* Monday, Just Before Dinner Time, After the Storm *

'It's so odd. I can see perfectly like twenty feet, and then there is just a wall of fog.' Victoria take a few swipes in the air in front of her face. 'It doesn't fade in and out like fog is supposed to do.'

Chloe, on her phone with her mother, explaining that they wouldn't be coming back to the hospital until the fog lifted. 'Yeah Mom, the house is still standing... your kitchen is pretty trashed... running water, check... I got the candles out... but, we... we... Mom! Yes, we have food, we grabbed a bunch of stuff from tent city...'

Kate and Max, making no noise but maintaining eye contact, trying to communicate whole paragraphs without speaking.

'What kind of fog is this?' Victoria's wandering takes her to the edge of the driveway. 'I feel like I'm in a soap bubble.'

Chloe's conversation turns quieter, and Max cannot help but snoop. Hissed through teeth, the words are barely perceptible. 'Yeah, we might spend the night... Mom! Why would I need condoms!... I can't believe you said that in front of David and Ryan... What do you mean, Ryan put you up to it?... Mom, are you stoned?'

In spite of the gravity of the situation, Max can't contain her laughter. Wheeling, the bluenette points a dangerous finger at her. 'Do not start right now.'

Oh, I am so glad I told her to call our parents.

Closing the phone, a bit more forcefully than necessary, Chloe turns to the rest. 'Okay, let's go kids. It's already getting dark and we ain't driving anywhere.'

Snapping out of her fugue Victoria pulls a haughty expression. 'You expect me to stay the night here?'

'Victoria, I know this is no Ritz-Carlton but I got two great reason why. First, I assume you'd rather stay in a real house instead of the elementary school gym.'

The pixie blonde turns a bit pink, hard to detect in the failing light. '...Junior high.'

'Yeah, thought so. And second, I'd have to be hella crazy to let you drive out in this crap.'

Chloe's getting maternal.

Look at her go.

I know!

...

What. The. Fuck?

Shush. We'll talk after the last piece is in place.

'Max? What's up with you?'

All three girls are staring at her. It takes Max a moment to realize she's on her knees in the muddy lawn, tearing up fistfuls of the soggy grass.

A soothing dark blue head bobs next to her, worried eyes looking for injury. 'Babe, what's wrong? Was it a, you know?'

Hastily she stands, trying to subtly position Chloe between her and the others. 'No, it's just- a headache. Really bad. I need- I need to sit down.'

Chloe doesn't buy it for a second.

'All right, everyone grab your shit and get inside. Come on up to my room, first door on the right.'

Two hands grip Max's arms and frog-march her back through the front door and up the stairs without pause. A kick to the door and she is forced to sit on the bed. Soft candlelight spills from the window ledges, evidence that Chloe thought ahead. Yet there is still a bare mattress.

'Spill it, Maximum, before they get up here. What the hell was that?'

Confusion and pain is all the shorter girl can convey. 'I don't know. I think something- no, someone talked to me. Like, in my head.'

Eyes search the older girl, looking for... something. Tell me I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy! But all they find is the same familiar worry that has been displayed too often on those features.

'Max, that's, uh, some hella deep shit. Like, someone's clairvoyant?'

Before a reply is made, footsteps on the stairs announce the arrival of guests. Frantically Chloe tries to stuff as much of her dirty, and probably not dirty, laundry into the basket she grabbed from the closet. Really, I come over and you don't even bother to put sheets on the bed.

...

Why am I worrying about the trivial?

Surprisingly, Victoria enters with next to nothing, a small suitcase and single shoe-box. Kate, on the other hand, has half a dozen full grocery bags.

'Katie-bear, you planning on moving in?'

The petite girl looks around bashfully. 'No, I-I just don't know what's in my bags. And I need to bring Alice upstairs. It'll be too drafty for her down in the living room...'

The bluenette releases a squeal completely out-of-character. 'I'm going to pet the crap out of her. Can I feed her carrots? I wanna feed her carrots.'

Kate purses her lips and breaks the bad news. 'You can only feed her a few carrots. They are very sugary and are only for special occasions.'

The pout displayed at this response has Kate almost backpedaling. 'M-max, your girlfriend's being weird.'

Max grabs the bluenette's arm, tugging it to pull her back to the bed. 'Chlo, we talked about this. You gotta stay at a six.' Turning. 'Kate, get Alice before she starts foaming.'

