Being True
The moon shines bright tonight along with the stars to make the black void sky brighten into a dark shade of blue. The waves brush up against the shoreline barely touching the cut and bruised bare feet of Max, and the smooth graceful feet of Rachel.
Max didn't know how long she's been crying in Rachel's arms, but the waves freezing touch provided her the energy and courage needed to finally tell Rachel, who has been so patient and understanding, the truth about everything.
"I'm sorry..." She hiccuped a breath saying sorry for probably the hundredth time now.
"No." Rachel gently rids a streak of hair covering her eyes. "Don't apologize."
"Okay..." Max regretfully pulls away sniffling. "I'm ready now..."
Rachel takes her hand ready to help Max lift her burden. "Max... can you tell me about Chloe?"
Max offers her a trembling smile and nods. "She... kinda saved me when I pissed Nathan off. I busted him in the bathroom and spilled the beans with him having a gun after I set off the fire alarm to save Chloe."
"Damn... hella badass." Rachel praised.
Max continued. "We ended up back at her house, after she got pissed at me for not being in contact with her for five years, and that's when I saw you..."
Rachel's eyes beamed rubbing her girlfriend's hand with her thumb.
"There was this picture of you and Chloe." Max chuckles. "She was the one who put up ALL of those missing person posters of you all over Arcadia Bay."
Rachel flashes a small but vibrant smile. "Chloe and I sounded close."
Max nods. "She said... you were her angel."
Rachel's eyes widened a little. Chloe meant that much to her? "Her Angel?" She repeated softly.
Max nods again. "When William died and I moved, Chloe... was abandoned." It took a great deal of strength to admit her mistake. "And you saved her life."
Rachel says nothing but moves her hand around Max's arm rubbing it tenderly.
"Chloe told me about a plan you guys had about getting out of Arcadia Bay and running away to Los Angeles." Max smile brightens. "For some reason, right then and there... I just felt so happy."
Rachel retains her smile but feels a lump in her throat. "That sounds like me..." She whispered.
"Then... we teamed up to find you. We were so eager to find you." Max sniffled. "I wanted to meet you."
"How did Chloe and I meet?" Rachel asked.
"She never told me the details." Max confessed. "But... it was right after I moved to Seattle. You two were best friends for five years. And with me coming back, Chloe was determined to make us all best friends forever."
Rachel let's out a low laugh. "She sounds like a lovable young girl."
Max gasps out a chuckle shaking a little. "She's always been a kid at heart."
Next, Max told her more about her vision, and how she obtained her power.
"And that's how you saved Chloe." Rachel correctly predicted. "Through your rewind power."
Max nods. "When I first got it..." She gulps. "Nathan shot Chloe. I screamed, reached out my hand, and poof! I was back in class." She scoffs. "I don't know how to say it."
"I believe you." Rachel assures her gently. "Now... this tornado was supposed to hit Arcadia Bay on Friday?"
"Yeah. And every now and then I would pass out and get visions of it."
"Pass out?" Rachel repeated.
Max nods. "From overusing my power. That even happened when... I had nosebleeds."
"Any other side effects?"
"Uhh..." Max's cloudy mind digs hard to remember. "I remember having headaches and very sharp zaps on my head."
"Jesus..." Rachel breathed. "You don't have this power anymore, right?"
Max shook her head. "No. I... tried to use my rewind yesterday as a test, but... I lost it."
Rachel smiles. "Good." There was a few seconds of silence before Rachel spoke again. "I'm so glad you saved Kate from jumping from the dorm roof."
Max let's out a shaky laugh. "I thought I wouldn't. I mean... it all happened so fast, a-and time just slowed down, literally and figuratively."
The waves trickle up to Max's feet making her gasp silently and pull her legs closer to her chest.
Rachel softly chuckles. "Careful." She treaded her teasing lightly before returning to her serious manner.
"I-I know this all sounds crazy. Hell... sometimes I feel this is a bad dream." Max sucks in a couple of ragged breaths. "Maybe I am crazy." She turns to Rachel with tears streaming down her cheeks. "But I am not lying. I promise you Rachel, I am not lying."
Rachel takes Max's other hand making the tiny girl's body face her own. "I know you're not lying Max. And you're definitely not crazy." She raises a hand to wipe a tear from her cheek. "And I don't need your diary to tell me that. I can see it right here." Rachel's finger softly traces below the outline of Max's eyes. "Those precious blue eyes. I see the pain, the ordeal, the happiness, and the love."
Max shakes her head. "I-I don't even know how you can see... through my eyes."
Max is no stranger of hearing the kind of talk before. About how people can see her through her eyes and her soul, but that's the kind of talk you hear from some infatuated hormonal teen or someone high on LSD. Rachel is neither. Rachel is a young independent woman who is wise, kind, gorgeous, and someone Max loves so dearly.
