Luke's POV

Rehab Center October 27, 2018

Luke Stood at the front of the room and addressed the rest of the group in attendance, "I'm Luke, um, addict."

"Hi, Luke." The group responded

"Hi." He shuffled nervously, "I actually don't know what I want to say here. You know, I've never had this much time before." He gave a slight smile, "You know, 90 days. Um So, here goes."

He took a breath before beginning, "It's taken me ten years to get 90 days clean. And I'm starting step four, which is always the one that does me in." He chuckled slightly, "A fearless moral inventory."

Luke paused for a moment before continuing, "Now, I've been called a lot of things in my life, but "fearless" is not one of them. You know, I was always a scared little kid, and I thought I thought I'd get braver as I got older, but um, I didn't. I just got scared of new things."

He took another moment to collect his thoughts, "My mom committed suicide when I was six years old. And my siblings, best friend and I were sent to live with our aunt, and, I mean, I was just a kid, you know. I didn't... I didn't really understand death yet. So, I, uh... I guess I just expected her to, um... To come back."

Luke's eyes were starting to get a little teary as he told his story to this room full of strangers, "And every night, I'd... I'd stare out my window as the cars came around the corner, just hoping that one would stop and my mom would step out, you know, to come take us home. Every time I saw those headlights come round the corner, I'd sit up in bed and I'm staring out of my window, just full of hope." He gave a sad smile at the memory, "But they'd just keep driving."

"Those tail lights, they were the worst. Red eyes in the dark, just taking hope with them. I mean, Mom she never came back, of course, but other things from when I was a kid, they came back. And I guess that's I guess that's why I started using in the first place, you know? To keep those things away."

"And I'd... I'd get clean you know, a week, a month. But I'd always feel 'em, you know, just sneaking back up on me. So I'd use." He gave a slight chuckle, "You know, my family, they're not gonna believe this. They never really believe me. And I don't blame them. You know, I fucked them over so many times. Lied... stole."

He looked around the room and smiled, "Come on, you all know what I mean. And I guess I guess I'll... I'll never know how it felt for them to be done like that. I hope I never know."

Luke let out a breath and laughed, "Ah, sorry. I want to thank my caseworker, Paige, and everyone at our recovery house. And someone... Someone special, who's always, had my back, even though she's not here to hear me thank her, my girlfriend, Tara who has stood by me through everything. Thank you. Any addict alone..."

The rest of the room chimed in, "...is in bad company."

"That's right. Thank you." He said before going to sit back down.

Payphone October 29, 2018

"I... I couldn't help her," Luke says shakily into the phone.

"We've been waiting for you to call." Paige responded on the other side, "There's something I need to tell you."

"Listen," Luke interrupted, "I know I fucked up. Okay? But I... I didn't use, I didn't. And I'm so fucking cold, and my... and my arms and legs are so stiff." He shivered at his spoke, "I just, I... I need a bed. Like a couch. I'll sleep on the goddamn floor. Just please." He trembled, "Please, please let me come back."

Paige sighed, "Where are you? We'll come get you."

Luke sat on the bench waiting for someone from the rehab center to come pick him up. He was cold and hurt...and he was scared. His knee was bouncing up and down as he counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." He'd stop at eight and start back over, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."

Hill House, Summer 1992

Luke woke up in his bed as he began to hear his twin sister whimpering. He sat up slightly and looked over. He could see that Tara was awake as well and had crawled into bed with Nellie, and the two were hugging each other tightly.

"Hey," Luke spoke up causing both girls to look over at him.

"You're awake," Nellie said curiously.

Luke nodded as he leaned forward to turn on the lamp, "Well, yeah, 'cause you two are awake."

"We saw her again," Nellie whispered and Tara tightened her arms around the other girl.

"The Bent-Neck Lady?" Luke questioned softly and both of them nodded.

Luke got out of bed and joined the two girls on Nellie's bed

"Mommy and Daddy don't believe us." Nellie informed him, "ever."

Tara nodded in agreement, "They told us she's just a nightmare, but she's real."

Luke nodded, 'I know she is." He paused before standing up, "I got an idea." He grabbed the tin of buttons off Nellie's dresser and knelt down at the edge of the bed.

He began taking out some buttons, "You need eight, and you set them up like this." He showed the girls.

"Why eight?" Nellie questioned and Tara looked on curiously.

"Mom, Dad, Steven, Shirl, Theo, you, me, Tara." He pointed to each button as he said a name, "It has to be eight. It helps if you touch each one and count out loud."

Nellie leaned forward and did as he said, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." And once she was down Tara repeated the motion as well.

"That keeps you safe." Luke told the younger girls, "Sometimes you got to do it a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Don't forget to count."

Nellie leaned forward to start over and touched each one as she counted out loud, "One two three..."

Street next to payphone, October 29, 2018

"...Four, five, six, seven, eight." Luke counted out loud as he walked, then he would turn around and start over, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..." He paused as he felt a presence behind him, "...eight."

Luke continued walking and counting, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three..."

He stopped and began panting as he felt the presence move even closer to him. Luke finally turned around to face it but was met with the sight of his dead mother.

She was wearing the bowler hat and her eyes were shut tight, "Come home, my love." She opened her eyes and a blinding light came out of them.

Luke squinted his eyes and lifted his arms to block out some of the light only to find a car pulling up when he finally put his arm down. The car came to a stop and Paige and Steve stepped out of it.

"Steve." Luke breathed out shakily and he rushed into his brother's arms and held him tightly as he began to cry, "I'm so sorry, I didn't... I couldn't... I couldn't help her." Steve hugged his little brother before they finally released each other.

"And I'm so... I'm so... I'm so cold. I didn't... My arms and legs are, are stiff." He stuttered out, shivering, "And I... I, It's... It's like It's like withdrawal, but... but I didn't use." Steve watched Luke worriedly, "I wasn't using, but. But I... But I feel it anyway. You... You believe me, right?"

Steve sighed and looked at Luke sadly, "You gotta come with me. You gotta come with me, Luke."

"What?" Luke questioned confused, "Why?"

"It's Nell." Steve replied and paused a moment before continuing, 'Nell's dead."

Luke froze in shock; his mind couldn't catch up with what he had just been told. He stumbled back and he eyes glazed over for a moment before looking up at his brother, "How?"

"It was... It was suicide." Steve breathed out.

Luke didn't respond immediately his mind was still trying to wrap itself around the idea that his twin sister was gone. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head as a look of realization crossed his eyes, "No. Stevie... it wasn't."

Steve just sighed and motioned towards the car, "Come on, Luke. We've got to go."

He was finally able to herd Luke into the car and the three of them drove off. They hadn't been in the car for very long when Luke asked to borrow Steve's phone. Without asking any questions, Steve handed it over to him.

The phone rang for a few moments before it was picked up, "Hello?"

Luke closed his eye in relief at the sound of her voice. It took him a moment to speak up, but when he finally did it was just one word, "Ta-Tara?"

"Luke?" She questioned, shocked.

He let a ragged chuckle and smiled sadly, "Yeah babe, it's me. I'm coming home."