My fingers tightens on the gun as I shove it into the girl's stomach. How dare she threaten me and try to get money from me!
"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!" The words feel so good to say. Let this bitch know what's about to go down!
"Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!"
Her fear feeds the anger inside of me. The control over her is so…satisfying. It's a glorious feeling and I let it loose!
"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"
"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-"
"Nobody would ever even miss your 'punk ass' would they?"
"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"
A sneer twists my face as I glare into the blue-haired girls face. She'll learn! Just like they all will! I pull the trigger and an energy courses through me as the shot reverberates in the bathroom.
A scream rips from my lungs as I fling myself away. My pounding heart drowns all other sounds. With a sickening lurch the bathroom fades into the darkness of the hotel room. Chloe lies on the bed sleeping, sheet and blanket draped over her. My hand grips my shirt, tightening until it hurts.
Hands roughly spin me around and push me. Shocked by the suddenness of it, I stumble to the ground, slamming into the carpeted floor painfully. Max looms over me, the hateful one. Her eyes seem to glow a baleful color in the dim light.
"You disgust me," she spits. "It's not the first time you killed and it won't be the last." She turns and storms away.
Again the room changes, fading back into the bathroom scene. Chloe stares at me lifeless, blood seeping from the hole blown into her middle. It coats my hands and clothes.
I know it's not real, I know it's another dream…or something by that hateful Max. But my heart doesn't care. Seeing those eyes, once vibrant and full of spunk and life drained and empty tears at me. I clutch her shirt as my world falls apart.
"Max!"
Light pierces my eyes, blinding me. Someone is looming over me, shadowy and indistinct. Short hair and glowing eyes, it's her again! I turn my head and cry, "Go away! Haven't you hurt me enough tonight!"
"H-hurt you?"
That…that's not her voice! Turning my head I see Chloe is leaning over me. I also notice I'm holding tight to her shirt, much as I was in the nightmare.
A strangle cry bursts from me as relief floods my system. I loosen my hold, letting my hands fall to my sides. We're in bed in the hotel room. One of the wall lamps is on, casting a pale light around us.
"I'm guessing that was a nightmare? You were shouting something, then you grabbed my shirt and pulled me over you. Damn Max, when did you get that strong?"
There's a lighthearted tone in her voice, but concern is writ in the way her brow creases over her eyes. Her eyes that just moments ago were empty and dull in my dream. All I can do is stare at her eyes, once again alive.
She rolls onto her side and sits up, pulling me with her. "Tell me about it," she urges. Folding my legs I look into my lap, hands restless.
"It was…" what was it exactly? At one time similar to that nightmare that plagued me for months, and so different. "It was the nightmare I've had for months, where you're shot in the bathroom. Only this time…I was the one shooting you." My eyes stay down as I tell her. I can't look into her eyes, those eyes I dulled with death.
She lifts my head by the chin, her eyes searching mine. "You didn't shoot me," she whispers. I try to turn away, but her hand has my chin caught fast.
"Yes-"
"No! Like I told you last night, it wasn't your fault."
"I-"
"Max!" I flinch at the irritation in her voice. "I'm sorry," she says, voice smoothing into kindness. "It wasn't your fault. You did not put me in that bathroom."
Her fingers loosen on my chin allowing me to turn away. I know she's trying to make me feel better, but I can't let that guilt go free.
"What did…" Her voice dies but I think I know what she wants to ask.
"What did Kate do when I had those nightmares? Is that what you want to know?" From the corner of my eye I see her nod.
"She'd…" My breath catches as thoughts of Kate dance through my head. All that time she spent with me, helping me cope through the night. The things she shared with me, things that helped pull her out of her darkness. Fingers brush mine and I start, eyes jerking back to Chloe.
Swallowing dryly I try again. "She'd hold me…and…and tell me it was ok to feel pain and sadness. She'd remind me to breath. She'd tell me it was horrible what I went through. That it didn't make me bad." My voice is trembling now, stirred by the pain welling up from deep inside. More guilt layers atop what I already feel. My emotions are too unstable to produce anything beyond hopelessness.
"You don't have to do that. I know…"
"Forget what you think you know." Her arms wrap around me and pull me onto her lap.
The morning light finds me still wrapped in her arms. Her chin rests on my head as we share a pillow. "Good morning," she says as I stir. Turning over to look at her, I study her.
"Did you get any sleep?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me."
"I'm always going to worry about you."
She laughs at that. "Well, let's worry about the good times we'll have on this hella good day. Go take your shower munchkin."
"You are in a good mood."
A shower and clean clothes finds me ready for the new day. While she's tossing on her clothes, hair still damp from her shower, I see a bottle of pills on the bedside table. "Would you mind giving me those," she says as I move toward the table.
"Sure," I say as I pick them up. I scan the label quickly before tossing them, seeing they are prescribed to her. "What are they for?"
Grabbing the bottle from the air, she tucks it into a pocket. "My happy pills." I must have made a face at that since she sighs and adds, "my antidepressants. I'm almost out. We'll need to go by the pharmacy later today to see if my prescription was refilled."
Nodding as I put on my shoes I think about what she said. Therapy and antidepressants. A lot has changed in six months. My heart sinks as I think how wonderful her Max must be, to bring her to a place where she's healing.
These depressing thoughts occupy me as I grab my bag, we leave our room and head toward the lobby. Chloe doesn't seem to notice. She's happy and almost skipping as we head down the hall.
Chloe decides to splurge and we eat in the hotel restaurant. The prices seem a little high, especially for the amount of food we get. The coffee isn't that great either. She's so happy though so I keep these thoughts to myself.
With breakfast done we wander onto the streets of Bend. Taking my hand, Chloe leads us to the downtown shops. Most of them are closed since it's Sunday. That doesn't matter to her though as she goes from window to window, peering inside and making punny comments.
One of the shops we find open has a small collection of shirts and jewelry that belong in Chloe's wardrobe. The shirt racks catches her eye, and she wanders over to go through them. My own eye is caught by the jewelry display.
Slowly spinning one of the displays a glint of gold catches my eye, a cross. My finger lightly traces it as I feel again Kate's hand on mine.
Killer!
I flinch, jerking my hand away from the jewelry. My hand rises again, finger seeking the cool metal.
You let her die!
My hand jerks to my chest, forming into a fist. My eyes close, which makes it worse. Now I see Kate before me, her hand reaching out to me. Turning, I open my eyes and quickly make my way from the store. Leaning against the wall outside I try to relax, to breath.
With a deep breath in, I wriggle my toes. Letting it out I focus on how that feels, my chest relaxing as the air rushes through. The old stone of the building under my hands is cool. Again and again I breath, letting my body feel and focus on that.
"Hey."
Her voice surprises me and I jump. She's standing near enough to touch me but she doesn't.
Why would she want to touch you!
Smiling weakly I look at her before ducking my head.
"Can we…can we do something else?"
"Sure. Yeah." Without a moment's hesitation she takes my hand in hers. A shudder passes through me at her touch, causing her to shoot a quick look that I try to ignore.
Some minutes later we're back at the hotel getting into the car. It's apparent she has a destination in mind but she won't tell me. We drive through the rather quiet streets before she pulls into a parking lot. She hops out as soon as she can, waiting for me on the sidewalk.
