A Way Out

by MADMAXIMUSPRIME

Taking place after Max made the difficult decision to sacrifice Chloe at the end of Life is Strange, she decides to use her rewind power one last time, saving not only Chloe, but Rachel as well. Choosing to remain in this alternative timeline, the three form an unexpected bond and decide to embark on an adventure no one saw coming. Tags: Amberprice, Mature Content, Canon Related

16. Fire Walk With Me

An empty forest stretched before her with thick brush and grass taller than what she could mostly see through. That was until a stark clearing emerged in the middle with a small group of animals, ones that were native to the land, surrounding a campfire. As Rachel began to sit down at a spot designated for just her, the animal's gazes pierced deep in her soul unlocking core memories that were previously hidden.

A doe. A raven. A bear. An otter. A pheasant.

There was a small bag of marshmallows sitting nearby. A few of the animals used their mouths to hold the sticks to roast them into the fire. Some of their eyes were bloodshot, bleeding out from slashes on their cheeks, while others were missing. A pure black void filled the sockets.

"You mustn't forget the power you hold within." said the bird sitting across from her. Its wings were made up of heavy black feathers. Its beak was a dagger. "I fear time is not on your side tonight, Rachel."

The animals laughed together, then stopped so suddenly that they appeared to be animatronics.

A small trickle from a branch above dripped a thick liquid on top of her head. It smelled distinctly metallic. Upon reaching up to feel it, her fingers were dyed red. Blood. An owl sat on that branch, watching quietly.

"In the face of death," The free-spirited pheasant added, "You will find your strength."

Rachel didn't know what to say, nor could she respond. It was like a force greater than what she would ever know prevented it. She was forced to be quiet and listen to words she didn't understand.

The animals pulled their sticks away in unison, allowing the fire to grow larger. Deep inside the flames, an image appeared. A top down view of a forest, assumingly the one she was in, but there was only one person alone. No animals. No campfire. The person looked scared. They sat behind the trunk of a tree, body huddled in warmth. Hundreds of trees lined a path drawn near to a landscape of hell. A burning box similarity shaped like a rustic barn. There were no other details. Rachel sat back and watched each animal for an explanation, but none was given.

"Fire walk with me." The doe said while rubbing its hooves into the dirt. "Fire walk."

Then, another person appeared in the flames of the campfire, screaming out. It looked just like her, so close that it could have been a doppelganger. Rachel leaned in closer, so close the heat was burning but she didn't care. The person held something in their hands, but the image was blurry. A small flame flew out, burning a patch of grass in the distance.

The animals all joined in chorus, creating such a trance that Rachel could feel her head buzzing.

"Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see,"

The flames grew larger and larger in size, so big that it was going to overtake the entire area.

"One chants out between two worlds, fire walk with me."

The small rocks around the campfire were of no use now to contain what was developing. Rachel flinched back, feeling sparks hit her face. The fire roared, sizzling and flashing in all of its glory. Then, an explosion burst out, blinding her. The entire world went white.

—

Rachel sat up so fast she felt dizzy, gasping for air. Her hair stuck to her skin, wet and stringy with sweat. Everything was blurry. She felt like an observer of her own mind, a feeling that she had never felt before in her life. It was as if time was continuously moving but she stayed still. The room appeared fake. She glanced over at Chloe who was sleeping peacefully next to her on her side, with intermittent snores passing the time. At least she didn't seem to be having any problems.

The screen of the laptop was brightly shining, still displaying the end of some movie that neither of them had ever seen. Clothes were scattered across the bed in a disorderly fashion only revealing how quickly the night had turned.

Her head felt like it was filled with sand, barely being able to comprehend anything that had just happened. But something was immediately wrong. Rachel could feel her left arm violently shaking with no end in sight underneath the sheets. She clutched onto it to try to get it to stop but it didn't work. A sense of panic arose, filling her with an immense amount of fear. She didn't know if she should wake Chloe up, or if it would pass soon. The entire time, jumbled phrases from the dream replayed in Rachel's mind so intensely that it was the only thing she could think of. A hypnotic state she couldn't leave no matter how hard she tried.

Fire walk. Run away. With me.

The words crept their way out of her gravelly throat as she was completely zoned out at the immediate space in front of her. It was a strange dream, but something about it felt distinctly lifelike despite the rather unnatural mannerisms from the animals. The entire night had been weird, even before her and Chloe went back upstairs for the evening. A mixture of off-putting conversations and a sense that she had lived this day before, similar to deja vu but more cryptic. There was an uncanny feeling that she was living two lives at once, maybe more, where there was a version of herself that was lost in translation, buried deep underneath the ground. She knew very well that she almost was her, but in one way or another, she didn't know that Rachel. Their experiences were similar yet so different at the same time. It was as though surviving altered her destiny in a way that wasn't supposed to happen.

Through the darkness of future past.

Rachel could feel herself screaming, for reasons outside of just her mind, but no sound was coming out. Her mouth was closed shut, unable to utter a single word. She worried that she was having a heart attack, or even something worse, because her arm was nearly shaking the bed. It was frightening.

As she was becoming hyper focused on the random tremor she appeared to have gotten over night, a loud ding was heard in the silence of the room. She scanned the area, unable to see much. Her eyes were not adjusting to the darkness like they normally would. A small illuminated box underneath Chloe's shirt near the edge of the bed faded in and out. She inched forward towards it.

Fifteen minutes ago Max Caulfield sent three texts. Rachel squinted, growing frustrated that nothing was coming out clear. She read each letter held close to her face.

