The swirling winds tore through the open water as two young women stood above eyeing the storm. This was no ordinary storm, and these were not ordinary people. Standing on the cliff beside the lighthouse, ways away from a tornado that showed no signs of slowing down, a decision had to be made. A decision so significant that it makes one wonder why an 18-year-old girl was tasked with making it.

How's going back again supposed to stop this?

Max's thoughts flooded her as she stared at the photo of a bright blue butterfly. She knew what she was expected to do but still wasn't quite clear on why she had to do it. That's to be expected of course, as things never really made much sense from the start. It was one of the wildest weeks of her life where everything that could have went wrong, did. And yet somehow, she found herself perfectly content with where she was standing. Maybe, even more than that. That sense of happiness always made her feel guilty, how could she be feeling happy when a storm threatened to destroy her hometown?

The answer to that was strikingly clear. Max looked up and ensnared the eyes of her blue haired best friend standing in front of her.

Chloe.

Chloe Price. Five years before the wild week even began, it all started with her. Guilt had consumed Max as she moved away and failed to keep in touch with Chloe when she needed her the most, after losing her father to a horrific car accident. Now they were together once more, and that alone was enough to keep Max's spirits up through the terror that they had faced. Despite the rain obstructing her face, she was still able to captivate Max Caulfield. She meant the world to her. Chloe had devised a plan to save Arcadia Bay and all it would take was for her to sacrifice her own life. This was a decision she had come to terms with, hell she arguably encouraged it. The acceptance, however, was one sided since Max believed that the only reason she's still living was because Chloe was there by her side.

She's ready to give it all up… I don't know if I can.

"Max... It's time..." Chloe's voice trembling as she talked. She was ready to put an end to all this but the thought of dying still had her unsettled.

Please, no. I don't want to do this, I need you.

"Chloe… I'm so, so sorry… I… don't want to do this" Max was shaking as she spoke.

I need you goddamnit! Why can't you be more selfish?

"I know Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay?" This new Chloe Price had developed within the past week, and she was not going to back down from her resolve.

"And you'll make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel." Chloe paused, searching for the right words to express her feelings.

"Being together this week… It was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for." In an instant, the sounds of the devastating storm had become nothing more than a backdrop to them as she stepped towards Max.

"You're my hero, Max"

Instinctively, Max's eyes closed as she leaned in and locked lips with Chloe. Passion. Fear. Love. It all came together in one fell swoop. It was a kiss that Max had long desired since Chloe dared her: one where Chloe reciprocated precisely what Max had felt. This kiss had sent an inexplicable feeling throughout Max's body, a sensation she had never felt before. It was as if an aura of invincibility had surrounded her and kept them safe as the storm roared on. The moment would never end, if the pair could have it their way, but that was not the case and Chloe selflessly broke the embrace.

"I'll always love you… Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak." Chloe cried as she moved away from her.

I'll always love you. Those words were caught in Max's throat as she tried, unsuccessfully, to respond.

"And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me…"

"Never." Max replied before turning her head.

Her eyes then reluctantly locked onto the butterfly photo, causing the Polaroid to shift into focus. In an instant, everything around her disappeared.

Click.

The camera flashes and the photo spits out. Max glances at the photo one more time with tears forming in her eyes. Time seemed to slow down and the wait became utterly torturous. It was as if the world had been playing a cruel joke on her and this was the long-awaited punchline. Here, said the universe, take these powers and save that girl from getting murdered. By the way, that was your best friend that you hopelessly abandoned five years ago. You saved her? Fuck you, she was supposed to die so allow me to destroy the entire god damn town instead.

This is so fucking unfair.

Without a second thought, Max slips the photo into her messenger bag and slides to the ground, not willing to witness the scene once more.

I love you, Chloe.

The door creaks open as a young man steps inside the girl's restroom and surveys the area.

"It's cool, Nathan…" The voice trails off as Max's mind closes off.

Fuck you, Nathan.

The door swings open once again and the all too familiar blue haired girl steps in. "I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say." Chloe's voice penetrated Max's conscience, shooting through the barriers she had precariously placed up.

Why'd you have to be here today?

"Now, let's talk bidness."

The voices filtered out once again. Only bits and pieces could puncture through Max as she buried her head into her arms and cried.

"Nobody would EVER even miss your punk ass, would they?" Nathan had his finger on the trigger as he pushed Chloe up towards the wall.

"Get that gun away from me psy-"

Bang.

Tears poured from Max's eyes, crashing into the ground simultaneously as Chloe collapsed. It was a scene she had desperately tried to prevent, but the ending that was "destined" to happen had finally played out. The blue butterfly unhurriedly flapped its wings and flew out through the crack of the window it came from. This was how it ends.

Nathan Prescott began losing his mind, apologizing to the world for the terrible mistake he just committed. It was all an accident, he claimed as he pleaded for some semblance of reprieve. The universe would have none of it, leaving a troubled kid wandering aimlessly as any hope of a meaningful future slowly vanished. Amidst Nathan's panic, a quiet but unmistakable voice pulls at Max.

"Max."

Did she just?!

Max scrambled to peek her head around the stall. As she found the scene of the crime, Chloe was looking directly at her.

"I… love you." Chloe squeaked out before her eyes slammed shut.

How the fu-?!

Before she could complete her thought, Max was interrupted by her peripheral vision burning out. The moment had locked in. It was time to move forward.

A/N - Hi everyone! This is my first ever major creative writing project and it's based off of my favorite game of all time, Life is Strange. I'd like to give props to the Dontnod Entertainment crew for creating such lovable characters in Max and Chloe, and for creating an all-around amazing game. I've always loved the creative process that goes into any piece of art, whether it's writing, music, dancing etc. That being said, I've only ever written short stories for school and have never undertaken a project of this magnitude. I'm still debating as to whether or not I want to create a pure fluff piece or if I'm aiming for something more, though I'm leaning towards something more at the moment. Chapter 1 was essentially just rehashing the end of the game but it was still fun to write and it sets the scene for everything to come. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this intro, feel free to give me a shout or leave a comment, and I'll see ya'll next chapter! - TheDithyK