It takes a while for me to join her. There are people everywhere and my mood hasn't adjusted much from the shop.
"Come on! Come on," she urges as I get out of the car. Between the people and buildings I see water glinting, and open green spaces.
"Where are we?"
"The Old Mill District. I think this is right up your hipster avenue."
Her attempt at humor does bring a faint smile to my lips. Locking the car, she turns and wades among the people and buildings, expecting me to follow. Catching up to her, I entwine my hand with hers. Flashing a smile over her shoulder, she pulls me onward.
Minutes later we're walking a bridge across the river. Halfway over she stops and leans against the railing. Few people are on the bridge and I'm able to push aside the low din of the distant crowd. Joining her at the railing I peer into the water below.
"You were reminded of her, weren't you?"
Startled, I turn and look at her. She's looking intently at the water. "Who?"
"Kate."
Swallowing a lump that suddenly formed, I turn back to the river. "Yeah." I say the word after a long silence.
"Sorry…that sucks."
My head nods but I'm focusing more on the river right now. I want the peace of its flow to reflect in my mind, to not give in to the thoughts swirling there.
We stand there a long time, just watching the water. Her arm goes around my waist, pulling us tight. Taking a chance, I lean my head against her shoulder.
"It's ok to miss her," she whispers as we watch some ducks swim by. "You need to let yourself feel, not keep it trapped inside you."
Occasionally a fish taps the surface, eating some bug or other thing we can't see. "When I lost dad and you, people kept telling me how I should feel, how I should be." Her words dance along the light breeze. "That pushed me in the wrong direction. No one tried to understand how I was feeling, what I was feeling. It was like they didn't care that I was feeling."
She turns and looks at me then, a sad smile in her eyes. "It's ok to have those feelings and to show them." She bonks my head lightly with hers, then returns to watching the river life. Her arm is still around my waist, giving me stability.
Her words swirl in my mind and for once I don't use them to beat myself down. She's trying to help me, she wants to help me. "Thank you," I whisper.
"Any time Maxie."
After a long time, she turns and tugs me, signaling her desire to move on. Instead of going back to the shops, she completes the crossing and heads onto one of the trails.
I had managed to get my mind back onto the here and now while I watched the river. As I catch up to her I ask, "You've been doing this for months now?"
"Doing what?"
"Running from place to place."
"Since Christmas. We've been all over Oregon. Trying to stay hidden and away from them."
The path wends among grasses and native plants. An urge to stop and study them thrums inside me but I push it aside. "What would you be doing if we weren't on the run?"
The question causes her to stop and look at me. She gives me a wry grin and says, "Maybe having some wild monkey sex."
Oh. Oh! I'm suddenly really hot and uncomfortable. Looking away from her, I pull on my collar and jostle the shirt, trying to get some cool air. She chuckles as I do this.
"Seriously, I don't know. Before this Max was in school and I was…I was surviving."
Surviving. That's all I was doing the last few months also. She's walking again and I hurry to catch up. "What did you and Max do together? You were always on the go, moving from town to town. That had to get tiresome."
"Yeah, it did. There were some towns where we stayed longer and I found odd jobs to do. She'd often wander around town taking pictures. A few of them she was able to sell, which was hella cool! Mostly though…"
She pauses both in speech and walking. We're in a shady area near the river. A patch of sunlight falls on her just right. In that moment I push aside the dark thoughts that rule me and just look at her.
She's been a friend unlike any other. Always ready to help me. Always looking beyond the shyness and awkwardness I shroud myself with. Always there, even when I'm not. Shaking my head as those dark thoughts try to crowd in, I step up to her and take her hand.
My touch startles her from whatever thoughts occupied her mind. "Mostly?"
Now she doesn't want to look at me. "Mostly…mostly we'd spend as much time together as we could. Being on the go all the time sounds fun until you're actually doing it. After the fifth or sixth town we visited…they're all the same. I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could."
My heart catches what she doesn't say. She wanted to spend as much time with her Max as she could before I came.
A bleak smile is plastered on her face when she looks at me again. "For years I wanted to leave that shithole of a town. Now? I don't want to go back, but I do miss Joyce. I miss having more than a week to do something. Life on the run is…pointless."
Shaking her head, she smiles for real and sets off down the path, me in tow. Her answers aren't what I expected.
She's not as vibrant since she began taking her medicine.
Max's voice catches me unawares. I'm still not used to her in my head and she hasn't spoken today.
What do you mean?
She's more…focused and less…passionate about everything. The medicine also makes her more irritable. It's a weird tradeoff.
That is a weird tradeoff. I think about their words as we wander through the different greenspaces.
We spend time along the trails, enjoying the beauty of the animal habitats. It's mid-afternoon before we enter one of the local eateries for lunch. By then I'm a lot more relaxed than I was this morning, all thanks to Chloe.
After our meal we leave the district to run the few errands she had planned. The rest of the afternoon and evening we spend in the hotel watching movies. She doesn't hesitate to get the premium channels so we have better movies to watch.
As I climb into bed beside her I can't help thinking about our conversation earlier. She's not happy. Being on the run isn't exciting. Living out of a backpack, sticking around Oregon, isn't the life she wants. I resolve to discover what life she does want.
Morning finds me blinking awake to a dimly lit room. Thoughts sluggishly filter through my mind. Blue eyes peer down at an angle and I stiffen before I realize it's Chloe looking at me.
"Ugh." My morning brain isn't engaging yet.
"Wakey-wakey."
"Why are you so cheerful?"
"Because, Maximus, you slept through the entire night without a nightmare."
My hands stop rubbing my eyes as her words make sense. Pushing myself upright, I look around. Chloe's beside me, propped on an elbow. Backpacks are on the other bed. Towels are on the floor by the restroom door. Everything looks right, but I'm nervous. My mind has played too many tricks on me.
Picking up my phone, I unlock it and go to a web browser. They say you can't read in a dream. The text on the last website loads and I'm able to read it. Setting my phone down, I look down at her.
She's got her "what are you doing?" face on. Turning to sit cross-legged facing her, I say, "My nightmares aren't consistent. The first morning after they stop is hard. I don't know if I'm in a nightmare or reality."
As I speak, she moves to sit like me. When I stop, she sits a long time just looking at her hands in her lap. "After my dad…and then you…I had nightmares also." My heart lurches at her words. "When they started going away…I remember the first morning I didn't have one. I awoke in a panic, scared of everything. I kept expecting reality to shift into the nightmare."
Raising her head, she gives me a smile. "Shit sucks." Her hand shifts to touch my arm. "You don't have to go through it alone."
My head turns away as pain knots my heart. I can hear the words she didn't speak, won't speak, "like I did." Squishing my eyes tightly shut to ward off the tears, I focus myself on breathing. In and out, spine lifting, chest moving. Arm burning where she touches it still. Why does she touch me?
Because she knows it hurts you. You deserve that pain.
Those words do cause a tear to escape my control. A finger lightly brushes my cheek and I jerk away. No! I'm not ready for this! She's not ready for this!
My body trembles from restraint as I make myself stay on the bed and let her touch me. There's a terrible sorrow tearing me apart inside and it's all I can do to hold the pieces together.
Nodding my head without knowing why, I swipe at my eyes. Tears are smeared across my face as I do. "What are the plans for today?" God my voice sounds so horrible!
