Caroline stirred awake hearing noises in the living room/her room at 2:00am. Startled thinking its a robbery. She grabs the nearest thing to her and shouted. " hey! Whoever you are! You better get out of here! I got a weapon!" caroline shaking, hearing the footsteps getting closer. Panicking taking over and she swung the object. Hitting the figure but they held on to the item tight making caroline still. The person started to speak in pain. "Urgh..what the hell you bitch. Its me dummy! Why did you do that!?"
Caroline gasp realizing who it was. She let go of the weapon and turned on the light to see better of the situation. Max is bending down holding her left side rib. Caroline put her hands on max's shoulders. Max shrugged it away. Her fist tightening making her knuckles white. Caroline is filled with fear. Stuttering she begins to speak "m-max im soo sorry..i didn't mean too..i thought you was a robber who was going to rape me and steal our things..i'm sorry please forgive me!" caroline said but notice max breathing hard as if she was battling something in her head.
Max started to blank out from the pain which filled her emotions with anger. Caroline is unsure of what to do but be consumed with fear. Max then took caroline's left arm forcing the blonde to collide with max but max then used her other hand to grab her neck. Caroline couldn't react fast enough from this sudden attack. She looked to max's eyes and see the other girl is intoxicated and see her green eyes turn dark shade. Realizing max wasn't herself. Caroline tried to break free but max was incredibly strong and every struggle the grip gets tighter. If she keeps moving from the hold she might end up dead. Caroline tried to speak with whatever air she had left in her lungs."max..please let me go..you don't want to hurt me..i dont know what has gotten into you but we can work it out..just please let me go..i don't wanna die...please max..dont do this.." max stared at her. Struggling to come back to normal but this other side of her is overwhelming. Caroline see max in a trace so took advantage and kicked max hard on her abdominal and forgot she had her heels on which cut opened max abdominal area.
Max let go caroline crouching down holding her left side stomach trying to stop the bleeding. caroline watched in horror realizing she just made it worse for herself. She runs to max's bedroom and locks the door. Caroline sitting in the corner looking straight at the door knowing this is the end for her if max gets through. She has never been this scared in her life. Confusion consuming her mind. The only person she loved and trusted so much is now her worst nightmare..her monster that put fear into her. Max was the person she runs to for security and protection now it's become the opposite.
Distracted out of her thought. Max tries to open the door. Grunting and shaking the door nob. Caroline begs whispering to make this stop. Then the unthinkable happens max punches through the door glass and opening it. She then walks slowly to caroline blood stains everywhere. And blood dripping down from the wound. She bends down to be at carolines level and her breathing shaking and heavy.
She drags the blonde girl by her shirt to the bed ripping it in the process. Caroline dreaded this to ever happen. But max was to strong to fight back with. Max squeezed her wrist while straddling on top of her. Caroline cried in pain. She used her free hand to push max off of her but max felt like a boulder when trying to move her away."noo max please noo! Don't! Nooo! Not me! Please god noo! Max! Max!" caroline cried out in desperation. Repeating her name. Max locked her eyes to caroline seeing the tears and seeing the fear in her friend's eyes. Dawning to her of what she is doing. Max started to cry as well and came back to her normal self. Staring at caroline in Confusion. Noticing the tears in caroline's eyes.
Max - " caroline...im.." before she could finish speaking she fainted on caroline from the loss of blood.
Caroline just laid there. Processing what had just happen. To scared to move. Max bed got soaked in her own blood. Caroline looked at max seeing the fainted friend on top of her. Seeing the most scary side of max ever. Turning to the clock. Caroline sighed seeing that its 4:00am. Only three more hours til work. Caroline don't know what to do with max now. She closed her eyes and the rest of the tears flowing down her cheeks. Figuring out what to do next and how to help max before it's too late.