"It takes practice." Rachel gently brushes her lips against Max's tear stained cheeks. "And I see a savior. Someone who saves lives."
Saves lives. Those two words echo in Max's head. She saved Kate's life on that roof when she was at her worse. Yet even with the power to manipulate time, she couldn't save one life. The life of an exotic girl, the girl who was Chloe's best friend, the girl both Chloe and Max had vowed to find, the girl that would have made them three best friends forever.
The girl's life they couldn't save only to find her buried in the junkyard within a worn body bag after being abducted, kidnapped, toyed with, and overdosed.
The girl that Max couldn't saved.
"I could... have... stopped it." Max's whisper is low and menacing.
Rachel is taken aback and slightly retracts her head back. "Max?"
"I could've stopped him." Her whisper is now a growl. She rises to her feet, bows her head down, and squeezes her arm risking the blood circulation from being cut off. "I made a promise. I had the power. Yeah, I knew the fucking risks, I know what the fuck those powers do, but I could've thought of something. I. Could. Have. Stopped. Him."
Out of all of those horrid memories from that week, Frank's crazy threats, being locked in the dark room at Jefferson's mercy, enduring that horrible nightmare that painted Max like some sort of monster, only one stood out from all of the rest: The Junkyard.
"All I could do was just... hold her. The smell... my legs shaking, my heart hurting, the photos..." Max's fingers dig down on her bare arm. "Why? Why did that happen?" The sharp pain feels like a small pinch, but Max can feel a trickle of something wet dripping down her fingers. "That shouldn't have happened." Her teeth are grinding down viscously. "It should've been me." She repeats it again in an acid hiss. "It should have been me! ME!"
A sharp burn across her cheek thrown Max onto the sand and she no longer felt the seeping powerful rage, only shock and being drained. Max gazes at her arm alarmed to find that her arm is bleeding four brutal streaks down onto the sand. Before she could contemplate what happened, she's suddenly pinned on her back leaving her more paralyzed.
When she gathered her senses, she sees Rachel on top of her with her hands clamping down on the hipster's wrists heaving deeply wild wide eyes.
"If you do that to your arm again... you're going to see a side of me that makes Nathan Prescott look like an adorable FUCKING KITTEN!" She hiccups and starts tearing up.
Seeing the tears in Rachel's eyes makes Max's heart break, and all she wanted to do is wipe them away like she did for Max. But when she tried, she couldn't because Rachel is imprisoning both of her arms.
"I know about me in the junkyard, Max!" Rachel seethed. "I've read the fucking log, for fuck sakes! I read that Mark Jefferson took those sick photos of me! So yeah! I know I died! I know you and Chloe fucking found me! And that you both were so FUCKING stupid to go down to Blackwell and kill that fucking Prickcott ass!" Her hot rage expression contorts into a broken down person. "And how Mark Jefferson just... fucking used you like some..." She finished her sentence in an incompressible blubber. She gasps in air and pulls Max up taking hold of her face.
"Okay, you're from another reality, but you are Maxine Fiona Caulfield!" Rachel affirmed. "And I love you."
Max plunges her head into Rachel's breasts. She wanted to shed more tears and sob every essence of her being from her body, but she's just too exhausted to perform this overused task. All she can do is silently hiccup and let the tears fall into Rachel's shirt.
"I'm so..." A wheeze is heard from the tiny hipster. "I'm so lost..."
No words are heard from Rachel, but none were needed. Just her loving touch to heal Max's fractured heart.
"Max..." Rachel finally speaks. Her voice is a gentle murmur. A total contrast from her untamed side a few moments ago. "What happened at the lighthouse? When you saw the storm?"
Max suddenly panics and attempts to hastily break away from Rachel's protective grip. It's no use for Rachel keeps her pinned.
"I know it hurts, Max. I'm sorry." Rachel said. "But I need to hear it from you. Please."
Max relaxes herself ignoring her aching heart and sinks further into Rachel's chest. "Okay..."
Flashback
The view from the lighthouse shows the view of the behemoth ocean twister gradually closing it's distance towards the humble fishing town.
By now, Max is certain that Arcadia Bay will suffer because of her reckless actions. All she can do is just hope that some people will survive. Hope that Kate is alright. But she knows that she's here. With Chloe.
"Max..." Chloe's cracked voice reaches Max's ears. "This is the only way."
Max's blue haired partner takes hold of Max's soaking wrist and rests a small paper at the tip of her fingertips. Max pinches down on the paper and her eyes adjust to the darkness only to have them shoot up in realization that this photo is the one she took in the butterfly in the girls bathroom.
