CHAPTER 7


Max wakes up to see nothing but darkness. She feels like she is tied to a chair with her hands and feet tied up just like back in the dark room however this time she feels like she's not alone. Oh shit not again.

"Chloe.. Chloe are you here?"

A man's voice is suddenly heard from the darkness.

"She is but is she is not awake right now."

The lights turned on and she notices she's in an empty room with Chloe also tied up to a chair on the opposite side of her with Sean Prescott standing besides her. Max doesn't see anybody else in the room but feels like there are others watching them.

"You're...You're Sean Prescott..Nathan's father...right?"

"Yes, Max Caulfield, I am Sean Prescott."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I can ask you the same question can't I Max?"

"What's the meaning of all of this? Who...what are you guys?"

Sean Prescott begins to chuckle. "Excellent questions Max! But first, let me ask you a few questions such as...why were two punk teenagers such as you two wondering around in those part of the woods?"

"Um...we have heard weird things from school about scary things that they see happen in the woods and decided to check it out. We're into paranormal stuff."

"Bullshit Max. I found one of my old family maps and some of my keys on your friends possession. How did you obtained them?"

"We found it...somewhere..."

Sean Prescott raises his voice and becomes irritated. "Stop lying to me Max! I know who you are and I know what you are! I watched you back there, you were rewinding time and stopping time to get away from us. You have the power of time travel plus much more it seems! You're the one who called the weather station and the one who called the security guard that got my son and his teacher arrested! The pay phone was traced by the police and your friends truck was spotted around the time of the calls near the phone."

"No...that's not true at all nobody has those kind of powers..."

"STOP LYING MAX. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU'RE THE TIME TRAVELING BRAT THAT WE WERE WARNED ABOUT. NOW TELL ME THE TRUTH OR WE WILL KILL YOUR PRECIOUS GIRLFRIEND RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU." Mr. Prescott takes out a knife and points it to Chloe.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T!"

"Then you better stop telling me lies Max. We don't have time for your bullshit. Now answer my questions truthfully."

"Okay...okay...just please don't hurt her."

Sean Prescott withdraws his knife.

"Alright, we won't hurt her as long as you corporate with us. Now let's start over shall we? It's nice to meet you Max...we knew someone like you was going to show up eventually...we didn't know who, what, when or where but your arrival was expected. You are more dangerous and powerful than we thought you were going to be. It's quite amazing that such power will come from somebody from the likes of you."

"How-how did you know I was coming?"

"I can't answer that question now Max, the answer is beyond your comprehension. You're not ready to handle that information just yet. I'm not done with asking you questions though. How long have you had this power? Are you from the future or from the past?"

"Ok..umm...about a week and a half ago. Both actually."

"Please describe your powers and describe how you are able to use and control them. Don't hold back on the details."

"I can rewind time and stop time using my hands so I must have control of my hands in order to use them. There's a limitation on how far I can go back in time and a limit on how long I can stop time for. I am not affected by my powers so I retain all information and current feelings. Anything that I physically touch while I use my powers are also left unaffected. If I am drugged, injured, or feel too weak I'm not able to use the powers.

"I see... well tell us exactly how you knew that my son and Jefferson were the ones behind the murder of that missing girl."

"Chloe and I were investigating the case using information we obtained from investigating Nathan and clues from Chloe's stepfather who was also investigating the case. We thought that Nathan was the only one responsible for the murder but my teacher, Mr. Jefferson, was the true mastermind. Jefferson managed to trick us and he killed my friend in front on my eyes and kidnapped me. Jefferson told me about his weird fetish he had with drugging and kidnapping girls for his photo shoots and he confessed that it was them who killed Rachel. I managed to escape and used my powers to go back in time to get him arrested and save Chloe."

"Quite the adventure you had Max. What about the tornado? Tell us more about that...we're very curious about that."

"I saw a vision of a huge tornado destroying the town just before I obtained the power of time travel. I didn't know it would actually happen until Friday. It will completely destroy Arcadia Bay and everything around it. That's just the beginning of it though. The entire world will be affected by earthquakes,tsunamis, hurricanes and other disastrous events."

"Our worst fears has been realized...so you came from the future to save your friend's life and warn everybody about what is going to happen?"

"Yes and find out what's causing all of that to happen in the first place."

