Before Max could form a question a sound came from the kitchen. "Water's ready for your tea," Steph said. Handing the phone back to Max, she rose and went into the kitchen.

Blackwell Academy! That means either she or Beth are from Arcadia Bay! Relax, Max. There's nothing to worry about. Several thousand people live in Arcadia Bay. It's a dying town. Most youth leave and Portland is so close.

Remembering then to breathe, she took in a deep breath. Her heart was racing and a jitteriness was in her arms. Recognizing the signs, she closed her eyes and focused, first on her breathing, then on a peaceful picture of Mount Hood.

She enjoyed the lines of the mountain, how it stood out on the horizon. The snow on it gave it an allure she liked. Gradually her heart rate slowed and the jitteriness went away. Her eyes opened just as Steph returned with her cup of tea.

"Here you go. Honey is on the table if you want it."

Accepting the cup and saucer, Max nodded and returned to the table. Setting the cup down, she remembered what they were working on. "Were you able to make the payment," she asked as she drizzled honey into the tea.

"Without a problem," Steph said as she took her seat. "Are you done with the pizza?"

Max nodded as she stirred the spoon lazily in the tea. "Good. I'll clear it off and we can look at the photos."

Within a few minutes Steph had removed the box and towels. She wiped down the table and dried it before pronouncing it clean. Tossing the rags into the kitchen, Steph once again joined Max at the table. "Now, I can't wait to see these pictures."

"I only have one set with me tonight. I should have more for you either tomorrow or Sunday."

"Cool. We can work with one set."

Getting her bag, Max retrieved her portfolio and slipped the photos from their protection. A sound of admiration came from Steph as Max laid the photos before her.

"These are amazing!" Steph continued to pour over the pictures, complimenting Max on her skill. Max silently accepted the praise. In truth her mind was still occupied with the shirt. She wanted to ask Steph about it, and she didn't want to know.

A pain flitted through her heart as she debated the question. A memory of pain so poignant it had left an unfathomable void in her. It took several moments to realize Steph was snapping her fingers in front of her.

Jerking back as she returned to the here and now, Max blinked at Steph. "Are you ok, Max?"

"Um…yeah, I was just… " she might as well ask it. "I noticed you have a Blackwell Academy shirt. Are you from Arcadia Bay?"

"Yeah, both Beth and I are. It's probably her shirt. She keeps it for some reason. I got rid of mine."

Swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in her throat, Max said, "So you graduated in…2013?"

"Both of us did."

Max nodded in response, saying nothing else.

After several moments of silence, Steph asked, "Are you ok with that?"

Startled, Max looked at her. "What? Why do you ask?"

"You seemed…sad a few minutes ago."

Steeling herself, Max tried to keep her gaze on Steph, but couldn't. Her eyes fell to her hands, once again in her lap. This time they had nothing to occupy them and they began picking at her jeans.

"I used to live there." Her words were a breath on the wind, silent and soft.

"You did? Which school did you go to? I don't remember you at Blackwell, so the public school?"

Public…and then Blackwell before the darkness. "I moved while still in middle school, to Seattle."

"Ah. Do you miss Arcadia Bay?"

With all my heart and soul. I died there and am still not alive. "Sometimes." Shaking her head as if she could shake those thoughts free, she decided a topic change was in order.

"So…will these photos work for you?"

Instead of answering Steph looked at her several moments. "There's something there you aren't saying, isn't there?"

Max winced and flashed a brave but weak smile. Her hand reached out and touched one of the photos. For a moment she was tempted to enter the stillness of time to have a breakdown. The pain inside her heart was so strong her fingers were trembling as she touched the photo.

"Please," she said, her voice breaking, "the photos. Will they work for you?"

"What pain are you hiding?" The way Steph whispered it, Max was sure she was talking to herself.

A pain no one should have to endure. A pain no one should have to live with.

Steph's eyes fell to the photos. "Yes, these will work." Her voice was drained of emotion.

Nodding, Max said, "Thank you for helping me with getting my electricity back on." She looked at Steph, gaze finally steady. "I mean that. If these pictures are to your satisfaction…I need to go."

