A/N: Hello everyone! So this is like my first human-oriented work and I hope you find it in your hearts to look the other way at the few (not really they're a lot more than a few hehe) mistakes you find but please tell me about them, either with a review (much appreciated!) or with a message, so I can fix them. I don't have a problem with rewriting the whole damn chapter if I have to as long as you point them out! Also, there is a big plot twist at the start that I hope you like when you face it but if not please with all due respect, get hella out of here :P
oh yeah almost forgot, not a native speaker with barely any experience in writing stuff so… be kind to me!(^_^)
EDITED ON 18-Nov-17: there were some problems I found out about with the help of a certain guest. They are fixed now. Thank you, anonymous guest! 3

October 8, 2008

It was a cloudy and frosty October night, but not your typical kind. It was Linkin Park's first around-the-world-tour, concert and they had chosen Seattle for their first play!

it had certainly been one Max Caulfield's best night ever! She'd had lots of fun along with her parents, Vanessa and Ryan Caulfield and her newly gotten pet dog, Rauka. She was her parents' late-birthday present due to them moving out in the middle of her B-day, and it was the best thing ever! Well, maybe second best thing, first being the BFFL_ best friends for life_ bracelet given to her by her childhood friend, Chloe Price, last summer.

The bracelet itself wasn't anything too fancy, nor did it contain any valuable jewelry. It was more of a sentimental gift than anything else really. It consisted of two wool strings with pink-ish beads at the end, a leather piece that went around the wrist and finally a simple metal plate with her name_ written in Chloe's handwriting_ carved onto it along with the words "Cap'n of the Pricefields". Chloe had an identical one, only with her name and "first mate" scribbled instead of the word "Cap'n". oh, yea, her beads were blue instead of pink and that was about it.

"hey rock star, buckle up your seatbelt. We're moving." Said a manly voice from the front seat.

"huh?" the 13-year old Max squeaked from the rear seat.

"your seatbelt honey." Ryan pointed out from the side mirror on his side.

"but I don't want to! Seatbelts are boring!" max whined with an exaggerating sigh and pouted lips.

"Plus, I'm Super-Max and superheroes don't need seatbelts." She smirked confidently, nodding as she folded her arms over her child-sized Linkin parkt-shirt.

"oh dear, we know Super-Max is a brave hero, but even everyday heroes need their safety!" Vanessa reached back from the front passenger seat, securing Max's belt around her wrist.

"B-but…-argh ok!" Max gave up sighing, as she let her mother fasten up her seat belt.

Her parents shared a look and cracked a small laugh before Ryan started the car. Max too shared their laugh even though she had no clue why they were laughing.

And with a demanding bark from a little home-sick Rauka, there were off!

Max's dad turned on some ol'classic country music as they entered a highway

Oh god no! please no! at least don't do what I think you're about to! Max silently prayed.

But her prayers weren't answered as the awful music played and Ryan began singing along with it.

Rauka seemed to be enjoying the corny music, much to Max's dismay. Her tail wiggled rapidly, brushing against Max's bare wrist as she readjusted her seatbelt into a comfier state.

Resting her forehead against the cold glass of the car's window, Max closed her eyes, trying to ignore the annoying ambient noise known as 'music'. Instead, she played with the beads on her bracelet. Fiddling them together or twisting one around the other. Suddenly, she got an idea as her hand slipped into her pants pocket, searching for her phone. No luck!

Damn! Must've left it at home! Augh of course I did! I was so excited for the concert I totally forgot about it and left it in the drawer.

Max pouted to herself for a moment, before deciding to do the next best thing she could do!

Humming a melody.

She took over playing with her bracelet again as she hummed the melody of her favorite song from the band, tilted as 'numb'.

Rauka tried from her prior 'activities' steered a bit in her spot beside Max, before laying down again, placing her head on Max's lap as she attempted to grab one of the swinging beads with her mouth but was swayed away by the back of Max's wrist.

"sorry, gurl…- but This isn't a chew toy!" Max waved her finger saying 'no-no' as she padded her dog on top of the nose.

Rauka pulled back her head in an instance, shaking her head viscously as she processed to rub her nose against the fabric of Max's jeans.

Oops! Guess her nose is more sensitive than I thought.

Max giggled as she ran her tiny hands through Rauka's silky fur, messing up some of the furs on her head.

Rauka gives out a soft grunt as she stretched her neck forwards, giving Max's hand more room to explore her white-Ish silky fur.

"don't worry gurl. I gotcha." she whispered to her 'Serbian husky/wolf mix pet as she proceeded to scratch behind her fluffy ear. Max grinned slyly watching her twist and turn impatiently, trying to help her find the spot she wanted her to scratch.

Rolling her eyes, Max decided to oblige, giving Rauka the good ol'ear-rubbeduo. What happened next, she didn't expect it to, …-well, maybe she did, a bit, but she wasn't prepared for it!

Rauka slowly reached out her neck getting on eye level with her little owner. Max stared into her orbs of dark blue, a shade darker than her owns if she had to correlate between the two. then, Max's eyes shut themselves as a big pink fleshy, smelly and WET! 'thing' ran all over her face including some of her hair!

"Nooo! Not the hair mom just spent 3 hours making! Jeez, Rauka! What a way to say 'thank you!' next time stick to the head nudgin' please!"

At least that was what Max wanted to say, yet a single "eek! -" was the only thing, escaped her dog-slobbered mouth.

"Mum!" cried out wiping the side of her drooled on the face with the clean side of her wrist in disgust.

"Wha' is it hon…- oh!...- hehehe I see you chose a new hairstyle for yourself."

"are you for cereal right now?!"

"yup," she covered her mouth as if it was going to muff her laughter. "take a look for yerself'."