"Everything should be open today. I'm hoping to find a place for good music we can hit up tonight or later this week."
"Sounds good." Lame. Max get it together! The bed jostles as she moves off it.
"Shower first. Then breakfast."
By mutual agreement we find a diner to eat at. The cup of coffee in my hands is so good I want to slip into it. I hope to never have that hotel coffee again. Taking a sip I decide to figure out what Chloe wants.
"If we weren't on the go all the time, Chloe. What would you want to do?"
"Seriously? I'd first want a nice long medication period on the beach."
"And then?"
She pauses, brow furrowed. Her hands twirl the coffee mug in her hands, spinning it around and around. "Max and I…" Her eyes shoot towards me and her mouth narrows.
My hands tighten on my mug as I look down and say, "You and she…?"
"Before all…this happened, we talked about her going to school after Blackwell. I still wanted to leave town and she…wanted me to come with her."
The coffee loses some of its flavor as it washes over my tongue. I can't tell if she's uncomfortable with this topic or something else. "And after you left…did you talk about the future?"
"No! We didn't have time-" She cuts herself off and focuses all her attention on her mug. It looks like she's doing breathing exercises like mine. My hand reaches across the table to rest on hers. She startles at the touch, almost withdrawing her hand. After a second or two, she turns her hand over and holds mine.
"Sorry," she mumbles.
"You were getting upset…or frustrated?" I keep my voice steady and neutral. I want her, no I need her, to talk to me.
Like you should be talking to her.
Her head nods in response.
"I want to understand what was causing that. Help me understand, please?"
Loosing a deep breath, her hand squeezes mine. "I'm frustrated and mad about losing her. I'm also mad about having to leave town so early. We had plans! She was…she was helping me! It was going to work!"
It takes everything I have to not let any of the pain those words cause show in my face, or my voice. But wow do they hurt! It makes the sorrow I felt this morning seem like a sunny day in comparison.
"We can…we can make this work. I know we can."
"But you can't bring her back, can you?"
I flinch at her words. Her own face collapses as she realizes what she just said. And that's when our food arrives. Plates are placed in front of us and when the server leaves, she's returned to stony faced Chloe.
Our hands are no longer together. She moved hers while the plates were being set. The eggs and bacon in front of me are no longer appetizing. Chloe has no problems diving into her food, while I pick at mine.
It's all coming apart. I'm coming apart. With great effort I push those thoughts aside and force myself to eat a slice of bacon.
Today is my third day here and I'm sadder than before. Worse, I've made her sad. Everything is tasteless. Setting down my fork I resolve to try again.
"No, Chloe I can't bring her back." My eyes are focused on my plate. The eggs are strewn all over it.
"That-I shouldn't have said that. I know I said it before, but this time travel shit is weird. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, Max."
My head nods but my heart still feels the pain. "How can…how can I help you, Chloe?" My eyes are focused on her now, waiting, hoping she'll give me something.
Finishing what's in her mouth, she downs a gulp of water and sets down her utensils. "It's gonna take time," she finally says. "I can't…I can't just go from her to you."
I wince at her words. "That's not what I mean. Tell me how she was helping you. Tell me how to help you. Please."
She reaches her hand across the table and rests her fingers on mine. They lightly stroke them. "You are amazing," she whispers.
Amazing at fucking things up!
I turn my head away, eyes downcast. When I look up again, she's smiling in that way that captures my heart.
"Believe it or not, getting me to talk about what was going on in my head was a big way she helped. When I'd get frustrated or mad, she wouldn't go away or tell me everything was alright. She'd do what you just did, ask me to tell her why I was mad."
The pain I felt just moments ago fades as her words settle in. A slight smile plays at the edges of my mouth, not ready to take hold.
"Now, come on and eat," she says. "Let's have some fun today!"
Picking up my fork, I force myself to start eating the eggs.
After breakfast we get back in the car and Chloe drives south. Within minutes I see the smokestacks of the Old Mill District. "What are we doing back here?"
"You'll see," she says with a mischievous grin. Parking the car we get out. She's full of energy and swagger as we make our way through the people already crowding the walkways. She stops in front of a small shop, gives me a nervous grin, and enters.
Stepping into the shop after her, I freeze. All around me are photos. People, landscapes, animals, and more adorn the walls. Each of them a simple black and white picture with minimalist framing. Words and thoughts flee my mind as I stand there.
Chloe brought me here. She brought me to an art museum. The sensation of falling sweeps through me and I'm in Chloe's arms. Her eyes look down at me.
"Hell, Max, if I knew you'd get all weak in the knees over some pictures I'd have done this a long time ago." Concern, teasing, and something else weave together in her voice. Her arms are around me and I realize I really did fall. She's holding me up.
"Thank you," I say as she helps me straighten up. I don't want to tell her what this reminds me of. Thankfully these pictures lack his power, dulling the fear and pain they cause. She did something for me, even though I don't deserve it. Giving her a brave smile, I turn and try to lose myself in the pictures.
We spend the rest of the morning in the art gallery, browsing the photos. A mixture of fear, disgust, and something more positive churns within me. My hand holds tight on hers the entire time. If she's bored being in here with all this art, or suspects something in my behavior, she doesn't show it.
Lunch finds us at another eatery in the district, hamburgers for both of us. My appetite recovered from this morning and as I eat I try to think of what I can do for Chloe. Taking me to that gallery showed she's trying to make things better for me. Trying harder than I am.
Max? What's something I can do for Chloe?
Silence. My heart sinks a little as I take another bite. That probably was a stretch.
She's been talking about more body jewelry. She secretly still likes pirate themed things.
Her suggestions so surprise me I choke a little. Coughing into my sleeve, I swallow and take a drink.
Thank you!
Body jewelry and pirate themed things. I don't know what I can do with that, but I'll figure something out. We finish lunch and wander back outside.
"So…back to town, or stick around here for a while?"
I look around. There are a number of small local shops, as well as national chains. "Let's look around here for a while."
She nods and we head toward the shops. My stomach is twisting itself already. Getting Chloe jewelry just doesn't seem as good as her taking me to an art gallery. I try to practice my breathing as we enter the shops.
We go through several shops during the afternoon. There are a few showcasing local artisans, whose crafts are really good. Nothing fits the description though.
As the afternoon winds down, I can tell Chloe is bored. Truthfully, so am I. You can only do so much shopping in a day and neither of us really like shopping in the first place. There are several shops left but my feet really want to leave.
Standing outside the last shop we browsed, I scan the remaining ones. Immediately one grabs my attention. The sign is hand made and is quite artistic. It calls itself Body Language. What I can see in the window suggest it's just the shop we need.
"Come on, Chloe," I say as I walk toward the shop. "Just one more."
She doesn't say anything as she follows behind. The way my arm slackens as we near tells me she figured out where we're going. Soon she's beside me and we enter together.
The shop has Chloe written all over it. Street art festoons the walls. Jewelry is on display in non-traditional ways. What sounds like punk music plays over the speakers. She's immediately drawn to the clothing, and begins browsing the shelves.
I make my way to the jewelry. Pirate themed is all I know. What kind of body jewelry would she like? What kind of body jewelry would I like on her? Where do I even start?
