CHAPTER 4

"CHLOE!"

Max shouts Chloe's name and notices that the doctor and the other nurses are looking at her trying to wake her up by repeatedly calling out her name . I'm back here at the hospital. So that's what happened to us and how I ended up here. Oh god, it didn't matter what I chose. Chloe and Arcadia Bay are gone now and I'm alone in this world. Max looks at her hand and thinks: I know I can rewind and go back in time now, I feel more empowered than ever. I need to get the hell out of here and find out what's really going on at Arcadia Bay and the world. I must keep it cool and calm so they can let me leave otherwise they think I'm going crazy.

The doctor sits besides Max and puts his hand on her hand. "Looks like you went back to your asleep state and woke up again Max. How are you feeling?"

"Great...actually. Listen doc I know what you told me before and I appreciate that all you want to do is help me. However, there is only one person who can help me now and I need to go to see her. So I would like to leave now."

The doctor shakes his head. "Max, you just passed out and were asleep for several days straight. You were just given the news that your friends and your entire home town has been destroyed and you're saying you feel perfectly fine and want to leave? I'm quite astounded with your progress and attitude..."

"Please, I'm perfectly fine. I'm ready to leave now. Where's my backpack?"

"Your backpack is right over the table. We can't force you to stay of course. As a patient, you have the right to leave. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure."

"Okay Jennifer get a AMA form for Max so she can sign so she can leave the hospital . I highly recommend you to stay under our care for a while but I won't force you to do so. I will leave you be and let you get dressed and prepare to leave. Please go to the nearest ER if you develop any more symptoms or pass out again."

The nurses and doctor leave the room. Max goes to get her backpack and makes sure everything she was shown is still there. Her journal, her camera, her school ID, and most importantly, the butterfly picture. Wait! Hold on Max. I should really think how I'm going to approach this. I will be going back in time to the start of that insane week. I will need to save Chloe from Nathan of course. Do I sound the alarm again? I mean that's how it originally went. Do I grab the hammer and knock out Nathan? That might not end up well for me or Chloe. I can rewind but if something happens to Chloe but I won't be able to rewind if something happens to me. If only I could stop time...and explain everything to Chloe...that would be ideal. Jennifer the nurse enters the room with the form for Max to sign.

"What are you doing Maxine? Talking to yourself?"

"Kind of actually. Where do I sign?"

"Initials here and there and your signature at the bottom. We are all worried about you but since we can't keep you here, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you Jennifer. Say...can I keep this pen?"

"Sure, it's all yours. I will take your form to the office so you can leave anytime. You can use the bathroom in your room if you want. Goodbye Max."

The nurse leaves and Max returns to planning things out. She turns on the tv in her room and goes to the bathroom to wash her face. She hears a tv news report about multiple hurricanes affecting South America and a 8.0 earthquake hitting Italy causing the death of hundreds of lives. I know for sure I'm not the one responsible for what's going on. Neither is Chloe. Something bigger than us is going on in this world and I'm going to find out what it is...with Chloe on my side. As Max is hearing the news and staring at the bathroom mirror mentally thinking about Chloe and Nathan, she snaps her fingers. She notices that the running water in the sink is stuck, in time. The water...it stopped. Max also hears the tv has been paused and she steps out of the bathroom to check it out. The TV screen is on but it is also stuck and not moving at all. She looks outside the window of her room and sees people, birds, and cars frozen in place. Did I stop time? If so how...I just snapped my fingers and...

She snaps her fingers again and everything resumes to normal. She's in disbelief so she decides to snap her fingers again causing time to stop again.

