and anger. He struggled for a moment trying to move the words past his lips. He knew exactly what she wanted him to say but he wanted nothing more then to tell her to go to hell but he was only a mere tool in this world. Here, in her world he was simply her pawn.
"Who is he?"
She smiled suddenly, a cold, bright, dangerous smile.
"He is the corrupter of youth, the thief of innocence, and the destroyer of life. And he's standing right behind you"
He turned to confront this evil being just in time to see the man turn the corner. Instantly he took off, running after him determined to kill the person responsible for all of his pain, or so he was being forced to believe.
He ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding loudly in his ears and just when he was about to catch up to the figure clothed in black, the man disappeared around yet another corner.
He was growing tired of the chase but he couldn't stop. He wasn't in control, he had no say.
"Don't stop Lucas. You're too close to give up" the brown haired girl appeared along side him, pointing in the direction of one of the class room doors.
"He's in there. All the answers you need are right in there. Everything you want is in there"
He immediately flung the door open, with a strong urge to kill the person responsible for his suffering…however the scene was nothing like what he imagined it would be.
He now found himself standing in the middle of a beautiful park with large oak trees, a stream with clean water flowing throughout the length of the park, flowers decorating a clear path to a couple on the picnic blanket playing with a small child. As he got closer he noticed that the father was wearing all black. In that instant he realized that the man before him was the very same person that he was looking for.
He took a breath and decided to keep an even, cautious and severely controlled pace as he neared his target. With each step his anger intensified. Everything in him knew that this was wrong, that this man was not responsible for killing his uncle but he had to go through with this, he had no choice. As if sensing his presence the pair looked up.
That's when he froze.
His mothers eyes stared back at him, her lips were turned upwards into a warm inviting smile. It wasn't forced or disingenuous in any way, it was a genuine smile from a mother to her child.
"Mom? How is this possible? I don't understand"
"You'll understand everything soon son"
The person who replied was not his mother, but his father. His father who had blood on is hands and a gun on his lap.
The boy stepped back in shock.
"You did this?"
The older man shot the woman next to him a confused look before turning back to the blond.
"Did what son?"
"You killed him! You ruined everything!"
"Did I? Are you sure?"
"You have a fucking gun in your lap and your hands are covered in blood" he shouted pointing down.
Following his gaze both Dan and Karen looked down to see hands that were clean and a lap that was empty.
"What happened? How did you make it all disappear?"
"Lucas what's the matter with you? Why would you say such a thing?"
"Mom I swear that it was there just a second ago"
"No it wasn't. It was never there son. It's her, its Abby, she's tricking you again. She's trying to tare us apart, can't you see that?"
He began shaking his head from side to side, trying hard to push away the hate that was slowly filling him and taking him over. Deep down he knew it was her, it was Abby who was controlling him and making him feel this way but there was nothing he could do about it. It was clear that he was her puppet and that it was she who was pulling the strings.
"You're lying!" he screamed as the couple just stared back at him as if he were insane.
Hell, maybe he was.
"Lucas please stop this and come back to us"
"Fight her son. Don't give in. Don't let her get to you"
The blonde's eyes were glazed over as he stared down at his parents.
"I'm sorry. I can't"
With that he lunged at his father, straddling him and hitting him repeatedly.
His mother was pleading with him but he didn't stop. He just kept going, unable to control his emotions, unable to control his own body. The woman then took him by the arm and pulled him roughly to his feet.
He spun around to face her, the scenery around them changing to a wooded area with dead trees that were falling apart a cold snow covered the ground and the air around them was now freezing cold.
"Look what you've done! He's gone again and it's all your fault!" the woman cried.
The anger behind her eyes nearly burned a hole right through him.
"You don't understand Mom. He killed Keith. He torn our family apart"
"Open your eyes Lucas! It wasn't Dan that destroyed this family. It was you" she sighed, her anger turning to disappointment "we almost had it all Luke and you've ruined it. Why?"
She turned away from him as if unable to bare the mere sight of him. This action hurt him more then her razor sharp tongue ever could. He tried to reach out to her but just as with Keith, he passed right through her, his arms empty and cold.
The next thing he knew he was surrounded by darkness and once again facing the brown haired girl.
"Did you find the answers that you were looking for?" her voice was mocking and cruel.
"Please, as if you don't already know the answer to that question? Why do you keep torturing me?"
She laughed as if he had just told a joke.
"Tell me what you saw Lucas"
"I saw a beautiful park with large trees and flowers lining a stream. In the center of it all I saw my Mom and Dan with a baby. Then I noticed that his hands were red and there was a gun in his lap"
"So isn't he known for destroying your life? Why would killing Keith be any different?"
"But that doesn't make any sense and you know it"
"Doesn't it? Doesn't he enjoy hurting you? And what better way to do that then to kill Keith?"
Off her words he turned to her in anger.