Victoria, in the meanwhile, has been taking over the desk, setting up a work area of some sort. Turning, she takes hold of the conversation. Or tries to, at least. 'So girls, what are we going to do to pass the time?'

Chloe scratches one arm, thinking hard. 'Monopoly, Scrabble, maybe Trouble. Board games, smoking weed, and watching movies is just about the only stuff to do at the Price household.'

Victoria pauses, looking over at the older girl. 'Hey Chloe, you holding?'

'Uh, yeah.' Both girls turn to Max, a bit of trepidation on their faces.

How should I- 'Uh, don't let me stop you.' Well, at least Chloe asked. 'I mean, I'm not, you know, against it or anything.'

Chloe still has a look of pain on her face. 'Yeah. Let me rustle up some green, Victoria. Here.' The bluenette's phone sails at a surprised Victoria. ''Try your parents again. They haven't called back.'

Alone again, Chloe sits next to Max, somewhat sheepish, unable to do more that stare side-eyed at her girlfriend. 'Are you sure it's okay for me to toke up?'

Yeah. 'Yeah. I'm not gonna go psycho on you for relaxing and having fun.' I know I need to relax.

You really do.

SHUT. UP.

'Max, what about, you know, the new crap? I want to talk about it, if you're up for it.' The embarrassment of the situation hits her hard. 'I just don't want to leave you hanging if you need me serious. I don't... I can't flake out on you.'

Oh, you're really trying so hard Chlo. 'Don't worry! I love you, I'm not going to try and change you or put restrictions on you.' A small kiss cements the statement. 'Not overnight, anyway.'

A grin splits after another brief embrace. 'Watch it, Caulfield.' Searching one of her drawers, sheets and blankets are thrown at the brunette. 'I'm still not making my bed.' She leaves, grabbing her tin of paraphernalia, almost bumping into Kate and Alice. A moment of coo-ing ensues before Chloe pulls a promise from the younger girl that only Auntie Chlo can spoil Alice with carrots.

Door closed, bunny petted, and two weary friends relaxing on a freshly made bed.

'So, they're off smoking the marijuana?'

'Yeah.' A snort. 'Chlo was so worried I'd freak out on her for it.'

Kate picks up the rabbit on her chest, bringing Alice forward to nuzzle noses. 'Well, she probably is freaking out.'

'But why? She's, like, my best friend. I love you Katie, but she's like the best friend I could ever had.' Max props up on one elbow, turning to give their furry friend scratches between her long ears. 'And I know she's had it hard. I sure didn't help with that. But we've... grown. We mended all those fences.'

Kate pecks Alice once before getting up and placing her back in the cage. Retaking the bed cross-legged, she peers down, giggling lightly. 'Max, I've never been in any romantic relationship and even I know.'

She's about to one-up me, I know it.

'Chloe has made the transition from best friend to girlfriend. She's in full new-relationship mode.'

'So?'

A sign escapes, between the giggles. 'So she wants to impress you. She wants to show you she cares. Like, before, when something happened that upset you, when you were a kid, what did she do?'

Never let me live it down. 'Tease me. Or laugh at if, if it wasn't serious. If something really bad happened, she'd, well, she'd go after whatever did it. Got into a few school fights because of bullies when we were both in grade school.'

'And now?'

Chlo has changed. But... 'Well, now, things are much more serious. I mean, she still teases me. But the serious stuff... she helps first. Checks up on me. Makes sure I'm okay. Then she'll burn down a forest.'

She's my safe space. She's my shelter.

'Sounds like she made herself more like you, Max.'

What? Why would she want to be like me?

'But I'm just a quiet introvert with too much time to think.'

Kate strokes the brunette's head. 'What's wrong with that?'

'Not like that, Kate. You and I, we like calm. We like quiet. We think things to death before acting. I am pretty sure you also hate being the center of attention.' But Chloe? 'Chloe is brash and loud and confident. She acts. Maybe she could think things through better, but I wish I had a quarter of the strength she does.'

The blonde pulls a theatrically thoughtful pose, hand on chin and eyebrows worried. 'So, what you're saying is that you are allowed to become more like Chloe but she must remain in a fixed state?'

Oh no you don't. 'Don't be shrinking me, doctor Marsh.'

'Hey, I've got some recent experience.'

Whoops.

Both girls stop a moment, the honesty entering an awkward area.

'You okay to talk about it Kate?'

'Not- not yet. I, uh, want to. But it's pretty messed up-' A gesture towards her temple. '-in here right now.'

Don't break my heart right now. 'Okay, but you know-'

'-You're here for me.'

