Chapter Twenty-Two: Changes

Nathan held Brooke in his arms and looked out the window, it had only been five days since this whole nightmare had begun, the camping trip to Emerald Bay. Something had happened there that had affected their lives. Peyton was dead, Haley was in a coma, Brooke had amnesia and Lucas….

Nathan stopped dead in his thoughts, where was Lucas? He hadn't seem him since yesterday at the high school. Pulling back from Brooke, he got a bad feeling in his gut as he continued to wonder where Lucas was.

"I'm sorry Brooke I have to go, you'll be fine," Nathan stood up from the bed.

"Nathan don't leave me, I need you," Brooke cried out.

"I have to find Lucas," Nathan said as he ran out the door.

"Who's Lucas?" Brooke asked empty air. Her head started thumping painfully, Brooke stumbled over to the curtains and pulled them shut and lay back down on the bed, hoping the darkness would heal what was hurting her head.

Lucas slowly opened his eyes, he was still in the closet and his mind was foggy about what had happened in the last however many hours he'd been in here for.

Slowly pulling himself up, he leaned on the wall and felt for the doorknob and pulled it open. It rotated easily in his hand, he pulled it open and couldn't believe what he was seeing when he walked out of the room.

Haley moaned and turned from side to side in her deep sleep, something locked deep inside of her urged her to grasp the silver hook that would pull her out of the black pit of hell that she was trapped in.

She could hear vague voices around her, talking about her as if she was not there.

There's something inside of her, that won't budge no matter what antibiotics we pump into her system….the longer she stays in this coma, the closer she comes to death.

Haley's hand twitched at that thought, No I will not surrender, I will not lose this battle, I will conquer, I can't die, I have to be with Nathan, I love him. Nathan, she called subconsciously, I need you, please come.

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks, he could've sworn that he heard Haley calling him. He turned around and saw no one there.

He stood on the stairs in front of the high school which was charred and sooty looking, like the structure was struggling to stand up after a huge fire that had tried to consume it.

There was no one around. A loud noise from within the unstable structure shocking Nathan out of his dazed reverie.

He moved closer to the building and saw a person moving inside. A shock of golden hair stuck out in the darkness of the charred school.

"Lucas," Nathan shouted.

Lucas heard his name being yelled, "Nathan where are you?"

"Out here, walk straight out, the school is about to collapse." Nathan hoped he would hurry up.

Lucas looked up and saw the thin beams wavering in the slight breeze. He walked as quickly and stepped lightly as he moved towards the outside.

Just as he got out of harm's way, the school collapsed, Nathan grabbed him and they rolled on the ground of the mess.

Lucas stood up and helped Nathan up. "What happened, I was locked in the janitor's closet for I don't know how long?"

"It's only been twenty-four hours, but a lot has happened since you've been gone man." Nathan patted him on the shoulder.

"Haley's in a coma, Brooke has amnesia and Peyton was murdered." Nathan waited for Lucas's reaction.

Luke's mind froze on hearing Peyton was dead, how could she die………why? Then it shifted to Haley, "how did she get in the coma?" he asked Nathan.

"Someone kidnapped her and Brooke and hid them in the basement and someone brought her to the hospital and as for Brooke, I don't know." Nathan said slowly.

"I brought Haley to the hospital, the janitor was the one who kidnapped her and Brooke and he hit me over the head and locked me in the closet, but how did the school burn down and how did I survive?" Lucas questioned dead air around him.

"I don't know man, but a lot of weird shit has happened since that camping trip to Emerald Bay." Shaking his head, he took Lucas's arm, "Come on we have to go back to the hospital and introduce you to Brooke."

Luke stopped in his tracks and took one look at the remains of Tree Hill High. His life as he knew it had changed forever.

More soon, plz Read & Review!! ;)