She reached into her old leather purse, fishing around for a moment or, then retrieved a small hairbrush; the kind that had a mirror placed on its back and handed to Max who unintentionally snatched it from her.

Max gulped the lump stuck in her throat as she slowly peeked into the mirror, at her own reflection.

Look on the bright side Caulfield! it could've been so much worse.

The small girl tried to comfort herself. She even tried to get rid of the spit-built Mohawk on the top of her head but her efforts were left to no avail.

Her lips shakily curled into each other as tears formed in the corner of her eyes, making her face even more soaked than before. If possible…-

"hey now, it doesn't look that bad dear, just needs a… a bit of brushin' ya know…err… help me, Ryan!" Vanessa prodded her husband with her elbow who was lost in the music at the moment.

"huh? What is…Whoa! What's up with Max's hair!? Did she get a makeover or somethin'?" Ryan joked, well he tried to, half glancing over at a teary Max, a Grinning Rauka and a panicked Vanessa.

"Ryan!"

Vanessa's scream almost caused Ryan to lose control over the wheel and crash into a signpost! Luckily, Ryan being the skillful driver he was, barely managed to regain control and safely back on the road.

"Jesus Vanessa Caulfield!your scream almost made me crash the fuc…- damn car into a sign! Arugh"

Max saw her father's grip tighten around the wheel. His fingertips going white from the pressure.

Damn, he's hella angry! He never shouts at mom like that, unless he is worried… why would he be worried tho? I thought he was havin' just as much as the fun we were. Wasn't he?

Even Rauka who had been panting with her tongue out all this time was silent all of a sudden, snuggling her head up under Max's arm, giving Max goosebumps from the touch of her pointy fur.

"arghhh…" Ryan rubbed his tired eyes with one hand as he skillfully changed gears with the other. "I'm sorry for shouting at you guys…-"

Whew! That was a close one! Almost thought we lost cap'n 'No Beards' there.

"I wanted it to be a surprise but…" he started off with a frown but, "…- I guess you caught me red-handed," he let out a nervous laugh before picking up where he left off. "…-well I don't know how to say this so I'll just say it…-" his frown gave way to a warm smile on his now, hopeful face.

*Sigh*, Dad has been watching way too much of granny's 'drama movies'. I think he's lost it to the 'unnecessary drama side'!

Max noticed her mother, giving Ryan the infamous *out with it! I want to know what's going on* glare. Making, her father gulp nervously as he planned out his next words a bit more deliberately.

"I sold this old car for a brand new and better one!" he sang in his fisted hand which was supposed to act as an imaginary mic. Then, he opened his first, making a loud 'BOOM!' sound, he dropped the mic!

"WHAT?!" Max and Vanessa both shouted at the same time. Rauka who was startled by their loud tone also, barked in response. Vanessa seemed rather shocked than anything else, while Maxine had a look of relief wash over her concerned face.

Jeez, Dad's always hella cool! Unlike most people…unlike me…- damn it, Max! stop hating on yourself! look at him, he always knows how to get around his mistakes and does a pretty freaking good job at it! That's one the many reasons he's the best dad in the world! You should at least try to be a better daughter.

While Max was distracted by her sheepish thoughts, Ryan kindly asked his wife to retrieve his old Polaroid camera from the glove box.

"Alrighty then, gather around ladies_ don't forget about Rauka! _ I want to take a last trip home photo of our happy family in this bad boy!" Ryan said as he tinkered with the analog settings on the camera without even looking down, guess old habits die hard, Ha!

"Okay everyone, eyes on the camera!" Ryan called out, putting a stop to Max's train of thought.

"wha?...-" Max muttered groggily as she looked up. She was startled by Rauka who had jumped on her lap for the photoshoot. Max giggled silently into Rauka's neck wrapping an arm around her husky, pulling her closer to fit in the small lens of the old device.

Max didn't bother fixing her hair, all of sudden, having dog-spit Mohawks wasn't at the top of her major problems, getting a good pic with her family _including her dog_ was!

"ok, 1…2…3…- say cheese!"

FLASH!

Luckily Max had prepared her eyes for the stunning flash of it, Rauka hadn't. she spewed an angry bark at the camera as it made printing sounds with her temporarily cockeyes. Max gently padded her on the shoulder keeping her at bay.

A few long seconds later, a piece of freshly printed picture slipped out of the cam's slot. Everyone, even Rauka who was still half ferocious half upset about the 'flash' incident, leaned in to see their photo.

Slowly but surely, the edges of its black surface started to fade, giving life to the respective colors of the actual moment the photo was taken. 'A frozen cut of the world we know, forever trapped in time.' as Max's father liked to call it.

And the photo was…- emm… good! Yup! not crappy-looking at all! Nope, nada!

truthfully though, everyone's face was blurred except Max's. Rauka's was even more messed up as the camera had mistakenly colored her eyes Blood Shot red as all analog cameras tend to do with pets.

all in all, though, it was one heck of a rememberable photo!

"now that's a keeper!" Ryan snarled enthusiastically as he let go of the wheel for a second to grab the photo.

Just a second, maybe even less than that! A millisecond! Not more or less, but it started everything.

First, the sound came, a large chunk of a big truck, prolly a trailer's, trying to warn us to get back in line. then a big set of lights lit up the interior of the car, including their eyes. And finally the screeching sound of tiers being scratched along the road and BOOM! They got hit from the front of the car.

Max would've been tossed out of the car if it weren't for her safety belt, but she did get knocked out by the pure impact-force. The last thing she saw was Rauka's body jumping on her and a sharp pain she felt in her chest and face and something warm splashing on her skin. Then everything went out in darkness.