This wasn't real. There was no way in any timeline or universe that this situation was a real one. It was as if the universe was serving up the biggest nightmare that young Max had ever had, right to her on a silver platter.
He was just...sitting there at his desk. Just...sitting. It was as if none of the experiences that Max knew had happened, ever did. Every single fiber of her being was instantly sent into shock.
'This can't be real. This is NOT fucking real.'
His eyes were scanning something in his hands that seemed to be taking his full attention as Max stood there, staring directly at him as the blood in her veins ran cold. Bones underneath her skin had turned into one solid piece of steel as she stood at the back of the classroom, unblinking toward the man that had caused her, and so many others, so much suffering.
'Why? Why is this happening...how is he here?'
It felt almost disgraceful how calm and collective he was being, like there wasn't a humongous storm of insanity and pure, unadulterated evil lurking beneath his false persona. Max's stomach felt like it was boiling, her nerves felt like they were being electrocuted, muscles felt as if they were on fire, thoughts became fuzzy and rapid fire, breaths were shallow and panicked; all in all, this was undoubtedly the most horrifying thing Max could ever imagine in her entire life. Yet, here she was.
Her feet were carrying the young girl as slowly as she could move toward the man, as her heart pounded furiously in her ears. Her mouth suddenly became dry as she drew near, previously trembling and profusely sweating hands were sent into maximum overdrive.
'I take it back. This is hell.'
Just as they began, her feet stopped her as soon as she stood inches away from his desk at the front of the classroom; and as soon as they did, his eyes looked up to meet hers. They were just as dark and evil as they were the last time she had seen them. There was nothing in the world that would ever make her forget the sinister force driving behind his eyes. They were like tiny balls of pure chaos and hate, with a dead stare behind them. It almost made her vomit to think she ever had a crush on this man.
"Why hello there Max" Mr. Jefferson began with the usual amount of pep in his voice. "Now, before I even begin, let me say I'm sorry to hassle you about this. I just know how important of an opportunity this is." Taking his hand and grabbing the frame around one of his glasses, Mr. Jefferson rearranged his glasses on his nose before continuing. "I just know that you're destined for greatness. I know you don't want to listen to some old man go on and on about things like this, so I'll just say that your photos have something truly...special to them. I really think you should reconsider."
His words felt almost strangely calculated. As if this Jefferson was somehow knew what she had experienced, but Max knew inside of her just how impossible that was. It was due to the fact that she was still standing here, in this timeline, alive. Her eyes were darting all over as she scanned the taller man in front of her. Something inside of her was begging for there to be something inconsistent about him, a third arm, six fingers, different hair, anything to convince her that this was all somehow a dream. Sadly, that sight never came.
Looking slightly concerned, Mr. Jefferson tilted his head and furrowed his brow into a worried expression. He could see Max's eyes darting around him almost in a panic. He pursed his lips together before speaking "Hey, you okay Max?"
All at once, Max snapped out of her fear coma she felt a flame inside of her catch wind and spread throughout her insides like wildfire. "Yeah..." She replied with a newfound sense of courage, "I'm just, having a bad day is all. I'm not gonna turn in my photo. I have too much on my mind."
Letting out a sigh, Mr. Jefferson leaned back in his chair and looked at the girl in front of his desk with disappointment in his eyes. "Look" he started with a bit of sympathy coating his words, as if he were even able to experience the emotion; "I know you said that earlier, but I just really want you to think about it today. Take more time to think it out." His hands placed themselves firmly on the flat wood in front of him as he stood up. "I know that your friend's death is doing a lot to you, and I understand, but you didn't do it on purpose Max. It's not your fault."
Immediately, Max could feel all emotions inside of her morph into white, hot anger. Her vision was already beginning to turn red as she spoke at him. With clenched teeth, Max spoke barely above a whisper "what did you just say?"
Taking a small breath, Jefferson continued, looking straight down at the wood grain of his desk."I'm just trying to say that anyone could have made that mistake. You..." the older man paused, taking a another breath before continuing "...didn't mean to give her that much. Medication is easy to overdose on, it's not your fault."
