Hey guys, welcome back. Some childhood flashbacks this time to start off, which should be fun.

Chapter Six: In Memory

Max's POV

A dark, swirling mist. No sound, no light… nothing. Then, a flicker of bright white light, slowly engulfing, getting brighter until an image formed.

I was a child, maybe around nine, playing in the park near my house. For the most part, I kept to myself, away from the other kids. My parents had given me a small plastic disposable camera to play with, difficult to break since I was so clumsy. I didn't care, quite happy to snap shots of whatever caught my fancy.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of blue. It belonged to a butterfly, the winged creature flapping gracefully. Intrigued, I followed it, quiet so as not to scare it. Eventually, it landed on a nearby flower, wings fluttering slightly. Eagerly, I approached it, lining up the shot and took the photo. I smiled as I examined the result, watching the butterfly move to wherever it wanted to go next. Free.

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice came from behind her, making me jump and almost drop the camera.

I turned, seeing a girl around my age with long blonde hair. Usually, I stayed out of other people's way and they did do, but not this girl. She had a mischievous resting expression, blue eyes inquisitive.

"Whatcha got there?" the blonde girl asked, pointing to the camera.

"Uh, a camera," I replied, clutching it tighter.

Recognition flashed in her eyes. "Ah yeah, my dad uses them sometimes. His is bigger, though. Got any good pics?"

Considering it for a moment, I sat down on the nearby bench and motioned for the blonde girl to come closer. She did, jumping up next to me and leaning over. Like my dad showed me, I scrolled through the photos I had taken, the other girl adding a comment here and there about how cool they looked.

When I reached the blue butterfly, the girl smiled. "That one's way cool. So pretty… You've got a good eye, that's what my dad says I should say to people who take good pictures. Dunno if it makes sense but…" The blonde girl shrugged, swinging her legs. "What's your name?"

"It's… Max."

"That short for something?" the girl asked, curious.

I nodded, face scrunching up slightly. "Yeah, but I prefer Max. Only my mom calls me Maxine, and that's when I've done something bad, mostly."

The blonde girl nodded, smiling as she held out her hand. "Okay, Max, my name's Chloe." Eyeing up the hand, I took it and shook. Chloe had a pretty firm grip. "So, want to see my secret base? It's uber cool."

Curious, I nodded letting Chloe pull me away from the park into the nearby forest area. Mom had told me not to wander off, but I really wanted to see this cool secret base. We walked for a couple minutes until we reached a clearing, a large twisted tree sitting in the middle. At the top in the branches was a rundown old treehouse.

I looked up, mouth opening slightly. "Whoa… that's so cool."

"Ain't it? I came across it one day and nobody was using it so… thought I'd put it to good use. C'mon." Chloe tugged on my hand again, pulling me over to the planks nailed into the trunk.

We clambered up the makeshift ladder, reaching the top. There were a lot of cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, and some of the planks were a bit loose, but it was still awesome.

"I'm gonna clean this place up and add some cool stuff, like… a treasure chest for all the badass pirate missions I'm planning," Chloe sounded proud of her plans. "Y'know, I could use a first mate on my voyages. And since you already know where my secret hideout is… wanna join me?"

"Can I?" I asked, surprised at the offer.

Chloe grinned broadly, nodding. "Sure, d'you live around here?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, only like ten minutes away."

"Same, so it's settled then." She held out her hand, expectant. "I'll teach you the secret handshake and everything." Following Chloe's lead, I held out my hand. The blonde-haired girl slapped my hand, then made a fist, waiting for me to do the same. When I did, she bumped her fist against mine. "And that's it. Simple, right? Yet effective."

We stayed there for a while, chatting about all the adventures we'd be having. When it started getting dark, we heard people calling out.

"Chloe, you're not in that damn treehouse again, are you? I swear…" someone I didn't recognize called up.

Chloe's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Uh-oh, busted…"

"Maxine, get down here now," mom called out, sounding pretty worried.

"Ah… I'm in trouble…" I mumbled, wincing.

"Guess we'd better get down there," Chloe sighed. "Damn parents… always ruin the fun."

"I think they're just worried," I mentioned, watching her go down the ladder first.

"Well they don't need to be," the blonde muttered to herself, feet touching the ground.

I followed after her, head hung when I saw mom and another woman, probably Chloe's mom. She gave me a stern look, one that eventually faded away and she scooped me up for a hug. "I was so worried about you. Please don't ever do that again. At least tell me where you're going next time."

"Sorry…" I mumbled, hugging her back.

"I'm so sorry about this, Vanessa. Chloe has a tendency to get… carried away. Don't you, you little rascal?" the older, blonde woman asked, Chloe sticking out her tongue in response.

