Whenever he made the man angry, the man would come to his room to "punish him." Sometimes, that would involve hitting him. Sometimes...it would involve other things.

The boy hid his head underneath the covers and prayed that the man wasn't coming upstairs this time. But all of his praying couldn't help him when he heard his doorknob turning.

"Please...please...don't hurt me," the boy cried.

The door creaked open slowly and the boy could see the angry man standing before him. The light from the hallway was blocked by the man's back, and the darkness in the boy's room kept his face obscured. The man slipped into the room and closed the door, locking it.

"I'm sorry," the boy pleaded again.

"Don't be," the man said. "It won't hurt."

Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks. He could tell that he wasn't going to be hit tonight...it was going to involve other things.


ALEC BALE & DARREN REYNOLDS' APARTMENT

Alec climbed out of bed and headed toward the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. The lights were already on in the kitchen and living room, and his roommate Darren Reynolds was eating a bagel.

"What's up," Darren said.

"What time is it?" Alec asked.

"Almost eight."

"Shit," Alec grumbled. "I'm late. I have to pick up Sara and drop her off at school and then drop Phillip off at Melissa's before I go to class."

Darren laughed. "So, my sister's got you as her chauffer these days?"

"No, her car's in the shop," Alec said. "So my mother is forcing me to act like a civilized member of our family."

"Because our family is so civilized."

"You heard it here first," Alec said.

"You know...us living together kind of reminds me of when were kids," Darren said. "Remember when our house was being renovated? So Sara and I stayed at your house with my Dad?"

Alec tensed up for a brief moment. "Yeah, I remember — I haven't got time to shower. I'd better get running."

Akilah hurried down the stairs, still adjusting her hair. She rolled her eyes at her mother as she headed toward the kitchen.

"It's the first day of senior year," Akilah said. "I've had first days before, mom."

"You're not about to be late this year, is what," Leslie said. "All of that tardiness last semester is about to bite you in the ass. Because I'm staying on you all year."

"Not if you take that job that Michael gave you," Akilah retorted. "You can't make me get up this early if you're out of town."

"Don't get flip, missy," Leslie snapped, pushing her toward the kitchen. "Go grab your lunch so we can go."

"You are not driving me to school," Akilah insisted, picking up her bag from the edge of the stairs.

"I have to go into the office early anyway, so I'm going to drive you. What's the problem?"

"Morris is picking me up."

"No the hell that boy isn't," Leslie said. "I told you that I don't want you —"

Akilah's cell phone began to ring.

"Oh, I'll give them something to talk about, alright," Leslie said, referring to Akilah's ringtone.

"It's Morris, I gotta go," Akilah said, heading for the door.

"What about your lunch?!"

"I've got money!" Akilah replied, barely getting the sentence out as the door slammed shut.


HOLDEN HOME

"There's a nice breeze outside," Alec insisted, standing in the doorway while carrying Phillip.

"Valerie isn't at home. She's meeting with her lawyer," Felicia replied.

"Well, in that case," Alec said, smiling as he entered the house. "I hope Dad isn't representing her."

"Of course he's not. I don't think he wants to have anything to do with her after she hired someone to impersonate a dead man and terrorize Melissa for months."

Alec laughed. "I hear he got a kick out of playing a part in sending her off to jail."

"You know, it's not that funny, Alec," Felicia said. "I love my sister."

"Okay. I get that. But it's still funny."

Felicia paused for a moment. "Okay, you're right."

She glanced toward the stairs. "I don't know where Sara is, I knocked on her door."

"I'll go check on her," Alec said. "Hold Phillip for me?"

"Oh, you know I'd love to!" Felicia cooed, taking her grandson from Alec. "Hey there little guy. How are you, huh? How are you?"

Alec smiled as he walked up the stairs and approached Sara's bedroom. To get to it, he had to pass by Matt's empty bedroom — it was still odd to think about not hearing from him in months. It was as if he'd literally vanished off the face of the planet.

Hearing a loud banging noise in Sara's room drew his attention. Alec walked to the door and opened it, looking inside for Sara. She wasn't in her bed, however.

"Where the hell is she?" Alec wondered aloud, before bringing his attention to the bedroom window.

He laughed loudly when he saw Sara crawling through the window.

"Need a hand?" Alec asked.

"Oh, fuck you," Sara said, giving him the finger. "Help me get inside before your mother finds out I've been gone all night."


MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL

"Yeah, of course," Morris said. "By the way, I got something for you."

"What is it?"

Morris opened his glove compartment and removed a necklace with a large locket on it. He handed the necklace to Akilah.

"It's for you," Morris said. "Put it on."

"What, did you steal that?"

Akilah turned to find Julia Mitchell staring at them, her arms folded and a cold stare on her face.

"Julia, not now," Akilah snapped.

"Jules...it's good to see you," Morris said.

"Don't wish I could say the same," Julia said.

"Dude, I don't know why you're being such a bitch," Morris said. "Things didn't work with us because of your crazy ass mother, and now you're just getting jealous."

Julia's mouth fell. "Akilah...do you hear this?"

"It's true," Akilah said softly.

"Whatever," Julia said, heading toward the building. "Screw you both."


HALLWAY — LUNCH PERIOD

"Thanks," Akilah said. "How've you been? I feel like we haven't seen each other in forever."

"I've been good," Sara said. "Things have kind of calmed down in my life since Ric got put away. And you know, your brother and my cousin aren't trying to murder each other anymore, so that's always nice."

