"Oh my God!" Max exclaims as she lays eyes on the carnage.
Chloe said nothing but simply stood nearby. Both girls had stepped out of the lighthouse parking lot and were standing on a sidewalk leading back into the city — what was left of it anyway.
Max looks up at the sky and sees that the sun has come out.
At least the storm died down, Max thinks before a sudden realization comes to her.
"We should look around."
Chloe was still a bit awe struck that Max spared her from her fate in the bathroom, but came back into focus once Max started speaking.
"For what?" Chloe asked.
"People… Survivors…. Anyone… someone might have survived."
The hell they did, Chloe thought, but she could not find the strength to convince Max otherwise.
"Sure," Chloe silently utters, "Where do we start?"
"At your truck."
Max took hold of Chloe's hand, and Chloe did not resist. They walked slowly back to the truck, and the duo headed into the remains. Max surveyed the area as Chloe drove around and spotted a familiar face.
"Samuel?" Max called out like an epiphany.
Indeed it was Samuel, he was wet and dirty, but still had his signature smile as he waved toward the truck. The best part is that he was not alone. A man that shuffled along with an injured leg was nearby. Max recognized the trucker. Chloe pulled up near them, and Max got out to greet the men. Chloe followed.
"Samuel! I am so glad you are okay."
"Max," Samuel spoke, "you shouldn't be here. It is not safe."
"Damn right! Ow!" interjected the trucker as he tried to move toward Samuel.
"You shouldn't exert yourself too much. Let me help." Samuel offered and put one of the trucker's arms across Samuel's own shoulders.
"We need to call someone. Where are the cops?" Max inquired.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Samuel answered, "I must bring this man to a small shelter I have made with a couple others."
"There are more survivors?" Chloe asked hopefully.
"You could say that. Two students from Blackwell, Alyssa and Evan, are in the building a couple of blocks down the road. Sadly, Evan is not conscious and Alyssa sprained her ankle."
Max suddenly had a flashback to when she helped Alyssa down from a building with a long wooden board and pulled Evan away from being hit in the head by a flying sign. Unfortunately, things were changed so that Max was never there to save them.
"I must bring this man to safety. If you see anyone, please tell them to go to that building there."
Samuel had snapped Max out of her train of thought, but she and Chloe took note of where Samuel was pointing.
Max decided to walk around a bit, and Chloe didn't argue. There was a certain location near the docks that wasn't too far away.
Flashbacks of that horrible day replayed in Max's mind. The rain, the wind, and the tornado itself were still fresh in her mind.
Max then remembered a large fire and a shovel.
"Oh my God!" Max shrieks as she runs over and falls to her knees near a pile of sand. Chloe came over to Max and put a hand on her shoulder. Chloe could barely speak because they both knew the ruin before them was at one time called Two Whales.
"Holy shit!" Chloe managed to get out, "The diner is ruined – like it caught fire or something."
"Chloe!" Max shrieks through some tears.
Chloe takes Max's arms and lifts her up before pulling Max close and hugging her. Max returns the hug by wrapping her arms around Chloe's waist. Max buries her face into Chloe's chest and whispers something to Chloe, but it is unintelligible.
"Wh- What?." Chloe meekly asked.
"I couldn't save them!" Max responds in a bit louder but still muffled tone.
"What do you mean?" Chloe inquired. She figured it had to do with Max's rewind, but still hadn't put the whole rewind process together yet.
Max pulls away from Chloe and attempts to regain some composure for an explanation.
"In the other timeline, I had to come to the diner in order to save you and…"
Max's eyes begin to water again.
"I managed to stop the diner from going up in flames but…"
Chloe takes hold of Max before she can finish.
"Max, it's going to be okay."
Chloe holds Max as she weeps silently.
"I saw several bodies on my way there…" Max croaks in her sobbing.
Chloe doesn't try to answer, but keeps holding Max as she breaks down. After what seems like a long while, Max manages to calm down and backs out of the hug. After taking a few steps toward the diner, Chloe grabs Max's arm.
"You should stay here" Chloe softly asks.
"I need to search the diner." Max objected.
"YOU need to stay calm. I will look around. Wait here."
"Chloe…"
"Max."