Max: Chloe's not answering

Max: im near the prescott barn off the trail

Max: shit happened will explain later

Dread washed throughout her body. She felt weak and heavy at the same time. The texts weren't right; they couldn't have been true. Rachel wanted to be mad at Max for doing something so ridiculously stupid, but even just a few months of being around her told her how she really was. Max wasn't one to leave randomly unless it was for a reason. Especially to that location.

Rachel: Are you okay? Did something happen?

She hurriedly messaged back and waited a few minutes for a response. Judging by how much time had passed since Max had texted her, it shouldn't have been very long. But there was no answer. No indication that she even had her phone next to her. Feeling frustrated and impatient, Rachel sent another text that she hoped Max would read even if she wasn't going to respond.

Rachel: We'll be there asap

The bed was becoming constricting and the sheets were hot. Rachel tightly grasped onto her arm, repeating more of the phrases she heard in her dream. It was like she was being guided outside of herself as she began to untangle from the messy bedding and stand up.

"Trees. Alone. Trail."

Why did it feel so familiar? The answer was looking at her dead in the face.

She knew that she needed to tell Chloe. She knew that holding the information back for even another minute could prove to be potentially dangerous for Max, but it was like she was locked inside of a state of being she couldn't escape from. Rachel bent down to grab whatever clothes were sitting on top of the duffle bag, unzipping it slowly to not cause too much noise. Her balance was shaky as she hopped around to put some jeans on.

"Hey, Chloe…" She mumbled, knowing that it wasn't loud enough to be heard.

A loud crash of thunder followed, with a bolt of lighting causing a flash of light. The weather was unnaturally strong that particular night.

"Chloe…"

Rachel spoke through gritted teeth. She was breathing heavily, feeling like a ton of weights were on her. The words tasted bitter. Her left arm could barely go through the opening on her shirt, shaking so badly that it looked like it was beginning to lose blood flow. She could've sworn that the skin had a slight chill to it.

Desperation was beginning to take hold and the clock was ticking. Rachel began to impatiently crawl across the bed, reaching out to shake Chloe awake.

"Hey! Wake the hell up!"

Her voice pierced louder than she anticipated.

"Jesus Christ, Rachel!" Chloe jolted up. Her breath was rapid, leaving her dazed and confused at the sudden interruption taking her out of her sleep. "Fuck!"

Everything was disorienting. It felt like she was on a boat, more like a bad hangover, but she didn't take a sip of alcohol that night. David reminded her of that far too well. Her eyes scanned the room until she met Rachel, who was fully dressed in a way that was off-putting.

"What? Is everything okay?"

"We need to leave. Now."

Rachel's odd behavior was already putting her on edge. Chloe reached out with her hand to pull her closer, but she backed away at the last moment.

"Rachel, talk to me." Chloe's voice softened as watched her start to nervously pace around. "You need to tell me what's going on."

The room went quiet, outside of the sound of footsteps every so often on the wood floor. It was tense, there was no doubt about it, but she didn't even know where to begin. Rachel was tightly holding on to her arm as she made her way to the darker part of the room to try to conceal it.

Chloe was waiting, trying to read what was happening inside of Rachel's head. She usually spoke her mind, not leaving much as a secret anymore, but this was different. A small amount of daylight was creeping in through the window, painting the sky in a pink and light blue swirl, despite the dark clouds lining it for the time being. Rachel really didn't want to make a big deal out of it all, knowing that Chloe was going to freak out regardless of how she was going to say it, but she had no choice. Max was waiting.

Rachel sighed before handing Chloe her phone, walking slowly back over to her reluctantly.

"It's about Max."

Just the mere mention of the name sent Chloe into a spiral that Rachel saw right in front of her eyes. She didn't have to say anything for her to notice. The phone was rapidly taken, examined closely like it was the most important thing to be focusing on.

"She must've left while we were asleep." Rachel added like it was going to make Chloe feel any better.

It didn't.

Chloe took a few minutes to read every word several times, letting the messages soak in before meeting Rachel's attention again. Maybe it was a mixture of the time of day, or the fact that it seemed so uncharacteristic for Max to do leave like that, but either way, she didn't want to believe it.

"How did she even end up there?" Chloe asked before handing Rachel her phone back. The little clock nearby read exactly 4:00am, which only meant one thing. It was way too early for this. "She's not like, messing with you, is she?"

"You know her better than I do." Rachel just shrugged. "I can't see her doing that, though."

"Well, did you check downstairs to make sure?"

The questioning was irritating Rachel more than usual, even if it was a normal conversation two people would have if they found out their friend went out alone to a dangerous place in the middle of the night. No, she didn't check downstairs. She barely even walked across the room. Rachel was too distracted by her dream at the time that she didn't think to do anything logical. It was as if common sense was thrown out the window.

"For fucks sake! No!" Rachel let out a heavy sigh, feeling herself physically tremble in annoyance. "This is serious! You do realize that, right?"

"I know it is!" Chloe leaned back against the desk and crossed her arms. Rachel wasn't going to be able to hide much longer in the shadows, especially now with all of the attention on her. "God, why do you have to be like this?"

"Be like what , Chloe?"

"Women! Why the fuck do I have to like women!" She groaned in response. Rachel was making it so difficult. "Just please tell me what to do. I feel so confused right now, Rach."