-
Max groaned out of bed. Sitting up and wincing from the certain sting from her side. Looking down she sees her wound padded up with cloth and tape. She then thought about caroline and what happened. Max got up limping to the living. "Caroline are you here? Caroline?" max notice caroline was gone and went to the kitchen sighing. She then saw a note on the table. Picking it up she begins to read it.
'told han that you won't be able to come in today and that you are not feeling well. I tended to your wounds so you should continue resting. Won't be back til midnight. '
- caroline
Max scrabble up the paper and walked to the fridge grabbing a beer and sitting on the couch. Thinking over about what occurred last night and how she let herself get to that point. The worst part is mentioning to caroline what is the real reason she acted the way she did. Bring up a secret max didn't ever want to talk about we'll be out in the surface now. Max is hoping caroline doesn't run away or leave her for what she was about to say. She truly cares for the blonde girl. She would do anything for her but now things have changed. Max sighed and went to her room. Opening the drawer and taking out a small prescription bottle which is empty. Max then slumped down on her bed closing her eyes trying to clear her mind.
At the Williamsburg diner. Caroline is in the back kitchen and oleg looks at her noticing her differently. He spoke with concern.
Oleg- "hey caroline..is everything okay. You acting very weird as if you're afraid. And where is max?" he stepped closer and tried to put his hand to her shoulder. Caroline flinch at the sudden touch.
Caroline stuttered spoke in a nervous way" i-I'm fine oleg really. I'm just exhausted y'know..max is not feeling well so she is resting. Dont worry im good." caroline said while trying to stay occupied with the condiments.
Oleg started to see bruise marks on her and felt alerted to mention it. "Caroline why are there bruise marks on you? Did you hurt herself...did someone do this to you? If so, you must tell han and get the authority involved" oleg said worried for caroline's safety.
Caroline wide eyes turned away from him. Shaking her head no. "No! It was no one okay? It was my fault. No involving the cops. Look i need to get back to serving the customers. I appreciate the concern but like i said everything is fine. Gotta go." with that caroline rushed out to the front and resumed taking orders.
2:00 am hit and caroline started backing to head out and said goodbye to han, oleg and earl. When suddenly earl stopped her and gave her a serious caring look. "Caroline you ain't fooling me. I know a battered woman when i see one. I seen the signs and been around them in my family and friends sadly. Caroline i know you dont wanna talk about it but whatever is going on with you and whoever is doing this. You have to stand up for yourself. Keeping it unspoken will make it worse...im sure max wouldn't want you like this. We are here for you girl. " caroline looked down not wanting to say that max is the one who got her like this. "Thanks earl i appreciate the love and support. I'll keep that in mind. See ya."
Entering the apartment building. Caroline stood in front of the door. Heart racing. Not knowing if max is going to change again. Not knowing what's behind the door that awaits for her. Caroline thought of what to do. Sophie came to mind. She always seem to lighten the mood up.
Caroline starts walking toward sophie's. *knock knock*. The door opened with a cheerful Sophie and a drink in hand. "Oh hey caroline! What brings u up to my place! Max locked you out again?" caroline crooked a half smile. And spoke"no sophie. I just needed to talk with someone and keep me company..some things have happened and i'm trying to understand how to handle it really."
Sophie -" oh okay no problem gurl. Sophie is here to make you feel better. Come on in!" caroline thanked her and walked to the swing porch. Sophie sent to the kitchen and made some more drinks. " you want a drink caroline?" caroline looked up with a half smile. "Sure sophie thanks."
Caroline phone started beeping with notification. She looked down at her phone and see she received a text message. From max black. Her heart raced and she opened the message to see. Max-'hey caroline ..where are you?' caroline ignored the text not wanting her friend to know that she is at sophie cuz that will stir up questions. But for a while max begin to blow up her phone. Her calls going to voicemail. Caroline listened to half of them. Each one became vicious and notice max sounded drunk again.
Meanwhile at the girl's apartment.
Max is with chestnut outside the backyard. Max was heavy drinking and smoking a dobbie. Max looked at chestnut and started ranting to him.