"Chloe! Why are you-"
"Max," Chloe repeats with worried eyes, "you've gone through so much. Please just relax for a bit. Please?"
Max sees the concern and complies. When Max is in the truck, Chloe goes and looks around the diner. The door is blocked and by the whale sign, but Chloe climbs over some rubble to look through a window to the right of the front door. Max watches and realizes the window is at the same table where they both sat a few days ago.
Please no bodies, please…
Chloe examines the area for a bit and jumps back to the ground.
After returning to Max, the silence was immediately broken.
"Well?" Max questions worriedly.
"No one is in the diner."
Max was relieved, but Chloe's thoughts gave a slightly alternative event.
Jesus. I could only see a hand, but I could tell a body was in there. Max doesn't need to worry about that. She's gone through so much.
The two girls sat in silence – each of them thinking about their next move when both were immediately startled.
It was Chloe's phone.
Chloe pulled it out and checked the screen. Then she turned on speakerphone.
"David?" she spoke.
"Chloe! Is Max there?" David asked worriedly.
"She is right here. We were at the lighthouse when it hit."
"That's a relief. I managed to get some people to the police station. Some of my cop buddies were locking the jail down and keeping the prisoners in check. Are you both okay?"
Max was worried again.
"Jefferson?" she asked timidly.
"He is still in custody."
Max was again relieved, and Chloe continued.
"Yeah, we're okay. Is Mom there?"
"She's by the front door with Warren and that dealer with his dog."
"Frank?" Chloe asked, trying to sound casual.
"Bowers?"
Chloe and Max stayed silent.
"I thought I recognized him."
"I'm glad all of you are okay." Max said in a relaxed tone.
"Me too Max."
Chloe noticed Max was not as stressed and was even smiling a bit. David was quiet for a second as some other voices could be heard from the other side.
"-cking fascist fu-" was yelled before another abrupt sound cut it off. Max didn't need to be told that it was Jefferson who was yelling at someone on the other end.
"Good thing that police van still works. The storm wrecked a lot of cars." David spoke to someone else. There was also someone shouting profanities at a "sick bastard" that both the Max and Chloe recognized as good old Frank.
"Get away from the van!" David yelled before a few loud tapping sounds came through the phone. Another scratching noise came before another voice came through.
"Chloe?"
"Mom?" Chloe answered excitedly.
"I am so glad you are both okay! David set the phone down to help one of his friends restrain Frank. He kept shouting and beating the doors with his fists. That dog of his is going nuts too."
Good old Pompidou, Max thought as Chloe answered her mother.
"We are glad you are okay too! How did you guys get through the storm?"
"Well, Frank, Warren, and I were at Two Whales when something detonated and crashed some of the structure by the front door in. We had to crawl out and found some shelter in a house and, when the storm died down; we went out and made it to the police station where David and his friends met us with that teacher, Mark Jefferson, in handcuffs. They just put him in the police van and are planning to drive him to a jail in another town nearby. I heard one of the cops say that the National Guard is heading our way."
"The National Guard?" both girls asked adamantly.
"Yeah, the Guard is coming in. Listen though; you two need to find somewhere safe to go that is not here. Somewhere far away. Have you called your parents, Max?"
"No…" Max hadn't thought about them for a while. What was she going to say?
"Give them a call. They are probably worried sick about you."
Max thought for a moment and pulled out her own phone. There were already three missed calls from Max's own mother, Vanessa.
"I should go ahead and do that." Max answered Joyce.
"Good."
"Mom," Chloe spoke into the phone after turning off speakerphone, "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Max walked out of earshot of Chloe and proceeded to dial her mother. She found a bench, then tapped call and waited.
"Mom?" Max asked shakenly after hearing her mother's voice.
"Maxine! Oh my God! Are you okay?" Max's Mom asked with concern.
"I'm fine, and Chloe is too."
"Chloe? That is a name that I haven't heard in a while. But that's great news! I would get your father, but he's at work and-"
"Mom, I have something to ask."
"Go right ahead."
"Is it okay if I come home?"
"Of course it is okay!"
Max paused and had to contemplate her words for a moment before continuing
"Is it okay if Chloe comes with me?"
"Are her parents okay with it?"
"They are." Chloe chimed in.