A yelling match was just begging to be started. They both didn't want to go there. It had been a while before either of them had had a disagreement, but this time there wasn't just miscommunication, there were supernatural elements at play that Rachel didn't feel very confident in sharing. And it wasn't because she didn't think Chloe would understand, it was the fact that she didn't even understand.

The slow patter of rain hitting the window filled the silence. Rachel kept feeling her arm, moving and shifting in ways to disguise it. The two were standing at completely separate parts of the room, thinking about things that were drastically different. Rachel was clenching her teeth the entire time. Holding back anything from Chloe was difficult, but she just couldn't go there with her right now. The only thing she knew was that if she wasn't able to be calm, she had to get Chloe to be.

"Okay, Max told me that she texted you first." Rachel began to slowly walk herself over to where Chloe was standing again, hoping that there wasn't going to be a fight. She didn't have it in her. "I want to know what she said."

Chloe gave her a questioning look before rummaging around for her own phone, found laying under random papers nearby. She wanted to push further and say something else, even if Rachel couldn't figure out what. The bright screen casted a light on her face before she began to read the messages out loud.

"She said, 'Chloe I'm by the barn' and 'I'm alone and fucking scared." Chloe was more confused than anything, feeling like she was missing more of the puzzle than everyone else was. She stuck her phone back in her jeans. It was quickly becoming evident that it wasn't a joke Max was pulling, and if anything, it was her worst nightmare coming true. "God, why doesn't she just listen to us? I feel like I barely know her anymore."

"She wouldn't go there without a reason."

"But she has no business going back to Prescott's barn unless she wants the cops called on her, or…" Chloe paused. She didn't want to even think about the worst possible outcome that could have happened. Especially without her knowing. She anxiously fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist.

"Not everything is so black and white, Chloe." It was a harsh truth, one that even Rachel couldn't always accept. She wanted to get better at it, though. "Sometimes things don't always make sense."

Her arm was starting to become tingly now. She drew back from the conversation even more, wanting to just get the supposed rescue mission over with already.

"No," Chloe stated rather firmly, making Rachel roll her eyes as she was walking away. Why couldn't she just let it go? "The feds watch that barn like a hawk. I remember the cameras in the bunker. She's going to get in trouble."

The bunker. The darkroom. Overdosing on drugs.

Was it ever going to end?

Whatever had happened months ago was old news. Max was the only thing that was holding Rachel and Chloe together, and they both knew it damn well. Rachel was quickly running out of the energy to even care about the Prescott's barn. She didn't want to hear about any of it. She just needed to tell Chloe about the dream and her arm, but she was making it too difficult to even get a word in.

"Maybe she didn't go inside."

"I don't think it matters." The desk creaked as Chloe shifted her weight. She was acting calmer than usual, even without the habitual wake and bake. "I know Max. She wouldn't do that."

"Well, since you seem ready to leave," Rachel raised her hands, sighing exasperatedly. Her body was practicing shaking in angst and exhaustion. The room felt incredibly suffocating. "Make sure to bring a knife. Or a gun. I don't care, either one will work."

Chloe froze from the suggestion. "I thought yesterday you said—"

"Now, Chloe." She tapped her foot impatiently before reaching out to grab Chloe's arm, holding her in place before she moved another inch. Rachel stopped for a moment before meeting her eyes with a dangerous intensity. "And you're going to do exactly as I tell you to do without giving me hell for it. Got it?"

"And if I don't?" Chloe smirked playfully, wondering where it was headed.

"Then not only will you piss me off," She challenged, not letting go of Chloe's arm, "but you're going to miss me beating the shit out of whoever is in that barn."

Rachel was fully planning on doing whatever she had to do to end everything, once and for all. No more Prescott drama. No more of the past being brought up again. No more suffering. It was a long shot, and while she had no idea what awaited her at the barn, there was no other option in her mind. For the sake of everyone in the small town, a change needed to happen.

"Yeah?" Chloe let out a small laugh. Watching Rachel get fired up was almost fun to watch, despite how tense each of them both were. "I would like to see that."

"Good, because the Prescotts can go to hell along with everyone else in this town."

"Damn." Chloe grinned, before inching her hands underneath Rachel's shirt teasingly. "Seeing you like this is fucking hot." She wanted to go in a whole other direction that early morning, but even against her own reflexes to ease in and just forget about everything else, Rachel used her free hand to push Chloe away.

"Save it for later, Price." She growled.

Chloe stood back at the sudden aggressiveness. Their eyes locked for a lingering moment before Rachel broke away and began to walk towards the bedroom's door.

"I'm ending it all tonight whether you try to stop me or not." The metal handle clicked open. "I don't know why it's taken me so long to actually do something about it, but Chloe," Rachel turned around, still noticing her standing at the other end of the room. "It all started with me. I was the one who ended up in the lighthouse, so I have to be the one to end it. I almost feel like it's my responsibility, like it'll solve something that we've been missing. Nobody else has had the balls to do it, so now it's my turn."

Chloe frowned. "Where did all of this come from? I'm not used to seeing you like this. It's kind of scary. Hot, but scary."

"A dream, actually." It was definitely more than a dream. Rachel was holding back so much since leaving the hospital that she never even knew who to reveal it all to. Time did make it easier to process. Maybe that saying was right after all. "I'll tell you later, but it made something click in my head that I pushed away for so long. I can't explain it."