'Damn straight.'

They both let the conversation breath a bit.

'Thanks, Kate. That helped.' Max sits up, supporting herself with her arms. 'I'm not sure how, but I feel better.'

'It's just my turn to make you better.'

Wait, she doesn't think she owes me or anything? 'Katie, You don't have to feel obligated or anything.'

A peel of laughter. 'Good grief, Max. It's just good for me to help you when I can.' The happiness drains from her face. 'Because, you know, o-of the time stuff.'

The conversation hiccups.

And back to the suckage.

Doesn't have to suck.

Dammit, who are YOU?

Don't worry, you just figured it out. Come clean here and you'll figure it out again.

What has to "come clean"?

You even imagine quotes. So hipster.

I don't even know what's going on in the Bay. Whirlpools, fog, explosions. Now the voices in my head are talking back.

But that's the point that sticks out for Max. It wasn't conversations in her head. The voices didn't come from somewhere else. They were Max. She's sure of it. It was too natural, the way the thoughts formed, the way they felt like they were apart of her. Even unbidden. Even unconscious.

Are you my... subconscious?

No.

But, that makes the most, um, sense. Like, you're my id made large. My subconscious with a voice.

Nope.

You are frustrating.

Get back to Kate, you're almost there.

The blonde, lost in her own thoughts, stares at her pet.

'Kate, I gotta talk to you about the weird.'

Rapt attention. 'OH! Oh, gosh, what's wrong? More visions?'

Shaking a negative. 'Not that. Chloe and I found a picture in my room, earlier. It was the one... the one I used to go back and try to save William.'

'Wait, you said you burned it, because of the temptation.'

'Yeah. I did.'

Implication abound.

'Then where did it come from?'

Don't freak. It won't help. 'No fucking clue.' Shit, stop cursing. 'It just appeared. It was on my picture wall in my room.'

Worry, no, outright fear, drains Kate of what little color her face has in the candlelight. 'Then... did someone else put it there?'

Well, that's a chilling thought.

Wasn't us.

Fuck. Off.

'N-no Kate. Oh my dog, that's not something I want to think about.'

'But it would make sense. I-if someone else has p-powers...'

Shit, we're in a freak-out feedback loop.

Break it.

'S-so what.' Why don't I sound sincere? 'If it is someone else, just means I have someone to f-fight.'

G-good job-b-b-b-b!

Oh, I said to. FUCK. OFF.

And the foreign-native thoughts were gone.

Huh?

Drip.

I can fight it!

'Max! Your nose is bloody!'

'Crap! Kate, if Chloe gets back, don't tell her!' Max rushes to the bathroom to stem the blood.

More candles. Citronella? At least we wont have mosquitoes. The light is not easy to work by but it gets the job done. Five minutes and I look almost presentable. So...

Hello?

...

Anyone there?

...

Guess it's really gone. Or them. Or what-the-fuck-ever.

A few calming breaths and a few splashes of cold water clear up most of the distress, physical and emotional. But Max doesn't want to leave the bathroom.

What is it? What is the voice? And how did i stop it? My power? But, it's not like I rewound or anything.

Sounds on the stairs. Chloe and Victoria are back.

And giggling. Damn, Chloe is going to freak! And Kate is probably already freaking. And Vicky is going to-

tell them

What! You're back!

you have to tell them

Fuck you! Why? Why come back?

if you don't tell them we die

The thoughts fade.

I felt it leave. Can I tell when they arrive?

But something nags.

The final use of "we". There's something in that word. It's use wasn't for the not-subconscious voices. It meant Max. She knew it, no idea how, but Max knew that "we" included herself.

"We" die.

She exits the bathroom, taking a few short steps.

Three people sitting on the floor, laughing. Three different worlds, three different representations of Millennials. With Max possibly a fourth. Disenfranchised social deviant. Silent bullied wallflower. Over-analyzed Facebook commentary. And me, the do-nothing hipster nerd. Almost as jaded as Chloe, quiet as Kate, under the same microscope as Victoria.

It's easy to label us.

Chloe beckons Max in, patting next to her. Instead, the small girl uses a foot to move Chloe back a few inch. Planting herself in the recently vacated section of floor, Max reclines into her girlfriend. Bony but safe, warm arms wrap around her torso. A nose nuzzles the side of her neck. The discussion, about cartoons of all things, continues unabated.

Chloe isn't that deviant. She is just the enthusiasm of youth trying to combat the harshness of reality.