Mom stood up, shaking her head. "No need to apologize, Joyce." She gave Chloe a curious look, thinking. "Honestly, I'm more surprised Max was playing with someone. She's had some… problem mixing with other kids. She'd much rather take pictures."

Joyce looked at the two young girls, an idea forming. "Well, maybe since these two get on so well, we can exchange numbers. I'm sure such a well behaved girl as Max would be a good influence on this wild child of mine. How does that sound to you two?"

"Hell yes!" Chloe exclaimed with a grin, her mom rolling her eyes at the rambunctious response, smiling too.

All eyes turned to me, not something I was used to. "I'd… like that."

Mom smiled at me, then at Chloe and Joyce. "I think it's settled then."

After exchanging numbers and a vigorous goodbye from Chloe, we parted ways. The whole way home I help mom's hand, smiling to myself. I'd made a friend today.

The memory faded away, soon replaced with another. Later, when I was around eleven or twelve. I was at Chloe's house for a sleepover. We had spent the day drawing, watching films, playing games and eating a ton of junk food. Joyce had popped out to the store, telling us to behave ourselves, but that was mostly directed at Chloe.

"Uh, I'm bored…" Chloe whined, a devious grin tugging at her lips, "...but I have a plan. I know where mom stashes her wine. Fancy a taste?"

"I think Joyce would be mad if we did…" I added, already anxious. "And isn't William just upstairs. He might hear us."

"Pfft, who cares? She won't even know. And he will hear us if you keep whining about it." Chloe waved away my concern, heading into the garage and coming back with a bottle, along with an opener from a kitchen cupboard. "Et voila. Care to do the honors?"

"I don't know about this…" I hesitated, looking at the bottle skeptically.

Sighing, she nudged my shoulder and held the bottle out. "Come on, open it chicken!"

"Hold on. And I'm not chicken!" I replied, grabbing the bottle and the opener, struggling to get the top off. Eventually, I managed it.

I held the bottle out to her again, but she shook her head and pushed it back my way. "Prove it! You drink first, Max!"

"No way! It was your idea, Chloe!" I protested, holding it back towards her.

"Whateva. Give me that bottle." She shrugged, taking it from me and bringing it to her lips to take a sip.

"Well?" I asked, curious to know.

She smacked her lips, nodding in approval. "Tasty. Very tasty."

Wanting to taste it myself now, I held my hand out expectantly. "Here, I want a sip!"

Chloe grinned, moving it out of my reach. "Sorry, this is not for kids."

Frowning, I tried to take it from her. "Don't be greedy! Gimme some!"

In a split second, the bottle fell to the floor. It didn't break thankfully, but wine began pouring out onto the carpet near the couch.

"Oh shit, the carpet!" Chloe exclaimed, picking up the bottle to try and salvage the situation.

"There's wine all over! What do we do now?" I started to panic.

Chloe grabbed some paper towel, handing me some and we got scrubbing. After some time and a whole roll of kitchen towel later, we managed to clean it up some… but not enough. There was a visible stain. Before we could come up with a different plan, we heard the sound of a car engine switch off and shuffling from upstairs.

"My parents are coming! Cover it up…" Chloe muttered, looking around for something big enough. She grabbed a pile of papers from the table, plonking them over the stain. "There, perfect… maybe."

Keys jangled in the lock, the door opening to reveal Joyce, laden with groceries. William came down the stairs, giving her a kiss before helping unpack the car. Chloe and I sat back at the table, pretending we were busy drawing. My eyes kept wandering back to the stain, Chloe lightly kicking me under the table to get me to focus.

Joyce put the bags she was carrying on the side, giving us a warm smile. "Hey girls, hope you've been good."

"When aren't we?" Chloe asked innocently. I didn't say a word, not wanting to incriminate us.

"Oh, I can think of a few times…" William added with a smile. He paused, noticing the oddly placed stack of papers. "Been having fun by any chance?"

"You know us, always drawing and stuff," Chloe replied, as cool as could be. I honestly didn't know how she did it, so calm under pressure.

Joyce began unpacking the shopping. "Well, if you could clean up before dinner, that would be great."

"Can't we just keep it there for later? I mean, we'll probably be using it," Chloe said as a last ditch attempt to avoid us being discovered.

William shook his head. "Come on, Chloe. Listen to your mother for once."

"But I don't wanna move it," she protested, giving me a sheepish glance. We were so going to get busted.

Sighing, William shook his head. "Guess it falls to super dad to save the day."

Nothing we could say or do would stop him. As he lifted the papers, he frowned. "Uh, Joyce honey, I think you might want to see this."

Putting the eggs and milk in the fridge, Joyce came over to investigate. She raised an eyebrow, looking at the reddish stain before lifting her gaze to us. "So… someone care to explain this one to me?"