"Dreams are weird like that. I get what you're saying." Chloe started walking over to the door, joining Rachel as they both stood out in the dark hallway. Joyce was still asleep. "Hey, don't get mad but," She whispered as each stair creaked beneath the slow footsteps. "I just can't see you knocking out some guy. You're a little fighter and I wouldn't doubt that you'd probably win, but I just feel like it's going to end badly." Chloe pulled Rachel to the side. There really wasn't room for two people to be standing next to each other on the stairs, but they did it anyway. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Rach."

"That's why I'm bringing my secret weapon." She softly smiled, reaching up to cup her face before letting go, escaping into the dim area by the front door. "And plus, you're bringing something as a backup, correct?" Her voice echoed from downstairs.

"I can see if David's safe is unlocked," Chloe had already gotten in trouble with David earlier, and she still didn't know where the revolver went after several weeks of it missing. The entire plan was risky. "But Rachel, I–"

"I'll just be in the truck." She grinned with her hand already on the handle. A little breeze flew through the cracked door. "Come out when you're ready, okay?"

The front door was quietly shut, leaving Chloe to herself.

It felt like there was a massive brick wall in front of her. One that she just couldn't get through, no matter how hard she tried. Something about this trip seemed wrong. But without much else to go against, Chloe didn't want to buy into the idea that something bad had happened.

Creeping into the garage and over to the gun cabinet nestled in the corner of the room, she stood in front of it and all of its glory. After flicking a light switch, the door swung open, displaying the rack of weapons behind it. Chloe ran her hand down each one, hovering over one in particular. A 9mm Smith and Wesson. A military pistol wrapped in black metal. It would have to do. Chloe truthfully didn't know how to use it, nor was she mentally prepared for the event to fire it at someone in an act of survival. Neither Chloe or Rachel knew what to expect. It was one thing to see someone else do it when adrenaline was high, but another to be the person behind the gun.

As Chloe hurried towards the truck, seeing through the damp windshield as Rachel casually leaned back with her legs up on the dash, the rain poured down relentlessly from the thunderous skies above. Large puddles were forming, but the thick sheets of water made it hard to see anymore than a couple of feet in the distance. Chloe fumbled for her keys as she opened the door to finally escape the storm outside. Her hair dripping with water, making streaks down her face.

"If we have to walk in this shit, I swear to God..." Chloe huffed, firmly pressing her foot on the clutch before backing out of the driveway.

The streets were empty. Some light posts by the road were burnt out. Others flickered. It was the weekend; no one was out at this time unless they worked a night shift. Chloe was gripping the steering wheel tightly because the front windshield was so foggy that it was good that no one else was driving around. The wipers weren't working and the engine sounded shotty. The rain was extremely loud, almost ear-piercingly loud, to the point that it was the only thing Rachel could focus on. It felt like they were barely going to make it to the barn.

"Rachel," Chloe spoke loud enough to be heard through the pelting downpour, but the entire time could feel the metal nozzle digging into her side. The gun was awkwardly shoved in between the waistline and belt of her jeans. "I'm really not feeling good about this." She sighed, but it wasn't noticed. "You know I just say shit to say it, right?"

"I guess," Rachel leaned off to the side, watching out the passenger's window. Water splashed up after the truck hit a few potholes. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

Chloe was chewing her lip, nearly causing blood to be drawn from how anxious she was. She could never hide her feelings well, especially around other people. She drew in the clutch to change gears. Then a switch of lanes. Only a few more miles to go.

"You don't think I'll have to use the gun, do you?"

"Is there another choice?" Rachel just shrugged, not taking her eyes off the side window. "We don't know who's out there. We can't take that chance, Chloe." She kept moving around like a little kid who couldn't sit still on a long car ride. All she could do was avoid showing off her arm more than she already was. "So the junkyard is fine, but this isn't?"

"Beer bottles are a little different from a person…" Chloe looked over at her with a distressed expression on her face before turning back to the road. The junkyard wasn't really the best place either, but it was like a safe haven. It could never disappoint her like a living, breathing person would. "And I don't want to scare Max with it."

"Then don't point it at her? Common sense, Chloe." Rachel replied sharply. The tension in the truck was so palpable that one wrong move could send them both over the edge.

"I didn't know you were gonna be so pissy tonight."

Chloe's fingers began to incessantly tap on the steering wheel. Tap. Tap.

Rachel's patience was wearing so thin that she was about to explode. Each little tap made her ears ring. It was just like before. Just like that stupid car ride over a month ago when Chloe confessed to something they both knew. A renewal they both so desperately needed. But everything was annoying and overwhelming. They were only maybe a mile away, which was relieving. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of all of this.

"You seem hella tense, Rach." Chloe looked over at her once more, this time reaching out with her arm but was blocked midway.

Tap.

Rachel just glared back at her. "And you're not?"

"Fuck yes I am! Max could be hurt and I wasn't there for her! I just–" Chloe yelled, but she paused mid sentence out of frustration. The trees were quickly becoming thicker, only indicating that the trailhead was approaching. "You're just acting like something is bothering you more than usual, that's all."

"Chloe, I don't want to scare you," Rachel sighed heavily, unsure of how far she wanted to go. She could see Chloe instantly looking concerned. "But my arm won't stop shaking…" She held out her left arm, feeling each tremor in its full intensity. Water was forming in her eyes, but it wasn't the rain. "It's just freaking me out, okay?"

Chloe really wanted to pull over, because driving in pouring rain while talking about a potential medical emergency was putting too much pressure on her. It was about the worst time imaginable for Rachel to have brought it up. The only thing she could do was follow the solid yellow line, tracing it with her eyes down the narrow road.