Why would Chloe give her this.
"All you would have to do... is..." Chloe turns away from her and to the storm. "Is..." She brings her head down and hiccups.
"No!" Max shouted grabbing Chloe's arm making her face the hipster. "Fuck no! No way in hell I'm doing that." She takes Chloe's hands. "You're my number one priority Chloe. You're my only priority."
Chloe's head slumps. "I know... You've proven that. Over and over again. You came back into my life for the first time in five years. You made me smile, and laugh like I haven't done in years! And all this time, I've been so selfish! To my mom! My step-d-... My step-father! To Rachel! And to you..."
"Chloe, I'm. Not. Trading you!" Max firmly stands by her decision cupping Chloe's face.
Chloe curves a small shaky smile. "We can't let the town-"
"FUCK THE TOWN, CHLOE!" Max shrieked. "My decision is final. It's you and me from here on out!"
"No, Max... not this time. Not like this... I can't live with this..."
"Chloe! None of this is on you! This..." Max wildly shakes her arm out to the storm. "This is all me! I'm responsible for all of this! And it hurts to know I brought this upon Arcadia Bay! And I'll live with that! Every. Single. Day. But I can't imagine a day without you being back in my life."
Chloe says nothing and bows her head down. Max gasps out a hiccup and gently touches the punk's arm before turning to face the storm and Arcadia Bay. She clenches her teeth and raises the photo in front of her ready to tear it in half.
"Not this time."
"Max!" Chloe's voice reaches Max's ears again. Before Max could even move, she felt a hard poke of something solid on her lower back. "Do not. Rip. That photo!"
Max is puzzled of what is touching her, but with Chloe's hand resting on her shoulder, she is flipped around. Max becomes petrified seeing that Chloe is pointing a gun at her.
"Chloe..?" Max squeaked.
Chloe's face is contorted of distraught and anger. "This is not an option. Arcadia Bay is not going to suffer this bullshit!"
Max is speechless and she couldn't move a muscle. She's in complete shock on having a gun on her by the blue haired punk girl.
"I'm sorry..." Chloe sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Max... But I can't live... I can't live with this. If there is one thing I can do right in my life... It's going to be this... But I'll always cherish our times... our memories."
Max can feel herself being pulled in until her lips link with Chloe's. Her eyes flutter and arches her back while her legs become weightless. During the kiss, Max can feel her heart ache more, but at the same time she did not want to break away. She couldn't.
Eventually Chloe broke away and back up being dangerously close to the edge.
"I love you, Max!" Chloe croaked raising the gun to her temple. "I always will..."
Max finally frees herself and rushes towards her partner. "Chloe! NO!"
Max can see a bolt of light spark between the gun and Chloe's head. In an instant, Chloe Price staggered over the cliff letting the ocean consuming her body.
Present Day
Max's tale ends leaving the two girls in complete and utter silence. The ocean and the gulls thankfully fill the void.
"She had a gun on you?" Rachel simmered. The way she said sounded more towards Chloe than Max.
"She... she wanted me to save the town.." Max sniffled.
When Max finally lifts her head to see Rachel, she can see that her expression is darkened. "I see." That's all Rachel said before standing up and slowly approaching the shoreline. Her feet are swallowed up by the wet sand and the small waves flow past her legs. She stares out into the ocean. Max wonders what she can be thinking of, so she emerges to her feet and walks forward positioning herself right next to Rachel and gingerly takes her hand. Rachel tenderly squeezes it.
Neither Max nor Rachel spoke. All they did is stare out into the vast ocean hearing the water, and hearing it's cold touch.
"You're staying with me tonight." Rachel finally said.
"Thank you..." Max's croaked. She did not want to be alone tonight, but Rachel already knew that.
"C'mon, hun." Rachel gently pulls on Max's hand bringing them away from the ocean. "Let's get going."
While retreating up to the shoreline, Max can't help but feel that her behavior ruined their night. That she ruined Rachel's night.
(*)
Prescott Manor
The interior of Prescott manor has been degraded into an environment of darkness and morbidity. Blood stains and puddles fill the walls and floors, some of which looks as if it's been smeared trying to form words that are too messy to comprehend. Hanging from the stairway are the corpses of his father and Officer Berry, who have skin burning ropes tearing through their necks.
Nathan staggers to the wall panting and shaking violently as his head becomes lightheaded. He falls to the blood soaked floor grunting on impact.
"FUUUUUCK!" He screams letting it echo throughout the manor. "I need some... I need it... Please..."
He suddenly gasps remembering an important detail. Nathan sprouts up and rushes up stairs into the second kitchen. His eyes scan the counter until he sees a most welcomed site: The syringe filled with the fluids to give him a much needed fix.