That was it. Right there. The words could not have been chosen more perfectly. Those words were exactly the words Max needed to hear to send her anger into a pure form of seething hatred. Flashes of everything that had happened on October 11th, 2013 hit all at once as if they had been fired from a shotgun, piercing and tearing through her. Suddenly, all of the courage and anger that she had felt while being strapped to the sick photographers chair flooded through her. Her fingers were formed into small, trembling little fists as her eyes burned a hole through the mans head; "did you just fucking say what I think you just said, Mark?" Without giving him enough time to respond, Max continued with tears forming on the corners of her eyes. "Did you just tell me about overdose? You? Ironic am I right?"
His expression hardened almost immediately. Pupils dilated as his breath caught in his throat "I-I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about Max?" It was clear by the tone in his voice that he was trying to keep the fear growing inside of him at bay.
"Yes you do. You know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about." Each and every single word that came out sounded calculated and cold, as each syllable burrowed into Mark Jefferson as she spoke them. Lowering her voice as low as she could get it without being inaudible over the sounds of transitioning children in the hallways, Max leaned in and spoke with eyes that seemed to be burning with such intensity that the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift all together. "I know about the Dark Room, Mark."
His mouth fell slightly agape as he heard the words leave the young girl's mouth. That, that was it, right there, the moment he had spent his photography career trying to capture; the moment that innocence turned into corruption. His mind began to spiral down into his true self, finally letting out the voice that Max had only heard when she herself was strapped to the chair. "That's impossible...how the fuck do you know?"
"I know everything. Every single thing." Her voice was unwavering as she leaned in closer to the teacher, allowing the flame in her eyes to burn a hole right through his soul. "I know where Rachel is...I know what Nathan did. I know about Kate. I even know about Victoria..." Max couldn't help but to smile at herself at this moment, knowing that she was in complete control of the situation.
His face was becoming more and more flushed with anger as each and every single second passed. His hands balled into large fists as he leaned his face in further toward Max, letting his hot breath beat against her forehead. "Well..." he spoke with that cold, calculated, maniacal voice that he did so well to hide underneath his faux happy teacher voice. "I guess...you know what's going to happen next then...don't you Max?"
She couldn't help but smile. "I know exactly what's going to happen. You're going to fry." Max let her voice drop to a whisper as she leaned in, nearly touching the man's ears with her lips as she said "but best of all...I know how to beat you."
Spite was beginning to fill his mind as he heard her speak. It was undeniable that he knew he was cornered, but he was ready to bite as hard as he needed to try to evade capture. Regardless of what his instincts were screaming at him, the anger in his mind was clouding his judgment far too much to listen to it. Giving into the rage dominating every corner of his mind, with teeth clenched and eyes just as icy as the words he spoke, Jefferson asked back with a whisper, "and how would you do that, you dumb, fucking bitch?"
Max only smiled for a brief moment before she screamed as loud and as painful as she could. Turning her head sharply, Max slapped herself across the face as hard as her muscles would allow before throwing herself down, allowing herself to skid against the tiled floor of her photography classroom. Her head throbbed as she lie there on the cold, dirty floor as thoughts crossed through her brain of just how incredibly out of her own body she felt. Max Caufield from 2013 would have never, ever had the gall to do this. She only allowed herself a few split second of pride before she sat up weakly and let the tears that had been forming in her eyes squeeze out of her.
Just like she had planned, seconds later a large gathering of students from out in the hall came rushing in the door, and assumed exactly what Max hoped they would. There he was, Mr. Jefferson, standing at his desk with his hands balled into fists, shaking with anger. His face was beet red and his gaze was unblinking and piercing right in the young girls direction. He looked like a mad man, one that had succumbed to his anger, while she looked like a hurt little girl, sobbing helplessly on the floor with pain in her eyes.
It was almost too perfect.
"What the fuck?!" She heard a voice grunt, beaming with anger. A small group of students had begun to rush their way around her, all of them trying as hard as they could to see if Max were alright. Within seconds, Victoria Chase had pressed her way through the crowd of people to get to her. Kneeling down on both of her knees, Victoria took Max's neck in her hands and buried Max's face into her shoulder. "What happened?" she asked with a slight panic in her tone. "Max, it's okay. What happened?"
Taking in every single shitty memory that she could think of at this moment, Max looked up and met Victoria's eyes with her own, letting her emotions fuel how broken she wanted her words to feel. "He...He fucking hit me..." she spoke with small sobs breaking apart each word.