"Like last night…"

"Yes. Like last night." Rachel rolled her eyes in return. She didn't understand why she wasn't freaking out as bad as she did, though. "Thank you for pointing it out again."

The snide undertones were biting but expected. Parts of it were making sense to Chloe, but others still remained a mystery. The little sign marking the road was merely 500ft ahead.

"Has this happened before?" Chloe reached over to feel her arm, eyes darting from the road and back to Rachel. Her own hand shook from the tremor. She grasped onto it harder, but not hard enough for it to hurt, to see if it would stop. It didn't.

Although, it was nearly identical to the feeling from before. Maybe even more intense. None of it made sense.

"No, but look at it!" Rachel kept her arm raised, only to notice it getting worse. God, she wanted to cry. She didn't want something to be wrong with her. There couldn't have been. She followed the rules; she did exactly as she was told. But it was so bizarre and there was no reason for it to be happening. "I can't even move it!"

Chloe downshifted the gears to a slower speed as she began to turn the corner. The gravel spit up rocks behind the back wheels.

"Are you still taking those pills?" She simply asked, too focused on finding the parking lot for the trail. "Maybe it's a side effect."

Rachel just shrugged. "I ran out a few weeks ago."

"Those nurses gave you some strong stuff, though."

She had a gallon sized Ziploc bag filled with little orange containers with so many different medications from being in a drug related coma that Chloe couldn't even keep track of it all. It was all stored in the duffel bag back in her room. Chloe tried to remind Rachel throughout the months to take them, but she didn't always willfully agree. It was the source of a few arguments during that time.

"I'm sure it's fine. Look," Rachel waved her arm around in Chloe's face, trying to be reassuring but it wasn't working for either of them. Her fake optimism could only go so far. "See? Just like normal."

"Great," Chloe gave her a disapproving look before pulling to the side of the designated parking lot, with pine trees that seemed to canopy the area from the rain. "That makes me feel so much better."

The engine stopped roaring. Chloe reached out to take out the keys before Rachel stopped her.

"Do you still have that emergency kit I gave you?" She bent over the back of the seat to look out the rear window. "It had a couple of extra flashlights in it."

They had both completely forgotten to bring supplies outside of weapons and pure willpower. In fact, it was the first time that entire journey that either of them even considered that they needed a flashlight. Or even a poncho. Damn pacific northwest. Why was it always so rainy all of the time?

"Yeah, it's in the back." Chloe pointed to the bed where a red box laid. The identical one Rachel had in her bedroom because it was that one. She did tear off the tag that said it was from her dad, however. She didn't need to be reminded of him in an emergency.

"It's so weird that we were just talking about doing this," Rachel opened up the side door, with the dewy morning spilling in. The air was so humid that it felt sticky. The rain was barely coming down now. "And now look at us."

"Probably just a coincidence." Chloe joined her, walking around to the back where the box was.

Rachel gave her a questioning look across the truck bed.

"I mean… not a coincidence." She choked out, nodding in a way to try to lie to herself. Anything to not cause a fight. They were so close to finding Max anyways. "I'd guess that it has something to do with superpowers that neither of us have."

The box clicked open and Rachel reached down inside to grab the extra flashlights she had remembered. She turned one on to test it, shining it out into the shadowy tree line.

"You don't know that."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe smirked, reaching out as Rachel handed over the yellow light. "Last time I checked, I can't rewind time."

The gravel crunched beneath their feet as they both began their trek into the woods.

"You told me that you could talk to your dad in your dreams." Rachel mentioned out of the silence that seemed to take hold. She did always remember that, and it never left her. Maybe her own dream had similarities to what Chloe experienced. No, she knew she was grasping at straws. "That has to mean something."

"Maybe," Chloe scratched her head. A few heavy raindrops fell from the branches above. "But those ended a hella long time ago. I haven't dreamed of him in years."

Out of nowhere, a distant owl hooted loudly. It instantly gave Rachel chills. Chloe looked all around, pointing the flashlight in all directions until she finally landed on it. It had distinct orange eyes that glowed in the light.

"Oh, that's a big one."

The brown feathers looked so familiar. Rachel wasn't trying to read into it, but she couldn't help it. She paused in the middle of the trail, thinking quietly to herself as Chloe was seemingly distracted by shining her light in the owl's eyes. No, it wasn't just her dream that made her remember something, it was much stranger than that.

"The owls are not what they seem." Rachel muttered under her breath, so quiet and reluctant that the words felt weird just saying them out loud. It felt like a curse even. Something she didn't dare to think about since she heard it.

Chloe turned around, accidently flashing the light in her eyes which caused Rachel to flinch back.

"Where'd you come up with that?"

"Samuel said it to me a few years ago." She shrugged. It wasn't like anyone listened to Samuel all that often, even if the things he said held weight that no one was willing to process at such a young age. Still, that particular saying was different from anything else Rachel had heard him say. It resonated too deeply. "At the time I thought he was just saying shit to be weird, but it's stuck with me ever since."

The wind rustled through the leaves above, providing a nice shelter for the rain. The only good news on this trip was that neither of them were out in the storm that they had anticipated. If anything, the forest was the only piece of calm that town had left in it.

"So if they aren't what they seem," Chloe turned her attention away from the owl for a moment, joining Rachel back on the gravel path. "Then what are they?"

"He wouldn't tell me."