"You tell me all these things that aren't true and everyone thins I'm crazy because of it. It's always the same thing night after night! You tell me that my father murdered my uncle and you know that's a lie so do me a favor, just go away and leave me alone"
She responded to him with more laughter before it turned into a blood curdling scream as she lunged at him. Her eyes were blood red, her skin was pale grey and her nails were suddenly long and black. She was shaking him violently as he screamed as loud as he could, trying to fight her off.
Far beyond the shadows a voice called out to him.
"Lucas wake up!"
"You're okay Lucas. You're at home, you're safe. Just open your eyes"
He continued to struggle as the darkness began to fade away.
"Get away from me!" he screamed into the now dim light.
Suddenly his eyes snapped open. He could feel the sweat pouring from his body as he tried to escape from the rather strong person holding him down.
"Lucas please calm down. Please, you're going to hurt yourself again"
The voice came from his father. He turned his head and locked eyes with his mother who stood on the far side of the room. She was scared and it showed. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears as she held her hands clasped together over her round belly.
Focusing solely on her, his struggles began to subside just enough for her to sit beside him.
"That's it son. Just relax. It was only a dream" Dan said while giving Karen a saddened glance.
Their son had been having horrible nightmares every since his uncle was murdered by his best friend Jimmy Edwards. He would wake up screaming and threatening violence against his father, saying that he was the one who shot Keith. One night the couple awoke to find the boy standing over the older Scott with a knife in his hand, vowing to get his revenge. At that point the boy was ordered to see a psychiatrist to help him work through his troubles.
Dr. Smith had worked wonders with the boy. The young Scott was almost back to normal and the dreams had even stopped for a while. But something had brought them back and now their son was suffering yet again.
"Did you see her? That Abby person?" questioned his mother using the name that Lucas had given his tormentor.
Her voice was soft and tender as she spoke, being careful not to set the boy off.
"Yes" he replied weakly "I don't understand why she's back. I don't…I don't know why she won't leave me alone Mom. Please make her go away"
Dan was looking down at him with a mixture of sadness and pain. Although the older male was known for being an ass he had changed over the past several months. So needless to say he didn't enjoy seeing that look on his father's face.
"I wish that I could do that for you honey but I can't. Only you can erase her from your mind, only you can stop her Lucas"
"I know but she seems so real and when I'm in the dream with her she controls everything" his tone was full of self pity and anger.
He didn't understand why this was happening to him again or why this Abby girl, this figment of his imagination kept haunting him.
"But she's not real Lucas. She's just someone you dreamt up in order to protect you from dealing with the truth about Jimmy and Keith"
"Your father's right Lucas"
It killed Karen to see her little boy so lost and helpless. She wished that she could take over and fight this demon for him but she couldn't. All she could do was call Dr. Smith and hope that he can help Lucas overcome his pain.
"None of it is real and once you return to your session with Dr. Smith, everything will be okay, you'll see"
"You both think I'm crazy don't you?"
"Of course not Luke, we love you and we just want you to get better. So just close your eyes and try to go back to sleep honey"
The boy only nodded in response as his mother gave him a kiss on the cheek and vanished from sight.
Both father and son sat together in awkward silence before the younger of the two spoke.
"This isn't your fault you know. You didn't do anything to me for me to make you into the villain in my dreams"
Dan chuckled.
"Now you're just full of shit son"
It was Lucas's turn to laugh.
"Yeah well I thought that I'd give it a try"
There was a slight pause.
"I'm sorry about everything Lucas. I was a jackass to you and your Mom and I know that I deserve to be seen as a monster in your eyes"
"I know that you're sorry Dad so you don't have to keep saying that. But we did make a promise to each other not to talk about the past any more. It just brings back bad memories that I would rather forget"
"That's true but I think it's better to remember the past that way we're not doomed to repeat the same mistakes"
"Why do you plan on knocking up anybody else and leaving again?"
Dan looked away from his son and lowered his head.
"Ok, poor choice of words"
"Yeah that's one way of putting it"
The father then leaned over and retrieved his medication from the night stand. Seconds later he returned with a glass of water in hand.
"Here you go" he said extending both hands out to him.
The boy swallowed the two blue capsules and sat the glass down next to him.
"Well since you're all squared away I'm going to head back to bed. Call me if you need anything"
Karen and Lucas had moved into the beach house with Dan shortly after the nightmares had begun. This was just one month after they found out that they were gong to be parents for the second time, together that is.
The dark haired male was about to leave when a soft, fading voice called out to him.
"Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone tonight"
It was a simple request but Dan never felt so much raw emotion in his entire life. He wanted to gather the boy into his arms and promise him the world, to tell him that he was going to fight this battle against the invisible enemy right along side him but he didn't. Instead he sat in the chair rested net to his son's bed and lovingly stroked his hair long into the night, that was until his own lids became heavy and the dream world claim him too.