Chapter 13 – From Daydreams to Nightmares
Lucas had finally made his way up to Peyton's room. He was knocking on her door with no success. He could hear movement but nothing that sounded like it was coming towards the door.
"Peyton open up it's Lucas... I need to talk to you!" He yelled. He heard a muffled voice but couldn't make it out.
"Peyton?" He asked as he knocked on the door again. "are you in there?"
Again he heard the muffled voice, but it was accompanied by stomping and a shrill scream. She was clearly in there but he couldn't figure out what was going on.
He pressed his ear up to the door trying to listen closer and see if he could figure out what was going on. He heard a man's voice but couldn't make out what he was saying.
Lucas' stomach knotted up. He felt his heart breaking into thousands of pieces. Maybe she didn't care about him at all. Maybe she just didn't want to be with him and that's why she used the excuse that it was too hard.
All the thoughts stopped when he heard Peyton yell.
"Get off of me!" I cried. I may have been a little wasted, but I knew what was going on and this wasn't right.
"You know..." The man started as he leaned in closer to me and whispered in my ear. "You were a hard one to track down." I looked at him with curious eyes. What was he talking about? "When Bucky told me how he landed in jail, he asked me if I could come and take care of a little bit of unfinished business he had with you."
My eyes welled up with tears as I closed them tightly. Why was this happening... AGAIN. How could I be so stupid and let some guy I didn't know walk me to my room. I should have known better.
"Why?" I asked finally opening my eyes.
He looked at me for a second before simply answering "Because the chase is the best part."
I could feel a lump begin to form in my throat. I was getting short of breath and was sweating profusely. This was not going to happen again.
I knew Lucas was outside the door but I couldn't make any rash decisions right now. If I did someone was going to get hurt. But if I didn't yell for Lucas this man was going to rape me just like his friends did. So do I risk my life and let Lucas keep his. Or do I risk Lucas' life to save my own?
Never in my life could I have imagined I would have to make a life or death choice twice. The first time was a bit easier, there wasn't a whole lot of thinking that needed to be done. It was an easier situation. With this one I was risking the life of someone else to save my own.
I heard Lucas knock one more time and made my decision... This was it.
X-x-x-x-x-X
"C'mon Lucas answer your damn phone" Nathan yelled. Was this the night for everyone to ignore his calls or what?
"Hey it's Lucas... Leave a message..."
"Damn it" Nathan hung up the phone and continued his search. He'd been doing this for what seemed like hours on end and he still had no sign of Peyton. Now he had no sign of Lucas either.
He met up with Brooke and Haley on the second floor. "Anything?" He asked as he walked towards them.
They both shook their heads and answered no. "We haven't seen a sign of her at all. No one else has seen her either. The only thing that came close to letting us know where she was, was the bartender. He saw her about 45 minutes ago leaving with some guy that kept buying her shots." Brooke answered breathlessly
Nathan's heart sank. She was in serious trouble. There was no way this was random. Peyton wasn't the type of girl to let a random guy walk her to her room. Or was she?
"Come with me" Nathan said as he quickly walked passed Brooke and Haley and headed for the elevator.
"Where are we going?" Haley asked as she followed behind a slightly upset Nathan.
"To the front desk. I'm getting her room number. I don't give a damn what that bitch says to me. There's nothing stoping me from finding out. She's in trouble." He said visibly upset. "I just know she is" His voice was lower than a whisper as he spoke his last words. He and Peyton may not have been together anymore but that didn't mean he doesn't still care deeply for her.
X-x-x-x-X
"LISTEN TO ME DAMN IT!" Nathan yelled to the front desk clerk. "SHE'S IN TROUBLE OKAY. SHE LEFT THE BAR WITH SOME DRUNK ASS GUY AND HE WALKED HER TO HER ROOM... SHE JUST HAD 2 GUYS PUT BEHIND BARS FOR RAPING HER... SHE WOULD NEVER LET A RANDOM GUY WALK HER TO HER ROOM... I DON'T CARE HOW DRUNK SHE WAS... NOW GIVE ME THE FUCKIN ROOM NUMBER" Now he was not only visibly distraught but he was beyond pissed off. He was irate.
They weren't giving him Peyton's room number. They wouldn't let him talk to a manager. They were being no help to him at all.