Samuel never explained himself outside of weird metaphors and sayings that only seemed to come from another world. It was like he was connected to a dimension outside of what anyone else was. Everyone at Blackwell had experiences with the strangeness he exuded. The whole thing was freaking Rachel out, though. She nearly expected to see a campfire with animals talking around it, but she knew that it was a stretch. Cutting through the silent woods, the owl hooted once again. This time it was even louder. Like a calling.

"Right on, little man." Chloe winked up at the owl, giving it a goodbye wave before they both continued farther up the path.

She frankly didn't know that there was anything back here, especially not a trail. There wasn't a map either. They could be walking for miles before reaching the barn. It was partly the reason why they weren't in a rush, because the texts didn't make it seem like Max was in immediate danger. It was a worry in the back of their minds, most definitely, but they couldn't jump to such conclusions just yet. And plus, one wrong turn off the path could lead them astray for hours. They decided to take it slow for the time being.

"How's your arm?" Chloe looked down at Rachel sympathetically, putting her arm around her shoulders to bring her in closer. "Is it any better?"

"No," Rachel shook her head as she held out her arm again. Still as shaky as ever, but it was letting up a little. Or maybe she was just focusing on it too intently. "But I'm trying not to think about it."

"Does it hurt?" Chloe's entire focus was on her, watching Rachel with such concern that if she dared to face her, it would break her into pieces. For a moment, it felt like they were the only two people that existed out in that mysterious world. A solace to the dangers that lay ahead. Chloe leaned in to give a small kiss on her forehead. "I don't want you to be in pain."

"It doesn't hurt. I promise." Rachel only drew herself in more, relishing in Chloe's damp shirt. It was starting to smell like mildew, with a mixture of pine and mud, but for her, it was the most comforting scent. A weird combination, but it felt safe for some reason. The dream was still creeping up in the shadows of her consciousness though, even if she kept trying to push it away. But it was like just having someone there with her made her not feel so crazy about it. The entire situation was incredibly difficult to judge, mostly because the forest didn't seem scary and dangerous. What she had pictured in her head immediately after waking up was drastically different from the environment they were walking in. Still, if there was an opportunity to confront someone, she would do it. There just wasn't anyone else around.

A part of the trail was covered in deep puddles, so wide that they either had to ruin their shoes and walk through it, or go along the side and get covered in ticks. The grass was overgrown and dense. A large fallen tree rested up ahead.

"Max!" Rachel yelled, trying to jump across the water as she held onto Chloe's arm, dragging her with her.

But it was no use.

They both ended up getting drenched in mud. So much for staying dry; everything they were both wearing had to be thrown away now. Chloe kicked some of the thick mud off her boots before continuing forward.

"You know the first day we hung out…" She got ready to jump over the log, barely able to speak through labored breaths. The words started to sound more like wheezes than actual sentences. She really had to lay off on the smoking habit. "And we had that fight in the junkyard…and you left…"

A fabric rip was felt immediately as Chloe shifted herself across the fallen tree. She stopped to turn, feeling around but oddly enough she couldn't find anything. She even tried twisting and turning herself, holding the flashlight in a hundred different ways to get a good look, but it was of no use. Something was stuck in the tree. A piece of fabric that looked eerily familiar.

"Yeah, and?" Rachel enjoyed the sight more than anything else. She held back a laugh, but it was getting difficult. She was about to ask Chloe if there was a problem, because there definitely was, however, she saw her peeling something off the tree bark instead.

The fabric Chloe reached out to pick it up was from her jeans. She played with it in her hand, looking at it, then twisted around to compare the color.

"What? Did you seriously rip your pants?" Rachel came closer to look for herself as Chloe handed her the piece of fabric, shining the light behind her. But there wasn't even a small tear to match up with it. "Chlo, I don't see anything," She threw it into the forest brush, never to be seen again. "I don't know why you're so obsessed over this, but we need to keep going. Tell me the rest of your story."

The fabric was strange, but Chloe tried to ignore it. At least she would try for Rachel. Filed away for later.

"Well, I fell asleep in my dad's car…and I had this dream." Another fallen tree in the road that Chloe eagerly jumped over. Rachel could barely catch up, beams of light shining in all directions. "I just remember seeing you by that tree in the park…and…" Chloe wasn't stopping, walking so fast that it was of no use to chase after her. "And that's how I knew."

Rachel paused back in the middle of the trail, letting Chloe go off into the distance before she realized how far she had gotten. Something was starting to make sense.

"Oh, so that's how you knew where I went," There it was. That was the missing connection that she needed after all this time. It did make sense, even if it had happened years ago. Rachel briskly walked up to Chloe, regaining their pace again. They had been walking for at least twenty minutes, she assumed. It didn't look like there was an end in sight. "You know, I've wondered about that for years how you knew where I would be."

"And this raven led me there, too." Chloe was practically panting by this point, and any efforts made from Rachel to slow down were not taken well. "I've always thought about that."

"Almost like a spirit animal…" Rachel muttered quietly to herself. The raven.

"It's not that I don't believe in that kind of stuff," Chloe looked down at her, slightly smiling. "It's not that I'm afraid of being judged, either. I'm just hella freaked out with the idea of anything being out there, helping me. I mean, why couldn't it have stopped my dad from dying?"

"Maybe you're meant to grow from that, in some sort of fucked up way." A simple glance up was all that she could give. Rachel knew that it didn't take away any of the pain that Chloe went through, and believing in something mystical was just an excuse for the trauma she endured. Nothing would ever make up for it. "It sucks. I know."