While I'm perusing all the choices, a voice asks, "hey, can I help you with something?"
Startled, I look up to find a woman leaning against the counter. "Y-yes."
She straightens up and I see a small silver ring in her nose. Would Chloe look good with a nose ring?
Quietly I explain what I'm looking for. She glances at Chloe, then me. Her fingers tap a couple of times before she asks, "what kind of body jewelry does she already have?"
Uh. I don't actually know that!
She doesn't have any yet.
Immense relief rolls through me at Max's words.
"Just earrings and a necklace."
The woman looks at me, her fingers still tapping. I can't meet her gaze long and look down. A few tattoos peak from her sleeves. Her fingers stop tapping and beckon me to one end of the counter. She kneels behind the counter for a few moments. When she stands up, she has several trays in her hands.
She points out the nose rings, belly rings, and of course earrings. There are a number of pirate themed ones in the mix. After several minutes looking, with input from my inner Max, I make my selection. Putting the trays away, she rings up my selection.
Fishing my wallet out, I find only a credit card in there, which I hand over. She slides it through the machine and hands it back. While I put it away she puts the jewelry in a box, and then into a bag. I sign the receipt, she hands me the bag and I step away.
"What did you find?"
A small shriek is forced from me at Chloe's words. Turning, I smack her lightly on the shoulder. "Don't go sneaking up on me like that! And…you'll have to wait to see."
Grinning, she steps past me and puts a shirt on the counter. Once she pays, we leave the shop, each with a bag. I'm still worried that my gift won't be good enough.
We spend the rest of the day on the other side of the river, wandering the trails. Dinner is back at the hotel restaurant. I'm so nervous I barely notice that their dinner is much better than their breakfast. As we near the end of the meal, I decide to give Chloe her gift.
Reaching into the bag, I pull out the box and give it to her. Her eyebrows go up as it dawns on her what I'm doing. "Why'd you get something for me? You didn't need to."
A half-grin, half-wince holds my face and I can't look at her. "I-I'm sorry, Chloe. I know it's not as good as the gallery…but I wanted to get you something."
She opens the box while I stammer out my excuse. A soft whistle interrupts my words. She's holding the jewelry in her hands and looking closely at them. "Did you…did you get me a nose ring and a belly ring?"
My eyes look away and my hands clasp between my knees. They're lame, I know, but still I nod.
"That's hella cool, Max! How did you know I wanted body jewelry?"
"You…you like them?" I'm looking at her now.
"Like them? I love them! How did you know?"
I look away again. I can't tell her about Max. I can't. She'll hate me.
"I…I guessed?"
"Wait…did you ask me, then rewind so I forgot you asked and then bought them for me?"
That…would have been a great way to buy something for her! But I don't want to do that with Chloe. Honesty and respect is what I want between us.
And yet you hide her girlfriend from her!
"No, I wouldn't do that with you, Chloe."
"Well, that doesn't matter. What matters is these are so awesome!"
So much enthusiasm in her words! It warms me a little to know I brought that to her. "So…you like them?"
She puts the jewelry down and looks at me. "Why are you doubting yourself? Yes, I like them. I've wanted something like this for a long time."
A weak smile crosses my face. Her hand reaches across to touch mine. "Thank you."
Her words strengthen my smile.
Once back in the room we cuddle together in bed, watching movies until late.
The morning finds me blinking awake with her blue eyes looking down at me. "Ugh," I groan, "is this how you'll wake me up everyday?"
"Only on mornings where you didn't have nightmares."
Her words wake me up. She's right. That's a second night in a row without a nightmare! Maybe this means things will start returning to normal. Maybe this means I can start…healing.
"Come on, sleepy head." She taps me on the shoulder, "time to shower and get dressed for the day."
We make short order of preparing for the day. Chloe mentions she wants to find a shop to, as she says it, "get my jewelry installed." What a weird way to say it.
We're headed across the lobby to the front door when a man's voice stops us.
"Chloe Price and Max Caulfield."
Seated across from registration is a well dressed man who looks vaguely familiar. A woman stands behind his seat and two men sit to either side. All three are smartly dressed in professional attire. The man in the middle rises, causing the others to do the same. Automatically I step closer to Chloe.
"Who the fuck are you?"
The man smiles in a way I immediately distrust. "Come," he says, "the car awaits."
Shaking my head, I say, "No. Who are you?"
His smile broadens. It reminds me of a predator about to pounce on prey. "My name is Sean. I believe you know my son, Nathan."
Sean Prescott? What the hell! While I only think that, Chloe verbalizes it.
"Yes," he says. It's like he's trying to put a light-hearted air into his voice. It sounds so creepy. "The hell it is. It's a great morning for breakfast together. My treat."
"And why should we want to have breakfast with you?" My hand entwines Chloe's as I speak.
"Well, for a start, to apologize for the mess my son has made for you."
What? Apparently my disbelief shows on my face as he nods and says, with a slight frown, "yes, Nathan was trying his best but…well I think I don't have to tell you he needs help. Let me buy you breakfast and we can discuss that mess and how to make it better."
I look at Chloe who shrugs and says, "free food? I'm game. My car though. I don't take rides from strangers."
Sean smiles again at her words and claps his hands. "Good enough," he says. "Follow us then. We're going to the Prescottonian!" The what? He actually has a restaurant here named after him? How pretentious can you be?
We follow him outside where he gives us the address. While he and his entourage get into a shiny white limousine, we walk deeper into the lot to our car.
"What do you think he really wants," I ask once we're out of earshot.
"Don't know. Those people with him look more…professional than the ones Nathan sent after us. Those looked so generic at one point I called them rent-a-thugs."
We get in the car and Chloe pulls up the address on her phone. After some orientation we pull out of the lot. It's not actually far from the hotel and I question the need to drive.
Chloe shrugs at my question and says, "well, this way we have a fast getaway if we need it."
A drive of a few minutes finds us at the Prescottonian. A modest building that looks like it used to be a house, tucked into a gentrified portion of downtown. The front is plain, but obviously well maintained. There's no on-street parking, requiring us to pull around back.
Chloe parks our car next to the limo, which is empty. "Maybe we can get him to give us the limo," she says as we climb out of the car.
"I've always wanted to ride in a limo. Wouldn't we need a driver?"
"I would be the driver."
"To the Prescottonian, Cher Chloe!"
"You dork! I'm pretty sure you don't call your driver Cher."
Our playful banter carries us to the front door. A small man waits for us, dressed in black and white. He checks our names and leads us into the restaurant.
It's a simple building, a small foyer with a coat room at the front, and the main dining area beyond. It's what is missing that catches my eye. No cash register, various candies for sale, local journals, or anything I'm accustomed to seeing in the restaurants I normally eat at. We are definitely in a different class of eatery.
At a table near the center of the dining area sits Sean. The lady sits to his right, and the men stand near the back of the room. The worker leads Chloe and I to the table and I thank him as he assists us into the chairs.
Before I'm aware another worker appears at my elbow, unfolds the cloth napkin and settles it on my lap. Wow!
Drink orders are taken and menus given before the serving staff disappears. Smiling his creepy smile again, Sean waves to the woman, saying, "Let me introduce my associate: Linda. She helps me a lot with running my many projects. It was she that helped make this meeting possible."