"So I see...You think I have something to do with it? Of course! That explains it doesn't it?...you think I or my family is behind on what is going to happen! That's why you were out in the woods playing detective. I'm afraid that you're greatly mistaken Max but thanks to your theory, it has led you right to us. But there is something I don't understand..you said your power have limits yet you managed to time travel back an entire week?"

"I can also time travel through photos taken by focusing on them. I have to be on the photo in order to use them to time travel. I used a photo that I took at the beginning of the week to go back to the start of everything so I can save my friends and the town."

"That's..pretty interesting Max. Very interesting...We see great potential in you. If I were you, I definitely would be using my powers to save the ones I love the most. You'll be a great asset to us."

"Ok..well..Who-what are you guys? Why all the satanic shit? Why are you a part of this?"

"I don't have much time to answer all your questions Max but I guess I need to give you a quick rundown. I'm part of the elites, the group of people who control the entire world, you can call us the Illuminati or New World Order or some other names conspiracy theorists call us. We have ruled this planet for generations under the name of Lucifer, the true deity who have provided us with great power and knowledge. We are in direct control of the banks, the world's military, and the entire population. There's nobody above us in this world Max, every politician and celebrity is under our command whether they know it or not. Conspiracy theorists always view us as rich politicians or bankers but there's way more to it than just money. You see Max, a good amount of us are born or are blessed with supernatural abilities. Some of us can predict the future, run faster than a car, read minds, teleport instantly anywhere, and even control the weather. I was blessed with the power to nullify and resist others special abilities thus making me one of the most powerful in the entire order. So that explains how he was able to counter my time stop and immobilize me. They can control the weather too? Oh shit. If you thought that you were the only one out there that has super powers you are wrong Max but I must admit that your powers ranks up into the higher tiers. We are always on the look out for new members to recruit to help our cause. Lucifer has definitely blessed you Max, giving you the power of time, and he has apparently brought you to us and with good timing! My bosses are quite interested on you Max because you see, we have tried for decades to control time...to go back in the past and clean some of the mess caused by the ones before us. We have had very little success in trying to control time. There has been countless experiments we have conducted and new theories we have come up with but we haven't had a chance to try them out...until now. We believe that combining our theories and past success with your powers, we can achieve what we're looking for. You're going to help us Max, we need it, for the progress of humanity and a well secured future."

Max is in complete disbelief on what she was just told and tries to digest all the information that was just given to her.

"Why should I believe anything you say? You're a bunch of freaks worshiping the devil and sacrificing humans and animals. I'm not going to help you!"

"C'mon Max, you know I'm telling you the truth. Deep inside you know this is all true. How else could I have stopped you when you stopped time? You simply don't understand us Max but don't worry, I'm sure you will realize in time that we're not the bad guys. If you think that we're evil...you haven't seen true evil at all. There is much out there Max, a lot you can't possibly imagine. I haven't even scratched the surface yet and I wish I can tell you more but I don't have anymore time to chit-chat. They're going to take you to conduct some of the experiments any minute now. Be patient though, soon enough you will learn the truth and meaning of all of this...most in our order doesn't even know the real truth."

"What if I refuse to help?"

"You really don't have a choice Max but I suppose if you refuse we will kill your friend right now. She is of no use to us anyways. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's up to you Max."

"You sick bastards...did Nathan know who you really are?"

"He didn't have a clue Max. He's a complete failure and a shame to the Prescott name though. I'm going to let him rot in prison...that will be his fate."

"You're evil...all of you are evil. I'm sure you are the ones responsible for the shit that is going to happen!"

"You don't know what you're talking about Max. There are other forces out there that are probably influencing the future...look... I don't expect you to understand us and our motives until later but you're going to have to trust me and do what you are told to do. Now I must leave for a bit but I will return shortly." Mr. Prescott leaves the room and Max is left alone with Chloe.

Max looks at Chloe still tied up and passed out. What would Chloe do in this situation? What would she say? What would anybody do in this situation? These people are nuts but they are extremely powerful. This is not a situation I can escape from and I don't seem have any other option right now. I must corporate with them... but what's going to happen with me? I must pull through, I don't want to see Chloe die in front on my eyes again. I can always go back in time using a photo. I must do what they say until I get a chance go to escape. This world is fucking insane. Mr. Prescott re-enters the room.

"Well Max? You're ready to help us?"

"Okay...I will...but please don't hurt Chloe. Just let her go, she hasn't done anything wrong."

