She's running, heavy footsteps thundering against the ground as her heart pounds in her chest. She's tries to catch her breath; her head's spinning from the lack of oxygen, but she can't stop. She can't remember what she's running from; all she knows is that she has to get away.

It's getting closer, she can feel it.

She runs faster.

A presence is right behind her, she can feel it's hot breaths beating down her neck. It's grubby hand reaching forward to grab her-

"Hayley!" She wakes up with a gasp, eyes wide as she turns left and right, inspecting the room for any monsters lurking in the dark.

A hand grasps her chin, turning her to face her. "Hayley, you're ok." Jackie calmly tells her. "Breathe." The former places a hand on her back, rubbing it up and down in a soothing motion, hoping to appease her best friend.

Hayley can only nod, leaning back against the headboard when a feeling of serenity washes over her, and the tiredness left from the adrenaline rush takes over.

"Here." A mug appears in front of her and she accepts it gratefully, clutching it with both hands in the hope that the warmth will bring her back down to earth.

"Is it still the same nightmare?" Leo asks, settling himself at her other side.

She can only nod. It's been three months since that fateful Tech Conference, and yet she can't seem to get over it. She's always hyper aware of everything now; jumping at the slightest sounds, double checking everything to make sure nothing's out of place, making note of the nearest exits just in case of an emergency...

It's almost summer break and she still can't shake off the feeling that something bad is going to happen. If anything, the longer this "peace" remains, the more fearful she becomes. It-

"Hayley." Leo's soft voice breaks her out of her thoughts as he gently pries the now cold mug from her fingertips. "I think it's time for you to go to bed."

He helps her settle down, tucking her into the sheets, before he leaves her with Jackie. "Night Woods."

"Night." Hayley mumbles back before turning to her best friend.

"Things will be better from now on." Jackie simply says, brushing a few dark strands away from her face. "Just get some sleep."

And with that, Hayley is once again left alone to her thoughts. She stares at her ceiling for a while, counting the tiles before turning to the bed beside hers. Jackie's fast asleep, and so are Emma and Brooke.

She waits a few more minutes, sees the clock strike two, before getting up. With the blanket wrapped over her shoulders, she leaves the dorms and makes her way to the clubhouse.

It's different at night, the dim lighting sending a warm comforting glow throughout the clubhouse, and the uncharacteristic silence isn't eerie at all. Rather, its welcoming.

She sets up camp on the couch, snuggling the blanket as she lays her head on one of the throw pillows. She stares ahead at the open window, watching as the trees by the beach sway with the wind, and before she knows it, she's fast asleep.

"Hayley," A head pops in through her bedroom door and she immediately recognises it as Jackie. "You ready? It's time to go."

Said girl nods, waiting for her best friend to leave before slipping the pocket knife into her jeans. Her dad gave it to her years ago but it was only recently that she began keeping it close to her.

"Let's go." She ushers them out the door and all five of them pile into the car. Some of the Ravens, and Alex, having decided to go see Leo play at an underground club where he performs during the summer, choose to go tonight since it was one of those nights that he would be opening, so they wouldn't have to stay out too late.

As soon as they arrive, they go through a narrow passageway to enter the club. It's crowded, so she keeps close to them. They can see the apprehension in her eyes but know not to say anything; one wrong word could cause her to shut them out, and that was the last thing they wanted.

Alex places an arm around her shoulder, assuring her that everything will be ok as they go through the security checks.

Her heart freezes as soon as she spots the metal detector - there's no way her pocket knife would make it through. Unless...

She pulls away from Alex, giving Leo a short hug before returning to her brother. The boys are confused but Leo accepts it anyway. They're not together anymore, Hayley telling him that it's not really working out and that she needs some time alone, so he'd willingly take any form of affection she'd give.

Leo goes through the check and so does Hayley, Alex following close behind. As they pass Leo his guitar, Hayley slips the blade out of the bag and back into her pocket, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. Both boys share a perplexed glance but otherwise, quickly follow her in.

Inside, they meet up with Brooke and Emma, exchanging hugs before Leo makes his way onto the stage. He's the first act of the night, and they watch as he goes through sound check.

"This first song goes out to a very special girl. We may not be together anymore, but a part of me will always love you." He looks at her and she can only smile back. He accepted it better this time around, and she hopes they'll always remain friends. "Hayley Woods, this one's for you."

Jackie bumps her side, as she and Brooke send her teasing glances, but Hayley pays them no attention, fully focused on Leo singing her song.

