An old lighthouse towered on a cliff and overlooked billowing sea with its' bright eye.
As morning sun climbed from its' bed, a visitor manifested in the backyard. Wild grass brushed their knees. Visitor held the name of Max. Her dark brown strands flapped against burned hoodie.
Max examined polaroid camera in her hand.
— I finally have you back… — she halted at metallic tag, attached to its' bottom.
„For Max".
Seeing those two words she clutched camera tighter.
— I'll treasure it, old man…
A gust of wind ruffled her hair. It took her thoughts and carried them to sky.
She took a deep breath and walked up to an edge of the cliff. Aimed the lens at a town down below, sitting on a shore of swelling sea and snapped first shot.
Device whirred and buzzed spewing out instant photo.
Before Max could react, strong gust ripped it away and hurled at the sea.
She reached at it.
Picture halted. Stopped moving. It dangled high above the sea and ignored wind torrents.
At Max's gesture, it slowly drifted back to her hand. Once it was within reach, she snatched it and flipped over to take a look.
One black background rays of light formed recognizable shapes — a massive hurricane towering above lighthouse. It sucked water, branches and debris of town. Uprooted trees whirled in the air. Heavy rain poured from dark clouds.
— Fck.
Max shoved the picture to her hoodie and glanced at the sea.
It calmly swayed sun reflection on its' back. White feathery clouds slowly skid bright bluishness of sky.
— That's some twisted sense of humor…
Seagulls cried in reply.
— Shut up. I didn't ask you.
Max stepped over the edge of a cliff. She dropped down to the sea. Halted over the water. Tip of her shoe grazed its' surface. She drifted to a shore. Gently touched down on sandy beach. She mulled over more places to take more shots. At least a dozen more.
As she moved to a walkway she noticed a human shape at the corner of her eye.
— !
A stupefied blond man locked all eyes on her along with brown-haired dog by his feet. A cigarette dropped from his goatee-framed mouth.
Three empty bottles of beer glimmered in sunlight on sand by his side.
Max gave him a smile, that made his face ashen. She lifted a finger to her lips.
Not a word, my friend.
She walked away, evaporating by the road.
Man leaped to his feet.
— What the fck?!
Dog broke to furious barking.
In an office, a middle-aged man leaned back on his chair.
— What is this?
A bunch of photos scattered on his desk.
— My submission, father.
Victoria timidly stood in the room clutching her portfolio.
Man sighed.
— Victoria, we already talked about this.
She wanted to reply, but dreaded to provoke him.
He gathered all photos.
— This gallery is prestigious place, that has high standards. It isn't a place to play games.
He threw them to a trash can.
She gripped portfolio more tightly.
— Father, — her voice meek and cracking, — you didn't look-
— I don't need to. I'm familiar with your skills all too well. You can't handle even basic composition. How do you imagine meeting requirements of this place? Or do you think, I should make an exception for you just because you are my daughter?
— No…
— Good. Now go. I have work to do.
Victoria managed to keep composure without breaking down.
— Please, excuse me.
As soon as she closed doors behind her, bitter tears drowned her sight and streamed down her cheeks. She sniffed wiping them with a sleeve. Her feet carried her away.
— Victoria?
She stopped instantly. Shivers ran down her back.
Middle-aged woman walked out from behind a corner.
— Mother?
She came over halting closely.
Her perfume pricked Victoria's eyes.
— You spoke with your father?
— Yes, mother.
— And? What did he say?
Victoria bit her lip before answering.
— He… rejected it.
— Why did he do that?
— He said I'm still lacking.
— Did he say in which fields you need an improvement?
Victoria averted her eyes.
— He… didn't.
Mother's stare bore a hole through her.
— Did he look at them?
Victoria clenched her portfolio.
— No…
Slap!
Mother slapped her face with enough force to leave a stain.
— Useless brat! — her voice cold and venomous, — Is this a joke to you?! How could you fuck up even now?! Are you an idiot? Or is this how you repay for me giving birth to you?
— I'm sorry, mother.
She grabbed Victoria's chin and yanked up, making her blood freeze and heart drop to her knees.
— You are a Chase, brat. You were born in this family and you will uphold its' standards. If you can't, I will find other uses to you.
…
Road submerged to blur for Victoria. Her feet carried her to landing pad, where sleek geomagship rested. Cold morning breeze dug to her skin, trashing her hair and white dress.
— Lady Victoria! — elderly butler broke to run. — Please, wait!
Airlock opened its' jaws spewing out a walkway.
— Lady Victoria!
She boarded the ship.
— Lady Victoria! — he cried for the last time at closing airlock.