Kate tries to keep a straight face, in spite of Victoria's explanation about how Invader Zim is the greatest cartoon of all time.

Kate is just pensive. She knows what and when to speak, instead of just filling the world up with noise. Vicky is much more developed than the hashtags and emoticons she uses as a wall around herself.

And what am I?

Max's pillow shake from laughter.

I know I don't "do nothing". But the biggest event of my life was from my own mistakes. I'm too nerdy to be hipster and to hip to be nerdy.

I'm a societal cereal outsider.

Gangly arms squeeze tighter.

But at least I belong her.

'Max, wake up.'

'Sorry, wasn't sleeping. Just... thinking.'

'Well think out loud, I'm getting winded talking.'

'That's because you abuse your lung with constant smoke inhalation.'

'Max, make Vicky stop poking me and singing "Katie Cotton-Tail".'

'Victoria, stop poking her. Kate, bite her if she doesn't stop.'

A lull in the chaos sits comfortably.

Chloe, master motor mouth, breaks it. 'So what now kids?'

Kate raises a hand.

'You're not in class.'

'Um, you got games, you said? How about something to pass the time?'

Chloe leaps on the idea. 'Oh, how about a Ouija session?'

Max squirms in place to look the older girl straight on. 'Chlo, no more weird right now.'

A bit sheepish, a bit hurt. 'Oh, you're right. Sorry.'

The awkwardness of the exchange doesn't pass by Victoria, in spite of her state. 'You two fighting?'

'Why would you say that?'

'Because that got way intense there. Like, not the sexy look into eyes and sign kind.'

Backpedal, fast! 'No! We just- I got issues with the supernatural stuff.'

The pixie blonde shakes her head. 'What, a witch put a curse on you?'

'Feels like it, sometimes.'

Unrelenting, Victoria pursues. 'Don't be so dramatic. I know drama, and I also know spooky. The first isn't worth it and the second isn't real.'

Kate butts in. Trying to derail this train. 'What do you mean "spooky"? You like horror movies or something?'

Properly refocused, the blonde takes back over as center of attention. 'A bit, but I love the old classic literature. Lovecraft, Poe, Stoker.' She clears her throat and recites. 'And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp-light over him streaming, throws his shadow on the floor. And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted nevermore.'

'The oldest and strongest emotion of man is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is the fear of the unknown.' Three pairs of wide eyes focus on Kate. 'Uh, I thought Lovecraft was something else when I first picked him up.'

I have got to get her some Palahniuk. But not Snuff. Or Haunted. Or Choke. 'You know, just when you think you know someone...' Yeah, you should look embarrassed. Never told me you read stuff like Lovecraft...

'D-don't look at me like that. He was a very, uh, interesting writer.' She comes back to the previous point. 'But, yeah, I'm with Max. No more talk about the weird.'

Victoria snorts into the shopping bag she holds, looking for some of the pilfered snacks they had secured from downstairs. 'Then what's there to talk about? The newest weird is why my Mom can't get me.'

Thank dog she got her mom. 'Wait, why can't she get you?'

'Well, let's see. Freak tornado, water spout, solar eclipse, wall of fog, double moons. The governor made Arcadia Bay a no-fly zone for incoming travel. There's even talk about 'incentive-driven evacuation", which is just them making us bus out of county.'

Made to leave the Bay? Would that be... bad?

'If they try something, probably Friday or Saturday we'll have a line of buses flowing through town to get everyone out. Good thing, too. This place is going full Armageddon. Whole place is getting ready to burn down.'

'You make it sound so romantic, Chase. I mean, it's not like some of us have nowhere to go.'

Easy Chlo.

'Hey, I love it here too! But we're on day eight of nature just not giving a fuck. And there's a time-bomb sitting in the middle of the bay. What if the next thing is a flood?'

Time to dial this back. 'Victoria, I think you're over exaggerating a bit.'

Hands are thrown up in the air, spilling fun-size candy and pop-tarts to the floor. 'You too Max? Seriously? Are you guys trying to hide your heads in the sand?' She turns to their quiet companion. 'Katie, please tell me you aren't drinking this Cool-aide too?'

Kate turns, and pleads. 'Max...'

Why is she looking at me?! Fine!

'No, seriously! We all know something's coming, again! Why should we all wait around for the next thing to come get us?' Victoria is bewildered at the reactions of the others. 'Why can't you talk about it? Is the world going to end because of a few words?'

