Life is Strange: My Unusual Journey

Chapter 28 of my Life is Strange novelization, enjoy.

Ugh, the Nightmare, this was the part that really did me in, still, I gave it my best shot.

Reviews

Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Marina Ka-Fai: Me too, me too, yeah, it was pretty sad :)
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks :)

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange or its characters.

Polarized – The Voices in my Head

My vision cleared and my awareness came at the same time, I was back at Thursday night, outside the pool where the party was taking place. I had to seize my chance. Taking my camera back from Warren I darted towards Chloe.

"Chloe, wait!"

She turned, startled and still angry. "Max, what are you…?"

I heard Warren mumbling behind me, I felt bad about this, but I swore I'd make it up to him later, right now, I needed to stop Chloe from going into the party. Once I sorted this out, I could try and sort things out with Warren and see if there was indeed some way to stop the tornado.

First thing first however. "Chloe, you can't go in there."

"What, look, we have to stop Nathan and..."

I cut her off. "Chloe, if you go in there, you'll die."

I wasn't sure what it was that stopped her, what I said, or how I said it, but Chloe paused and then narrowed her eyes.

"What are you talking about Max?" She asked. "Have you been messing around with time again? You fucked around with time, using your powers and I died?"

"Not like that..." I tried to explained.

She shook her head. "You're supposed to back me up. So there's no way that punk ass bitch, Nathan Prescott, is taking me down."

"You're right, he won't." I explained.

I knew I had to explain the truth, before it was too late.

I then revealed what I now knew.

"Mark Jefferson killed you, and others."

Chloe's eyes widened and she gaped. "Jefferson, the art teacher? That's bullshit, Nathan's the fucking serial killer!"

I groaned and tried to emphasize my point.

But Chloe didn't stop. "Now excuse me, I'm going to that party to make sure he never hurts anyone again."

I had to think fast, I had to stop her.

"Nathan is dead." I revealed. "And you're in danger."

Chloe glowered at that. "That fucker is already dead, how do you know that?"

"Because...I was there..." I revealed at last.

"Will you please tell me exactly what happened? Please?" Chloe replied, her anger being replaced with worry and fear.

I inhaled shakily, I had no choice but to reveal what I had suffered. The feelings of violation and what happened in that bunker were still burned into my mind.

"Chloe..." I tried to keep my voice steady, but it wasn't happening. "Jefferson drugged and kidnapped me. I was tied up in his bunker. You have no idea what hell I went through to get back here, but I couldn't let you die."

I took a deep breath and continued. "You brought me back here and I can't lose you again, I won't..."

I wasn't lying, I didn't want to lose Chloe again, not like that, I didn't want to lose anybody again. I had seen enough death throughout all this to last a lifetime.

Chloe looked distraught and choked on her words as she replied.

"Oh...Max...I'm, I'm so sorry." She paused and then groaned. "I was the one who dragged you into all this shit."

She shook her head. "Nobody, especially you, should have to go through that. Now we have to stop Jefferson."

I agreed on that, but was certain we had different ideas about how to do that. If Chloe went with her idea however, it wouldn't end well for her, I knew that and had to stop her.

"No, not that way Chloe, I can't keep fixing everything if all I'm gonna do is keep breaking it, over and over again." I burst out. "I know how this is gonna turn out and I'm afraid I'm fucking up all these alternate realities."

"Wait, alternate realities?"

I froze, I hadn't meant to say that, now what? She demanded to know what happened and I, regretfully told her about my terrible choice, about William. About the alternate reality and what happened in it.

Chloe was stunned and shocked, but, thankfully, not angry, in fact she seemed saddened and, and afraid.

"God Max, that must've been, must've been awful for you. I...I'm sorry I had to ask you to do that." She said softly.

I bowed my head and explained, how it was worse for her, how I messed up again and how I wanted to stop doing that.

Finally, the question turned about what we had to do next.

"We have to stay together, that's why you should come with me, and stay alive." I told her.

She shook her head. "I hear you Max, but you think we should let Jefferson get away with torture and murder?"

I sighed, I knew Chloe wouldn't like this, but it was the only option. "Of course not, if we tell David, he'll believe us and he can actually stop him...right?"

"I don't get it, why do you trust him after you totally reamed him the other day?" She asked, suddenly suspicious.

I sighed and then revealed the truth. "Chloe, David saved me from Jefferson. If he didn't track down the Dark Room...I'd be dead right now."