It happened in a moment

Nobody gave a cue

One look into your brown eyes

I knew it was you

I knew it was you

She sways to the music, closing her eyes as pleasant memories float through her mind. In spite of her initial reluctance to join the Greenhouse, she has grown to love it and is thankful for all the lifelong friends she's made there. Now, she wouldn't give up her time there for anything in the world-

Another bump to her hip jars her out of her thoughts. This one wasn't playful, however, it was harsh. She could see someone running from their direction and fear struck her heart.

She recognised his bald head, his overly large frame. His more than formal attire for the setting a dead giveaway. He sent a smile her way, and she almost went limp. It's-

It's like a perfect casting

You're born to play the part

There's no turning back now

You've taken my heart

You've taken my heart

"Eric." She whispers. At the sound of her panicked voice, her friends turn towards her.

"Hayley, you ok?" Jackie holds the girl's hands in hers, trying to get her to focus on her and not whatever she was staring at, but she can't seem to tear her eyes away.

"It's Eric." She tells her sternly. "He's right there." She wrenches her hand out of her friend's and points towards the man before something else catches her attention.

"Hayley." Jackie coos out softly as Alex comes up behind her. "That just the sound guy." She gently runs her thumb over the back of her hands. "Eric's not here, he's-"

"Over there." Hayley tries again, seeing him now at the DJ booth, but no one listens to her. Instead, they just give her patronising looks, and she gives up on asking them for help.

Snatching her hands out of Jackie's, she marches towards the man, knife poised to strike.

As she moves towards him, all she can remember is the feel of his arms on her, tugging her towards the van. She remembers how powerless she felt as he chained her up. She had struggled and resisted all she could, but it was in vain. She was still dazed from hitting her head against the window, and once he put a gun to Leo's head, she gave up.

I guess I act too quickly

I'm probably a fool

Should I have taken one more breath

And try to keep my cool~

She approaches him, cold blade firm in her grasp, when arms wrap around her waist, pulling her back, and all she can see is black.

"I grabbed hold of her before she could do anything, and Jackie hid the blade." Alex tells his parents as they sit at the dining table. He places the pocket knife on the table, blade safely tucked into its sheath.

"Thank goodness." Ryan mutters as she places her head between her hands. "Carter, what are we going to do? This has gone on for too long. It's obviously still bothering her."

"Well," Carter looks on uncertainly at the table's occupants. Alex and Jackie had brought Hayley home, Leo wanting to come along but needing to finish his set before he could leave, so Brooke then brought Max, Emma and Leo back to the Woods' house before taking Jackie and dropping off Leo.

"Usually when we encounter clients or victims with PTSD, we'd recommend them to a therapist or-"

"I'm not crazy." Hayley interrupts, making her presence known in the dining room. "I'm not. He was there. I saw him."

"Hayley." Ryan gets up to go to her daughter. "Sweetie."

"Mom, I'm not crazy. I don't need to see some dumb therapist and get my head checked out." Hayley tries, but her mom doesn't say anything. Instead, she gathers her in her arms, leading her towards the table.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" Carter gets down to her level, looking her in the eyes before reaching for the glass of water on the table and handing it to her.

"I'm fine." She reassures him. "But Eric was there. I saw him. He was-"

"Hayley, that was the DJ, Mr. Mister. I've known him for years now, and he may look scary, but he'd never hurt a fly." Leo gently pats her shoulder, getting her to look at him.

"Look Woods, I think you're just really stressed out." His eyes stare into hers. "And when was the last time you had a good night's sleep? Are you still having nightmares?"

"Yes." Alex interjects. "Every night."

"Alex!" Hayley glares at her brother, getting up from the table to leave. "Look, I'm not crazy, ok? Good night."

She storms up the stairs and slams the door shut, curling up on her bed as she tries to ignore the shadows creeping up on her. "I'm not crazy. He was there."

The four of them look on concernedly before moving back to their original positions.

"I think letting her see a therapist may be a good idea. Hayley knows that the fall paralysed Eric and that he was sentenced for life, but she's still convinced he is going to come back." Alex and Ryan nod, agreeing with Leo.

"But is it safe for her to be around people right now?" Ryan adds in. "Maybe, it's for the best if we send her on a mental retreat, allow her to give her mind a break."

"Alone?" Alex asks, not liking where the conversation is heading. "Sending her to therapy is one thing, but sending her away is another. There's no way she'd agree to it. Even I don't like the sound of it."

"Alex, I don't like it either, but it may be for the best." Ryan tries to reason with him. "Give her a chance to properly rest. Let her get away from all the stress of everything. And there are some places that allow family to visit so she won't always be alone."

"Dad?" Alex tries to turn to him for support, but the man just shakes his head. "Leo?"

