Chapter 5: I Wish You Were Here

About a week had passed since Ashlyn's arrival at Horizon and she was adjusting as well as she could. The awkward tension between some of the Cliffhangers and herself was troubling her. She knew it was because of what she said during group and she couldn't do anything about it. She wasn't ready to open up. Shelby and Scott were the only ones to make an effort to talk to her. The rest probably think I'm gonna kill them in their sleep, she thought.

There was a knock on the girls's door.

"Lights out!" It was Peter.

"Ah, the warden has spoken." Daisy said.

Shelby threw a pillow at her. "Very funny,"

"I thought so." replied Daisy, tossing the pillow back at Shelby. She caught it and chucked it over to Ashlyn.

"Goodnight to you too," she laughed, handing it back to Shelby. She got into her bed and pulled up her covers. Her head sank into her own pillow and she was out cold.

"Rough week," Daisy muttered, nodding her head toward the sleeping Ashlyn.

"Yeah," spoke up Kat. "Has she opened up to you yet, Shel?"

"You mean, has she informed me with the juicy details of her… 'situation'? The answer is no."

"Really? Cuz you seem to be getting along with her more than you would with any other newbie." Daisy inquired.

"Yeah, what's up with that? Is the Ice Queen melting?" Juliette said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up. Is it my fault she's got more than half a brain and not nearly as irritating as you are?" Shelby retorted to Juliette, who was childishly sticking her tongue out.

"Not again!" groaned Kat, sticking her head under her pillow.

"Yeah, yeah," Shelby got into bed and sighed. "Goodnight."

As the round of goodnights was taking place, Ashlyn was drifting off to a place far away…

"Do you know how beautiful you are?"

"I think you've only told me about 300 times, Luke." Ashlyn said, leaning against the trunk of the weeping willow that seemed to form an enclosed hideaway.

"What can I say?" His strong arms wrapped around her waist, his fingers running through her soft hair. He leaned in for a kiss and Ashlyn responded graciously.

"I wish this day would never end." Ashlyn purred, nuzzling into Luke's neck. The warmth that emanated from his body gave her goosebumps.

She opened her eyes and she was soaring through the bluest of skies. Up….down….up down. The old twine ropes in her hands rubbed the inside of her palms as she held on to the swing. She tried to see who was pushing her, but she was too high in the air. Nothing was holding the swing. She was weightless floating across the sky on an old swing. She felt herself dropping back to the earth. She reached out and grabbed some of the marshmallow clouds. She smiled and began to sing at the top of her lungs.

"I-I-I ke-ep on FALLIN!"

She laughed and used the ropes of the swing like a parachute to guide herself back to the ground. She stood up in the lush greens surrounding her. The blades of grass reached over her head.

The sun was starting to set, a watercolour splash of purple, orange, red, and pink. She started to make her way through this 'jungle' looking for a way out. In a matter of seconds it was dark and the temperature was dropping. She heard some rustling behind her.

"Hello?" she called into the darkness. "Is anyone there?" No one answered. "Luke?"

Suddenly she felt hands on the middle of her back, throwing her forward and sending her sprawling into a large hole. She screamed out and hit the damp dirt hard. She pushed herself to her feet and looked up. All she could see was the glow of the full moon.

"Help me!" she cried.

"You're not going anywhere!" a voice snapped. A black silhouette peered down at her. "After all you've done, this is where you belong." the voice continued.

"Who are you?" screamed Ashlyn. Panic and fear escaped in her voice.

"You don't even recognize your own mother?" the voice snorted. "Ash, I'm so disappointed in you!"

"Mom……" Ashlyn whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't forget about us, chica." Seven new figures moved around the opening.

"A-Auggie?"

"And to think I wanted to actually be your friend."

"Shelby?" Ashlyn felt as if she was hit with a ton of bricks.

"I hope you like your new home," another voice added.

Ashlyn's head was spinning. "Mr. Scarbrow?"

"I thought I told you to call me Peter. Meh, I guess it doesn't matter now." he chuckled evily.

