THE EASY WAY OUT
Sometimes, Max would dream that he and Liz were happily married. She would always give him that smile that was just for him. She would never be sad, never be angry, or worried about anything because he would keep her happy and safe. Of course, it was all a dream. Nothing more.
*
Max felt like he had just woken up from a dream as he opened his eyes. He felt the dry blood on his forehead. He raised his hand to touch the wound when he realized his hands laying in. He stopped struggling when he felt someone watching him.
"Come out," he said.
"Who are you?" a woman's voice said from the shadows.
Max recognized the voice immediately. "Tess?"
The shadows shifted as she came out of the dark. She was dressed only in a large UFO Center shirt. Her blonde hair was longer and her blue eyes looked fearfully at him. "What did you call me?" she asked.
"What's going on?" Max said. "Untie me right now."
She shook her head. "I don't know you. You could be dangerous."
"I could be dangerous?" he said, shocked hearing it from her.
"Where am I?" she asked. "Who are you?"
"What are you saying?" Max said angrily. "Untie me right now."
"All I know is that it was dark, and then I was wet," Tess said. "It was raining. I was cold and alone. I saw this building and I found an open window so I came in. I was scared." She looked at Max. "I'm scared."
"You don't know where you are?" Max said slowly. "You don't know who I am?"
Tess nodded.
Max used his powers to heat up the rope, causing the fibers to become loose. He freed himself and looked up at Tess, who seemed amazed at what just happened. "Stop it, Tess. I know you're lying."
"How did you…"
"I want answers," he said standing up. "Did Kivar send you back? What is it?"
"Kivar?" She gave him a confused look. "I don't know…"
Max grabbed her arm. "What are you doing back here? Haven't you caused enough trouble for all of us?"
Tess winced from the tight hold. "You're hurting me."
Max cautiously let go of her arm.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tess said. "I don't know where I am. I don't know who you are. I don't know who I am. I don't know anything."
"This is like a mindwarp, right?" he said. "You're going to make me believe you have amnesia."
"Mindwrap?" Tess said. "I told you I have no idea what you're talking about."
Max pulled out his set of keys to the UFO Center. "I'm locking you in here. No one is going to see you or know you're here until I figure this out." He went to the door and opened it. "You've already done us enough damage."
"What?" Tess followed him. "You can't just lock me in here."
Max stared coldly at her. "Watch me." He shut the door in her face and locked it.
Sometimes, Max would dream that he and Liz were happily married. She would always give him that smile that was just for him. She would never be sad, never be angry, or worried about anything because he would keep her happy and safe. Of course, it was all a dream. Nothing more.
*
Max felt like he had just woken up from a dream as he opened his eyes. He felt the dry blood on his forehead. He raised his hand to touch the wound when he realized his hands laying in. He stopped struggling when he felt someone watching him.
"Come out," he said.
"Who are you?" a woman's voice said from the shadows.
Max recognized the voice immediately. "Tess?"
The shadows shifted as she came out of the dark. She was dressed only in a large UFO Center shirt. Her blonde hair was longer and her blue eyes looked fearfully at him. "What did you call me?" she asked.
"What's going on?" Max said. "Untie me right now."
She shook her head. "I don't know you. You could be dangerous."
"I could be dangerous?" he said, shocked hearing it from her.
"Where am I?" she asked. "Who are you?"
"What are you saying?" Max said angrily. "Untie me right now."
"All I know is that it was dark, and then I was wet," Tess said. "It was raining. I was cold and alone. I saw this building and I found an open window so I came in. I was scared." She looked at Max. "I'm scared."
"You don't know where you are?" Max said slowly. "You don't know who I am?"
Tess nodded.
Max used his powers to heat up the rope, causing the fibers to become loose. He freed himself and looked up at Tess, who seemed amazed at what just happened. "Stop it, Tess. I know you're lying."
"How did you…"
"I want answers," he said standing up. "Did Kivar send you back? What is it?"
"Kivar?" She gave him a confused look. "I don't know…"
Max grabbed her arm. "What are you doing back here? Haven't you caused enough trouble for all of us?"
Tess winced from the tight hold. "You're hurting me."
Max cautiously let go of her arm.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tess said. "I don't know where I am. I don't know who you are. I don't know who I am. I don't know anything."
"This is like a mindwarp, right?" he said. "You're going to make me believe you have amnesia."
"Mindwrap?" Tess said. "I told you I have no idea what you're talking about."
Max pulled out his set of keys to the UFO Center. "I'm locking you in here. No one is going to see you or know you're here until I figure this out." He went to the door and opened it. "You've already done us enough damage."
"What?" Tess followed him. "You can't just lock me in here."
Max stared coldly at her. "Watch me." He shut the door in her face and locked it.