"Fair enough," Steph said, "you don't really know me. I don't really know you. I hope whatever pain it is you're hiding that you have someone to share it with, I mean discuss it. Let me get my wallet. I'll pay cash for these."

Steph's words cut Max deep. It was all she could do to hold herself together. Steph disappeared down the hall. While she was gone, Max downed the last of her tea, still warm. In moments Steph returned, cash in hand. She counted it out into Max's hand.

"You're still coming over on Tuesday?" Steph tried to catch Max's eye as she asked the question.

"Yes." Max voice sounded hollow. Steph was being kind, and she didn't understand why. They barely knew each other. It was so strange, on top of the remembered pain flowing through her.

Checking the money, she counted out a few bills and held them out to Steph. "My electricity bill," she said. Steph didn't raise her hands to accept it. She shook the money a little as if she could encourage her to take it by the action.

"Please," she said, the tremble returning to her voice. Slowly, Steph reached out and took the bills. Max stuffed the rest of the bills into her pocket and grabbed her bag.

"Wait," Steph said and hurried into the kitchen. After several minutes, and a lot of noise, she returned. In her hands was a paper grocery bag. "Your dinner."

Max shook her head and backed away. "No," she said, her voice raspy and trembly.

"Yes," Steph said. She took one of Max's hands and put the handles in it. "Take it. It's yours."

Numbly, she clung to the bag and went to the door. Steph opened the door for her. "Are you going to be ok, going home by yourself?"

Max nodded. Steph looked dubious when she briefly raised her eyes to her. Giving another weak smile, she said, "Thanks for the dinner, and for helping with my power problem. If I don't see you this weekend, I'll see you Tuesday."

Before she could leave, Steph grabbed her arm. "Are you sure? You don't look well, Max. It's not a problem for me to drive you."

Giving as genuine a smile as she could, Max answered, "I'll be fine. Thanks for offering. It's…appreciated." She exited into the night and descended the rickety stairs.

Her mind sunk into a haze of numbness. The next thing she knew she was in her apartment, with no memory of how she got there. Letting the bag of pizza drop to the floor, she slipped her backpack from her shoulders and she slumped against the door. Her fingers found the light switch and flicked it. Light flooded the room.

At least one thing worked out.

Like earlier she slid to the floor, still numb and a bit dazed. Both Steph and Beth were from Arcadia Bay. They graduated the same year that she… Catching herself, Max cut off that thought.

But why did she bother? It was already too late. That pain had surfaced the moment Steph told her about graduating. Slumping against the floor she let that pain claim her. The ache within the void spread to every part of her, an agony unbearable that made her mind and body shake.

Great sobs were wrenched from her as that ache became her existence. She was alone, all alone. Her fingertips traced the design on her left wrist as she gave herself to the pain.

Next morning found her still laying on the floor. Groggily she blinked and lifted her head. It took several minutes for conscious thought to move beyond sluggish. Her neck was sore from sleeping on the floor. Digging her phone out of her pocket, she peered at the time.

"Oh god, no!" She had to leave for work in fifteen minutes! Forgetting everything else, she got to her feet and hurried through her morning routine. The power was still on, which she was thankful for.

Fifteen minutes later found her hurrying down the stairs, a piece of toast between her teeth. Her body hurt from sleeping on the floor and her cheek still had marks from the carpet. She hoped those would fade before she got to work.

The work day was better than the start of the day. For some reason there was a steady stream of customers throughout the day, keeping all of them busy. Before she knew it, the cafe was closing and she was outside.

That's when she realized she didn't bring her bag with her. If she wanted to do the contract work, she needed to get it. Berating herself, she made her way back to the apartment.

Since she was in a better frame of mind, she decided to work on turning the negatives into prints. Once she had her bag, she called the lab to see whether the print stations were available and reserved a time slot. She arrived at the lab with plenty of time to spare, so she bought herself dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Her mind stayed focused and nothing disturbed her calm. That allowed her to do all the prints she had earmarked, giving her four complete sets. If Steph bought all of them, that would be an additional $1000. Her heart thrilled a little at the thought.