I did it again, I can freeze time. Just like when I saw Kate at the roof except this time I don't have a nosebleed and I can move around more freely. Yes, score! This is perfect! I wonder if it works just like my rewind power...if I touch something...me and that item won't be affected by the time effect. I must try it with something moving. Max touches the tv screen and decides to freeze time again. Wowser! Just as I thought! The TV is not affected by my powers because I am touching it. OK, I think I figured it out. I will go back in time, freeze time as soon as I see Chloe enter the bathroom, and try to explain as much as I can and tell her we need to get out of Arcadia Bay. I'm still limited to the photographic boundaries. Do I have enough time to explain everything to her before the timeline resets? I know! I will write everything on my journal and tell her to read it. I must write everything I know about Mr. Jefferson and Nathan, what happened to Rachel, Kate, and the upcoming tornado. We would need to get out of the state before Friday before shit hits the fan and just hide somewhere. I will ask her to take pictures of ourselves...so if I ever need to go back in time throughout the week I can do so. Then...we can go from there. Max finishes putting her clothes on and making sure she has everything ready. Max writes every important detail about the past week and lays out her plan on her journal. Max puts her journal in her backpack and puts her backpack on. She grabs the butterfly picture from the table and begins to focus on it. Let's roll Time Warrior.

Max, through the butterfly photo, travels back in time to the beginning of the week to the girl's bathroom. She hides in the corner waiting for Chloe and Nathan to show up. I must stay calm and relax as much as possible. I don't want Chloe to freak out and run away once she sees me and sees what I can do. This Chloe doesn't even know what we went through together...in a way... this Chloe is completely different from the Chloe I last knew. How fucking mind-blowing is that? Max sees Nathan coming in and starts talking to himself just like she remembered. Any second now. Max hears Chloe enter the bathroom and immediately snaps her fingers to stop time. Max steps out and sees that both Chloe and Nathan are frozen, not talking or moving at all. Ok good so far but now to talk to Chloe. Max takes a deep breath and puts her hand on Chloe's shoulder causing her to react and move.

"W-what? Max!?

"Yes it's me Chloe, your best friend. I'm here."

Chloe sees that Nathan is stuck in time and looks very confused and startled.

"Max...what's going on here? What's happening? Why are you here?"

"It's a very long crazy as fuck story Chloe. You must listen to me on what I'm about to tell you and please don't let go of me."

"What the hell is going here?" Chloe attempts to remove Max's hands from her.

"CHLOE! LISTEN TO ME! YOUR LIFE IS DANGER! OUR LIVES ARE IN DANGER! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME AND UNDERSTAND. HERE TAKE MY JOURNAL, IT WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. Max hands Chloe the journal from her backpack using her other hand .

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about? Let go of me you're freaking me out". Chloe attempts to push Max to the side but Max is holding on to her for dear life.

"CHLOE! STOP! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! NATHAN WAS GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW! HE HAS A GUN!"

"HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT ME? H-HOW? MAX HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?"

"Listen Chloe. There's no easy way to say this and I know this will sound very hard to believe but you must trust me. Please please you must trust me. You're my best friend."

Max eyes begins to water and tears are starting to flow from her eyes causing Chloe to ease down a bit and lower her resistance to Max's force.

"Okay Max...talk to me. How do you know he has a gun and was going to kill me? And what the hell is going on here?"

"Chloe, I have the power of time. I can rewind, stop, and travel back in time using photographs. I started having these powers when I saw you get shot by Nathan right here. Somehow I was given these powers and I used them to save your life by sounding the alarm over there in the corner. Afterwards, we had the most batshit insane week we ever had but it was also the greatest week we ever had. We went through hell and back Chloe."

"Time travel? Max! This isn't an ani-"

" -Anime or a video game and people don't have these kinds of powers? I already knew what you were going to say because we already had this conversation!" Max's words completely shocks Chloe.

"How did you know-holy shit..."

"Because I'm telling you the truth. I know a lot of things. I know you have a robot panda key chain, I know David Madsen is now your step father, I know you have his gun under your bed, I know about your debt to Frank, and Chloe, I know what happened to Rachel Amber. We found out together."

Chloe is beyond shocked on what Max just told her. She is lost for words and tries to think of any other explanation on how Max knew all of this but there's isn't. There's no way Max would know any of this and there's no explanation on why they can to talk each other while Nathan and everything else is stuck.

"You...know what happened to Rachel...?"

