WARNING: This chapter starts out dark. For some people it could also be a trigger. The dark part will end after the first line put in the middle of the story-If you're not sure you want to read that part you can scroll to the line break and continue on for the rest of the character development. I fully acknowledge that I might lose some people at this chapter... but I do hope that the chapter in general is well received.
Max felt groggy, out of it as she opened her eyes to a bright light. She felt cold, but when she started to shiver she found that she couldn't move her arms or legs. Shaking her head she looked down at her hands which were taped to the chair she was sitting in—the all too familiar duct tape that she had gotten used to in the dark room.
What's going on?
Max tried to survey her surroundings more but didn't see anything other than the bright light that appeared to shine in her eyes. She looked down more to see her exact predicament and found herself screaming loud enough to wake the dead. Max found herself duct taped to the chair wearing only a pink bra and white panties.
It was only too coincidental that it's at this point that Mark Jefferson appears in front of Max, snapping several pictures of the scared girl.
"YOU!" she said loudly, looking at him.
Jefferson smiled brightly at him. "Oh come now Max, you didn't think your little heroics with busting Nathan and getting me arrested would save you from the dark room, did you?"
Max closed her eyes and dropped her face. She could see the flash of light from another picture. When she opened her eyes again she could see the dark room as clear as the last time she was in it.
"There we go, that's the moment I'm looking for. The loss of innocence, the loss of hope. It's all very beautiful Max, don't you agree."
Her eyes narrow as she scowls at him. "Fuck you Jefferson!"
He laughed at her and snapped more pictures. "Come now Max, all the range of emotions you're feeling can only lead you to one place, you know that. Keep up the work, you're giving me everything I need."
Max fought back the only way she could, she turned her head away from him to ruin his shots. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him set the camera down and walk away.
She heard nothing for a whole minute until she realized that Jefferson was now behind her. "You know Max, if you don't want to cooperate then perhaps you can use a little liquid persuasion."
She screamed and blacked out as the needle was pushed into her neck once more.
…
Her eyes opened once more, she felt the pressure on her right side and realized that she was out of the chair and back on the ground. She lifted her head to look down seeing her clothes hadn't changed. Get out of here Max, he's already taken some clothes, how much further will he go? You saw the picture with Nathan and Rachel. Just go, try, move!
Max tried to move but found that save for her head she couldn't.
"Please, someone help," she pleaded as tears started falling from her eyes.
Footsteps told her that he was back.
"I see sleeping beauty has awoken. But I believe she was supposed to receive a kiss from Prince Charming to break the spell."
Max just looked around as Jefferson came closer—her body paralyzed with both drugs and fear. Jefferson reached down and flipped her onto her back before lying next to her. In his hand he didn't have his normal camera but her Polaroid.
"Now Max, I believe you always take a selfie when you wake up?"
His face was only inches from hers. "Didn't you hear me the first time, I said fuck you!"
The smirk that crossed Jefferson's face worried Max greatly. "That's such a great idea Max. If I'm not mistaken you're a Virgin right? Don't worry, I'll make sure you're a real woman before you go join Rachel and Chloe."
Jefferson leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. A snap of bright light and the most bloodcurdling scream Max could muster exploded from her mouth…
Max felt a sting on her face and heard another girl scream and immediately bolted upright, her breath shallow and her body shaking. As she managed to get her bearings, she looked around and saw she was back in her dorm room, the lights were on, and there were two people in the room with her, Kate and Victoria.
Kate for her part was standing a few feet away with her hands covering her mouth as if she had just seen the most shocking thing ever (though admittedly for Kate that could be the picture of a shirtless man). Victoria had a hand on Max's shoulders. Max reached up to where the sting was in her face and realized she'd just been slapped.
"Maxine, are you with us?" Victoria asked in a very worried voice.
Max took her first deep breath. "Max, never Maxine."
Victoria released Max and pulled away, sighing as she said, "Yup, she's back." Even though Victoria looked exasperated, she also look highly relieved.
"Um, what's going on?" Max asked to the two girls in her room.
Kate chimed in this time. "You've been screaming Max, like loudly and a lot."
"Screaming?"
"Most of the floor is awake now, you were screaming loud enough that even Dana was hearing it."
"Oh," Max said, looking around and turning red with embarrassment.
"What's wrong Max, what's going on?" Victoria asked, the concern still very evident.