Max-" chestnut why does caroline make it hard to deal with her? Like ignoring my calls and text? Such a bitch. I'm worried about the girl and she doesn't care! She is a difficult woman. Yet i'll do anything to keep her happy. I guess it seems i can't live with her but i can't live without her." max took the bottle of whisky and drank a huge amount almost finishing the bottle. Looking down she noticed the scar on her right side of her stomach. Sighing then realizing chestnut must have witnessed the incident too. Seeing his owner/mom getting hurt.
Max-"chestnut im soo sorry you saw what happened buddie. I..i couldn't stop myself. You know how much your mom means to me! I would never purposely harm her! In all honesty she did triggered that side of me! I can't control this! I'm a mess and a screw up! She should have never entered my life. Now she is getting the price of being with a deranged person like me!" max said anger and sadness filling her. She throw the whisky bottle to the wall and the horse buckled back making noise getting scared from The sound of shattered glass.
Max eyes wide felt the sensation in her brain come back. Making her grab her head. Flash back to an event in her past. Max grunted loudly and yelled in frustration. Breathing heavier. Eyes turning dark again. Her brain started to palpitate. Pounding rapidly. Max began to punch and break anything around her. Hands bloody.
-
Caroline and sophie heard loud noises of something breaking and looked at each other in confusion. They both walked to the window and searched what was going on and saw max destroying things around. Caroline wide eyes started to panic. Was it because of her that max is becoming like this. Noticing chestnut scared in the corner. She realize her poor baby is in the mixed of max outburst and she can't allow him to get hurt. Caroline had to think of something fast.
Caroline -" max! You're looking for me! I'm right here! Come get me!" caroline knew what a mistake this was but she has no other choice. Max looked up and saw caroline. Not thinking she started to climb to get to sophie's window struggling to get farther close. Sophie panicked and throw a pan at max. Max fell on chestnuts hay and shouted" oh you're dead!" She ran to sophie's apartment door.
Caroline tried to think of what to do. Sophie was confused and looked at caroline scared " what is happening to max caroline! She was climbing up the wall like a zombie! Oh no max a zombie?!" caroline shook her head. "Sophie max is not a zombie..i don't know what is happening to her. She is mostly triggered by pain for what i seen. She needs help. We have to try and.." caroline was cut off from the breaking of sophie's door. Caroline saw max opening the door then turned to sophie who had already called the cops.
Caroline-" sophie no don't call the cops..we can resolve this..max is not a..ACK!" caroline choked by max who was arm locking her. Caroline pushed both of them crashing down on the table glass breaking it. Max getting all the impact and cuts. Caroline slapped max to get her to snap out of it. Max grabbed her head and put pressure almost crushing caroline's skull..caroline started scratching max face and eyes..
Caroline continue to attack max face and cried her frustration. Sophie grabbed caroline off of max and looked up in time to see the cops rush in and put handcuffs on max as she stand to her feet. Caroline and max both locked eyes. Caroline looked away and an officer approached her.
Officer-" hello ma'am. May i ask what happened and how this began. Start with saying your name."
Caroline-" yes of course, caroline..Caroline channing..."caroline started telling the officer everything. And the officer taking note thanked her and left.
Sophie was cleaning the mess and looked up at Caroline and spoke. " caroline i know this is a hard times but i'm here for you gurl." caroline smiled and helped sophie with the mess as well.
Caroline usually have bad days but this has become a nightmare she wish to wake up from. From this day forward everything will change. But deep down she want to help her dear friend...no matter how much it hurts.
After finishing helping sophie. Caroline walked into max room and fixing her bed. When she notice the draw open. Caroline curiously looked inside and her eyes widen. She picked up a prescription pills bottle and read the fine print. 'Zoloft' caroline gasp knowing max's outburst now. Max is battle a traumatic past and is reliving it by the things that are triggering it..caroline realizes how deep max is in. Caroline can't let her friend go through this battle alone. After all she is in it with max for the long haul.
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TO BE CONTINUED...