Max jumped when she realized that Chloe had finished her call with Joyce sooner than later and had come over to attentively listen to the Max's phone conversation.
"Cereal?" Max asked
"For cereal, shaka-bra" Chloe responded with a grin, "David wants to help out the National Guard and Joyce wants to chip in. They both want us as far from here as possible, and Seattle is far enough."
Max returned the grin with another grin.
"Then it is perfectly fine!" Max's Mom responded, "How long will it take for you to get here? Need any money?"
"A few days," Max answered, "I think we can make it."
"Okay then, well, give us a call if you change your minds!"
"Thanks Mom, see you soon. Love you!" Max ended as she hung up.
Max and Chloe went back to the truck.
"Guess we are on our way out to Seattle!" Chloe spoke in an upbeat tone.
"What about the others?" Max asked, "We should tell David-"
"I talked to Mom about it before I went back to you. She told David, and he called the hospital. Some people picked them up."
Max stared at Chloe with a glitter in her eye.
"Taking some initiative, my dear Lizzie?"
"Dude!" grunted Chloe annoyed, "NEVER call me that."
There's my Chloe, Max thought to herself.
After a chuckle, the girls got back into Chloe's truck and started on through the city. Max looked through the window and a few words came slowly through her mind.
…into fucking glass…and brick…and wood…and concrete…
Chloe kept driving through what was left, but kept thinking about Max.
I am always going to be with you, Max. No matter what. I made certain that David and Mom knew that, and I am not going to leave you. Ever.
Chloe stopped her truck in the middle of the road and reached out to Max's shoulder. Max looked back and gave Chloe a smile for a moment before Chloe leaned back to the wheel and sped out of Arcadia Bay.
As Chloe and Max rode on, Max's thoughts had a past memory creep in. It was five years ago when her family first drove on and away from Arcadia Bay. Max looked over to Chloe, who was looking forward as she drove on.
Max? Is something wrong?
Look Chloe, my dad got a new job….
He's not a sports manager anymore?
He still is, but he… uh… got a promotion…
That's cool. So what are you getting at?
…..the promotion is for a position in Seattle.
Max vividly remembered the look on Chloe's face. Soon, the disbelief turned into yelling. It was the harshest fight they had ever had. The worst part is when they parted ways that day, that moment was the last time they would see each other for the next five years.
My God, Chloe, Max thought, you have changed so much, and I almost lost you for good. I am going to make up for those five years with the rest of my life. The rest of OUR lives.
Chloe glanced over and smiled slightly. Max returned one.
A few hours later, the duo came upon a small motel. They decided to check in for the night and continue on in the morning. Max still had her birthday money and got a small room with a two-person bed at the other end of the room. It was not too shabby. Clean with a dresser to the right of the door as they walked in. A window with white blinds was atop the dresser and the walls had a yellowish-brown color.
Max and Chloe didn't have much besides what was on their backs and in their pockets, plus what Max had in her schoolbag, but they had each other. That was all they needed.
Later, the two ate some food from a nearby Chinese takeout place across the street and turned in for the night.
It was almost pitch black aside from the moonlight from the window when Max turned the lights off. She laid back with her head against the pillow got lost in thought. Max thought about everything from that last week and the nightmare that began it all.
Who would have thought that horrible dream would have meant so much more, Max thought, and to think about everything else right afterwards. Chloe being involved with Nathan, that missing girl being Chloe's new best friend, Chloe owing money to a drug dealer, Jefferson and that….
Max felt duct tape on her wrists.
That fucking place…, Max shivered.
Max remembered being photographed when she suddenly jumped slightly. She felt something feeling her back and wrapping around her waist.
Max turned her head slightly and saw some blue hair and felt some slow exhaling on her neck. In her sleep, the unconscious Chloe had shifted over to be closer to Max. Once Max relaxed a bit and shifted toward Chloe, Max closed her eyes.
Morning came and the two set out again. Eventually they passed a sign welcoming them to Seattle. Max pointed out a few sights to Chloe, and they even stopped a few times for a few polaroids and for Chloe to pick up some more cigarettes.
Soon there was a familiar interstate.
"We are almost there," Max alerted, "Keep going till the second exit."
"Copy that," Chloe chimed.
The truck pulled into the small road leading to the garage.