Linda smiles at his introduction but doesn't extend a hand. Unlike Sean, her smile seems genuine. She turns her smile on Chloe and I in turn, saying a brief greeting. There's a slight accent to her words that I can't place. Her straight dark hair is pulled away from her face, giving her a clear view of us.
Our drinks are set before us by staff that appear and disappear so quickly it's like they're magical. Chloe immediately sips her coffee while I start putting sugar into mine.
The server returns and takes our meal orders. I take my first sip of coffee. Excellent! Pretentious or not, we'll have to return here for this.
"So, you wanna tell us how this meeting happened," Chloe says after her first sip.
"What do you mean, Ms. Price? Are you asking why you are enjoying all that Bend has to offer, instead of the welcoming arms of Arcadia Bay?"
We both snort at his words. "Sure, why are we in Bend," she replies.
"Ah, that…is due to Nathan not heeding my instructions very well."
"You don't say." The sarcasm drips heavily from my words. Sean continues as if he didn't hear me.
"Since you shared classes with Nathan I had asked him to help arrange a meeting. I thought a familiar face would make it easier."
"Why do you think we'd want to meet with someone who tried to kill my friend?" His eyes narrow slightly at the heat in my words.
"And who did kill my friend!" Chloe's words slap him and he looks down, focusing on the coffee before him.
"Isn't it hard to arrange a meeting while in jail?"
Linda looks at the two of us, then at Sean's reddening face. It's way too easy to see where Nathan gets his lack of control. She leans close to Sean and whispers something that he nods to.
"Yes. Nathan was in jail. He is out on bail, Ms. Caulfield," Linda says. Her large, dark eyes are focused on me. Their size seems unnatural they are so big. "Looking back it was not the best decision, precisely for the reasons you already mentioned."
Sean interrupts at this point, his voice rough, "I am sorry about your friend, Rachel, Ms. Price. Her father and I were friends. Knowing Nathan was involved in her death pains me."
"It is more regrettable," Linda continues as Sean returns to his coffee, "that Nathan treated you that way after you helped him years ago."
What? I look to Chloe for confirmation, but she's too busy glaring at Sean. My hand steals across the space and squeezes hers.
"So, Nathan decided to just fuck up our lives because you wanted to meet us?"
Before Linda or Sean could answer, our food arrives. The next few minutes are spent with eating, Chloe practically inhaling hers. I pick at the so-so pancakes in front of me. I guess breakfast is not the typical fare here.
"In essence, yes," Linda answers between bites of her omelet.
"Why not just come meet us directly?"
Linda's eyes fix on mine. Even though her expressions are more genuine than Sean's, looking into her eyes makes me uncomfortable. "Yes, we should have done that. Mistakes were made, and we are trying to correct them."
"Ok, let's cut the bullshit. What do you want?" How can Chloe already be done with her food? And she's already eyeing mine!
Switching to the smile she's used several times already, Linda puts down her fork and dabs her mouth with the napkin. "We'd like to offer you a job, Max."
The fork falls from my fingers. "What? Why? Doing what?" I barely notice a new fork appear at my elbow.
Leaning forward Linda lowers her voice and says, "We are aware of your talents and want to make use of them!"
Shooting a glance at Chloe, who shifts her gaze between my pancakes and Linda, I say, "Chloe always told me my photography was good, but I never-"
"Not your photography," Linda cuts in, "Your time management skills."
My time manage-oh! My mouth forms the letter as I realize what she means. And there goes any possibility of denial. Well, maybe, should I rewind? This isn't a conversation with Chloe…but do I need to deny anything?
"Doing what?" Chloe asks while I'm still debating to rewind or not.
"The same thing you did to cause your sudden wealth."
Chloe makes a rude sound and says, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really? You mean you aren't the CEO of Pricefield Enterprises, a firm only a few months old and already worth millions?"
It's all I can do to keep my face calm. What is she talking about? And what kind of company name is Pricefield?
"Do I fucking look like a CEO?"
"Ah, yes, our mistake. I'm talking with Chloe Price, not Lauren Jensen." Linda's lips have a slight upturn at the corners as she uses Chloe's alias.
A slight shift in her seat is the only response Chloe makes. I'm now completely confused. Pricefield Enterprises? CEO? Millions?
"I wonder what the authorities would think of your little lie."
"Do I look like I care about authority? You Prescotts are the death of Arcadia Bay. We're not interested in your job offer." She rises to her feet as she speaks. I hurry to stand also.
Linda focuses on me and I avoid her eyes. "Do you feel the same way, Max?"
Trusting Chloe, I look at her and say, "Let's go."
Grabbing my hand, she leads us out of the restaurant. Once outside she picks up the pace and we hurry into the car. "Chloe-" I begin but she cuts me off with a look as she starts the car. Shrinking into my seat I put on the seatbelt as she tears out of the parking lot.
My mind is a whirl with the new thoughts. The realization that there is still a lot going on I don't know or understand is unsettling. So preoccupied am I with these thoughts I don't realize where we are until Chloe stops the car.
Trees tower above us on all sides. Chloe rests her head on the steering wheel a moment before opening the door and getting out. The uncertainty of my thoughts slows me down as I follow her. The scent of pine fills my nostrils as I exit.
Wherever she took us, it's too far to hear any cars or other people. Wind in the trees and distant bird calls are the only sounds. Glancing at her, I see she's holding a joint already lit.
"There's uh, some things I wasn't really clear on," she says as she sits on the hood. It pops a little under her as she slides back to lean against the windshield.
"No shit," I say. My confusion is coming out as frustration and irritation. Leaning against a tree I start picking at the bark. The patterns capture my eyes, keeping my irritation at bay.
"What I told you is true, we started by playing Poker. Max called it seed capital. Once we had a few thousand dollars she figured out how to use her rewind with investments. It was really strange, and a little exciting, to see."
"She became obsessed. It's the only word I can think of for it. Right away she's being all adult about our escape. Setting up trusts and fake companies to hold the money. How'd she know what to do?"
I shake my head, still focused on the bark. It's not the money, or whatever legal stuff the other Max did that's annoying me.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Deciding I need to face this head-on, I turn and cross my arms. She's looking at me while she takes another long drag and holds it. The smoke escapes in a slow pale wisp.
"It wasn't like I was trying to hide this from you. It would've come up."
"Oh? Like the other morning when I asked how we got all this money!"
"What the hell, Max! You're ruining what I have going on here."
Dropping my hands, I clench them and grit my teeth. She didn't tell me, and her Max didn't tell me. What is wrong with them?
Hands still clenched tight, I walk into the trees. What is wrong with them? What is wrong with me? The question stops me in my tracks and I slump against a tree.
What is wrong with me? Hurt, yes. But being upset because Chloe neglected to tell me something? There's things I haven't told her yet, that I'm scared to tell her. And she's afraid I'm going to leave her as well.
Again I wonder at the silence in my head. Neither voice is saying anything right now. I know what I need to do though. Turning around I return to the car.
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."
Looking at me, she sits up, her joint already gone. "It wasn't entirely your fault. I…should have told you." Her head turns away, studying the trees around us.
"It hurt so much when you came in…just like last October I didn't want to let you in. I wanted to…deny it happened. I'm sorry."