Geomagship sneezed out a gust of dust. It elevated from ground and sucked in its' legs.
Victoria curled up by back wall in brightly lit cabin.
— Please, specify destination, — asked ship's soothing voice.
— I don't care, — Victoria sniffed. — Just get me out of here.
Ship gathered power and shot to sky.
— Lady Victoria… — butler saw it out with pained look.
Max snapped a shot of sea from a top of steep rock. Camera whirred spewing out an instant photo. Max snatched it taking a quick look.
Photo contained violent waters stirred by massive hurricane.
— Ugh… — she groaned while sagging to her knees. — Are you kidding me? What is wrong with this place?
A commotion caught her attention. Down below her feet, over the forest, a sleek geomagship silently sailed towards the sea. It gracefully landed on a glade at the edge of a cliff. Walkway unfolded, driver disembarked. Her golden haired glistened in sunlight. Her slender figure wrapped in fluttering white dress.
— Pretty… — Max mellowed seeing her.
Girl walked to a wooden fence. Leaned on it gazing at billowing sea. She wiped her eyes with a sleeve.
Max realized she took a photo after camera whirred and spew out instant picture.
— Great job, Max! — she mumbled. — Now you're total cree…p… — her eyes widened upon seeing the image. — Fck.
Victoria hid her face in her palms before breaking down.
Wooden fence creaked when a weight leaned on it, but she didn't notice. Max silently stayed by her side sharing her pain. She radiated soothing comfort.
— This place is beautiful, isn't it? — Max spoke after Victoria calmed.
— ?! — she flinched away staring at a stranger by her side. — Who-who are you?! What are you doing here?!
Max offered her a handkerchief.
— Here.
Victoria warily scanned both — a long-haired brunette in obviously burned clothes, leisurely leaning on a fence and a clean piece of cloth in her hand.
— Don't worry, it won't bite. I use it to clean the lens, — she flaunted bulky polaroid camera, strapped to her wrist.
— Could fool me, — Victoria said taking handkerchief.
— I'm not that petty.
— Mhm, — she returned to her spot wiping her face.
She stared at billowing sea basking in comfortable silence.
— How long have you been here?
— A while before your arrival.
Gentle breeze caressed their hair.
— You're one of those reporters? Do you intend to write an article of me now?
Max's brow raised.
— Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not. I'm just a student here, at Blackwell.
Victoria's green eyes locked on her.
— Student?
— Yeah. I take photography classes.
Victoria blinked in surprise. She felt tension to clear out that very instant.
— I see, — she felt relieved. — Sorry for jumping to conclusions, — she gave a genuine smile.
Max stiffened. Time stopped ticking for her. World blurred in background. Only Victoria became clearer then ever. More alive, than ever.
— Wha-what? — Victoria anxiously brushed stray golden locks behind her ear. — Is there something on my face?
Max came to her senses.
— So-sorry… — she looked away. — I didn't mean to stare.
— It's o-
— You just were so dazzling, that I short-circuited for a moment. I'm sorry if I creeped you out.
Victoria flushed a few shades of red.
— I don't mind, — she said under pressure of blinding heartbeat.
She played with her fingers.
Max peeked at her feeling temperature to go high-wire. She smiled seeing Victoria's nervousness.
— I'm Max.
— Victoria.
— Wanna be friends, Victoria?
Victoria looked her in the eyes.
— Huh?
— You don't?
— No, I… I… would like that… too…
Max smiled brightly.
— Great! — she extended her hand. — I'm glad to hear that, miss Goldilock.
— Who?
— It's an old fairy tale about a princess, who had beautiful golden hair. She was called Goldilock.
— I see… — Victoria took her hand.
Max's breath hitched. Her irises expanded. Her unfocused gaze set on Victoria.
— Max?
She blinked a few times coming to her senses.
— Huh?
— You okay?
Max smiled.
— Of course, I am! — she squeezed Victoria's hand. — Can I call you Vicky?
Victoria gave her a puzzled look.
— In your dreams, firecracker.
— Oh, — Max looked downed. — Then I'll have to stick to Goldilock.
— Not in million years.
— Princess?
— No.
— Oh, come on! I'm running out of ideas!
Victoria chuckled.
— Just call me Victoria.
— Boo! Boring!
— Oh? You don't like my name?
A light blush on her cheeks and bright smile took Max's breath away. She watched in daze a morning sun to frame her face infusing it with unearthly beauty.
— Wowsers… — gasp escaped her lips.
— Did you say something?
— No, I said, I love it.
— Good! Then it's settled.
— Ugh! I can't win against you, can I?
— Nope.