The morning light was only becoming brighter, casting a warm glow through the trees. The rain was already starting to dry up from the hot summer sun, proving it to be a random weather event that maybe wasn't so random after all. It was peaceful in that forest, but that was if there wasn't a missing superpowered friend hiding out in an unmarked location. It felt like a fucked up hide and seek game, and the stories and little games they did to pass the time were only masking the fact that there was an actual problem. Max wasn't nearby. The barn was still not visible from the trail yet. In fact, the only thing either of them could see were the rows of trees lining the beaten path. At the same time, urgency was beginning to take hold. Chloe was feeling it bubbling inside of her the entire time, although she suppressed it out of hope that she was just imagining the whole thing. Once again, she was proven wrong with that idea.

"Max!" Chloe yelled loudly. "Max, where are you?!" Her voice was straining so much that she probably wouldn't be able to speak later that day. She leaned down closer to Rachel to speak at a lower volume. "This better not be what I think it is."

"I know." She nodded back. Her chest panged in an uncomfortable feeling she knew all too well. "I can't even think about it."

The mere thought of Max somehow landing back in the darkroom, with god-knows-what being done to her, was a thought that was too difficult to bear. They hadn't mentioned it the entire time, but they both felt it. It couldn't have been true, at least that was the lie they told themselves. Max barely left the house. So why now?

"I am killing every single motherfucker that got near her if she was." Chloe was practically seething in frustration, beginning to pick up the pace again. Her energy was all over the place that morning. But the words didn't need to be said for either of them to understand.

"I'm right there with you. She doesn't deserve this."

A very small clearing started to emerge up ahead. Small enough that without looking directly at it, they could have missed it. Rachel trailed behind, taking in the scenery while she could. For a moment, there was no stress or fear. It was like they had both entered a world where everything was going to be okay. But that moment didn't last long. A crackle of a branch was heard from a few feet away, making both of them turn their heads in the direction of the sound. Then someone shuffled in place. Or something. Rachel mouthed something to Chloe, followed by a gesture to follow her before they both cautiously investigated the noise.

"Max?" Chloe lowered her voice down to a whisper. It felt like someone was choking her, and the feeling only got worse once the both of them walked into the clearing.

Rachel spotted someone sitting down with their back against a tree. They were huddled close to themselves, maybe crying. She couldn't quite tell. Instinctively, she rushed to grab Chloe's hand and pulled her near.

"Max?" She grabbed a hold of the tree trunk, bringing herself down to a crouch. "Is that you?"

Max sniffed before raising her head from beneath her arms. Her eyes were completely bloodshot. She not only looked extremely upset and exhausted, but like she had seen a ghost. A pale complexion mixed in with so much fear that it was as if time was standing still. Chloe kneeled down by her and Rachel and they both waited for an explanation that was long overdue.

"Chloe?" Max's raspy voice could barely be understood. She reached out and held her hand up to touch Chloe's face almost to check if she was real or not. A gentle stroke on her cheek, then a rapid pulse checking with the back of her hand.

"Max, tell me what's going on right now." Chloe pleaded, feeling herself grow more tense as Max continued to check if she was alive.

Max was acting like she had never seen Chloe before in her life. Like she was from another planet, discovering everything for the first time. She was eerily silent, only making Chloe grow more frustrated.

"What the hell are you doing all the way out here?" Chloe impatiently grabbed Max's hand to make her stop whatever she was doing. It was freaking her out.

"I..." Max broke down into tears, dropping her head to her knees. "I was so scared…"

Chloe instinctively reached out to wrap her arms around her, and Rachel held out a hand on her back as well. They were all sitting huddled together. Max choked back on her cries as she felt like she couldn't put into words what actually had happened.

"I–I saw you!" She shook her head. "No, it wasn't you. But like, it was ."

"What are you talking about? We were both at home, Max."

"You don't get it! We were talking…then you just disappeared…" She looked up at Chloe in such a heartbreaking way that it was physically painful to watch. Max pointed to the space in front of her where nothing but grass laid. "You were right here!"

"Okay," Chloe took a deep breath, pausing on the exhale for a moment. This was all so new. She wanted to go along with it all, she really did. But it wasn't easy to believe. "So what did I look like? Was there anything, I don't know, off about me?"

Max remained silent. Her lack of information was getting to be irritating, but it wasn't something that anyone could get mad at.

"Was I hot?" Chloe added, only to get a sarcastic eye roll from Rachel. There was a hint of a smile appearing on Max's face, even though she still wasn't answering. "God, I was, wasn't I?" Chloe chuckled back at herself. The mood was being gradually lightened, but it was painfully slow. "I probably had like green hair or…or damn, probably some more tats."

A small laugh broke out from Max. "She looked like you do now, I guess."

"Great," Chloe frowned, sitting back into herself like she was actually disappointed. "Now I don't know if that makes it better or worse."

The morning sun was creeping its way through the trees even more so, shining brightly. In a moment so cold, it added much needed warmth. But sitting on the muddy ground wasn't as fun as either one had initially hoped it would be.

"It was so weird," Max wiped the trails of tears away on her face before resting back on the tree. She was visibly more relaxed, as if what Chloe said pulled her out of her nightmare. "I heard this noise by the barn and ran up here to hide."

"I thought they locked it up for the investigation?"

"No…" Max reached out to point at the barn that was just starting to get illuminated by the sun. It was really only a couple feet away. "There's a side entrance."