Chloe and I gave each other a look, trying to come up with a plan. In that moment, Joyce stern expression faltered, as did William's. A second later, they burst into laughter, which left us very confused.

"Phew, I don't think I've laughed like that in ages," Joyce wiped away a tear from her eyes. "You should've seen your faces then."

"I'd almost call it genius," William chuckled. "Wish I'd taken a picture."

"You're not mad?" I asked, really confused.

Joyce shook her head, smiling. "No, of course not, hun. Guess I'll have to hide my wine better in the future, huh?"

"Might want to get a padlock around Chloe," William suggested, returning to unpacking.

I let out a sigh of relief catching Chloe's eyes. She shrugged, finding their behavior just as strange.

Exhaling deeply, Joyce gave us both a wink. "Now, let's get dinner sorted out, shall we?"

The remnants of laughter faded away into silence, another memory coming to the surface. This one had very little in the way of happiness…

I was thirteen, not long after William's funeral. It was my last day in Arcadia Bay, my family moving to Seattle for work. I didn't want to go, not at all. I wanted to stay here, with Chloe. My friend was still hurting and I wanted to be there for her…

When I told her I was leaving last week, she was understandably upset. She hadn't spoken to me all week, locked away in her room. Joyce couldn't get her to come out and she had her own grief to deal with. All she could do was put meals outside and hope Chloe ate them.

This was my last chance to see her before I left. One way or another, I would get in that room. Even if she hated me forever, I couldn't leave it like this. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. No answer. I tried again… no answer.

Worried now, I pushed on the door, finding it blocked by a chair. After a few firm pushes I managed to dislodge the barricade, falling flat on my face from the sudden opening. I grunted as I hit the floor, getting to my feet. My expression softened as my eyes fell on the bed, Chloe curled up passed out. I realized that this might be the first time she'd really slept in days.

Creeping over, I cautiously sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake her yet. It looked like she had been crying again, a few tears still clinging to her face. I sighed, gently curling up next to her. It broke my heart to see her like this, to know I couldn't do anything to make the pain go away.

"I'm sorry, Chloe… I really am. I wish I could go back and stop William from leaving, but I can't. I wish I could stay, but I can't." My voice faltered, the familiar well of tears in my eyes. William had been like a father to me, so I'd been crying a lot. "I promise, I'll come to see you as soon as I can. And we can keep in touch other ways."

I was surprised when I felt a hand on my arm, Chloe's blue eyes opening slightly. How long had she been awake? Without warning, she shuffled over and wrapped her arms around me, so tight. "Please don't go, Max…"

I had nothing to say to that. Instead, I hugged her back just as tightly, promising both myself and her that I would stay in touch. No matter how hard.

A few brief flashes from my time at Seattle swirled around, all mixed up. My time at school, not the same without Chloe. The first few awkward texts and letters we'd shared. A few occasions where she came over, and some when I returned to Arcadia. And finally, me coming back to Arcadia for good.

Then… that fateful party where my life changed forever. The crowd plunged into darkness, faces illuminated for a second by the flashing lights. Blonde hair, shimmering hazel eyes enticing me. Lips against mine, a sharp pinprick sensation in my neck, a wave of pleasure.

Every cell in my body on fire, charged. My genetic makeup re-written. My death... then undeath. Instinct sharpening, more prevalent. A two-way bond strengthened, inescapable, duty bound. Voices, echoed whispers with only one audible. Silky and commanding, getting my immediate attention, calling my name.

Whatever this voice had to say, whatever it commanded, I knew I would follow. It stirred deep set urges, desires and instincts within me, drew them to the surface, coaxed them out. And then… silence and darkness...

At the sound of birds, my eyes gradually opened. Instead of my dorm room's ceiling, I was met with uneven wooden boards, rusted nails holding them in place with cobwebs draped across in the corners. The solitary window was covered with some kind of sheet acting as a makeshift curtain, blocking out the morning rays of sunlight, same with the hole used as a door. As I shifted, the floorboards underneath me creaked.

It took me a second or two to realize where I was – mine and Chloe's treehouse hideout in Arcadia's forest. I frowned, trying to remember how I got here and why. Cautiously, I lifted the corner of the sheet covering the window, eyes scrunching up as I peered out. Yep, definitely the forest, early morning as my best guess.

Dropping the sheet, I shuffled back and leaned against one of the walls, one knee bent and the other stretched out in front of me, arms hanging limply at my sides. I felt… odd. Not a bad odd necessarily, just weird. One huge change, the thirst had gone – vague recollections of yesterday slowly filtering through my mind. I had bitten someone, and not just anyone… Victoria Chase, the school's self-proclaimed Queen Bee. She'd have a fit if she remembered what I did…

I rubbed my face with my hands, giving my cheeks a soft slap to get me going, to check I really was awake. What time was it? Feeling around in my pockets, I found my phone. Just gone five am. Too early… I also noticed a new message, or several messages, from Chloe. Most of them had been sent late last night.

