Chapter One: Purgatory
"Max…are you sure?" Chloe's face was wet, but not all moisture came from the storm. Her eyes bore into Max. She looked more vulnerable than Max had ever seen her.
How could so much go wrong in five days? She'd made so many bad choices. She'd watched Chloe die so many times. Not now. Not today. She was worth everything.
Max took her hand, squeezing as hard as she could. Slowly, Chloe nodded. It felt strangely peaceful as the turned to watch the storm tear through Arcadia Bay. An absurd tranquillity washed over them.
I would let the world burn for you, Chloe.
They were silent for a long while, watching Max's decision unfold before them. They watched as the storm ripped its way through Arcadia Bay. Had they even tried to speak, their voices would have been drowned out by the screaming wind. The swirling vortex moved tantalisingly slowly through the town, ensuring everything in its path was crushed.
Max felt a tug on her hand. Without a word, she allowed Chloe to lead her down from the lighthouse. The sky boomed above them, and the rain had soaked their clothes right through, but neither complained. The closer they got to the town, the more Max started to realise the magnitude of what she'd done. Building had been ripped apart. Roof tiles and broken glass littered the streets, forcing them to pick their way carefully through all the debris. Beached whales lay sprawled across the roads.
I did this. I killed all these innocent people. This is all my fault.
Chloe must have known what Max was thinking, because she pulled her hand and said, "It wasn't your fault Max. None of this was." At Max's hopeless expression, she added, "It wasn't. You didn't have a choice in any of this."
Kate. Warren. Victoria. Nathan. David. Joyce. A new wave of tears flooded Max's eyes. She couldn't look at it. Any of it. She just wanted to leave Arcadia Bay. What was left of it.
"Life is…fucked up."
You said it. Max couldn't bring herself to answer, and silence fell between them again. They trudged on. The rain beat down on them and they fought against the wind. It was as though nature itself was asking, begging Max to turn around a make a different decision. She looked on in vain for the doe to guide her along the right path, as it so often had.
Max felt Chloe's grip on her hand tighten, and she looked sideways at her. The girl's eyes were looking firmly at the ground. To their left, Max realised, was the remains of the Two Whales diner. A lump rose in Max's throat. Frank and Warren and Joyce. They'd all been in there. Joyce never found out if Chloe or David were safe. She died terrified. Frank never knew what happened to Rachel. Warren…
Max couldn't take anymore. She stumbled over onto her knees and gagged. There was nothing left in her stomach to throw up. The last thing she'd eaten had been a pretzel at the End of the World party. It seemed like a thousand years ago now. She felt a hand on her back. Chloe was bent over Max, shielding her from the carnage she'd caused.
How can you comfort me after all I've done? Your family is dead because of me. She broke down completely. Her sobbing was lost to the jarring sounds of the weather. None of this could be real. Max didn't want any of it to be real.
"Max…come on. You have to get up."
Max didn't move.
"Please, Max. We need to go."
Still nothing.
Rather than a soft hand on her back, Max suddenly felt herself being wrenched up into a standing position. Chloe's angry eyes bore into hers.
"Max. You didn't come all this way just to give up now. Come on." Once again, she took Max's hand and dragged her down the road without negotiation. Max was grateful. She needed Chloe to be angry. She wanted her to shout. She deserved to be yelled at. Letting herself be pulled along, for once out of control, was a relief.
Following Max's advice, Chloe has parked her truck well away from the main part of the town. It seemed miraculous, if ridiculous, that the vehicle had survived when hidden behind a close cropping of trees, close enough for them to get to the lighthouse in time but far enough that it was out of the direct line of fire. Max was in a daze. She allowed Chloe to help her into the truck and even fasten her seatbelt for her. It seemed she was taken no chances this time around. The engine stuttered into gear and the truck moved off. Max didn't ask where they were going. She didn't need to. Like she'd always promised, Chloe was leaving Arcadia Bay. Max stared out of the window at the town she had singlehandedly destroyed. "Arcadia" seemed like a poor title for the wreckage they were leaving behind. She'd gone there to pursue her dreams. Now she was leaving the living nightmare they'd all experienced.
Max felt eyes on her and turned to look at Chloe. Her eyes were red but her tears had finally ceased for the moment. She took Max's hand again and the briefest of smiles flashed across her face. Within moments, her focus was back on the road. Max's gaze remained fixed on Chloe.
Was it worth it?
Looking at the blue-haired girl beside her, she thought it might be. There was hope outside Arcadia Bay.