Picking at a nearby tree again, I consider her words. "I can't imagine what that was like for you. It's just…I'm already feeling bad because…gah! I don't know how to say this without…"
Slipping off the car she says, "Just say what you're thinking."
"I don't…feel connected to you like last October."
"That makes two of us. Here. I have something that may help." Patting me on my shoulder, she walks to the back of the car and pops the trunk. Lifting out a brown duffle, she shuts the trunk, hefts the bag over her shoulder and walks into the trees.
Curious, I follow her. We walk a few minutes until she finds a relatively clear area. Dropping the duffle to the ground, she says, "Experiments."
"Excuse me? Experiments?"
"Yep. Let's see what you can do, dude. Max had to use her power a lot and got really good at it. I don't trust what Evil Daddy P said. So I think we need to see what you can do."
"See what I can do?"
"What? Did someone replace Max with a parrot?"
"Sorry. What kind of experiments, and how will this help?"
Max's words in her letter come back to me now. Chloe likes the experiments. Didn't she say something about Chloe really coming alive with these?
"That remains to be seen." Kneeling she unzips the bag and begins pulling stuff from it. Balls, frisbees, stopwatches, sticks, orange cones, and more. Grabbing an orange cone, she stands and looks at me. "This is your marker. It's easy to see during the rewind." She tosses it to the side where it's plainly visible.
Kneeling again she grabs a frisbee and stands. "Let's practice your time stopping." She gestures for me to walk to the end of the area. As I do I think back on the conversation at the restaurant.
"Why is the company named Pricefield? Isn't that a little obvious?"
To my surprise Chloe's cheeks turn a bright pink. Her face turns down and she studies the frisbee in her hands. She mumbles something I can't hear. "What was that?"
Still not looking at me, she says, louder, "It was my idea, ok?"
"Ahhhh, Chloe-"
"No mushy stuff!"
"Not even from me?" My voice comes out in a sing song that causes the corners of her lips to lift. Her cheeks are still pink as she throws the frisbee. I'm guessing I'll get no response to that question.
As I return the frisbee I switch to another question I've been wondering. "How did you help Nathan?"
Catching the frisbee, she returns it with a tight spin, saying, "When I was a sophomore I stood up to a bully for him."
My eyebrows shoot up at that. Catching the frisbee I toss it back. "Wow! Why?"
She pops the frisbee into the air with her finger, catches it, and shrugs. "I was in a good mood that day. Plus I thought it would be pretty funny, a Prescott being rescued from a bully by a girl. Nothing really came of it though."
Spinning the disc toward me she says, "you need to stop time and catch the disc."
"Why?"
"To build up your endurance and get better at it."
"What do you mean, build up my endurance?"
"How long are you able to stop time?"
I return the frisbee again while I think. "Maybe five or ten minutes? Long enough for me to run up to the roof of the dorm from the courtyard."
"After plenty of practice Max was able to hold it much longer. And do it easier."
That seems to make sense, only it's been months since I stopped time. I avoid thinking of that occasion. She tosses the disc to me again and I search within myself for a way to stop time.
The disc hits me before I can find it. "Stop time, not stop it with your body," she says wryly.
Retrieving the disc from the bushes it bounced into, I throw it. "I don't know if I can do that. I only stopped time once and that was months ago."
Holding the disc in her hands she lowers her head and scuffs the ground. "When you…" She doesn't complete the sentence, just looks off into the trees. I know though. When I saved Kate. Only Max didn't in this timeline.
Something clenches inside me and for a moment I feel again the warm touch of lips on my cheek. Unbidden my hand is touching the spot. Kate would love this forest, the space we are at. Turning aside, I step behind a tree to hide myself.
The tightness inside intensifies, drawing my breath deep into me. It feels like I'm fighting gravity to breath. A hand clasps my shoulder. Chloe steps in front of me, her eyes wide. One look at me, and she pulls me into her arms.
"Shit, I'm sorry, Max."
I just stand there, letting her hold me. My arms hang at my sides, useless. The tightness doesn't let up. It seems like I should be crying, but nothing happens. Does Kate mean so little to me that I can no longer shed tears for her? What kind of monster am I?
Holding me at arms length, Chloe peers into my eyes. If she's looking for life she won't find it, only emptiness.
My eyes focus on her, the bright blue of her hair, the shimmering blue of her eyes. Down they travel focusing on her mouth, lips parted.
I never took the opportunity with Kate. It never dawned on me that I should. I feel like I'm letting opportunities with Chloe pass as well. The tightness transforms into something I don't recognize, a kind of tentative energy.
Stepping forward, I touch her cheek, slipping my hand to the back of her head as I lean in. Our lips touch for just a moment, but it's enough. A painful sensation passes through us and we both jerk away.
"Ouch," we both cry and look at each other.
"Wub was wab," Chloe says. What? I try to ask what she said, but my mouth is numb. My fingers touch my mouth. Yes, my fingers can feel it, but my lips can't feel my fingers. Chloe starts laughing and points at me. "Ya ha is siking ub," she says.
"Wub?"
"Ya ha! Ya ha!" Her hand goes to my head and pats my hair. There's another discharge of what feels like static and she jerks her hand away. Now she's waving her hand and I'm rubbing my head.
We stand there a while until the numbness goes away. "Damn," she says as soon as her mouth works again. "What was that?"
"Static discharge?" I offer.
"Too strong, and how would you get static buildup out here?" She does have a point.
Shrugging I say, "No idea. What were you doing to my hair?"
"It was, well it still is sticking up."
My hands go to my hair. Sure enough much of it is standing on end. "This is really weird." I push it down, but it just pops up again. This causes Chloe to laugh. I suppose I do look funny, but I can't see it, and it feels weird.
Turning my back I tromp back to the small area we were using. The frisbee is on the ground and I pick it up. Chloe's right behind me. "You sure you're ok to go on?"
Nodding I tell her, "yes. I'm fine."
Next to my shoulder she pauses. "Max once told me it was like locating a stillness in time. She called it a moment between moments. Maybe that will help." She touches my shoulder, then moves to the far end of the area.
Her words stick with me and I think about them as I tap the disc against my palm. I know what it feels like to use my rewind. A sensation of slipping through moments that is difficult to describe. I also know what it feels like to simply touch my ability but not use it.
Doing that now, I let my ability come to life. A sensation wraps me, like a soft blanket. Time itself wends around me, but not in any particular direction. To improve my focus I close my eyes and let the sensation seep throughout me.
The world around me fades away as I let my internal sight and consciousness explore the soft, warm sensation. The sensation is moving and among the movement I think I find what Chloe mentioned.
Opening my eyes I keep my connection and throw the disc to Chloe. "Are you ready young squire Max?" A nod is my response and she readies her arm. "Try to avoid the frisbee."
She throws straight and true, aiming for me. Finding the moment between moments I slip into it. Around me everything goes still. The disc hangs in the air just feet away. With an effort I move to the side. It's like walking through thick mud, gravity pulling at my limbs as I move.
Slipping from the moment I watch the disc sail by. Chloe claps and whistles. "Ok, send it back." Retrieving the disc I throw it to her. Catching it, she kneels and slips the disc into the bag. When she stands, her hand is behind her back.
Without warning she flicks her hand forward and several balls come sailing toward me! I shriek and fall to the ground, the balls flying over and into the trees.