"Max, I had no clue..." She said, barely above a whisper. "I should've been the one to save you, but I'm so grateful David was there."

She then asked my pan and I explained what I had in mind. Thankfully Chloe believed we and we quickly left, the focus faded and I saw time changing before my eyes again, this time, it became clear, Jefferson was indeed stopped, Chloe survived, unfortunately, the tornado still occurred.

When I recovered again, I was standing on the beach, with Chloe, looking in horror at the tornado. I was getting soaked through again, even the red demonic doe T-shirt I had somehow acquired was drenched. But right now, I wasn't even aware of that.

"Hey, Max Time-Warrior." Chloe greeted me enthusiastically. "You're back."

I nodded and gazed up at the tornado. "God, Chloe, what exactly happened, remember what I said, I won't remember, I need to know."

She quickly explained. "We told David and you were right, he and the police caught Jefferson. But, then this happened. God, this is like Rachel's revenge, our revenge."

I nodded slowly afraid again, what of everybody else, what could I do, the tornado was much closer now than it had been before and was it my imagination, or did it seem bigger?

"C'mon Max, we have to get to the lighthouse, we'll be safe there." Chloe said.

I nodded and began to follow her, when suddenly everything began spinning around. I mumbled her name and Chloe caught me as I collapsed, she said something but I couldn't make it out and I suddenly blacked out completely.

When I recovered I found I was, of all places, in Jefferson's class, on Monday again, clad in the exact same outfit, hearing the exact same lecture.

'What the fuck, what's happening now, have I...Have I ended up stuck in a time loop, what is this?' I wondered.

To my horror, despite nobody else reacting and behaving exactly as they had on that day, the window was getting pelted with birds which hit it and seem to explode, until the whole window was covered in blood.

Before I had time to fully process this horror however they vanished, just as the bell rang, in fact everybody vanished and I was alone. I carefully stood up and began to approach the door, having gathered all my things together.

"Just a minute Max, come here." Jefferson's voice came from behind me.

I froze up, turning I saw he was there. Yet despite wanting to run, my body moved on its own and approached him. He smirked unsettlingly and the conversation that followed was the most violating and horrifying of my life, I could never purge it from my mind, it was like my voice acted on its own, as if I had fallen victim to Stockholm syndrome and sought out more from Jefferson and his Dark Room.

'This, this can't be happening, I wouldn't, I'd never...' I thought frantically.

In a panic I turned and ran, running for the door I wrenched it open and hurried through. It was only then I realized just how fucked up this place really was, only then I saw I was trapped in a nightmare.

Instead of ending up in the school corridor, I was in the corridor of the girls dorms. What was more, the place was dark, lit only by a strange collection of candles, gathered outside Kate's room.

Kate herself, clad in her pajamas, stood before the door, sobbing. I slowly approached, worried for her, but then suddenly she straightened up, her voice was quiet as she spoke.

"Max, why did you save me?"

I was taken aback by this but replied. "You're my friend Kate, why wouldn't I, I couldn't..."

She actually looked at me, scornfully, Kate never looked like that. "Yes, why not, now my family will never leave me alone, which means, I'll always be alone."

With those cold words, Kate opened her door, opening it into some white void. She stepped through and fell, I cried out and hurried after her. Only to find myself back at the start of the dorm corridor, this time it was empty.

My head was bursting with pain, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, it was like my brain was trying to break free. I also felt something else, something stuck there, that I couldn't quite figure out.

'That, that has to be something important, but what is it and why is it like I've got some kind of mental block on it?' I wondered.

I had wandered the entirety of the dorms, trying various doors, only ending up back where I started with no change. What caught my attention however was that room 218, Dana's room, was locked.

That told me right away I needed to go to Dana's room; but I needed a key.

A thorough search finally turned it up, outside the shower room. I quickly hurried back, used it and entered the dorm corridor again. This time a momentary flash of light blinded me for a second, then I realized my outfit had changed, I was wearing the clothes from Rachel I had borrowed on Wednesday. The dorms, I couldn't help but note, seemed different now. I shuddered, my headache was growing worse.

'What is going on, this is, this has to be some sort of nightmare, but how do I get out, do I, do I just, follow the path and find a way...there has to be a reason for this?' I thought frantically.