"Yes, Chloe. Rachel's dead. She was killed by Nathan and my art teacher Mr. Jefferson. They had some weird father son relationship going on, I can show you where she is buried later but first Chloe, you must listen to me very carefully and please don't get bloodlusted. Horrible things happened the first time we found about Rachel. Unspeakable things."

Chloe breaks down in tears and gives Max a hug. Chloe is hugging Max and sees Nathan, still frozen, and instantly gets fueled by rage.

"YOU'LL PAY MOTHERFUCKER!".

Max holds Chloe back from hitting Nathan with all her strength.

"CHLOE! I know you feel terrible right now but you must stay calm and relax. Rachel will get her revenge trust me. Didn't you hear me say that horrible things happened the first time we found out about Rachel's death?"

Chloe sits down on the floor and puts her head down. Max goes down with her.

"What happened Max? What horrible things?"

"Mr. Jefferson lured us into a trap. He drugged and kidnapped me and killed you in front of my eyes . Jefferson was going to kill me too after he was done with his photo fetish shoot. It has so horrible Chloe."

"Oh-god Max, that must have felt horrible. I can't believe this! What about your powers? If you can stop time and rewind time how did all that shit happened? Why didn't we kill Nathan and Jefferson using your powers?"

"Chloe, my powers sound amazing but they are limited and if I'm drugged or feel weak I am unable to use it and plus I'm still a teenage girl at the end of the day. I also couldn't freeze time before but now I apparently can."

"I'm still very confused about all of this. It doesn't make any sense to me. This is crazy holy shit Max."

"I know it doesn't. Look Chloe, in case something happens to me...if I black out or lose my memory or something...read my journal. It will explain everything I have told you and much more. Keep it along with this." Max hands Chloe the butterfly picture.

"So you can time travel using photos you said? You used this photo?"

"Yes, Chloe. I used this photo to travel back to this event. I am able to time travel by focusing on any picture as long as I'm in it."

"Pretty fucking weird Max. So...you're here to rescue me and warn me about the Jefferson trap?"

"Not exactly Chloe, I already did that. It's hard to explain right now but listen... something even more major is going to happen soon...something beyond our imagination."

"What's going to happen? The end of the world?"

"Pretty much Chloe. At the end of the week a huge tornado from out of nowhere will wipe away Arcadia Bay killing and destroying everything in its path. We thought of a way to stop it Chloe but...it didn't work out as we planned... and got us is in a very dangerous situation. I was rescued but...but...you were killed. There was no way I was going to let you die again. There was no way I was going to let everybody die just like that. As long as I have these powers, I will use them to SAVE lives not destroy them. Something strange in this world is going on...and I'm going to find out what is! I need your help Chloe...will you come with me?

Chloe thinks to herself for a few moments but slowly nods her head in approval. "Yes Max, I'll come with you. I still have no fucking idea on what's going on but yes I'll come with you". They hug each other and it is at this exact moment that Max realizes that time has not resumed throughout their conversation. Is my time stop unlimited? I better not find out right now. I need to leave-wait...I'm not restricted to the photographic boundaries anymore? Max notices that unlike the previous times she has time traveled through a photo, there is no visible effect in time and space. Max tells Chloe to open the bathroom's door so they can step out of the hall and check out their surroundings. They see Samuel, Principal Wells, and some students out in the hall frozen in place. This is amazing. I can now step out of the photographic boundaries and escape with Chloe.

"This is unreal Max, I feel like I'm in a movie or in a dream."

"I feel like that too Chloe but it is real...so real. Now, lets out of here and go to your house and lock ourselves in your room to be safe. We can talk more and plan things out carefully over there. We must not draw attention to ourselves for now and we must stick together as much as possible. I'm going to resume time in a bit."

"Don't worry Super Max, I got your back. Lets go"

Max snaps her fingers and lets time resume. They brisk walk together and they avoid eye contact with anybody on the way to Chloe's truck. Max sees Warren waiting by his car and hears him calling her name but Max simply ignores him as she gets inside the truck. They drive out of the parking lot and on to the road en route to Chloe's House.

CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 5