Chapter One

Early June 2005

Ryan is currently questioning his relationship with Marissa, while Seth doesn't know what to do with the quickly growing Atomic County empire he and Zach have created. When offered to star in the main role of the upcoming movie version of the graphic novel, Summer Roberts agreed, after Seth much warned her the complications--he was already in the limelight, the comic book becoming a pop-culture phenomenon. Kirstin is nearing her final few weeks at rehab, where she has made several friends, including the mysterious Oliver. She has no idea that he has already caused damage to her life, being the downfall that led here, beginning with the cause of Ryan's leave, which also caused Seth to depart, which led to her drinking problem. She was here because of him, and yet she had no idea.

Let the story continue…

Ryan received the phone call that night. It was June the third, and he was asleep in bed. Marissa lay beside him--they hadn't had sex that night--they had never had sex before this time. They were just sleeping together (as sex-related as it sounds). Ryan rolled over on his side, rubbing a hand across the top of his head, causing his dark blonde hair to stick up on their ends. "Y'ello?" he said softly. There was a long silence, but Ryan could hear heavy breathing on the other end. "Hello?" he said, slightly annoyed with whoever this was--no, not slightly annoyed, really annoyed. He again said into the phone, "Hello?" Finally, there was a response, though not the one he had been expecting.

"The nightmare is about to begin for you, Ryan Atwood."

Ryan's eyes grew wide. "Who the hell is this?"

"It starts now." There was a soft click and Ryan could hear the dial tone. Damn those stupid prank callers, he thought as he slammed the phone down on the side of the table, nearly smashing it.

"Who was that?" groaned Marissa, half asleep, rolling over to face him. "I heard something--"

"Shh," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head softly. "Go back to sleep."

Ryan sat there, the moonlight shining down on their bodies through the windows in the poolhouse. How could he go on like this, sleeping with Marissa (not in a sexual way), pretending that nothing had happened, that she hadn't killed his brother--

Then he remembered. She did it for him.

Or so he thought, but then came the day when he learned of new evidence.

She had been drunk the night he had tried to rape her.

And that changed EVERYTHING.

Late October, 2005

Newport, California

"No!" screamed Ryan as he fell down the well. "Marissa, help me!" He looked up, seeing her towering above the well in which he was falling. The well was bottomless, it was never-ending. He could see the light--and Marissa--beginning to disappear as he descended down the towering well. He extended his hand as far as he could, and managed to grab onto a loose stone. Yes, he had finally caught himself, stopped himself from falling…he looked downwards and saw nothing but darkness…forever… "Marissa!" he called. "Find a rope and help me up!" He glanced upwards and saw her still staring down at him, obviously in shock.

"Ryan?" she said. "Ryan, I can't. I can't, Ryan. He's got me…He's got me…"

"Who's got you?" asked Ryan, confused.

"He's got me, he's got me…"

"Who has you?" demanded Ryan, but, no matter how many times he asked, she kept saying, "He's got me, he's got me."

"WHO?" screamed Ryan finally.

"I do," came a booming voice from above, and, at first, Ryan thought it was God's voice. But, after processing the voice in his mind, Ryan knew who it was. The voice definitely didn't belong to God--more like Satan. That was when he saw a shadow stretching towards the top of the well, making it seem darker still. He recognized the face immediately, probably because of his evil voice.

"Oliver," he gasped, gripping onto the stone harder so that he would not fall in shock.

"It's me," smiled Oliver, throwing a small pebble down the well, which plucked Ryan on the head with a soft pow! Ryan squinted his eyes closed in pain, but immediately looked back up, soon enough to see that Oliver was dragging Marissa away.

Away forever.

"NO!" screamed Ryan, trying to desperately climb up the well, but to no success. "No!"

And that dream was what made him wake up.

New York City, New York

Summer lay on the floor unconscious. She had lost so much blood from being shot, and had tried to make it down the stairs but wasn't able to. She hadn't fallen down most of the stairs, but then came to a rest at the bottom. A man, old and ragged, around fifty or so, had tried to rape her, but not before a hotel maid spotted him and called for the hotel management. Summer was immediately taken to the hospital, where she was treated and lay unconscious for nearly three days. When she awoke, so did Seth and, halfway across the country, so did Ryan Atwood, their friend in Newport, California.

The doctors told her Seth was okay, and she wanted to go and see him immediately, but the doctors wouldn't allow it. They said that he was paralyzed--that Seth Cohen, the love of her life, the one she would never give up for anything, was paralyzed. He would have died for her, he would have died for Summer, Summer, who had betrayed him a few months before, who he had just gotten back together with.

He loved her.

Seth really, really loved Summer.

And for that he had lost the use of his legs.

Meanwhile in ?

Marissa lay in the back seat of a large van. Somewhere near Texas, Oliver had abandoned Ryan's car and stolen an old 80's style van. She lay there, tape over her mouth, legs and arms bound. Her cheeks had raw lines down the sides, where her tears had fallen, where they had streaked temporary scars into her skin. And, even though it hurt her to, she still cried, and cried, and cried.