"Uh, nightmare."
Victoria just stared at Max. "That's some nightmare Caulfield. Care to share?"
Max sat silent for a minute. "It just didn't make any sense, I don't even know how to describe it. I'm not even sure what happened in it anymore." This was a lie, Max remembered every horrid detail her mind just put her through.
Victoria didn't buy it. She looked over to Kate and asked, "You believe her?"
Kate shook her head, "Not a word of it. But if Max doesn't want to talk about it, we can't force her."
"Well yeah we can't force her, but I don't want to see if this is going to be something that happens again and again."
Max piped up, "Well, it had to do with what just happened."
Victoria narrowed her own eyes as she examined Max, hoping her vision could pierce right through the hipster. "I wonder…"
"Wonder what Victoria?" Max asked as she tilted her head in the blonde's direction.
"You just experienced a traumatic event, watching someone get killed like that."
Max took a deep breath. Wow, Victoria has no idea how right she is but how so far off the mark she is either.
"I wonder," Victoria continued, "Why you didn't have nightmares last night."
"I think I know," Kate responded a little more awake to the situation now."
Victoria turned to look at Kate. When Kate didn't move or react Victoria held up her hands in a 'what's the deal?' gesture.
"Oh, well, Max stayed in my room last night and she did start to stir and get antsy, but I would always squeeze her hand and she seemed to calm down. Maybe cuddling makes it go away?"
"That is the most preposterous thing I've ever heard," Victoria said with a louder voice before pausing and tilting her own head to the side in thought. "Fuck! Sorry Kate, you're probably right. I mean a calming influence certainly helps."
Kate nods, "Yeah, Max seemed more like herself when we went on our tea date earlier, though some of her actions have still been a little weird."
Max rejoined the conversation. "I'm sorry about that Kate. There's just certain things that seem to be setting me off today. You know you've done nothing wrong bun-bun."
Victoria looked at Kate once more, seeing the good Christian girl turn red. A look back to Max, "Bun-bun, seriously? Next you're going to be calling me Vicky aren't you?"
Max smiled and shook her head, "I'm thinking Tori actually."
Victoria rolled her eyes and Max was glad to see Victoria showing some of her normal habits as opposed to this creepy niceness about her.
"You're the worst. Anyway that doesn't matter, it's settled then."
Both Max and Kate looked at Victoria confused. Kate asked, "What's settled Victoria?"
"Easy Kate. Whenever Max is sleeping we don't leave her alone, at least not yet, we can see what happens in a few days."
"OH!" Kate said a little too excitedly, "Like nightly sleepovers."
Victoria took a deep breath before nodding. "Something like that. Anyway, let's do this in shifts. If we have to be uncomfortable keeping Max from freaking the fuck out like what she was just doing, then only one of us should suffer each night. You say Max stayed in your bed last night?"
Kate nodded to that. "She did, yes."
Another nod from Victoria. "Fine, I'll stay with her tonight and you can have tomorrow night."
Max's eyes darted between Victoria and Kate. "I'm not following."
"You see Max," Kate explained, "since you seem to not have nightmares when cuddling with someone, every night for at least a few nights, probably what, Friday?"
Victoria nodded her head.
"Right, every night one of us will cuddle with you in bed to fight the nightmares off."
Max found herself just staring in disbelief at Kate. "You've got to be shitting me?"
Kate and Victoria were both shaking their heads.
Victoria in a much more matter-of-fact tone asked, "You going to be okay with this Max?"
Max surveyed Victoria once more, "Do I really have a choice?"
"No!" Kate replied very eagerly.
Who would have seen that coming Max, both Victoria and Kate being in full agreement on something.
Letting out an exasperated sigh Max nodded and said, "Go ahead."
Kate jumped up and down clapping.
"Kate, if you could get the light on your way out?" Victoria asked nicely.
Kate nodded and started to make her way out of the room.
"Move over and lay on your side Caulfield, there's no fucking way I'm playing little spoon to you."
Max complied, and before she could even think of some snappy response Victoria's arms wrapped around her waist and Max was fast asleep.
I've never experienced PTSD, but in looking up information about nightmares I found that often it's not an exact mental recreation of the event. Since it would never have made it published, Dontnod had to keep to it that Jefferson was only taking pictures, nothing more. The dream preyed upon Max's fear that he would have done more.
Also next chapter may be a few days, this was a rough one to write.