It was then I heard a voice, it was faint at first, but began to grow in volume and echoed. I don't know why, maybe because it was her clothes I was wearing, but I was certain it was Rachel. I looked at the chart on the wall and saw that it was showing different names, from before I came to Blackwell, Rachel's name was on room 224, what was now Taylor's room.

I shook my head. 'Could it be that easy?'

I approached the door and opened it, stepping through into the corridor again, but now the place was full of graffiti and suddenly, with another flash, I found myself changed into, of all people, Victoria Chase.

I knew now things were well and truly fucked, it was clear now, I had messed with time too far, but this happened certainly made no sense.

As I walked down the corridor, I saw the graffiti, the taunts, the jibes, the knowledge that Victoria was even more insecure than I'd ever thought. It was horrible.

Wanting to escape it I went to the only part free of graffiti, her own dorm room door and entered. Another flash and I was myself again; there was no guidance this time, but I thought about the one thing I wanted to do, I went to my room.

I knew, the way this nightmare's logic was working, I'd step through here and enter the next step of the nightmare.

'Ow, shit...things are just getting worse, please, just let me out of this.'

Shaking my head, I opened the door and stepped through. Out into the school corridor, just as it was on Monday after class. Only everything was going in reverse. Normally I'd be shocked, but after everything I went through, this was the most normal enviroment I had seen.

I decided to do exactly what I did on Monday, plugged in my iPod headphones and made my way to the girl's bathroom. On the way I noted even the song played in reverse. I did my best to ignore that and make it the girl's bathroom quickly, everything wasn't just reversed, but flipped, but I managed and finally made my through the door, only for the nightmare to throw a curve ball and really fuck things up.

I found myself in possibly the worst segment of the nightmare yet; a veritable maze made up of bland walls. Although ahead I could see the lighthouse in the distance, my beacon of hope.

But there was a small searchlight in a circular area ahead, surrounded by spaced out photo boards. Also I could hear Jefferson's voice, he was looking for me, with a flashlight. I suddenly realized that if any light, other than that of the lighthouse, touched me, I'd be in serious trouble. I was also somehow in my gallery clothes again.

I crouched as Jefferson walked past the corner I was hiding in, flashlight held out, he was calling out, taunting me.

'Fuck, oh fuck, I need to, I need to get out of here...Head to the lighthouse, but I can't let Jefferson catch me, need to stay out of the light…' I found myself thinking desperately. 'But shit, my head's even worse here, I can hardly see straight...'

I was terrified, my head was pounding, I still couldn't fathom that hidden bit of knowledge, despite knowing it was there. It was like so many words were echoing in my brain, blending with Jefferson's taunts.

Determined to press on however, I took my chance and began to move through the maze, avoiding Jefferson. Things didn't get any easier at the searchlight; while the photo boards provided cover, they also nearly caused me to throw up, they were of my Dark Room photos.

Gritting my teeth I forced myself onwards, using them as cover as I made it to what seemed to be the next part of the maze, made up of school lockers.

Here there were more people searching for me with flashlights, I was scared of them all, none of them were acting like their usual selves, not even Warren, yes, he was there, acting scary as fuck. I also heard Principal Wells, Samuel and David. I had to avoid them all, not easy as my headache just grew and grew.

'Just...keep...going...Max...' I told myself, forcing myself onwards.

I forced myself to continue onwards, desperate to escape. Darting around corners, hiding as best I could, twice I came close to being caught. Suddenly I heard a shout and realized one of the flashlights had found me.

I quickly rewound and hurried away, more terrified than I had ever been in my life. Not that it got any easier, I found myself in another maze section, the junkyard this time and Jefferson was back, along with Nathan and Frank.

Again with the taunts and scary threats, I forced myself onwards, not even sure what was happening anymore. It was with some relief that I staggered out of the junkyard and up the path to the lighthouse. I didn't enter however, instead I slumped onto the seat outside it.

I shook my head, almost crying. 'I can't take this anymore, I don't...nothing's worth this, just let me go...'

Not that I expected any response; I knew I was trapped here, which was why I felt this way, alone, defeated, lost.

My brain felt like it was fried, my synapses cooked, everything was just going too fast, too crazy for me to keep up. I raised my head and looked around, only to see my immediate surroundings had changed.

'Oh, no, not more...'

I was in what seemed, ironically, the safest enviroment yet, despite the horrible scene I could see from it.

I was somehow sitting inside Chloe's snow globe, on top of the fireplace in her house. Surrounded by the snow inside it, I was watching my younger self, burning the picture, as I had done when I went back to remove the alternate reality, seeing William leaving to his death again.

