Eternal Sunshine of the Strangest Mind (A Life is Strange Fan Fic)

Chapter 1: Journal Entry 10/09/2013

I've always found the classic "near-mythical small American town" archetype to be fascinating.

Twin Peaks.

Bates Motel.

I could be wrong but I feel like Arcadia Bay has its own dark secret hidden beneath the furnace of its charming surface. There is an aura of mystique lingering over this idyllic town. The moment I first arrived here, I felt as if I have known this place for a thousand years. Everything seems so... familiar.

Maybe I should have stayed at Seattle with Mom and Dad. But the allure of Blackwell Academy was hard to resist. Nestled in the coastline of Oregon, it is the perfect place to start my life anew. Nobody noticed me at Seattle. I was just another body at the hallway to be brushed against. I had no friends. But who could I blame? I was a lost cause who was living like a hermit in my own twisted head. Well, I still am. But I knew then that an acceptance letter from Blackwell could change everything. And it did. When I first got here, I was surrounded by the most colorful characters from my own generation. Science prodigies like Warren and Brooke. Modern day aristocrats such as Victoria Chase and Nathan Prescott. Amateur athletes with world-class potential - Zachary and Logan. And there were other charismatic youngsters like Daniel, Courtney, Stella, and of course, my new BFF, Kate Marsh. If I could name them all, I would. Plus, I was under the tutelage of the world's most revered photographer, Mark Jefferson. I spent my entire adolescence admiring his work in an austere, soul-crushing suburbia with dreams of one day becoming an artiste, just like Mr. Jefferson. The pictures he shot for publications such as Esquire, National Geographic, and Life Magazine graced the wall of my teenage bedroom back in Seattle. I swear I nearly died when he first read my name aloud in front of the class during our first "Photography Lab".

In my first couple of weeks at Blackwell Academy, everything was perfect. Blackwell was my own private Shangri-La. I felt happy with the crowd there. I finally felt accepted. Mr. Jefferson couldn't stop gushing about the bokeh I handed over for our photography assignment. There is no greater feeling in the world than to be acknowledge by your own personal hero. I volunteered to help Kate on her abstinence awareness campaign - which was a success. Victoria and I started becoming closer as friends after I shot the pics for her fashion project. Nathan and I bonded over our love for photography. Every time we hung out, we would discuss the photographers who influenced us. Diane Arbus. Robert Capa. Bill Brandt. Mary Ellen Mark. Nathan brings out the photo geek in me. Not to mention, he is extremely gifted in photography. His personal style is so dark and surrealistic. He makes Tim Burton look like Willy Wonka. I feel so grateful to have Nathan as my comrade. I know her cares for me when he bought me a box of marzipans, all the way from Switzerland, which made Warren jealous. Speaking of the devil, Warren took me out for movie dates on every weekend. Somehow I feel like we have passed the "lab partner" phase and heading towards the ubiquitous "Could they and should they?" phase. There were moments where I found myself resting my heavy head on his shoulder at the movies. I still don't know how it happened but deep inside, I am glad it did. I bet that would make Nathan jealous (I'm such a bad girl).

Everything was perfect until things started to get weird. My nose started to bleed profusely every now and then. It wasn't a pretty sight for Ms. Grant when she saw blood draining out of my nose into a sodiumwhateverthefuck-filled beaker at science class. Needless to say, that incident left me traumatized. Things got a lot weirder when I found these writings on the slate outside of my dorm room.

"CHAOS THEORY"

"MEET ME BY THE LIGHTHOUSE"

Odd. I could not make sense of any of it. The other girls in the dormitory were also puzzled by the strangeness of the messages. Except for Victoria who had her own theory. "That geek Warren probably did it to spook you out. He has a serious crush on you, Maxine". Ugh! She made me feel guilty for "friendzoning" Warren or whatever that means. I have never been in a relationship before so thought of entering one is chillingly frightening. But Warren is the coolest nerd I have ever met and yes, I do love him. I just don't have the courage to pursue a romantic relationship at this stage of my life. And Warren is not the only guy I care for. But even I know that there was no way that Warren sneaked into the girls' dorm just to write random gibberish on my slate. My heart sinks every time I think about those messages. Chaos theory? Lighthouse? What could they possibly mean?

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi guys! For my first chapter, the biggest mistake I made was to start the story with little background. I must admit that I kinda rushed to publish this chapter so that's why it's short and felt a bit rushed. I didn't explore Max's days in Seattle in details. I should have given more scenarios involving Max and the other characters at Blackwell Academy. I promise to improvise for the later chapters but I may have to take more time to do so. Hope you guys can understand :)