Cleaning up her work area, she said goodbye to the employee on duty and went home. Tomorrow, she decided, she would spend some time doing something for herself. In the afternoon she could work on more contract shots.

The commute home was smooth and quick. Well as quick as an hour could be. Relaxing on her couch, she set her bag on the floor. Tonight would be a good night for Netflix.

Changing into her jammies, she got a drink and snack and cozied under her soft blanket to watch.

The next day she slept in. Well, if you consider an extra fifteen minutes beyond her normal waking time to be sleeping in. She did spend additional time lying in bed. There was no need to get up and do anything at a particular time.

Making a leisurely breakfast, she took her time slipping into the day. Today she wanted to spend time doing something for herself. After the past week, she needed that. Once she had breakfast, a shower, and clean clothes she felt ready for the day.

Exploring some of the various parks around town is what she wanted to do. Taking only her digital camera with her, Max locked up the apartment and set off.

She spent much of the day exploring, something she'd wanted to do ever since moving to Portland. There were plenty of things to see in old Portland, downtown, and the various parks throughout the area.

There were many things she saw that she captured with her camera. She also found a number of places to relax. Places she could come to when she needed to think, or observe the world around her. Getting some sushi to go, she took her food to one of those places.

It was so peaceful, among the trees of the park. A place set apart from the city around her. She stayed there a long time, letting the peace infuse her with its calm.

All her anxiety from life, a frozen bank account, losing power, messing up her prints, and more all faded away. Except the hole inside her. It never faded away, and never would, she feared, until she slipped away entirely.

Late in the afternoon she decided to skip doing more photos. She could do some after work tomorrow. Today was all about her. On her way home she got some takeout. She was feeling confident right now.

Even if Steph only bought one of the sets of prints, that would be enough money to pay some of her severely past-due bills. If she bought more, well she could work on catching up her other bills too. Only she needed her account unfrozen so she could send money.

Humming a tune, she walked up the steps to her home and went inside. After she ate she practiced her guitar. She managed to do that at least once a week. She had several songs down and was debating which song she wanted to learn next.

She sang softly as she went through her entire set. The one song she wouldn't play was Lua. It brought back too many memories. Sometimes when she was in a dark mood she played it. Not now though, her mood was positive and she wanted to keep it.

The evening wound into night and she spent some time cleaning her little apartment. It was also a good night for laundry as it set her up for the week. The chores took her up to her bed time. Snuggling under her comfy blanket, she peered into the darkness. For a moment she wished there were blue eyes peering back at her. Closing her eyes she settled into sleep.

The next two days passed swiftly, if a bit hard. Monday was an unusually slow day at the cafe. Everyone had trouble making it through that day. The irregular rainfall Portland was known for behaved in a way that made it difficult to get the photo shoots she wanted after work.

Out of the four shots she had planned for the day, she was only able to get one. Sighing in frustration as she put her camera away, she went home under the rainy night sky.

Tuesday came and she showed up on time at the camera shop. Like yesterday at the cafe, the day was slow. There were only two people on staff that day, she and the owner. They spent the time chit-chatting.

He seemed quite interested in her ability to pick up side gigs. She told him a little about the contract she got and he looked pleased. As closing time loomed, he said, "Before you leave we need to discuss something."

"Ok, sure. Let me finish cleaning the cases."

Ten minutes later she leaned against the door to the small office where he kept a safe and his desk. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes, Max, here, have a seat." He moved a pile of papers from a chair and pushed it toward her. He set the pile on the floor as she sat.

They looked at each other in silence for a few minutes. He was twirling a pen in one hand, and his other was playing with his tie. "I'm no good at this," he finally murmured. "Max, I have some terrible news…for you."

He looked at her, looked away, then straightened his back and looked directly at her. "Sales aren't doing so well. And I have to let you go, since you were the last one hired."

Let…go?