"Here we are," Max spoke hesitantly. She could remember the first time she was there.
And here we are!
Wowsers Dad, this place looks fantastic!
Why don't you go on and pick out a room, Maxine?
Thanks Mom!
Max remembered going inside with her old polaroid camera and photographing the inside. By a similar token, Chloe was also lost in a few of her own thoughts.
This is where you were Max? This whole time… This whole fucking time while I was falling apart, you were here in this FUCKING place!
Chloe had some feelings of anger she hadn't felt in a while. Those feelings found their way to her mouth.
"This is where you stayed for fiv-"
Chloe caught herself and looked toward Max, who was taken abruptly out of her daydream. Max had a straight look on her face.
"Yes Chloe. This is where I was for five years."
There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other.
"Max… I…"
"Chloe," Max interrupted. Chloe stopped and pressed her lips together.
"I am sorry. For leaving you by yourself all those years. I didn't know how to help you. You…"
Chloe's hair turned blonde. Max felt the railing of a hospital bed and heard a breathing apparatus. Tears filled Max's eyes and the rest of her words came out through sniffling.
"…were in so much pain. I couldn't handle it, and I just kept putting off calling you and then it was five years later. How was I supposed to face you when I came back? The fight we had… I… I'm so sorry for William!"
Max turned away and covered her face. Chloe teared up slightly and put her hands on top of the steering wheel and put her forehead between them.
Dammit! God FUCKING dammit! Why the fuck do I keep bringing this up?
Chloe reprimanded herself some more before being patted on the back. She looked over and saw Max's glossy eyes.
"I-"
Before Max could begin, Chloe reached over and hugged Max tightly.
"I swear to God I will never bring it up again," Chloe said softly.
Max returned the tight hug.
They managed to get themselves back together and got out. They walked to the front door.
"You think they will recognize me?" Chloe asked.
"No." Max said adamantly.
"Why the fuck n-," Chloe exclaimed before Max slapped her right upper arm and pointed to Chloe's head.
"Oh… well… I still have my personality!"
"The hell you do," Max retorted as she rolled her eyes.
"Let's see!" Chloe announced before beating on the door.
"Chloe! I'm not-"
The door opened before Max could finish, and a tall, bearded man poked his head out and looked at Chloe. His stare was blank, before a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.
"You damn hooligans! Think you can hang around my house and mess up the woodwork?" he yelled before swinging the door open with a bat in his hand.
"Dad!" Max cried.
"Max! You made it!" the man said happily before doing a double take of the hooligan.
"….Chloe?"
"Hi Ryan…" Chloe cheerfully spoke with a forced grin. The man had a blank stare with an open jaw. Chloe saw past him, with her peripheral vision, a woman sitting at a table with her hands over her mouth. She soon dropped her hands and called out.
"Maxine! Chloe! Come in!"
Max's father closed his mouth and returned inside. He put the bat next to the door before looking back with a smile. Max entered with Chloe following and closing the door behind them.
The first couple of days were a bit awkward, especially for Chloe. First thing everyone did was take a seat in the living room and talk about last week. Topics included how Max and Chloe reunited, and Chloe's life leading up to the reunion, Chloe's stepfather David, the video and attempted suicide of Kate Marsh, the disappearance of Rachel Amber, Mark Jefferson and the underground bunker, and the storm.
As a few weeks passed, the storm was covered by just about every news outlet and weather expert. No one had an answer about where it came from or why it happened. Most of the content put out was interviews with various survivors that were either heavily shaken, injured, or both. Thanks to these outlets, plus social media, Chloe and Max managed to figure out who survived the chaotic storm.
Warren, Alyssa, Samuel, the trucker, and Evan were all taken to the hospital. The same one that Kate Marsh had stayed in. When the storm hit, the hospital had emergency protocols in place for such an event, so Kate made it through unscathed.
Similarly, Frank, Pompidou, and Warren went with David and Joyce to a camp the National Guard set up. Warren's parents came and picked him up after he got a doctor to look him over.
Frank and Pompidou, however, had a bit of a harder time, though it worked out for the best.