"Ok, now that's something we need to work on."
"What? Avoiding baseballs?"
"Nah. Dealing with the unexpected. Keeping your cool."
"It's hard to keep your cool when someone throws something at your head!"
Her body stiffens and her face goes hard. What did I say? Before I can ask, it passes and she's loose and relaxed. "Life and people won't give us what we expect or want. That's why we're practicing."
I nod at her sage wisdom and wonder what's prompting it. Her life hasn't been the greatest I know, but I think this is from whatever memory I stirred with my words.
"Let's try this again. Do you mind rewinding so I have the balls again?"
"You always have the balls, Chloe."
"Wow Maximus."
I can't believe I said that. Heat rushes up my neck and face and I'm uncomfortably hot. My face is still quite warm when I finish rewinding and she has the balls behind her back.
"What?! Did you rewind? Why are you blushing?"
My face grows even hotter at her words. I nod and tell her what happened, which brings a big smile to her face. "I'm glad you're still lobbing them back," she says. It's great to see her happy. Thankfully it appears my behavior has not ruined the day for her.
Taking a few moments to compose herself, Chloe squares herself and brings the baseballs to the front. "Ok, here they come. Freeze and dodge!" Like before the balls come hurtling toward me, but this time I'm ready. Again I find the moment and slip into the stillness. Stepping out of their path, I return to the normal flow and watch the balls fly into the brush.
"Great! Now get them and throw them back."
"No rewind?"
"Nah, you gotta work for it!"
Mumbling under my breath I hunt through the undergrowth until I find the three balls and return them. My throwing is nowhere as good as hers, which means she has to hunt for them also. That gives me some pleasure. "Need to work on that aim, Max," she calls as she searches the brush.
We do the exercise a few times, Chloe opting to have me rewind instead of throwing the return. After ten or fifteen minutes she drops two of the balls saying, "Time for something different. Let's work with frozen objects. Instead of moving out of the way, catch the ball in the time freeze."
Tossing the ball one handed a couple of times, she continues, "Objects in a time freeze still have their kinetic energy. When you touch a moving object in the freeze that energy is transferred to you, Max. You'll get hurt."
Her proper description of energy is very satisfying! It reminds me so much of the girl I knew five years ago, so enthused with science.
"Ready?"
Nodding, I prepare myself. She tosses the ball. Slipping into the stillness when the ball is halfway, I walk to it and pluck it from the air. My palm tingles as it closes on the ball. The tingling feels like I just caught the ball outside the freeze. Returning to my position, I restore the flow. Holding it up as a trophy, I grin.
"That was the easy one, Agent M! Throw it back."
She has me practice a few more times. "We really need to improve your reflexes. When danger comes our way you need to be able to handle it." So saying she throws the ball at me very fast. Startled, I begin to react like before, but catch myself and slip into the stillness.
Proud of myself, I walk to the ball and pluck it from the freeze. My hand jerks back in pain as the energy of the fast ball transfers. "Ow!" The surprise causes me to lose my position in the stillness and I re-enter normal time, hopping up and down with my hand between my knees.
"Ouch! That hurt!"
"Kinetic energy, sista!"
Falling down, I continue pressing my hand between my knees. After a chuckle, Chloe walks over to me. Crouching she asks, "Is your hand ok? I didn't break it or anything did I?"
"No," I manage to groan, "I should have paid more attention to what you told me earlier."
Patting my shoulder she stands. "Oh shit," explodes from her. Looking up I see a bear across from us. What? Where did that come from?
Slowly I stand, my hand still throbbing but forgotten. "It's not alone," Chloe says. Turning I scan the area. There's not one, but four black bears. Where did they come from? Bears aren't social animals, why are there four together?
"Can you rewind us out of this?"
Shooting a glance at her I see her eyes are shifting from bear to bear, trying to watch all of them. "Yes," I say and tap my power. I rewind as far as I can, which isn't very far. It's just before Chloe threw the fast ball, only the ball is still with me. A pain lances my head as I try to push further, telling me I'm at my limit.
"Why do you have the ball," Chloe asks when the rewind stops. Ignoring her, I start turning and scan the forest. There! I see it, a bear is approaching!
"Chloe! Come here," I whisper, while I scan for the other bears. Sure enough the other three are also approaching us. Chloe walks toward me without argument. As she does I try another rewind, but it takes me back only a few seconds. Damn! We need to improve my rewind.
Summoning Chloe again, I inform her of the bears as she approaches. She freezes mid-step, halfway to me. "No," I hiss, "keep coming." Stepping to her, I take her hand with my uninjured one. "I can't rewind anymore," I whisper, "I've already gone back as far as I can." Right now I can really appreciate why improving my rewind ability is a good thing.
She nods, still focused on watching all the animals. Like before, the animals come to the edge of the area and watch us. Each is just a few feet away. Bears are fast, much faster than us. This groups' behavior is highly unusual. Getting out of here is more important than these observations.
With a roar, one of the bears leaps at us! Not knowing what else to do, I enter the stillness. I'm feeling fatigued by my constant time use this morning, but I need some space. I need some time to figure out how to get us out of this, how to keep Chloe safe.
"Holy shit!"
Chloe's voice shocks me so much I spin away from her, dropping her hand. Immediately she freezes and I stare at her wide-eyed. What the hell?
Pushing down my shock I reach out and take her hand. The motion she was making when I let go completes and she blinks at me in surprise. Of course. Now I'm in front of her, not beside her.
"Chloe? Tell me this is real, that you're in the stillness with me."
"Is that what this is? It's hella weird. How are you doing this?"
"I-I don't know. We can figure it out later. Right now we need to get out of here before my power fails!"
"Lead on sista!"
With Chloe trailing behind me, we make our way through the sluggish stillness to the car. I'm careful to avoid the nearest bear. We creep around its raised claws. If touching Chloe brings her into the stillness with me, I don't want to chance brushing the bear!
It's hard work walking the few hundred feet or so to the car. It feels more like walking a mile or more uphill. The distance helps me notice something else. I'm not getting tired. Well I am from the walking, but not from keeping us in the stillness.
At the car I hold onto Chloe until she's in the driver seat, then closing the door, I go to my side and get in. Wanting to make the most of it, I bring her back into the stillness so she can put the key in the ignition. Once that happens I return us to normal time flow.
The loud harsh sound of bear roars reaches us in the car as Chloe starts it, shifts into reverse, and quickly makes her way back. Once on the paved road we both give a little whoop to celebrate, and Chloe tears back toward town.
"That was hella cool, Super Max! My Max wasn't able to bring me into the time freeze with her! That was so awesome!"
She continues to gush as she drives, excitedly talking about the entire experience. It brings a smile to my face, and a sense of pride inside. It's strangely satisfying to know there's something I can do, that her Max couldn't. I kill that petty feeling immediately. Chloe doesn't need that from me.
Thinking about the other Max worries me, though. She's been silent all day, and barely spoke to me the last two days. Maybe…maybe what happened before was just a strange artifact of replacing her? It's not like I have a lot of experience to draw on here.
"Yo! Earth to Max!"
Uh! "What? Sorry, I was thinking about what just happened."
"And I was just talking about what just happened. I asked if you took me or anyone else into the time freeze before?"