He slid an envelope toward her. "Here's your last paycheck. I'm really sorry, Max. I have your contact info and I'll be sure to send as many side gigs as I can your way…but I can't afford to have you as an employee."

Her mind just kept repeating that phrase: let go. He placed the envelope in her hands. "I'm sorry, Max. Get your bag and I'll walk you out."

Let go?

She found herself outside, with her former boss looking at her awkwardly.

"Ok," she finally said. "See you…sometime?"

"Listen," he said, hand on her upper arm. "I can keep giving you the employee rate at the lab and print stations for, let's say another six months. That should help you with that contract you mentioned, and any others you pick up."

"Th-thank you."

Somehow she found herself on the bus. Her phone beeped with a message. Looking at the screen she saw it was from Steph.

"Steph: hey! Mikey and Drew are here. Hope you're still coming tonight."

The D&D session. She almost forgot about it! She stared at the screen a while, torn inside. She was still processing what just happened at work. Uncertainty was crowding her mind. At the same time she recalled that fleeting desire to be with people her own age that had infused her last week when Steph asked her.

Making her decision, she replied.

"Max: yeah, I'll be there."

Instead of going home, she switched buses to a different route and went directly to Steph's apartment.

Standing before the door she could hear deep laughter inside. Several voices were talking and there was some music playing. Not really loud, just enough to hear through the door. Raising her hand, she knocked.

Moments later the door opened revealing Steph with her beanie on her head and a grin on her face. "Max! You're here, come in! Come in!" She grabbed Max's arm and pulled her into the apartment.

Shutting the door, but not letting her go, Steph stepped around her. "Mikey, Drew, I want you to meet that awesome photographer I told you about, Max Caulfield!"

Max gave a little wave as she looked at the two boys (men?) in the living room. Pointing at them, Steph said, "The taller one is Drew, the other is Mikey." Both of them waved at her.

"Steph showed us some of your pictures," Mikey said, "They are very good." Drew gave her a wave, but was otherwise busy playing a video game.

"Looks like you came here straight from work," Steph commented as she took Max's bag.

"Oh, no, I'll keep that," Max protested. Well she tried to protest. Steph just gave her a look.

"It's ok, Max. Relax. I know your camera and other stuff is in here. I want to put it somewhere it will be safe." Seeing that Max remained unconvinced, Steph sighed and said, "Ok, follow me. That way you can prove it to yourself." She smiled as she said that which helped Max relax.

She followed Steph down the little hall to one of the bedrooms. She supposed it was Steph's, since the decor was very gamer oriented. There were a few pictures on the furniture, probably her family since they resembled her and looked older. Steph gently placed the bag on the bed. "Now, when you need to leave, just come in here and get the bag. Oh, also, the bathroom is the door opposite this one. Feel free to use it."

Nodding, she followed Steph from the bedroom. Instead of returning to the front room though, she decided to use the restroom. Turning on the light and fan, she closed the door and leaned against the sink. What happened earlier was finally sinking in.

She didn't have a job at the camera shop anymore. Of her two jobs it paid the best. She had to get another job soon that paid close to what it did. Her breath was becoming shallow and rapid as these thoughts ran through her head and an insistent desire to do something was in her.

Leaning over the sink, she took deep breaths. "It will be ok. This has happened before. I'll find another job and it will all work out." Turning on the cold water, she splashed some on her face and looked into the mirror.

The girl looking back at her had wild eyes, darting here and there. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. Wiping the water off, she leaned against the wall, doing more breathing exercises. She also began outlining the steps she needed to take. She needed a plan to focus on.

A knock on the door startled her. "You ok in there, Max?" Steph's voice was muffled. How long had she been in here?

Instead of answering, Max opened the door, a smile plastered on her face. Steph was leaning against the wall opposite. "Sorry," Steph said as she pushed away from the wall. "I hope that wasn't creepy. You were in there a long time." As Max tried to walk past her, Steph blocked her.

"Look," Steph said, her brows furrowed, "I know we aren't friends, yet, but it's pretty obvious something's going on with you. Are you ok?"

