Chapter Twenty Four

The Season Finale

Marissa watched as Ryan began to pull the car up into the carport. She smiled, watching him hurry out the car and running around the door in order to open the door for her. "Hey," he said, grabbing her legs and the upper section of her back, so that he cradled her in his arms.

"I can walk by myself," she laughed.

"I want to carry you," he said, not funny-like, or trying to break a smile, but as serious as humanly possible. She stared into his deep blue eyes, thinking, "God, I love this man." And she quickly kissed him on the lips, just a quick peck, and then watched as he smiled down at her.

"I love you," she said in a hushed whisper, although there was no one around.

"Hey guys!" came a familiar voice from behind them.

"Who's there?" asked Marissa.

Ryan quickly turned them both around. After doing so, he spotted the figure under a nearby streetlamp. He squinted his eyes in order to focus on the distant figure. "Who's there?" he asked.

The figure began to approach them, walking closer, a mere silhouette in the darkness. That was when Ryan realized who the person was, someone he was sure that he would never see again. Marissa gasped, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

The last time they had seen him was before the trial of Marissa Cooper, over five years ago.

Meanwhile at the Mermaid Inn

Luke hurried down the steps towards the car, which had just drove into the motel parking lot. Anna was still asleep upstairs, and he didn't want to wake her just for this. He saw Molly, her long curly blonde hair dangling from her shoulders, her thin lanky arms, her long slender legs, her feet in bright red high-heels (which, in truth, made her look like a sluttish ho). He feigned a smile, then hugged her briefly. "What are you doing here?" he asked, unsure why she was in Newport.

"Why do you think, silly?" she kissed him softly on the lips. "I've missed you."

"Molly, listen--since I've left--"

"I am willing to forgive," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "anything that you have done…"

"Molly--"

She kissed him again, except harder this time. Then she said, seductively, "So…where are you staying?"

"Listen to me, Molly--" Luke tried to push her away, but she kissed him again.

"I love you."

That was when Luke heard a gasp from behind him. He quickly spun around and saw Anna standing up on the second story landing, staring down at the scene which included Molly with her arms around Luke's shoulders, desperately trying to make out with him, trying to seduce him.

"Anna!" he called, pushing Molly away.

But Anna had begun to run, she wearing nothing but a nightgown, down the spiral staircase towards her car. Luke ran after her, leaving Molly standing there in the middle of the parking lot, looking confused and disoriented. "What the fuck?" she said.

She turned and ran after Luke, who she saw was approaching a girl who was climbing into a red Scion. She screamed his name: "Luke! Baby, come back!"

Luke turned and looked at her, and his gaze burned deep into her eye sockets. "What?" she said. "What did I do? I thought…" She looked up at the hotel room, where the door stood ajar. "I thought we were…he must have…" Molly stood there, shocked for a few moments. Then she began to cry.

New York City, New York

"No!" screamed Summer, grabbing Candy's hands which were fixed around the knife, trying to plunge it into Summer's head. Summer through her against the large table, knocking the lamp and vase of roses to the floor. "Don't!" she screamed, running towards the bed, leaping atop it, and climbing over the side. She ran for the door, but Summer immediately felt the hand of Candy gripping her shoulder. "Stop it!" she screamed, turning around and grabbing Candy's head, slamming it into the wall. Summer turned and ran for the door, managing to turn the lock, and began to undo the chain lock. That was when Candy stabbed the knife into the wall beside Summer, barely missing her fingers. Summer screamed and tried to pull open the door, forgetting that she hadn't undone the chain lock. That was when she realized her mistake, waking from her nightmarish reverie, and turned, running towards the bed. Candy had left the knife half dug into the wall, and turned, a evil grin on her lips.

"You stupid bitch…" She pulled a gun from her coat and aimed it at Summer. "You think that you can just do this? Ruin my life and get away with it?" She fired the gun, piercing Summer in her right shoulder. Summer screamed, falling to the floor, moaning in pain.

"Please, dear God, no…"

Candy grinned, ready to fire once more, ready to end the life of the girl who had in so many ways ended her own. She pulled the trigger, but heard a soft click. Damn, the stupid gun was jammed. That was okay, though. She simply turned to the wall and began to pry the knife loose.

Newport, California

Kaitlyn lay in her bed, sobbing hard, as Ryan met the eyes of the man who had killed his mother. He sat Marissa down in the car seat, reaching for the glove compartment. "Don't think you're getting away with this, you son of a bitch," growled Ryan, reaching for the gun. He looked up and saw that the man was gone. Ryan glanced around, left and right, and saw that he was nowhere to be seen. "Where are you, you stupid mother-fucker!"

Five years before, the man had murdered his mother in a rage.

"I know I fucked your mother!" cried the man from behind Ryan.

It was time for payback or--

Ryan spun around, but it was too late. The man swung a large, blunt object (which turned out to be a baseball bat), slamming it into Ryan's head. Ryan immediately fell to the ground beside the car, laying there for a while, unconscious. The man stared down at him, and then spit onto his body. "You are getting what you deserved."

The man had run away several years before, after he was discovered for the murder of Ryan's mother. He had escaped, never to be seen again.

"No!" screamed Marissa as the man climbed into the truck beside her. "No, Oliver, please!" She weakly began to climb out of the car, but Oliver was quicker. He ran around the side, grabbing her waist, and shoving her into the car. "No!" Marissa cried again as Oliver began to pull the car out of the driving way. "Stop the car! Stop the mother fucking car!" she screamed as she beat against the side of the car, slamming her fists against the windshield. "Stop the car!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched the Cohen house disappear behind her. "No!"

"It will be okay," he assured her. "We belong together, Marissa. You're the only one who understands me, remember?"

The man who Kirstin had met at rehab, the man who had later escaped and caused so much heart, that could have even be the reason Ryan left in the first place, was carrying Marissa away.

New York City, New York

Summer cried out as Candy charged towards her, the knife raised into the air. "Please!" she begged, shielding her face with her arms. "Please!"

Seth, meanwhile, was walking down the hall, whistling happily, humming, happy, thinking that he and Summer would be making love within a few moments, enjoying dinner and champagne. Or, if she preferred, wine. Whatever she preferred, whatever she preferred.

"No!" screamed Summer as Seth began to fit the key in the lock. That was when she realized that, as she saw the doorknob began to turn, it must be him. "Seth!" she screamed, and he heard her call.

"Summer?" he cried. He burst into the room, running into the darkness. "Summer?" That was when he saw the figure huddled in the corner, and the person hovering over her. He cried out, dropping the food and champagne, and charging forward. "Get away from her, bitch!" He grabbed Candy around the waist, slamming her against the window. The window broke, smashing into hundreds of pieces, as Seth began to descend two stories, his arms wrapped around a screaming Candy. Everything seemed to slow down, the slow descending fall, the crashing into the ground that sounded like a billion bones crushing at once, the pool of blood beneath Seth as he struggled to try and roll onto his side. He stared up into the dark night sky, the millions of stars twinkling above his head, the crowd of people who had recently gathered around him. Everything seemed to be in slow motion.

Summer sat up in the second floor bedroom, one hand cupping the hole in her shoulder, trying to stop the blood that ran down her side and she glanced down at the street, at the people, at Seth who laid beside a crushed Candy.

And she too began to cry.

If you want me to continue in part two of this story (which will be Season 8) please submit a review saying so. How did you like the climatic finale? Was it good? Bad? Tell the truth about how you feel about it? Was it up to your expectations? I need your criticism.

Thanks,

Tangence

P.S. Don't worry. If you do want me to continue, everything will be explained in the next story. Keep reading!