MEMORIES 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE
Takes place after "Seductions" but before "Close Encounters". All characters and familar scenes belong to Fox Family.

INTRODUCTION
Scott thinks back to what led him to Horizon.

Sixteen-year old Scott Barringer sat in the chair as he listened to sixteen-year old Katherine "Kat" Cabot talk about her younger sister Shannon's death and her battle with depression. Scott blew out a breath. He wished he could talk to the others. Tell them what was going on with him. But he couldn't. Not ever. She had told him not to. He had already told Shelby and that was as close as he'd dare to break the rules. His mind flashed back to when he had first met her.
"Scott, I want you to meet Elaine Johnson," Martin Barringer said proudly. Scott looked at the twenty-six-year old with raised eyebrows. This was his father's new girlfriend? She was pretty as heck, but rather young for his father who was in his mid-forties.
"I know what you're thinking, but...I'm the lucky one," Elaine said with a sheepish smile and a small shrug
. Hearing a different voice, Scott realized that sixteen-year old Ezra Friedkin had begun to talk and concentrated on what he was saying.
"Then I graduated onto Speed, and well...from there, it wasn't pretty," Ezra stated. Sixteen-year old Shelby Merrick looked at him.
"Are you okay?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yeah," Scott replied. He allowed a small smile. He had been so afraid to tell anyone what his stepmom had done to him because he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to look at them, but Shelby knew and he could still look at her. She was so beautiful. Beautiful. Elaine was beautiful. Scott's stomach knotted as he remembered the first incident. Scott had just finished his swim and had reached the ladder at the end of the pool. He climbed out. Elaine, who was now his stepmother, watched from over the top of her sunglasses as he passed her. She let her eyes travel over his body. Scott stared at her, suddenly getting a weird vibe. Then, he walked away. Why did he get the feeling that his stepmom had just looked him over? A burst of laughter broke his reverie.
"Hey, you better snap out of it. Peter's starting to look," Shelby whispered.
"Juliette? Your turn," Peter Scarbrow stated. Sixteen-year old Juliette "Jules" Waybourne blew out a breath.
"I...guess...sometimes I just wanted to die. I mean...she was my mother and yet she's telling me that I'm not pretty enough, not skinny enough, I need to watch my calories..." Juliette went on, telling them what her mother had put her through and how it made her feel.
"Sometimes she could just make me feel so helpless!" Juliette burst out. Helpless. Scott knew that feeling. Elaine had made him helpess countless of times, but nothing could compare to how horrible he had felt that first night. Again, his thoughts drifted.
"Scotty? Scotty, are you up?" Surprised, Scott awoke and turned around. His stepmother was at his door.
"What's the matter, Elaine?" he asked.
"Scotty, I'm scared," she replied.
"Of what?" he questioned.
"The storm," she answered. She went on sheepishly, "I---I've never been big fans of storms and it's really close and---I guess it's just making me more nervous than usual."
"It's okay, Elaine. These storms don't usually last very long. Just go back to bed. It'll most likely be over soon," Scott assured. He rolled back over. Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled up.
"What the---"
"Shhh!" Elaine interrupted. "Do you want him to hear us?" she asked, as she pulled his wrists away from each other.

"No," Scott muttered.
"Scott? Are you okay?" Scott looked up to see their group counselor, Sophie Becker staring at him.
"Uh---" Scott was at a loss. He hadn't meant to get caught drifting.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Scott?" Peter Scarbrow offered.
"Well, uh---" Scott started to say. Then, was hit with another flashback.
"I'll tell him," Scott threatened. "I'll tell him that you forced me to have sex with you."
"Now, Scotty. We can't have you spreading stories around," Elaine chided.
"It won't be a story. I'll tell him and---" Elaine cut him off with a kiss. Scott moaned shakily. Finally, she pulled away.
"Now, let's talk about some rules, Scotty," she said. He began to speak, but she put a finger on his lips.
"1. No one can ever find out about this. 2. Except when you have practice and games, you'll come straight home. 3. You'll appear at all of our functions. It wouldn't do to have Martin Barringer's son absent at important parties. And 4. If you make a scene, I'll do it longer." Scott listened in defeat as his stepmother listed the rules she expected him to follow. When she was done, she walked back to the door.
"Elaine---" Scott began to say.
"Ssssh," Elaine interrupted, putting a finger to her lips.
"Scott?" Peter urged.
"Uh---" Scott said.
"Ssssh," Elaine warned, finger to her lips.
"I---I want to, but I can't! It's against the rules! I'm sorry, okay!?" With this final cry, Scott jumped and ran out of the lodge, leaving a speechless Peter, Sophie, and Cliffhanger group behind.

THE END