"Sir... I've already told you. It's our policy to not give out room numbers unless there is substantial evidence that the person in question is in serious trouble. Now when our manager arrives in a couple of hours you can talk to him. Until then, I'm afraid I can't help you." She was slightly angry with Nathan but she had to keep her attitude in check if she wanted to keep her job.
"And in case you missed it. SHE'S BEEN RAPED BEFORE! Why would she let some random guy she met at a bar walk her to her room?" He asked mockingly. "Would you let a random guy walk you to your room if you'd been raped before?" He put up a good argument and he knew it when the look on her face went from stiff and angry to sad and scared.
She went over to her computer and began looking up Peyton's room.
"Thank you" Nathan said as the clerk flashed him a sad smile.
X-x-x-x-x-X
"LUCAS! HELP M..." He slapped me before I was able to finish what I was saying. I help my face as the tears that had been building up began to slowly trickle down my face.
"PEYTON" Lucas yelled banging on the door harder this time. He looked to his right where the guy that was helping him was standing. "You said you had the Key?" The guy nodded his head. "THEN WHERE IS IT?" Lucas was beyond scared. The girl of his dreams was screaming for his help and he was standing on the other side of the door praying for a way to get in to help her.
The guy dug through his wallet for a couple of seconds but to Lucas they seemed like years. He found it and went to hand it to Lucas, but before he could hand it to him, Lucas had grabbed it out of his hands and slid it down the lock.
Red light. He tried it again... Same thing.
"What's wrong with this key?" He asked trying it again.
He handed it to the guy who took it and looked at it. He immediately pulled out his wallet and searched for a different card.
"Well?" Lucas asked impatiently
"Sorry... wrong key" His hands were shaking as he looked through his wallet for the right card key.
"LUCASSSS" I yelled one more time only to be slapped even harder than the first time.
"I'm Coming Pey... Just hold in there?" It sounded stupid after he said it, but he didn't know what else to say. She obviously needed to stay calm.
"Hurry" He yelled to the guy before turning back to the door. His hands were shaking as the guy handed him the right card key.
He immediately ran it through the lock. Green light! He pushed down the handle and shoved the door open.
X-x-x-x-x-X
"Sir" The clerk called out to Nathan who was now frantically pacing around the lobby.
His head perked up as he ran towards the front desk.
"She's in room 313. Here's her key. If you get caught. You didn't get it from me?" She handed him the key and gave him a slight smile.
"Thank you so much ma'am" He walked off but quickly ran back to the desk. "I'm sorry about being so mean earlier it's just..." She cut him off.
"Don't be... I completely understand where you're coming from now. Now go help your friend" He gave her a quick smile and ran off towards the elevator with Brooke and Haley quickly in tow.
They stepped on the elevator and Nathan pushed the third floor button several times before the doors finally closed.
"Nathan" Brooke said quietly. "What if she's not okay? What if she's hurt" She had tears pouring out of her eyes now.
Nathan pulled her into a deep embrace. "She's gonna be fine" He whispered into her hair. Haley came up to him with tears in her eyes as well. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sure Lucas is with her right now and we're worrying for nothing."
Truth is... Nathan was just hoping she fine and that they were worrying for nothing. That was all he could do to keep himself from going crazy.
X-x-x-x-x-X
"Leave me alone" I pleaded as he grabbed my hand and tied it to the side of the bed.
"Shut up bitch" He yelled at me as he grabbed my other hand and tied it to the bed. Apparently trying to fight your way out of this sort of situation is a no go. I hit him once and he hit me twice as hard.
I was not going through this again. I wouldn't. There was so much fight left in me and he was not gonna take that away from me. When he went to grab my legs I kicked him in his face as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards and ran into the wall and fell down. He looked like he was out cold so I started trying to wiggle my hands free of the ropes. I did this for several minutes and finally got my left hand free. I was starting to work on the other one when I felt a hard blow to the side of the head and slowly fell to the dark.
X-x-x-x-x-X
Lucas ran through the door and ran straight for the man hovering over Peyton's clearly limp body.
"What did you do to her you asshole?" Lucas screamed as he knocked the guy down to the floor.