Shifting from foot to foot, Max tried not to pay attention to the sounds of laughter and friendship coming from the front room. "You've been nothing but kind to me since we met," Max finally said, "and it's…confusing. I mean you're my customer, and what you've done for me…I don't know what to make of it."

A little smile lit Steph's face. "Tonight I'm not your customer, though, Max. Tonight I'm just Steph Gingrich, Dungeon Master. And I think you need to be Max Caulfield, Master Illusionist." Hooking her arm in Max's she walked them down the hall toward the living room.

"Alright, I've brought our mystery girl back," Steph announced. There were three people in the room now, Drew and Mikey, and a girl with multi-colored hair, whose back was to them.

"Beth," Steph said, "I'd like you to meet, Max."

The new girl rose to face them. There were a lot of things to notice about this girl, nay woman. Her slender, athletic build that made her look even taller than she was. The loose fitting tank top with a death's head. The multiple bracelets on her arm. The blues and purples and greens of her hair. The smile that could light up a room.

None of that caught Max's attention. It was her eyes. As her blue eyes settled on Max, the world stopped. A void rushed up to consume Max as she fell into the blackest of pits. Her voice came to her feebly as she was consumed.

"Chloe?"

The girl looked at Steph, then back at Max, one eyebrow raised. "Have we met before," she asked.

Swallowing the thickness in her throat, Max shook her head. "Sorry," she managed to choke out. "You reminded me…" She stuck out her hand as she felt warmth flood her cheeks. "I'm Max, nice to meet you."

Beth turned her head at a slight tilt then back. Her hand grabbed Max's in a firm shake. "Nice to meetcha," she said. "Steph has shown me your magic and it's great to finally meet."

The look Beth shot Steph while they shook hands wasn't lost on Max. She'd already started things off wrong. Her hand tingled after Beth let go, as if part of her essence remained.

"Noms and drink are in the kitchen," Steph said, patting Max on the back as she headed into the front room. Beth joined her, reclaiming her seat to cheer and jeer Drew with his game.

Max stood at the room entrance. Everyone in there was old friends. Her fingers tugged at the hem of her hoodie as she struggled to know what to do. Willing herself into gear, she crept into the room trying not to block Drews view of the TV. Steph waved her to a spot next to her at the end of the futon.

It didn't dawn on her until she took her seat that she had a great view of Beth. She tried not to look at the girl, but it was impossible. Beth noticed her looking and flashed her a smile with a thumbs-up gesture. Shrinking into herself after that, she forced her eyes away.

Minutes later Drew's game came to an end as his last bit of health bar was drained away. The two girls gave him a good-natured hard time about his defeat. He gave it right back to them. Within moments Beth had the controller to show him how the game was played.

It appeared her way of playing the game was to wear down the enemies through a barrage of bad puns and expletive filled one-liners. Her banter brought comments from Drew and Steph, and occasionally Mikey. The room was filled with the sounds of good friends comfortable with each other.

Max found herself drawn into the game. She was transfixed as Beth proved herself quite adapt at the game, moving well beyond where Drew died. She cheered when Beth's character did well, and groaned at each set-back.

At a save point, Beth saved and turned off the game. "Time for noms and a movie," Steph announced as Beth got up and headed for the kitchen.

Mikey groaned. "A movie? When are we going to play the campaign?"

Steph grinned at him. "Don't worry my fearless warrior. We have all night. And besides, I want to ensure Max here," she glanced at Max while saying this, "has the best night of her year tonight."

The words came as a surprise to Max, who jerked slightly. She wasn't used to being the center of attention, and among strangers at that.

"We're going to watch Bladerunner 2049," Steph said, "I hope you like it Max."

Max's breath caught in her. Watching the newest Bladerunner, and with B-Chloe?

At that moment, Beth came back with several boxes of pizza. It was from the same place as before and Max's mouth started watering. A pile of paper plates and napkins teetered atop the boxes. Placing the stack on the table in the center of the room, Beth began handing out the plates and napkins.