Clutching the needle into his hands, Nathan carelessly jabs himself in the arm and presses down letting the fluids flow into his veins. His vision becomes more vibrant, his heart accelerates, and he can feel the energy restored within him.
Nathan starts laughing. He feels so good right now. Everything that is gory and bloody is now gone. The bloodstreams have become small ponds, darkness shines bright thanks to glowing orbs, and nature gracefully sprouts all around him with trees, flowers and grass.
A manor of perdition has transcend into a twilight paradise with a push of a syringe.
Nathan aimlessly wonders the forest letting the needle slip from his hand. He is in complete awe of this wonder. Nathan comes across a enormous lake pure and fresh with curly tree branches towering over the lake.
Feeling his throat parched, Nathan jogs towards the lake. He falls to his knees dipping his hands into the water and splashes it across his face feeling a warm and thick, yet satisfying feeling rinsed on his face. He exhales deeply before plunging his head into the water feeling a sharp pain on his forehead. Apparently, the lake is more shallow than it appears. But it doesn't matter, he wishes to savior every gulp of this blessing.
While Nathan slobbers his face in the water, a deep fuming growl fills the forest. Nathan hearing it clearly, gasps and backs away from the lake. He recognizes the growling. It belongs to one of the greatest apex predators of the animal kingdom.
He gulps feeling a fearful chill and raises his pistol. His arm is trembling, and his legs are buckling.
Turning on his heel, he nearly has a heart attack upon the most terrifying sight: A large white cat pouncing on him and roaring ferociously.
It was a white tiger!
Nathan screams in terror and wildly shoots his pistol in the air while waving it around. The butt of his gun bashes into the tiger's temple forcing it off of him. Nathan leaps to his feet and fearfully gazes at the predator.
This tiger stops dead in it's tracks giving Nathan a cold stare with it's ice blue eye. The other one is missing from it's socket only to have a black gush to cover it up. A few notable scars are decorated across it's face.
Nathan can feel his legs give out and he whimpers backing away from the feline savage. Ever since being trapped in it's pen when he was a child, Nathan has always been frightened of tigers. Now that he is seeing one with his own two eyes, he is reliving every traumatizing memory all over again.
Nathan sprints away from the beast, and he can hear another bloodthirsty roar piercing his eardrums. Racing up the stairs and hopping over a root, Nathan knows that his beautiful forest manor will no longer keep him safe. He has to leave!
He turns back to see the tiger racing after him.
"GeeET AWAY FROM ME!" Nathan shrieked in terror firing three shots. All three missed the tiger, but bought him more time to run. As he attempts to open a door covered in vines and bugs, it wouldn't open.
Before he could ram it open, the roar of the tiger overpowers his neck. Nathan can feel it's paws squeezing down on his shoulders as his head is hurled into the door. He screams from the blunt impact before being thrown away from the door and onto the floor. Coughing out his blood, Nathan turns to the tiger raising his pistol, but the beast seizes him by his hand. He can feel the excruciating pain of it's bite and jerks the pistol away from his hand.
The tiger spits out the pistol leaving Nathan defenseless.
He screams and sprints towards the railing and leaps towards the bottom. His landing is painful, but he does not let that stop him as he races towards the main door. He bursts it open and falls down the vine ridden stairs.
Rising to his feet and ignoring the crackling pain in his ankle, Nathan races towards the edge of the cliff that overlooks the ocean. With a murderous tiger hunting him, Nathan has two choices, risk a long fall into the water, or be overpowered by a apex animal that will rip his guts open and eat his innards.
Nathan stops at the edge. The distance from where he is, it's insanity! Would he even survive the jump? He begins whimpering and blubbering like a baby slowly backing away from the ledge thinking he can still outrun the tiger.
But as he turns around, the tiger cuts off any alternative paths. He's trapped.
With a curt roar from the hunter, Nathan does not even hesitate and leaps from the edge letting out a scream before he disappears below the water.
The hunter peers over the water barely seeing the aftermath of Nathan's big splash.
Breathing out through the nose, the hunter turns and walks away from the cliff standing on two legs like a human.
Nathan's hunter, now takes the shape of a human, but it's too dark to see a clear transformation of the form.
"Enjoy your swim." The hunter's voice is that of a young woman's.
So with the new Life is Strange game coming out, It's kind of sad that Rachel's mystique will be gone. On the plus side, I'm happy that Rachel was making an appearance.
I was planning on saving this until the fanfic is completed, but since Rachel already has an actress, I'll reveal who I imagined Rachel's voice being like: Eliza Taylor from the 100 Series. What do you guys think?
Also this story does condone the usage of recreational drugs.
Thanks guys! :)