Max clenched her fists desperately as she tried to make a decision, as the horrific storm bore down on Arcadia Bay like the apocalypse given form.
"Max, it's time," Chloe managed tearfully.
"Chloe… I'm so, so sorry…" Max choked back her sobs. "I… I don't want to do this."
Chloe threw a bear hug around Max. "I know, Max. But we have to. We have to save everybody, okay? And you'll make those fuckers pay for what they did to Rachel."
As Max looked on in dismay, Chloe continued, "Being together this week, it was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for. You're my hero, Max."
Tears in her eyes, Max stepped forward to hold her girlfriend and gave her one last, passionate kiss. It just wasn't fair- this just wasn't fair! They'd had so little time together…
"I'll always love you… Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak!" Chloe implored desperately. "And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me…"
"Never." Max said, with more honestly and feeling in that statement than anything she'd ever said in her life.
Finally, she turned, grief-stricken, toward the blue butterfly photo Chloe had kept for the last week and stared hard into it… and let herself fall through time.
Max found herself back in the bathroom having just taken a photo of a butterfly. She let the photo fall to the floor as despair and dread flooded her mind. Immediately, tears began to stream down her face.
Oh god, I can't let Chloe die! I just can't do it! But I can't let thousands die either! There has to be a different way! There has to be!
She spun around panickedly, clutching her head, as she heard Nathan barge into the girl's room.
Oh wait, there's another photo, I have my selfie… she rooted in her bag for the selfie she'd taken in Jefferson's class that fateful day. This… should work, right? I mean, my vision in class… was what started everything… right? Oh god… just… anyway out, please…
She tried to steady her shaking hand and focus on her photograph, a silent prayer on her lips, as her surroundings began to blur and voices began to emerge…
Max was sitting in Jefferson's class once more, having just taken a selfie of herself. She fielded Jefferson's question about daguerreotypes, managing to suppress her anger and hatred of the man. He simply wasn't important right now. She sent the same text to David Madsen that she'd done to warn him about Mark Jefferson.
Next, she took out her diary and began writing furiously. "Dear Max, I am yourself from the future, no joke. You just had a vision of a terrible storm that wrecks Arcadia Bay, lighthouse collapsing on you and all that. After class, head to the girl's restroom right away and hide behind the furthest stall. Nathan Prescott will burst into the restroom- he will have a gun.
Chloe Price, your dear childhood friend you abandoned (great fucking job, past Max) was drugged and kidnapped by Nathan. She managed to escape and now she's trying to blackmail Nathan about it. If you do nothing, Nathan WILL shoot and KILL Chloe! He's dangerous, he drugged and overdosed the missing girl Rachel to death, drugged and kidnapped Kate Marsh, he'll beat up Warren in your future! You have to stop him! Hit that fire alarm in the bathroom!
Also, you have time travel powers, you're a human time machine, but DON'T use those powers! DON'T! It'll cause an unforseen chain reaction- butterfly effect, chaos theory, and all that will cause the storm in your vision! Joyce will die! Kate, Warren, Dana, Juliet, Stella, Alyssa, all your friends, teachers, classmates WILL DIE! So don't use your powers and don't tell Chloe so she won't pressure you into demonstrating it!
Chloe is interested in you, by the way… she loves- will love you. She'll be mad at first for being ignored all those years, but she'll get over it fast. It'll be easier than you think. Be there for her when she mourns her friend Rachel, who Nathan drugged to death.
Also, Victoria is not (completely) the bitch you think she is. She's insecure and envious of your abilities, Max. She's jealous but also consciously guilty about her envy. I hope you give her a chance and reach out to her."
Looking over her finished note, Max smiled to herself.
Finally… finally… maybe now I can save both Chloe and Arcadia Bay… I'm sorry, William, I'm sorry Rachel… I couldn't save you guys. And I'm sorry to everyone for all the pain and suffering I caused in all these timelines… but it's over now…
The room turned red and slowly blurred away.