"No. That was the first time. I didn't even know I could!"
"I'm going to say it again: that was so awesome! We need to do it again."
Nodding absently I say, "what do you think was wrong with those bears?"
"Not a clue. They aren't social animals. Maybe they were sick."
"I don't think so. Did you see how they walked? It was like…like they came specifically for us? They walked up close, waited, and then attacked. That doesn't match any description of a brown or black bear."
"Or any other, I agree. I'm so glad your time power was able to save us! We have to try other things!"
I shake my head. "I don't know. We barely made it out of there. What if I hadn't been able to bring you with me? You would have died!"
"But I didn't and what you did was so awesome! Now. Let's get us some lunch."
"I think we should tell someone about those bears. If they find someone else…"
Chloe makes a rude noise, and slaps the steering wheel. "Ok. Scout Master Max, find us someone to tell."
I think about that a few moments before saying, "We were on Forest Service land, so let's go to the nearest ranger station."
"After lunch."
Opening my mouth to counter that, my stomach interrupts us with a loud rumble. Oh! I didn't eat all my breakfast and I'm pretty hungry. "Ok. I could nosh as well. Lunch, then Ranger Station."
Lunch happens to be a drive through and eating at a park. While we eat I look up the local forest service office on my phone. They might not be the right group, but I'm sure they can pass the word along.
After lunch we find ourselves at the Forest Service office. It takes a while for the right person to be located. The person, an older lady, takes our report very seriously. She even pulls us to a large 3D relief map of the area to pinpoint where we encountered the bears.
Chloe is fascinated by the map, pouring over the key and running her hands along the contours. The ranger is very alarmed by our description and thanks us profusely for the report.
"That is the hottest map I've ever seen," Chloe says as we walk toward her car. Her words pull a smile onto my face. Seeing it, she nudges me a little.
"Whatcha thinking, Super Max?"
Her words, so cheerful and innocent, stop me in my tracks. Coldness washes over me, making my hair stand on end.
"No," my voice is a whisper, tightly uttered. Distant wind and crashing surf fill my mind. My hair is drifting lazily on the breeze.
Chloe, head cocked, looks at me.
"You're the Time Lord! You can do anything."
My head is shaking to and fro as I deny what I'm hearing, what I'm seeing.
"No!" My voice crashes against the reality around me.
Fingers grip my shoulders and pain shoots through me. I stagger and suddenly I'm in a parking lot, Chloe's fingers clutching my shoulders. My hand reaches up on its own, creeping toward her face turned by a frown. Skin, warmed by life, greet my fingertips and I sag against her.
"What? What happened? Do you…do you need a doctor?" There's that concern and worry again, which I put in her. Shaking my head I push myself up. I don't want her worrying about me. I'm not worth it.
"No," I say, my voice weak, "just…just a memory from another time."
Her eyes search mine, and I'm sure she doesn't believe me. She doesn't press me though. She brushes something off me then, taking my arm, we walk to the car.
"Well, we still have some hours in the day, let's check out some of those places we want to see."
Another thing I'm not telling her. Another way I'm not letting her in.
She drives from the parking lot and takes us back into town. We spend the afternoon visiting some of the unique places in Bend. The last Blockbuster in existence is here and we go there first. The oddity and nostalgia don't hold much for us though, so we're soon out of there and exploring different shops.
Chloe is intent on figuring out how to get some beer or other alcohol from one of the local places. I'm amused by her attempts that go awry. All in all it's a great day. We goof around and trade playful jabs and insults. Happiness lights both of our eyes, though I feel darkness eating away at the edge of mine.
Near the end of the day we're in one of the parks again, positioned where we can see the sun angling toward the horizon. I'm looking at her, the sun hitting her just right, the light breeze playing with her bangs.
"You're doing it," she whispers.
Startled, I say, "doing what?"
"Taking a picture."
My heart lights up as a smile crosses my face at her words. "Yes. I suppose I am."
Her hands come up as she says, "take a real one. Please?"
In her hands rests my camera, the one she gave me. How did she get it out of my bag without me seeing?
The hesitation and darkness weighs my limbs and I shake my head. I'm hyper focused on the camera, the way her fingers hold it with grace. "No." The word is a croak as my mouth and throat are suddenly dry.
"You can do this, Max." Her words are both gentle and firm. Her grip is as well as she places my hands on the camera. I close my eyes, Jefferson already leering into my vision.
"I can't." I'm choking now, something trying to push its way up my throat and I need to keep it down.
"You can. I'm right here with you. Let me help you."
My breath stops. Chloe is so close to me I can feel her breath, hear it as it goes in and out. It takes all my effort, but I manage to choke out another word, barely audible through all my shaking. "Why?"
He's looming over me, going on about innocence, and models, and what he wants. His anger boils over me, searing me as I twitch.
"I told you I'm not letting that fucker take this away from you. He doesn't deserve to keep something you love. Let me help you recover it."
Her words stir something in me and I force open my eyes. Her blue eyes blaze through the shadow cast by Jefferson and I focus on them.
"I miss you taking pictures."
What? "H-how can you miss them, it's been only four days." It takes everything I have to force that out. Sweat trickles down my face from my exertion.
"Seriously? It was how you connected with the world around you. You would take several pictures a day! When you'd see something that caught your photogs eye, you…you became alive in a way that was beautiful. You couldn't wait to show me what you saw, and tell me what it meant. To go from that to nothing? That's noticeable."
My head lowers while she speaks and I focus on our hands. Jefferson is still speaking to me, but he's drowned out by Chloe. My fingers are white knuckled and jittery on the camera. Hers are gentle and stable. I never knew Chloe cared so much about my photography.
"Ok." My single word is barely heard, but the change in her is instant. She kisses the top of my head and quickly steps away.
"That's it, Maximus! Take a picture of this!"
In front of me she is striking such a goofy, typical Chloe pose that it pushes the rest of Jefferson from my mind.
"Oh my god, Chloe! Are you cereal?"
"Hey! If it gets a sista to take a picta it's worth it!"
Groaning at her awful rhyme, I laugh and raise the camera to my eye. It takes but a moment to frame her just right and snap the picture.
The world goes dark, illuminated only by the glow of the reflective umbrellas. I feel his hands on me and I squirm, trying to wriggle free! His smile and voice disturb me on a deep level and I want to get away. I have to get away! I try and try but something restrains me.
"Max!"
Snapping to reality I find myself on the ground, Chloe holding me to her. "Don't give up," she's whispering, "It's not real. It may feel real, but it's not real. I'm real, Max."
Seeing my open eyes, a shudder passes through her and she pulls me tight against her. She helps me to sit up, leaning me against her.
"Where…is the camera ok?"
She chuckles at my question and hands me something. The picture I took. I trace her goofy pose, thinking about how she's trying to help me the best she can. I wonder if I'll ever be free of him.
As if she heard my thought, she says, "If your first question is about how the camera is, I think you are improving. The camera's fine."
My hand slips into hers, holding it to me. Four days. I've been here four days. Am I better? Is my life better, like … Kate wanted?
We sit there, the evening fading into night around us. Chloe keeps me close. I keep my thoughts closer. I want to believe this is better, but last October I was the one there for Chloe. The Max I replaced was there for Chloe. Now I'm the one that needs help. Who's helping Chloe?