X - Diver

She was at the cemetery again. Like before she saw the procession of people moving behind a wooden casket. They all moved their head hanging, their pace slow and solemn. The picture seemed clearer this time and she immediately recognized most of the people around her. Warren and Brooke were walking side by side. Dana held her face, her cheeks showing she was crying, as Trevor and Juliet were to her sides, holding her. Kate was marching alone, her hands clasped at the small silver cross hanging from her neck. She even saw Victoria Chase walking on her own, at the back of the group, her face stern and stiff, obviously trying to hide her feelings. David and Joyce were arm in arm, Joyce head resting on his shoulder as she cried, as they followed another couple.

The couple, same as before, had familiar figures, yet she couldn't see who they were. They walked, the man hugging the woman close. Beside them was walking Principal Wells, his face solemn, his eyes down in some kind of shame.

It was raining. Some people were carrying or sharing umbrellas. Others let the rain cover their face and hide their tears.

Max followed the group as they walked, following the path to a plot where a hole had been dug, and flowers were gathered.

The casket was slowly placed on a lowering device and the group slowly fanned out around it.

Max looked around searching for the flashing blue of her friend's hair. But she couldn't find her.

Where is Chloe? Is it her in the casket? Is she dead?

A man in a priest robe came forward. Max couldn't hear anything, but he seemed to begin a eulogy. It took time. All along his speech, people were sobbing. She could even see Victoria brushing a tissue at the corner of her eyes as she looked away. As the priest finished, the woman she couldn't recognized broke down and feel to her knee. The man with her hugging her and holding her close as she cried.

Max felt her heart tighten at the sight.

As before, the casket started his slow final descent. But this time, she could see a tombstone. Little by little, the stone which had been hidden by the coffin was revealed. Max' heart was crushed, her eyes moved to the woman crying, and she tried to go and hug her. But she passed through the couple as if they did not exist. Or, as if she did not exist.

It can't be!

Max looked at the stone again. On black marble was written in golden letter -

Here lies Max Caulfield

Beloved Daughter and Cherished Friend

Born September 21st, 1995 - Died October 7th, 2013

Everything had blackened out. Everything had disappeared. She kept looking around her seeing nothing but empty darkness.

"Well, it's a bummer."

The familiar voice made her tense, the contempt in it drooling.

"Really, I still can't believe you were so stupid."

Shut up!

"I mean I don't really care that you wanted to die for that little punk."

Shut up!

"But I'd rather you didn't drag me into this too."

Shut up!

"By the way? I didn't see that blue haired slut."

Shut the fuck up!

"Did she die too?"

Please shut up!

"Maybe she did."

Why don't you shut up?!

"Or maybe she never cared about us and she decided not to come."

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh! I heard you the first time you know. But seems you still don't hear me."

"Shut up! You won't make me feel bad about this! You won't! I saved Chloe! I saved her! I don't care if I have to die instead of her!"

"Oh, come on! You did save her this time. But do you really think she will live long? After all, she's a magnet for all kind of deadly trouble. How many times did you have to save her bacon already?"

"Why do you care?! You hate her! I'm not like you! I love her! I'd give everything for her!"

"Well you certainly did. Too bad she did not care about you. But then I told you that already."

"SHUT UP!"

Max was kneeling her hands clutched on her ears, trying to stop the voice of her doppelganger to reach her. She kept sobbing as the lashing contempt ripped her wounds open, letting her fears free to haunt her.

Chloe is alive. She's got to be alive. It's all that matters!

She kept repeating this in her head like a mantra. She felt broken, like she would not find any peace even in death.

The cracking sound of thunder startled her. She looked around confused as she realized she wasn't in darkness anymore. Slowly her eyes scanned her surrounding, the earth path climbing up between the trees, the picnic tables along one side of the loop.

The lighthouse again?

Rain was pouring, drenching her clothes, turning the path into mud.

Oh god! Not the storm, please!

She rose to her feet, her hands trembling as she slowly started her walk uphill. The wind made her shiver as it caught into her clinging clothes. Her heart beat louder and louder as she slowly climbed the path. Finally, she reached the top of the overlook, the white and red lighthouse standing tall in front of her, its light sweeping the dark clouds.

With dread, Max looked at the sea, at the town. There was no tornado, no hurricane, just a normal thunderstorm. She heaved a sigh of relief as she walked slowly to the promontory. Last time, she had found Chloe there. She was there this time too. Sitting on the bench, looking down, her shoulders trembling.

Chloe!

Max ran to the girl, reaching out to hug her. But she passed right through her. Confused, Max stopped and turned around, looking at her hands. Realization slowly came. She was dead. She could not touch her friend again, not hug her, not kiss her, not comfort her. She looked at Chloe and felt her heart melt. The bluenette was looking at that old picture of them, playing pirate. That picture she saw hanging in Joyce's living-room. Her blue eyes were puffy, tears running down her cheeks. Her lips were trembling, she was crying, speaking. Yet, Max could not hear a thing.

A lightning lit up the sky, blinding Max for a moment. As she reopened her eyes, Chloe was gone.

"Why didn't you save me!"

The accusatory voice of her friend suddenly rang in her ears. She quickly turned around and saw Chloe, a bullet hole in her chest, wearing the clothes she wore in the bathroom when Max saw her for the first time in five years. Chloe was standing at the edge of the cliff, her eyes full of hatred as she suddenly stepped off into the void.

Chloe!

Max ran to the cliff and looked down but saw nothing.

"You had me shot myself!"

Max head looked up in anguish. Chloe was wearing the clothes she had in the junkyard; the gun was in her hand as she looked at the wound in her stomach. Slowly, Chloe collapsed and fell in the void.

Chloe!