Wow, she's getting really worked up. 'Vicky, just hang on a minute-'

'No, Max. There's obviously shit going down. We should be worried. We should be getting out of county ASAP. We got to do something to save ourselves.'

Pause.

'Why the hell do you guys look like you've seen a ghost?' Her frustration mounting, Victoria lets out a quiet but shrill sound. 'There is something going on here and no one is talking. Max, you've been acting weird all day. All week, before all this stuff happened.' An accusatory finger jabs in Max's direction. 'Even before K- before Tuesday. And the Jeffershit. You've been acting... not just nice. Straight up odd. Outspoken. Damn, we talked more today than the entirety of us knowing each other.'

'Are you for reals? You're upset I'm friendly to you?'

'No, and you know that's not it!' Victoria cannot take much more. 'Okay, let's lay out the facts.'

'First, Monday. You show up in the bathroom, like magic, and witness Chloe and N-nathan fighting.'

'Tuesday, you get... up on the roof. When I know for a fact you arrived after me, you were up there with Kate way before anyone should have been there.'

'Every time we've talked in the past week, it's... it's like you're reading my mind.'

'You knew Nathan had a gun. Yet didn't say anything.'

'You knew Kate was in trouble before anyone else. Before anyone suspected.'

'You go missing for like three days but in that time Nathan is arrested, Jeffershit arrested, R-rachel found.'

"I heard about you hanging out with Frank. He doesn't just deal with you Chloe. And I know you pulled a freaking gun on him.'

'And you got that sticking out of your closet.'

The accompanying gesture is towards a piece of cardboard just peeking out from the door. Pieces of paper and photos are obviously connected to it. Looking close, some would be able to tell the photos look like surveillance, the papers look like bookkeeping.

I thought we took that apart.

'You want me to believe it's all coincidence. You know something, Max. You're lying about something.'

Damn.

we want you to tell them

Victoria?

last chance

'Victoria, let me ask you something.' All the laughter is gone. The jovial pulse from a few minutes ago has stopped beating. 'If you... knew the Storm was coming last Friday, what would you do?'

'Well, I'd warn people. I'd tell them...'

'Yeah, what would you tell them? A tornado is coming to wipe out their homes? You saw the future and are prophesying doom. How many people would believe you?'

The girls all fall very still.

'So, no, you wouldn't tell them. You couldn't tell them. No one takes that serious. So, what's next? You going to do something worse to fight? Call in a bomb scare, the government? What can you do?'

'Y-you can... can fight?'

She's trembling from fear.

'Fight a storm? How?'

'I-I don't know.'

She should be scared.

'Okay, then, you can't fight, and you can't help. All you can do is run.'

Not a question.

'But... but let's say you can fight. You can fight a storm. You can fight nature. Forget about how. What-' And the weight of the words floor the blonde girl- 'are you willing to sacrifice?'

'W-what do you mean?'

'You'll be getting power. Think about it. Knowledge is power, the ability to defy nature is definitely power. When is power free?'

Max leans across the circle, on her knees. She grabs Victoria's hands, forcing undivided attention.

'Getting power hurts. Are you willing to hurt? Are you will for other's to hurt? Even if... if you can do good, are you willing for bad things to happen?'

Victoria tries to pull away. Her still-bloodshot eyes are wide. 'Max, you're scaring me.'

'Maybe you can save people. But you get hurt, really badly hurt. Maybe you die. Or a stranger dies. Or dozens. Or- or your mom. Or cousins. Or your best friend.'

A near silent, plaintive call of Max's name comes from behind her, but her focus is too much.

'Maybe it's really bad, where you have to choose between someone you love and a bunch of people you don't. You don't even know them. Their faceless people in a crowd. Who are they to you? But you got to look in the eye of the person you love the most and say-'

Max turns around, unable to continue. She curls up like a child in Chloe's lap, sobbing.

The weight of the world hasn't left her shoulders since last Monday.

Those shoulders are starting to sag.

Victoria, also crying, also beaten down. 'M-max, why would you say that? That's... that's so horrible. Who would be put in that situation?'

Catching her breath, Max wipes away the tears and tries to speak. Nothing issues at first but, eventually, she is able to turn to speak.

'Is there anyone you can look at and say "I value you more than others"? Someone you just cannot let leave. Someone who pleads with you to let her go so that no one will get hurt, but you still can't do it? Do you know the number of people you're willing to let die so that she's okay?'

'I do.'

'Four hundred and thirty one people. That's how many I'm willing to sacrifice. That's how much Chloe means to me.'