The sound of metal scraping against the dirt echoed in the night. Ashlyn realized she was standing in her own grave.

They were going to bury her alive.

Ashlyn flew up in her bed, her chest pounding, her long hair matted to her sweat-covered neck and face. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked around the room. Everyone was sleeping soundly. Ashlyn swung over the side of her bed and pulled a pair of sweatpants over her PJ shorts. The clock beside her bed read 2:37.

"I need some air," she said in a hushed whisper. She quietly walked to the door and left the cabin. She was a good ways from there when she realized she didn't put shoes on, but she didn't seem to care.

There was a crisp breeze in the air but it felt refreshing against her damp skin. She found herself walking straight to the docks. She sat down on the edge. The water was so still, and despite the cool temperature, Ashlyn couldn't resist dipping her toes in. Any sensation of the frigid water disappeared when she thought of Luke and the way he was kissing her in her dream. She swore she could still feel his warm lips on hers.

Ashlyn tilted her head back and gazed up at the millions of stars. In the back of her mind she could hear the soulful voice of Brandon Boyd and the sweet strumming of a guitar.

I lay my head onto the sand

The sky resembles a blacklit canopy

With holes punched in it

I'm counting UFO's

I signal them with my lighter

And in this moment I am happy

So happy

Ashlyn smiled, and for the first time in a while, it actually felt good. She looked at her reflection in the liquid glass.

I wish you were here

The wooden dock creaked as the footsteps came up behind her.

I wish you were here

"Luke…?" she mouthed.

I wish you were here

She saw him in standing behind her-- his eyes, the dark, piecey hair that fell above his brows, his mouth.

I wish you were here……

"I guess it's a party of two now, huh?"

Ashlyn blinked hard and watched Luke's reflection ripple away. The person standing in his place was Scott.

"Couldn't sleep," he said, his mouth dropping open when he noticed her feet swirling in the water. "Isn't that freezing?"

Ashlyn stared out into the darkness ahead. "No."

Scott shook his head and took a seat beside her. "Nice night," he added.

Ashlyn gave no response. Strands of her hair fluttered around her face.

"Am I uh, interrupting something? I know I like to come out here to be alone so if-"

"No…I was just…"she paused.

"You were what?"

"I just thought that you were someone else, ok." she replied flatly.

"Like who? Peter? Another counselor coming to get you in shit?"

Once again she didn't utter a syllable. She pulled her feet out of the water, bringing them up to her knees. Tiny streams ran off her toes creating little puddles underneath. She tucked her hands in the sleeves of her sweatshirt and wrapped them around her legs.

Scott gently grasped her face and turned it away from the water until they were face to face. Her vivid green eyes looked blank. Completely expressionless.

"Ashlyn," smirked Scott. "Are you high?" he whispered. "You're acting kinda strange."

Ashlyn cocked her head to the left and imitated the smirk he just gave her.

"Your eyes…." she spoke whimsically. "I was in your eyes and I was falling." she said, recalling her dream from earlier in the evening. She began to giggle.

Scott furrowed his brows and took a hold of both her arms. "Alright, it's time to get you to your room." he said, pulling her to her feet. "You need to sleep off whatever you took before Peter finds out."

Ashlyn took one last glance at the water below and let out a cry of disbelief.

"What is it?" Scott said, scanning the surface of the water. Nothing was there.

"Da….Dad…."

Before Scott could question her, Ashlyn lurched forward and fell into the lake.

The bleak darkness seemed inviting, pulling her deeper and deeper. The icy waters pricked her skin like a thousand needles. As everything started to blur, she felt something wrap around her waist. At this moment, she snapped out of her trance and started to scream. A frothy mouthful of bitter liquid entered her throat. Her lungs started to burn. Panicking, she thrashed around making it difficult for her rescuer to bring her to the surface. Her head broke the water and she began gasping for air. Scott, completely exhausted, pulled her to shore just as Peter came running down to the edge.

"What the hell is going on?"