Lucas was no match for this man. He quickly reversed their positions as he sat on Lucas and repeatedly hit him as hard as he could. The little helper Lucas had with him tried his best to help, but it was no use. He ran into the hallway and immediately started yelling for help.
Several people came out of their rooms to see what all of the commotion was. All they saw was this little guy with dark brown hair with a worried look on his face running down the hallways screaming for help. They didn't seem to worried about what was going on seeming as to how they all walked back in their rooms, shut their doors, and acted as if nothing was going on.
X-x-x-x-x-X
Nathan stepped out of the elevator on the third floor and immediately began looking at the signs on the walls trying to find out which way room 313 was. He heard the faint cries for help coming from the hallway to his left. He immediately followed the voice when he came upon a distraught young man.
"Sir... She needs help... He needs help... They need help" He said breathlessly to Nathan.
"Who needs help... Peyton and Lucas?" He questioned
"I don't know there names. She's blonde... he's blonde" He said trying to give them a description
"Where are they?" Nathan asked getting nervous
The guy pointed down the hallway and Nathan started running towards the room. "You two stay with him... I'll be back" He yelled to Haley and Brooke
"But Nathan" Haley called out to him but he was already gone.
Nathan made his way down the long hallway when he heard the yelling and what seemed like fighting coming from a room up ahead.
313. There it was. He pushed down the handle but it was locked.
"Shit!" He frantically searched for the key that the clerk had handed him just minutes earlier. He found it in his right pants pocket as he pulled it out and slid it down the lock. Green light.
That's all he needed as he burst through the door. Anger and rage burning his insides.
He ran towards Lucas as he quickly pulled the guy off of him and threw him towards the wall. He helped Lucas up before he got knocked down himself. Within seconds the cops were swarming the room handcuffing not only the guy that brought Peyton to her room, but Lucas and Nathan as well.
"Wait a second dude... we're the ones trying to save our friend. We didn't kidnap her and bring her up here" Nathan said as he was thrown against the wall with handcuffs being slapped to his wrists.
"First of all... My name is not 'Dude' It's officer Tilly and second of all... You have to come with me anyway. Now get moving" He said as he pushed Nathan in the right direction.
Lucas didn't fight the cops at all. He stood where they wanted and did as he was told. He didn't care what happened to him at this moment. He just wanted Peyton to be safe.
X-x-x-x-x-X
The paramedics tended to Peyton in her room. The untied her hands, checked her vitals, and gave her a dose of medicine to ease the pain as she woke up. They wanted to take her to the hospital but Brooke and Haley pleaded with them to let her stay in her room They didn't want her to wake up in the worst place possible after the night she just had.
They agreed to let her stay, but warned them to bring her to the hospital if she was in any state of pain or disarray. They feared she had a concussion from the blow to the head she took, but upon her friends request let her stay with them.
Nathan and Lucas were brought down to the station where they were both questioned and released. They immediately headed back to the hotel to check on Peyton.
When they walked by the front desk the clerk stopped both of them. "I am so sorry for not giving you the information you needed right away. I feel so bad now" She cried to them with tears in her eyes. She felt horrible about what happened and was blaming herself for Peyton being hurt.
Nathan and Lucas walked up to the counter and smiled. Nathan read her name tag before addressing her.
"It's ok Cindy. You were just doing your job. We can't put the blame on you for that. Besides... after some persuasion you gave me the room number and her card key. You saved her life."
She smiled through her tears as she wiped them away. "Would you give her my best for me?" She asked
Nathan nodded his head. "Sure." He said before walking away.
Lucas gave her a nod and smile before hustling back to Peyton's room. He had to check on her.
X-x-x-x-x-X
"Thank you so much for helping Lucas out, Brad" Brooke started "She might have been dead if it wasn't for you"
He shook his head. "You don't need to be thanking me. You need to be thanking that blonde headed friend of your's. He did all the work. All I did was freak out." He said genuinely
"Well for whatever it's worth. You're a hero by my book" Haley said before giving him a hug.
"How is she?" Lucas asked running up to them
"She's sleeping now" Brooke answered "The doctor's gave her some medicine to ease the pain when she woke up. They said she might not remember anything about tonight when she woke up or she could be severely distraught and scared when she woke up. They weren't sure. We convinced them to let her stay here so she wouldn't have to go to the hospital. If she wakes up with any pain of she's freaking out severely we have to take her to the hospital."