"Sorry, man." He shakes his head. "You know I love your sister, and I think this will be good for her."

"I know a good place we could take her." Carter finally says. "Pacific Teen Retreat just a district away. They take care of teenage victims with PTSD, and I think Hayley might at least feel better there."

"Unbelievable." Alex gets up and leaves. He can't believe he's the only one on his sister's side.

"Can you call up the place to see if they have any space available?" He hears his mom ask as he makes his way up the stairs. "I'll pack her bag while she's asleep. She may not like it, but it's for the best."

He doesn't hear anything more after that, having knocked on his sister's room and entering when he hears her soft breathing. He knows that this peaceful sleep will only last for a while longer before she begins screaming as she is plagued by nightmares.

He wants to help her but he's not sure what he can do. Instead he snuggles up beside her like he used to when they were little. Instinctively, her arms go around his torso and her head above his own. Soon, the both of them are sound asleep.

That night, once Leo leaves, Ryan finds them there and she can't help but awe at the sight. Age has only brought them closer and she hopes they'll always stay this close.

"No! I'm not going." Hayley states, glaring at the stack of pancakes in front of her; they don't look too appetising any more.

"Hayley, it's for the best and it's only going to be for a little while." Ryan tells her softly. "And we'll come by to visit all the time. You won't have to be alone-"

"You know what?!" She asks, pushing herself away from the table. "Fine! I'll go since you want to get rid of me so badly."

"Hayley, that's not true-" Carter tries to calm his daughter down, but she pulls out the packed bag from behind her.

"Then what's this, huh?" Tears start streaming down her face, but she doesn't brush them away. "You just told me you're sending me away but you've packed my bag already."

She shakes her head. "Let's just go."

"Hayley." Ryan goes to hug her daughter, but the girl pushes her away, grabbing the bag and heading towards the car.

"You're going to like it here." Trisha, the director, tells her. "Because it's still summer vacation, there aren't any classes to attend and you can do any of the activities we have available. We have horseback riding, kayaking, surfing, bowling, hiking, and pretty much anything you'd want to do. The food here is also great."

The woman leads her towards her room. "There's only five other teens here and you'll have your own room so you can have some privacy."

"Thank you." Hayley's not sure what else there is to say. She was mad earlier, but right now she just wants to lie down and forget about everything.

"You're welcome, dear." She smiles as she closes the door. "Dinner should be in about an hour, and group therapy is right after. Don't forget."

Hayley lets herself fall onto the bed and stares at the ceiling, waiting for the day to end.

She feels both physically and emotionally exhausted. Even though she stormed out of group therapy and didn't share anything, she still feels like her life was practically drained out of her.

Her Louie flashes in her pocket and she opens it up to see a picture of her friends hanging out by the pool. She was supposed to go with them, they had planned the trip for a while now, but she was sent here and now she's missing out on everything.

She likes the picture and turns to the next notification. An invitation to the reopening of A's Amusement Park, especially for students of the Greenhouse. She sort of remembers the place, having passed by it a few years ago, but-

The sound of rattling startles her and she looks up just in time to see the grate falling to the floor. Right after it came Jackie.

"Jackie." Hayley got up to hug her friend.

"Hey pretty lady." She hugs her back. "How are you feeling? The last time I saw you, you were unconscious, and now you're stuck here."

"I'm fine." Hayley huffs. "But they sent me here for at least a month to clear my head." She sits back down on the bed and Jackie does the same.

"Does that mean you're not going to A's Amusement Park tomorrow?" She asks, placing an arm around the taller girl's shoulder. "That's a shame. I heard it was haunted."

A knock sounds at the door. "Lights out."

"I better go before they catch me." Jackie gives her friend another hug before leaving. "Bye."

"Bye." Hayley says as she watches Jackie seal the grate back and leave.

It's only a few minutes before her Louie chimes with a call. Turning out the light, she accepts the video call.

"Hey Woods." Leo greets her through the screen.

"Hey Cruz." Hayley's not sure what to say. Alex told her Leo was all for sending her here and she wants to ignore him, but she feels so alone right now that his company is better than none at all.

"I know you didn't get to hear the whole song last night so I decided, why not sing you to sleep." He smiles at her. "I know you don't like it there, but hang tight. You'll feel better soon."

It happened in a moment

Nobody gave a cue

One look into your brown eyes

I knew it was you

I knew it was you

He watched as she slowly fell asleep, continuing to play even as she did. It hurt him to agree with sending her, but he knew it's for the best, and he only wants the best for her.

"I love you, Hayley." He whispers before ending the call, putting his guitar away to get some sleep himself.