Max remembered seeing Frank's RV crashed into Two Whales, and, due to the diner falling apart, Frank and Pompidou were left homeless with no product to sell. The dealer and his dog wound up helping out the Guard sort out through the carnage, as David and Joyce did as well. The experience was life changing for Frank, who abandoned drug trafficking and turned toward helping the less fortunate after it was all said and done at the former Bay.
Most of the Blackwell student body, at the inception of the storm, had been evacuated by some bus drivers to a nearby town. Dana, Juliet, Stella, Brooke, and Daniel are a few that had escaped the storm.
Some of the upper class students — like Victoria — had access to some personal luxuries that Mom and Dad paid for, so all of them were far away from the Bay when the storm hit.
On a completely different note, Mark Jefferson was taken to a nearby town and imprisoned there after the storm was over. The investigation continued and later led to a knock on Sean Prescott's front door. Sean demanded to speak with his lawyer but started to turn white after he realized that the underground bunker and everything in it had his name written on the ownership documents — not to mention that the bunker itself was on his own property.
On top of that, Sean had heavily invested most of his finances into Pan Estates, along with several other companies. When the tornado hit, those companies lost their share. To make up for the loss, each company took what they were owed from Sean's initial investment, which ultimately left Sean bankrupt. With no money, Sean's associates turned a blind eye to his arrest — including his lawyer.
Even worse was that, when the police investigated the area around the barn, a few officers with a K9 unit located Nathan's body. Nathan had been buried several feet behind the barn. The bullet in his skull was a similar caliber to a pistol found in the Dark Room.
Max, Chloe, and everyone they knew watched the trial. Jefferson was found guilty of two counts of homicide, fraud, kidnapping, possession of an illegal substance, and fabricating evidence. Sean Prescott, a now impoverished and broken man, was also tried and found guilty as an accessory. Both men were sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Fucking shit, groaned Chloe's brain as she reclined on a hanging bench.
She was on the front porch with a lit cigarette. Vanessa and Ryan didn't take too kindly to Chloe's smoking habits — especially indoors. The Caulfields tolerated it when Chloe was outside though.
At least Vanessa is not as bitchy as Mom is, pondered Chloe before pulling out her phone, Mom has been giving me shit about my smoking ever since she found a cigarette pack in my dresser.
Chloe opened up Kik Messenger and looked through some of the conversations. After scrolling through a convo she was in with Justin and Trevor, she entered one she was in with Max.
MrsBlue: max
NoirAngel: Chloe
MrsBlue: u done?
NoirAngel: No
MrsBlue: dammit max
NoirAngel: :P
Before Chloe could reply, she was startled by a loud "YES EMOJI!" from the nearby front door.
Chloe jerked over and saw Max grinning.
"Holy fuck!" shrieked Chloe, "Trying to freak me out?"
"Yes," smirked Max.
"You brown haired demon!" Chloe called after narrowing her eyes.
Chloe got up and tossed her cigarette before walking over to Max. The two went into the driveway and got in Chloe's truck.
"So this place is not too far?" asked Chloe.
"I will point us there," reminded Max, as Chloe turned the truck on and took off onto the road.
It was a mostly quiet and straightforward trip, which Max used to think over the past few days. Once the Bay had been cleaned up, bodies were found and returned to family members. One body in particular had been Rachel Amber's.
Rachel's Mom and Dad had a small ceremony and invited several people, including Chloe, to it since Rachel had some family visit the Bay every so often, and Chloe was always around when they did. Max also went and noticed some Blackwell classmates had come and even Frank and Pompidou had shown up.
The ceremony itself was a bit awkward for Max, since she was probably the only person there who had never met Rachel aside from the photos displayed all over the place. Max vividly remembered Chloe weeping horribly and looked around to see everyone — even Frank — had tears falling.
The last thing Max thought about was Pompidou and how he laid on the ground making a whining noise and covering his nose with his paws.
"Turn here," Max directed, "it will be on the left."
Chloe turned and they continued on, but she did not say anything. Chloe had been quiet these past couple of days after Rachel was buried.
I hope this art exhibit doesn't tear you up, Max thought; hopefully it will get your mind off of Rachel.
They pulled into a small parking lot and found a space. Chloe turned the car off and sat there staring at the wheel.
"Chloe?"
No response. Max poked her shoulder. Chloe blinked a couple of times before looking at Max.