I shuddered. But that was just the beginning, there was another flash and things took a turn for the crazy, dark and horrible again.

I was back in the Dark Room, sitting strapped to the chair again, strangely clad in just my pajamas. What followed was a series of scenes that seemed deliberately engineered to hurt me, make me uncomfortable and just plain screw with my mind.

All I could see was Chloe, Warren, Nathan, Victoria, Jefferson, all of them, mocking me or making comments to each other that showed their disregard for me.

'This isn't real, this isn't real...' I told myself, again and again.

But my head hurt even worse and the pain was so raw, I felt I would burst. Then there was another flash and I was back on the bench, outside the lighthouse, clad in my actual clothes again.

Something about that made me both nervous and hopeful; hopeful because I hoped it meant I was nearly out of this nightmare, nervous because that usually meant the worst was about to come. Forcing myself to remain calm, I stood, slightly dizzy and off-balance due to my pounding headache.

I moved towards the lighthouse and opened the door; I was now in a simple circular room with another door opposite me. Letting out a small sigh I moved and opened that too, entering what I now realized was the Two Whales bathroom. I groaned as I saw the door to the diner itself was closed and locked, with a keypad lock.

With a soft sigh I shook my head.

'Please let this be the last lock puzzle...I need to, are you fucking kidding me?' I thought in dismay.

As I thought about searching for the code, the entire bathroom filled with four digit codes. I had no way of knowing what was the real one. Now I was getting all worked up again, I needed to clam down.

I turned to the sinks, ready to splash cold water on my face again. That was when I saw it, the room was flooded in codes, but only code showed any reflection in the mirror.

'That's gotta be it.' I thought desperately.

I turned and hurried to the door, inputting the code, imagine my relief when it opened. I stepped though, only to see I still wasn't done. The diner was full of people, people I knew, that I'd seen throughout this week.

Warren, Juliet, Dana, Kate, Joyce, David, Trevor, Logan, everyone...All of them, either subtly of directly, seemed to be blaming me for the carnage descending upon them, the tornado, but why? It was then I saw one figure here was actually moving, while everybody else was rigidly still.

I immediately approached this person, hoping for help, only to stop in disbelief when I saw them.

The figure was me dressed in the clothes I wore on Tuesday, sitting at the exact same booth, even with a half-eaten Belgian waffle in front of them. With all the crazy stuff that just happened, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by doppelgangers, but I was.

"Who are you?"

I was shocked by the disgusted look sent my way, I didn't think I was capable of pulling off such a look.

"I'm you obviously." She said, spitting the words with venom. "I'm one of the many Maxes you've left behind, all while stumbling through time, thinking you can do everything, thinking it's all you."

I stepped back, horrified by this, that wasn't right, that wasn't me at all.

I shook my head. "That's not. I tried to us my powers for good."

Alternate me cut my statement off. "Quit being such a hypocrite, everything that's happening now is all your fault, and you can't even see that. I'm embarrassed we share the same name."

"What are you talking about?" I burst out. "I just want to save Chloe."

Again, a look of disgust. "Yes, save Chloe, for all the good it does, look at how she treats you."

I tried to defend her. "We're friends and, and we just...Don't you understand…?"

"I do, you don't." She snapped back. "It's called Stockholm syndrome. Honestly, wake up, look what your meddling, your 'trying to save Chloe' has done..."

It was at that point, Chloe, or I guess, a vision of her, since this was a nightmare, burst into and began yelling at the alternate version of me. But I didn't pay attention, I grasped by head, moaning and pleading desperately for it all to stop.

For finally, that blocked piece of knowledge unlocked and the pieces all began to fit, I suddenly realized the horrific, truth, what Warren and Chloe had said about Chaos Theory, what the alternate version of me was trying to say, it all made sense, cruel, horrible sense.

I looked around, I was still in the Nightmare, that much was clear, I ran along the path, forced to face memories of this week, memories of various times spent with Chloe, times I realized now, wouldn't have existed without my meddling with time.

The final image I saw was of Chloe, supporting my unconscious form as she headed for the lighthouse, something from the present day. I rushed towards it and there was another flash, before I blacked out, aware that I had finally escaped the nightmare. But its job was done, I knew the truth now, and it was horrible.

The source of the tornado was, and always had been…

Me.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.