"I suppose we can do that Max. We'll just wipe her memory of what she saw today and sent her home."

Mr. Prescott unties Max from the chair and grabs her by the arm to walk her to another room. The hall is extremely bright and the walls and floor are very white. They enter a room where she gets instructed to wait for a brief minute and there she finds her backpack and her belongings including her camera and cell phone. Dammit! I should have kept my selfies and the butterfly picture with me and not given them to Chloe. I need them right now dammit. Well, they would have probably destroyed them once they realized that I could use them to escape so I think those pictures are safe with Chloe for now. A group of men including Sean Prescott enters the room, some of them wearing lab coats and some of them wearing business suits. All of them are around their 30's and 40's and express almost no emotion. One of them opens a suitcase that has a ring with multiple colored gem stones and several photographs and he proceeds to put the ring on Max's right hand ring finger.

"What's this?"

"We call it 'The Ring of Time', a device that we have experimented on and developed throughout the years. Our top scientists and most brilliant minds have managed to successfully sent some of our subjects forward in time by a few minutes. We have also had some success with going back in time using people with teleportation powers. However, in all these cases the subjects don't survive much afterwards so we haven't been able to properly study them. It seems like traveling through time has too much effect on the human body but you seem to be different from them. The ring is designed for those with teleportation powers but we believe that we found a workaround based on what you told us. Holding the red stone will make you time travel, the blue stone will forward time, and the green stone will return you to this location and time. It's simple to use isn't it? Okay time for our first experiment! We will start small Max."

Sean Prescott hands her one of the photos, a photo of a building, probably a school or an office.

"I can only use photos of myself to travel back in time though. I'm not in this one at all so I won't be able to use it."

"Just try to focus on it while holding the red stone on the ring and see what happens."

"What is this photo of?"

"You will find out shortly and once you do, you will know what to do . Once again, hold the green stone to return to us once you're done and Max don't try anything funny."

Max stares at the picture long enough to feel the effects and hears voices and goes back in time using the photo.

Max gets up and sees grass and people talking to each other and staring at her.

"Whoa. Where am I? When am I?"

She looks around and sees that she's in front of a high school but is unable to tell the name of it since her vision is impaired right now. This isn't Blackwell for sure and the students...they look like they are dressed in 90's style clothing. What is this place?

Max sees a female student sitting by herself and decides to approach her for information. The girl is also looking and staring at Max as she is walking towards her.

"Hello...you seem lost...is there anything I can help you with? You don't look like you go to this school."

"No...I don't...um...can you give me today's date?"

"Um yeah it's April 20."

"Oh...um what year?"

"Umm...1999? Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine..just bit lost and confused. What's your name?"

"My name is Rachel and yours?"

"My name is Max."

"Okay Max nice to meet you. It's almost time for my next class and I need to leave but I hope you find your way."

Rachel begins to walk away towards the school's main entrance when Max starts to get her full vision back and reads the school's name. Columbine High School. Oh shit! She said April 20, 1999. Columbine High School. They send me here? Holy shit. I can..I can stop the shooting by warning everybody here. Her name was Rachel...oh my god...she's Rachel Scott! I remember we had a school presentation about her called Rachel's Challenge. I must save her and stopped the shooters. Damn what time is it? Max checks her phone but is unable to find the time and date on it as there is no service available. Of course my phone won't work here in this time period. I know why I'm here. They sent me here to stopped the shooters and re-write history but why? What do they gain by doing that? I can save these people using my powers but why do they care? Well, I'm going to do the right thing I suppose.

Max runs up to Rachel Scott and starts yelling out her name which catches the attention of Rachel.

"Wait hold on Rachel. Can you give me the time?"

Rachel checks her watch. "It's 9:45 and sorry I can't talk anymore, I'm going to be late for class. Maybe you should get checked by the school's nurse or something. Bye." Rachel walks away and enters the main entrance of the school. 9:45...I think I have about a hour before the shooting begins. I need to...do something...should I warn the principal?..should I just call the police?...or do I take care of this all by myself?

Max beings to walk away from the main entrance of the school and starts to plan things out.

CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 8

WARNING: NEXT CHAPTER MAX WILL INTERACT WITH REAL LIFE (DECEASED) PEOPLE. IF SUCH IDEA OFFENDS YOU PLEASE SKIP TO CHAPTER 9. There will be a brief overview.