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay?" Max inquired, "We can just leave if you need a few more- "
"I'm fine," Chloe interjected.
They stared at each other for a couple of seconds.
"You sure?"
"Yes," Chloe answered.
"Alright then."
They both got out and headed into a nearby building. It was a large, dome-like building with large windows just below the hemisphere. Inside, there were various displays of paintings and photographs. A couple of art pieces near the front door looked like ones Max saw in a brochure for the event she had seen yesterday.
Max and Chloe walked around looking at all the art with a selfie here and there. Eventually, as they got around to the upper floors, Chloe had lightened up a bit, and the two began to joke around.
After a bit of screwing around, Chloe had gone to admire some artwork, and Max went to the top of the staircase and looked over the railing. She pulled out her Polaroid and looked at the entire overview.
Need to be a bit higher, she thought.
Max then got up on the railing and, after steadying herself, took the shot.
Perfe-, she jerked out as one of her feet slipped. Max caught the railing and landed on the ground without falling. Max pulled herself together and looked at her things. Her bag and camera were okay, but the picture was gone.
Great, she pondered with self-reprimand. Where did it go?
Max looked over the railing and saw the picture. It had fallen in a plant at the bottom of the stairs. After looking around and seeing Chloe was nowhere in sight, Max decided to go and retrieve the photo — figuring she would be gone for a minute. When Max got to the plant, the photo was gone. She cursed in her mind and looked around.
Several feet away and standing by a portrait on the wall was a guy holding and admiring her photo. Max nervously walked up to him.
Max got his attention, and the man looked at her.
He was about a foot taller than her, clean shaven, and was a handsome young man wearing casual attire. He welcomed her with a warm smile, and Max couldn't help but admire how attractive he was.
"I took that photo," Max uttered through a red face.
"Did you?" He asked with slightly enlarged eyes, "You nailed the shot perfectly!"
Max reddened a bit more as the man handed the photo back.
"Been a while since I've seen a Polaroid," he mentioned.
"Can't say that anymore," Max jived with a grin.
The man returned the grin, "Oh really?" He fired sarcastically.
"Yes!" Max burst out and reddened a bit.
He came closer to her, "Can I say your name?"
"Only if you say yours!" Max demanded playfully.
"Ian," he answered in a regular tone.
"Now you can say Max and ONLY Max,"
"Max Max Max," Ian mocked as he watched Max try to hold back laughter.
"That is not funny!" She tried to say.
"Then don't laugh," he replied with his usual grin.
Max covered her face and tried to gain her composure.
Ian went on about the photo, "I bet you'd give diCorcia a run for his money."
That remark definitely got Max to brighten up, and they got to talking about pictures, the artwork around them, and several other artists. It had been a while since Max had such a thorough conversation about art.
Max kept checking around for Chloe though. She would not like to see Max flirting with some random dude.
Who the fuck is that? Max imagined Chloe scowling.
"You seem distracted," Ian commented as Max came back to Earth from her daydreaming.
"I am looking for my friend! She's vanished," Max spoke with hesitation.
"She can't be too far away," he remarked, "you should get back to her."
"Yeah," Max pondered, "goodbye Ian."
"Goodbye Maxine."
Max glared at him but couldn't keep it together when Ian merely stared back.
Max walked away holding back the laughter and, after making some distance, leaned against a wall and thought about Ian.
Now that is a hunk! Max thought, I'd love to see him again, but Chloe would probably get uber jelly. She has been clingy ever since we arrived in Seattle.
"Max!" Chloe called.
Max turned and there was Chloe walking over.
"Where did you go?" Max asked concerned.
"Got lost looking at some of these pictures. I thought you were behind me, but you were gone," Chloe explained as she leaned against the wall next to Max.
"You found me," Max remarked.
"Obviously," Chloe commented. She looked toward the exhibit for a while and then turned to look at Max. Chloe noticed something.
"Did something happen?" Chloe asked.
"W- What? ...No...," Max tried to stay together.
Chloe gave a suspicious look, but closed her eyes and looked away.
Max thought for a moment before responding, "We should go."
"We've probably worn out our welcome anyway," Chloe answered as she got off the wall, "There are a lot of fucking snobs in this place."
A lot but not all, Max thought as she followed Chloe to the truck.