Chloe: Max, what happened the other day?

Chloe: we need to talk

Chloe: txt me when you see this

Sighing, I wondered what I should do. Now I'd actually had a meal, I should be able to hang out with her without worrying… right? I didn't want to keep ignoring her.

Max: sorry bout other day

Max: stress is getting to me

She probably wouldn't see my texts until later, so I pocketed my phone again. I could only hide this for so long from her… just a little longer.

A soft creak from above made me freeze, listening. There it was again, accompanied by a vaguely familiar scent. Getting up and crouching, I plotted the ever moving shuffling, getting closer to the door side. Tensing, I waited. It stopped, followed by silence. Just as I was about to give up, someone gracefully swung inside the tree house through the sheet, landing about a foot in front of me.

On instinct, I lunged forward, not wanting to risk getting jumped myself. My mystery guest got there first, dodging out of the way and pinning me to the ground with one arm. "Whoa, chill out. It's just me."

I stopped struggling, recognizing the voice and the face when I finally got a proper look. "Rachel?"

"Yeah, who else?" Rachel offered a charming smile. "You were really out for the count, huh? I got bored and decided to star gaze. So, bet you're wondering why you're here and all that. Well, I brought you here, didn't know how you'd be when you woke up."

Her words started blending into one, indecipherable. I tried hard to focus on what she was saying, biting my lip.

Rachel paused, tilting her head curiously. "You okay? You seem distracted."

My hands started shaking, every fiber of my being feeling energized. "I… I don't know."

A knowing smirk crossed her features. "Ah, I know that look… let's play a little game, shall we?"

"A… huh?" I frowned, confused as my body practically burned with excess energy. I had never felt so jittery, muscles screaming to be used.

"Simple, catch me if you can." With that, Rachel seemed to almost teleport out of the treehouse.

Uncertain where this was going, I followed her out, jumping down to the ground without using the makeshift plank ladder. The thick canopy of leaves covered most of the sunlight, a few rays poking through. My eyes darted around, nose picking up on so many scents and ears distinguishing various sounds.

I felt something deep inside drive me forward, trying to track Rachel down bypassing my mind. A soft chuckle rang through the trees, echoing around me. Without stopping, I rushed forward again, jumping up into a tree to get a better view. The rush was exhilarating, hands clamping onto the tree's branches so I didn't fall. I sniffed the air, picking up and focusing in on her scent.

Pushing off the tree trunk, I raced ahead, feeling the wind lash against my skin as I ran so fast, much faster than I was used to. Before now, I had never run unless I really had to, and I was slow as hell. I was definitely running faster than any human should. Right now, I could probably cruise alongside a slow-moving car no sweat.

"Max," the taunting call made me halt in my tracks, kicking up dirt and leaves as my heels dug in.

Darting to the right I could feel the excess energy slowly fade away, but my need to find Rachel didn't. Her scent was getting stronger so she must be close by. Just as I thought that, I crashed to the ground, something colliding with me. Whatever it was landed straight on top of me, pinning me to the ground. It was Rachel.

She gave me a wink before disappearing again. "You're getting close."

Jumping to my feet, I didn't even brush myself off before I resumed the chase. This time, I was more cautious of the tree tops, knowing that she might try an aerial attack again. I could hear the odd rustling, her occasional taunts and laughter. She put in a few appearances, suddenly running beside or in front of me before fading into nothing – that was what it felt like, anyway.

The surge of energy had almost fizzled out, my feet slowing. I stumbled slightly right into Rachel's arms. "Whoa, steady there. Feel better now?"

I thought about it for a second, realizing that I did. "Weirdly, yes."

Rachel smiled, eyes locked onto mine. "Hopefully that's gotten rid of most of the leftover energy. Could've done it… another way, but that was the most effective. Not quite as fun. Still, I enjoyed playing."

I couldn't look away, transfixed. Somehow, she seemed even prettier than before. Maybe it was the natural lighting or… something else. It was kinda confusing, yet at the same time compelling.

She smirked, fingers gently holding my chin. "Oh, and I know that look, too. Guess I should've used the other option to get rid of all the energy after all…" Her voice was low and husky. "Maybe next time, hmm?" She picked a twig and leaf or two from my hair I'd acquired from the chase before stepping back, still smiling as her normally hazel eyes glowed a faint red. "Everything will be very different from now on…"

So, Max has gone through her transformation fully now, her bond to Rachel cemented. And the fun and games begin…