Lucas looked into the room and slowly walked in with everyone following behind him. He stood beside her bed and moved a stray piece of hair out of her now bruised face.
He turned around and saw everyone staring at him. He walked up to Brad and held out his hand. "Thank you for helping me man. You don't know how much I appreciate it"
Brad took his hand. "Glad I could help out" They shook hands and smiled before Lucas turned back towards Peyton.
"C'mon guys. Let's leave Lucas alone with Peyton for a while" Nathan said as he led the way to the door.
"Lucas" Haley said quietly "If you need us when she wakes up... call us ok?"
Lucas nodded his head. "O.k"
He moved closer to the bed as he grabbed this ugly chair and moved it beside her bed. He took a seat and stared at her face. Peaceful. That's how she looked at this very moment. After such a night how could she look so peaceful?
He lightly stroked the side of her face with one hand as the other held her hand. He wanted her to wake up. He wanted to make sure she was ok.
He laid his head down on the edge of her bed never letting go of her hand. He was exhausted after what just happened. He didn't want to sleep because he didn't want to miss her waking up, but sleep was overcoming his body.
He was about out when he felt her stir slightly. He quickly lifted his head as he watched her eyes flutter open. "Hey" he whispered.
One look at Lucas and she immediately began screaming. "NO!... HELP!... LEAVE ME ALONE!"
She tried her best to get away from him as he quickly stood up.
"Peyton it's me... Lucas... I'm not gonna hurt you" He said quietly but loud enough for her to hear him.
"Don't hurt me... I won't tell anyone I swear" She cried as she curled up in a ball on the other side of the bed.
He sat down and scooted closer to her slowly trying not to scare her. "I could never hurt you Peyt" He said but she was still panicky.
"Do you remember anything that happened?" He asked
She lifted her head. "He hurt me. He was gonna do the same things they did. They're all the same. You're one of them aren't you? GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed.
Lucas didn't know what to do. She thought he was gonna hurt her. Maybe she just couldn't see his face. He leaned over the edge of the bed and she started freaking out even more.
"NO! Please don't hurt me... I promise I won't yell anymore... just don't hit me" She cried
"I'm not gonna hurt you Peyton... I'm just gonna turn on the light ok" She didn't say anything as he turned the lamp on.
"See... It's just me" His face was as soft as he could muster.
She relaxed slightly but she still wasn't convinced as he moved closer to her. He lifted his hand as she flinched at the movement. He let his hand slightly graze her cheek. "It's ok Peyton. I'm not gonna hurt you"
She looked at the sincerity in his eyes and relaxed into his touch. As soon as he felt her loosed up he moved in and engulfed her into a hug where she began to sob.
"Why do they keep hurting me?" She asked choking on her tears
"I don't know Peyton... I don't know" He ran his hands through her hair as he felt her tears soaking through his shirt.
She quickly pulled away and looked at him with fear in her eyes. "I can't do this." She scooted closer to the edge of the bed trying to get away. "You could be just like them... I... I..." She began crying harder as she curled back up into a ball.
Lucas followed her. He needed her to know that he was here to help her... not hurt her.
"Sweety you're thinking about it to much... I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm here to keep you safe" He slowly inched closer to her.
"I can't... I have to think... I have to"
He put his hand back in the same position it was just moments earlier. "Don't think about it Peyton. Just feel." He said simply "Do you feel like I'm going to hurt you?" He asked as she shook her head
"No" She said closing her eyes
"Then let me help you" He said pulling her into a hug "Let me help you through this and keep you safe. Stop pushing me away, just let me help you"
She nodded her head against his chest. "Ok" She with a tear filled half smile.
She pulled away and looked at him. "Ok"
Lucas leaned down slightly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Ok"
Ok guys... I was gonna post this a couple days ago, but I changed up this chapter a little bit. It was a lot shorter, but I had some stuff I wanted to add to it. Now do you see why I chose that title? I had a couple of different ways to end this chapter and I ultimately just added them together and got that. I really love how this chapter turned out, but you be the judge.
I'm not sure if this is the end or not. If you want me to add another chapter let me know. If not I'll end it as is!
PLEASE REVIEW!
LOVE SHELL