"You lying little whore!" Jefferson cried as he began to lunge his way back over toward her, which caused Max to actually flinch as the fear inside her quickly rose through her body. But before he could actually attempt to make his way over to where the crowd of students were, he felt his body rocket to the floor as well. Standing not but a foot away from him with clenched fists was Zachary, trying his hardest not to pounce on the teacher and continue to smash his face into a pulp.
'This is exactly like the scene in Fight Club. I am Jack's vengeful fury.'
"And just what is going on in here?" A voice said, breaking up the chatter from everyone around. Turning instinctively toward the sound, Max saw Principal Wells standing in the doorway with one of the most complicated facial expressions she had ever seen.
Without hesitation, Victoria looked toward her photography teacher and screamed with tears in her eyes "that fucking monster hit Max! He was going to do it again, but Zach knocked him down."
"He hit me because I know about the Prescott bunker underneath their farm." Max cried out through actual tears, as the memories of what had happened to her began to fully resurface. "I saw this horrible place with binders full of girls...I even saw where that sick fuck buried Rachel Amber."
"Max" Victoria said, almost unable to physically believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"
"He buried her...in the junkyard..."
"She is a dumb, lying cunt! Don't listen to a fucking word she's saying!" Jefferson screamed as he attempted to push his way around Zachary's arms.
It was right then that Max knew that Jefferson was through. Things began to blur around her slowly as her vision darkened entirely, words began to slowly fade out, as if she were moving further and further away from everyone, until nothing around her was audible, nor visible.
Instantly, vision snapped itself back into her eyes. Around her was the same, empty photography room from before. The only difference between when she had left and now was; things were stable, planted firmly in reality, color had returned to all objects, all of the slight blur had removed itself from existence, and the windows now no longer held any light in them.
"I...I did it. I fucking DID it!" Max yelled out at herself. Her heart was racing in her chest now, but it was an exciting feeling. It was one dripping with success and joy. It was the feeling of defeating something evil.
"I am fucking Wonder Woman!" Max screamed to the empty school before shuffling her way up to her feet. The blood coursing through her veins was making her feel invincible. She felt as if she could take on everything in the entire universe. That was until Max saw the fresh blood soaked all down the front of her shirt. Just as quickly as the feeling of invincibility came, it left.
'There is so much blood. Holy fuck.'
She had never bled this much before, as a steady stream of blood seemed to make it's way down the front of her shirt. Feeling her heart rate increase exponentially as panic drenched the happy feeling deep inside of her. Max slowly made her way down the hall and eventually out of the school, trying with every step not to quicken her heart rate.
She was almost thankful that it was night outside, almost. The early April winds were still attempting to chill their way down to her bones, making the fact that Max had to walk slowly to try and keep her blood inside her body excruciating. Her entire body was shivering by the time she stepped through the door to her dorm, thankful that no one was out while she trekked her way back to her room anywhere. It would have been extremely hard to convince anyone that she would be alright while she was covered in this much blood. Closing the door behind her and shedding her bloodied up shirt and pants, Max turned and looked at the disaster area that was her room.
'If I can Tyler Durden Mark Jefferson, I can do anything.'
Her delicate hands scooped up the black camera lying on the floor slowly, pointing the lens towards herself. She gazed at her own reflection for a brief moment before snapping a picture. The photo came out a little off center, with Max looking more stern than she intended to.
'Gotta start somewhere. I guess this isn't like riding a bike. I hope Chloe would be proud of me. I guess I really am Mad Max now.'
The next step of moving forward she decided, would be to clean her room entirely and let go of the past, let the happy memories fuel new ones instead of holding every new second up to how flawless the old ones were. The next step of recovery would be to allow her heart to heal by getting rid of all her old memories, and using this camera to make new ones.
'But for now...just photography. You can do that some other day.' She thought to herself as she sat on the floor of her room and dug through the strewn out pictures decorating her floor. She smiled as she looked at a picture of herself and Chloe going to their first day of 6th grade together, looking at the grimace of Chloe with her arms folded and Max smiling, giving the peace sign.
'Some other day.'
Authors Notes:
Hey yo, how are ya doing? Merry Christmas...Eve! As my early gift to you, here is the most intense thing I have ever written. I struggled through this chapter, pretty harshly. It felt so good to finally have Max get some revenge, even if its a Jefferson from a different timeline. I hope you really enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please let me know! I live off your reviews, as they feed me as if it were nourishment. Sweet, sweet reviews. So be sure to tune in next time! Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!
Until next time, stay golden.