"I got ran over by a fucking train! Why didn't you help me!"

Max felt like someone had stabbed her as she heard the accusation. She had run, run and run trying to help Chloe. How many times did she fail before she finally managed to free her friend from the railroad points.

As she looked up to her friend, the deafening sound of a train horn blared in the wind and a ghastly train suddenly swept Chloe into the sea.

Chloe!

"You made me a cripple! You killed me!"

The voice was cold, pained. Max' hand reached out as she saw the Chloe from the alternative timeline, sitting in her wheelchair. Again, Chloe fell down the cliff.

No! Chloe!

"Why did you not warn me?"

Max turned her head again. Chloe was standing in beside her, a red hole in her forehead. The sight brought back the memories of her friend falling like a broken doll over Rachel's grave. The sickening feeling of the drugs, of Jefferson tortures in the dark room. Slowly, Chloe fell back, just like in the junkyard, and plummeted down the cliff.

CHLOE!

"You abandoned me!" "You abandoned me!"

There were two voices. Scared, Max slowly looked up. There were two Chloes. On the left, the young 13-year-old Chloe, in her black suit, her blond hair long and loose in the wind.

"You abandoned me when I needed you most!"

Chloe no! I didn't want to!

On the right, 19-year-old Chloe, her short blue hair heavy with rain, her eyes puffy with tears.

"You died leaving me all alone!"

Forgive me Chloe!

Max' heart shattered. She couldn't let it happen. She tried to grab the two girls, wanting to hold them, wanting to beg forgiveness. But she failed. Both girls jumped from the cliff.

CHLOOOOEEEEE!

Max felt herself scream. She felt tears in her eyes. She stood on the edge, looking down. And she fell.

Pressure was crushing her; her lungs were burning. She couldn't breathe. Every move was sluggish. She was drowning, a faint light shining above the surface. She tried to swim toward the surface, toward the light, but she felt something pulling her down. Turning around she noticed hands. Dozens of hands. Dark and ghastly hands. They latched on her, pulling at her. She heard voices laughing, mocking, cursing at her. She fought. She kicked, she waved her arms, she tried to get them to let her go. She tried to scream. Murderer, they called her. Monster, they called her.

Her eyes were bulging. She looked around as ghostly figures slowly appeared around her. Jefferson a hole in his head. Nathan, covered in dirt as if he had just left his grave. Rachel, half decomposed. The Trucker from the diner. Officer Berry. Evan, his head half smashed. As she looked around she recognized all those from the diner. Not those she met in the diner the two times she had been there with Chloe. Those she saw, in her nightmare. Those who begged her not to kill them by saving Chloe. Those among whom, her mean doppelganger had been seating.

Max screamed, kicked, twisted, trying to free herself. She had to reach that light, she had to reach the surface. Pain was getting stronger. The burning sensation as she sought oxygen, growing in her chest. They would not let her go. However hard she struggled, they kept dragging her down to the abyss.

It's over... I'm too tired... I can't do it anymore... It's over.

Tears filled her eyes, mixing with the water as she gave up, her body slowly sinking. A sharp pain ran through her body and a flash lit up the water, as if lightning had struck the sea. The dragging stopped, and she felt like her body rose slightly in the water. But soon the pull resumed.

Another surge and flash ran across the water. She rose slightly more, the surface closer. But she was too tired to fight.

It doesn't matter anymore.

She let the hands start to drag her again.

Yet another shock. She thought she saw something at the surface, some shadow.

Another shock ran through her body. She heard some muffled sound.

Is that a voice?

Yet another shock. The ghosts shrieked, her body convulsed a moment. But above all she heard a faint call.

"Max!"

The voice was familiar. It seemed to come from the shadow, a blue shadow over her.

Chloe? is that you?

Another shock ran through the water, the voice stronger, full of pain and fear.

"Max! Please! Don't leave me Max!"

Chloe! It's alright Chloe. I'm glad you are alive.

She looked up at the shadow her eyes slowly closing.

I'm glad I got to see you again Chloe.

She heard the voice calling her, again and again, the shadow getting clearer. The face was sad, scared, searching for her.

But Max was tired. She was tired of the nightmare, of the pain.

Chloe is alive... It's alright.

"Max! Please! Don't go! Don't leave me alone! I need you!"

Max opened her eyes. Something was disturbing the water.

A hand?

She didn't move. Letting the ghosts take her.

A surge, stronger than any other suddenly shook the water. Max felt the ghost screaming, their grip loosening. Her body started to float up and she saw the hand reaching for her. She raised a hand, reaching for it timidly.

"I need you Max! Please!"

Max searched for a moment as her body moved up. She felt the hand grabbing hers and pulling.

"Please Max! I need you! Don't leave me!"

As she went through the surface, she took a deep gasping breath. Everything was bright, blinding. She felt a cold chill rushing on her skin. Her chest and belly hurt greatly as she breathed with difficulty.

"MAX! MAX! Please don't die Max! I need you!" The voice was louder, broken, raw with anguish, frantic with fear. It was accompanied by sobs and cries and other voices she barely heard.

Weakly she blinked a few times, a warm wet feeling slowly running down the skin at the corner of her eyes.

"Chloe?"

A/N : So here is Chapter 10.

WOW 10 already OMG right.

Hope you enjoy this dreamy chapter and as you may have guessed, Max will wake up soon.

The title is actually a reference to the song Diver by Nico Touches the Wall. A J-Pop song where the singer is a man lost and confused, drowning in the turpitudes of life, of his dreams he keep trying to achieve, like a diver that cannot reach the surface. It's the song that inspired me with the last part of the dream with Max drowning, slowly brought deeper by her ghosts.

As usual do not hesitate to post reviews with you thoughts and critics so I can improve the story