"Please, Alec and Vince have just started school," Akilah said, smiling. "I'm sure they'll be at each other's throats by Thanksgiving."

Sara jokingly crossed her fingers. "Here's hoping."

A scruffy looking guy walked toward their lockers, eyeing Akilah.

"Can we help you?" Sara asked.

"Nice locket, bitch," the guy said. "Akilah, right?"

"What's it to you?" Akilah demanded.

The guy snatched the locket from Akilah's neck and quickly shoved it into his pocket. "Thanks."

Akilah and Sara stared at the guy in shock as he disappeared down the hallway.

"Did that...did that really just happen?" Akilah asked aloud.


BALE HOME

"Thanks for taking Phillip for the day, Melissa," Alec said. "I've got class and Jessica has an appointment. I'd have given Phil to my mom, but she's got job interviews today."

"Your mother's going back to work?"

"Yeah," Alec said. "She had to leave Hanley Enterprises after the car accident when she...well, anyway, she's going back to work. And I don't think she really wants to work at Hanley."

"Makes sense," Melissa said. "Even if she is living with the Queen Bitch of the Hanley family. Sorry."

"No, it's fine," Alec said. "Valerie is Valerie — I know she put you through a lot."

"A lot isn't exactly the —" Melissa stopped speaking for a moment as a flash of light went off in her mind.

Suddenly, she found herself lying in a bed, making love to someone. No, correction...she was having sex. Probably sex that someone had paid her for, back when that was her profession.

Melissa got shivers as she tried to block out the image, but she couldn't, at least not until she realized who was with her in the memory. Victor Lopez.

"Melissa, are you okay?" Alec asked, finally snapping her out of it.

"Huh?" Melissa asked. "Oh...yes, I'm fine, Alec. Thanks. Just an old memory, that's all. But anyway, Phillip's going to be fine, he and Hunter love playing together."


MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL

"Hey!" the guy shouted. "What the hell?"

Sara approached him, her hand outstretched.

"Give me my friend's locket back," Sara said.

"What's the problem? Morris told me to take the locket from his bitch," the guy said.

"What?" Sara demanded.

She swiped the locket from the guy's pocket and took a closer look at it. She could see there was a latch on the locket, so she pressed down on it. The locket popped open and several tablets spilled onto the sink counter.

"Is this...is this ecstasy?"

"Of course it is!" the guy said. "What, are you the fucking cops or something? You trying to Jump Street me?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot. Keep the damn stuff, I don't want it. I just want the locket back."

She placed it into her own pocket and turned to leave, but saw that Akilah was standing in the doorway.

"Akilah...how long have you been standing there?"

"I followed you inside when I saw the guy...is that really..." Akilah's voice trailed off.

"Yes," Sara said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Akilah said, fighting back tears. "Can I just have the locket back?"


PARKING LOT — LATER

"Hey baby, what's up?" Morris asked.

"Don't baby me," Akilah said. "Julia was right about you."

"What?"

Akilah shoved the locket toward him. "You're a liar. There was ex in my locket, you bastard. You used me to push drugs at school?"

"Look, I'm really sorry, baby," Morris said. "But that school is prime real estate. I just can't be seen there, because there are some people who'd get angry about me selling on their turf."

"So you send me out to the wolves instead?" Akilah demanded. "Fuck you, Morris. We're over."

Akilah walked away from the car.

"What, you gonna walk home?"

"Yeah, I guess I am!" She shouted over her shoulder.

Morris angrily slammed his fist onto the hood of his car. "Dammit. That damn Julia is always putting her nose into —"

"Morris Anderson."

"Huh?" Morris turned around to find a girl staring at him. He didn't recognize her, she was wearing dark sunglasses and seemed older than the average high school senior. "Can I help you?"

"Word on the street is that you've been selling here," she said. "Mr. Blood isn't happy about that. He'd like to see you. Now."

Suddenly, Morris was very terrified.


SHOP ROOM

"Don't worry, she's going to apologize," Sara said. "Eventually."

"I just feel horrible for her," Julia said. "I didn't want Akilah finding out like that."

"I know," Sara said. "Listen, I should get going. I've got to pick up some stuff for a party later tonight. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Sara stood up and headed toward the entrance that had brought them into the shop room in the first place. Once Sara was gone, Julia stood up as well and grabbed her purse. As she walked toward the door, she heard a loud scream.

"Sara?!" Julia cried out. "Sara?!"

Julia raced out of the room, but she couldn't find Sara. She continued to call her name, running down the hallway and checking in rooms to see if she could find her. She knew the scream had come from the basement.

Finally, she reached the boiler room. She flung open the door and stepped inside. She felt something sticky on the soles of her shoes, but it was too dark to tell what. She fished around for a light switch on the wall.

When she found the switch, she turned it on and looked down at the floor. Julia began to scream uncontrollably when she saw that the floor was covered in blood, and only a few feet away from her was Morris' body. There was a large gash on his neck, and blood was still dripping from it.

Julia tried to turn and leave the room, but someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. She noticed from their skin that whoever was holding her was black. It was an older man.

She struggled to get away, but the man pushed her further into the boiler room until she was standing in front of a sink and a mirror. She could now clearly see who was holding her — she recognized him in the mirror.

"Hello Julia," Quentin Blood said softly, whispering in her ear. "I'm sorry about your ex-boyfriend, but I'm going to need you to stop screaming. We have quite a bit to talk about."