Steph disappeared into the kitchen, returning shortly with several drink containers in her arms. "We've got hard and we've got soft," she called as she set them next to the pizza boxes. "And tea and coffee if that's your thing-"

"Including Irish coffee," Beth interrupted.

Max fingered the plate she held. The emptiness from earlier had strengthened as the night wore on. Each word from Beth, each look from her intensified it.

Sliding a piece of pizza onto her plate, Max cleared her throat. "So, uh, Beth," the name seemed so wrong on her tongue, "what do you think of the latest Bladerunner?"

Plopping into her chair, plate piled with pizza slices, Beth unfolded a napkin. "It's my second favorite movie, next to the original!"

"Yeah," Steph said, "if only you could stay awake through it all."

Coldness swept over Max as Steph said that. "Oh, I'm staying awake this time," Beth said as she shoved a slice of pizza into her mouth.

Drinks were poured and handed out then Steph dimmed the lights and started the movie. Max arranged herself to see the TV better, but kept glancing at Beth. She noted that Steph and Beth sat separate from each other, but both girl's eyes lit up when Joi came on.

With pizza and juice in her stomach, Max found herself grow drowsy. Just as she was about to slip into sleep an elbow jabbed her in the side. Snapping her head up, she looked around. "Looks like we have another sleeper here," Steph said with a grin. Mikey and Drew had both fallen asleep, but the girls were still awake. The movie had apparently ended.

"Sorry," Max said, "it's been a long day."

"Capturing little pieces of time is hard work," Beth asked. Max started, then realized she probably got the phrase from Steph.

"It is," Max said, "but that isn't what I did today. I have other jobs, along with my photography." Job. She now had A job. Something inside her sank at the reminder.

Leaning forward, Steph gathered up the now empty pizza boxes. "What are your other jobs?"

Wanting to be useful, Max started gathering the used plates and napkins. Beth shook her head, "no, you're our guest Max," she said as she took the trash from her.

Letting her hands fall into her lap where they began twisting against each other, Max watched the two girls carry the trash into the kitchen. "What are your jobs," Steph repeated the question when they returned.

Looking at her hands, uncertain how much to say, Max said, "well, it's really just the one. I work at a cafe, 'A Rise Above.'"

"Ooh, I've heard of that place," Beth said. "They make all the breads for their sandwiches and stuff, right?"

Max nodded.

"Hey Mikey," Beth said as she dug a toe into his side. "Wakey-wakey time get the campaign on." Beth moved on to Drew, waking him as well. Stepping around the table toward Max, she held out her hand.

Max stared at it blankly. What did she want? Her left hand began slowly rising. "Your empty cup, Max," Beth said, "you'll need a refill for the game."

Her ears felt on fire as Max picked up her cup, their fingers touching as she handed it to her.

"Oh, you like pirates too?" Max looked up at the voice. A girl her age with messy blonde hair stood over her. Max looked at her toys then at the girl.

"Y-yes," she said, her voice low and halting.

"Cool! Can I join you? I have my own to play with!"

Max's eyes widened. Someone wanted to play with her? She looked at the girl again. All the other kids were on the other side of the room. "Don't you want to be with the others," Max asked.

"Nah," the girl said as she say down, "I want to play pirates. They're just poo-poo heads and think girls shouldn't like pirates." Sitting cross-legged she pulled her little backpack to her front. Digging around in it she pulled out a couple of dolls. Like Max's their frilly dresses had been replaced with hand made pirate outfits.

One of the dolls had its hair colored blue. "This one's Captain Blue. Chloe Blue. 'Cuz that's me." She peered at Max, her blue eyes shimmering with excitement. "What's your name?"

"M-Max," Max mumbled, her hands still firmly clenched on her pirate dolls.

Beth stood frozen in front of Max, whose eyes widened.

"What the hell was that," Beth exclaimed.

"What was what," Steph said behind her.

Max shot up from her chair. Her heart beat rapidly. She had to get out of here! An incessant need to run flooded her mind and body. Words she didn't hear blurted from her mouth as darkness swarmed her vision. Heat and terror and more beat her until she couldn't see or hear anything.