The Prescott's barn. The place no one dared to go since the incident in April. It was right there the entire time, but neither Chloe or Rachel saw it. It exuded a strange energy, one that if they listened close enough, they could hear screaming. Entrapment. Closing in.

"Did you go inside?" Rachel couldn't take her eyes away from the barn. She truthfully had no idea what it looked like, especially since she was on the edge of death when there was a chance to see it. But, while it wasn't very exciting, it was rustic, that was for sure.

"Well, yeah." Max nodded, with a grin appearing on her face. They both should have known that with or without a strange visitation, she probably would've checked it out at some point. It still didn't sound good saying it out loud.

"Max Caulfield! Are you kidding me?" Chloe sat back in shock, rubbing her forehead like it would help her make sense of it all. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"I told you I was led here. It was out of my control, Chloe."

"That makes zero fucking sense." She mumbled as she was fiddling with her bracelet again. Chloe was avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"So you went inside the barn and saw her?" Rachel added to ease the growing tension brewing. Chloe was acting all over the place, and no one else was asking any important questions anyways. She tried putting her entire attention on Max. "Did she talk to you?"

"She kept telling me that you were dead, Rachel. And she was completely convinced."

Rachel felt herself tense up. Even if it wasn't really real, it was still as disturbing to hear it again. And the fact that it came from someone that was supposed to be Chloe, albeit a different version from somewhere not in the current reality? Something was up.

"I tried telling her that it wasn't funny, but it didn't matter what I said, she wouldn't believe me."

"Are you serious? Really?" She really didn't know what else to say.

"Like I said, convinced."

"Why would I do that?" Chloe interrupted their conversation, feeling overly frustrated. A part of her felt like she was being put on trial for things she definitely didn't say. "This is clearly upsetting you, Max. All of this is bullshit and I won't hear another word about it."

Rachel nodded in sentiment. "So do you think it was another vision?"

"No," Max just shook her head. "It couldn't have been." It was so much more than any other vision she ever had. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a premonition. The Chloe she saw was real. "It all started with this intense dream, then a butterfly flew in through the door…"

Chloe and Rachel just looked at each other in confusion.

"So I followed it up to Blackwell," She decidedly left out the part about the pool, not wanting to get into every single detail right then. It was for a completely different time, anyways. "Then you appeared and led me here."

"And why would you ever think that that was a good idea?" Chloe pleaded, feeling her patience wearing thin. "Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

"You don't understand, it was like I had no control over myself. This is going to sound crazy," Max hesitated, stopping for a moment to judge if she really wanted to say it. It really wasn't that big of a deal, but she was so deep in uncharted territory. "But it felt like a life I've already lived. Like I had crossed realities, or something."

The environment seemed to go still. It was resonating deeply with Rachel, even if her outward expression wasn't showing it well. Chloe sat back to rest on her arms again, something she did when she needed space to think. She gave a quick glance over to Rachel, but noticed that her arm wasn't moving like it was before.

"Hey, your arm." She gestured to it, which inadvertently drew more attention to her. Chloe reached out to touch it, feeling no tremor. It wasn't shaking at all. "It…" She narrowed her eyes, focusing on moving her arm around. "It stopped, Rachel."

Rachel took her right hand and felt it alongside Chloe. It was like it had never happened.

Something about the timing of it all was pushing Rachel to talk about it. She knew Max would understand because she knew about the strangeness dreams and visions brought. And hers was no different. Up until this point, Rachel tried to push it away for the time being because she didn't need to add stress to try and figure it all out. But now that she was where she assumed she was supposed to be, it was now or never.

"Max, I had a dream, too." Rachel quietly shared, feeling like Max needed an explanation to what was going on. "It was after you texted me. I woke up and my arm was shaking and…" She shook her head because she wanted to explain it another time. It was a lot harder than it looked to talk about this kind of stuff. "I just feel like it could be connected somehow."

Rachel withdrew after saying it out loud, backing into herself like she just shared some kind of deep secret that would change everything, but for Max, it was only causing immediate connections to be made. Suddenly, everything was starting to fall into place. Rachel didn't need to say any details for her to have a general idea of what was going on.

"Are you serious?" Max's eyes went wide. "Rachel, this is—"

"Okay, alright I get it," Chloe laughed, jumping at the opportunity to poke fun at the situation. She got confused reactions back which only made it more funny. Rachel never did explain her dream to her after all. "You two fucked in dreamland and are making me feel bad about it. Why don't we just add a fourth while we're at it?"

Max's face was starting to turn red just at the suggestion. "Chloe…"

"You know," Rachel started to smile as she was thinking to herself, sensing Max's embarrassment. She was too easy. "I'm happy with just three." She briefly glanced up to wink at her.

With her hands covering her face, Max groaned loudly. Her leg felt a gentle push from the front of Chloe's boot.

"C'mon, Max," She whined, digging the boot further into her jeans, covering them in mud. "You're no fun."

Max just shrugged back. "Hey, two's company, three's a crowd. I don't make the rules."

Her feelings about Chloe being in a relationship were starting to come out, even if they weren't bad feelings. The only thing that made it all worse was the fact that merely an hour ago, another version of her kissed her without hesitation. Max felt incredibly on edge.

"I really hate that saying." Rachel shifted the way she was sitting, sitting up more. The ground was so terribly uncomfortable that she didn't know how much longer they could all sit here. She wasn't going to make it long. "Technically a crowd is a hundred or more people so it's not even accurate."

A small chuckle broke out next to her.

"What?" Rachel tilted her head to get a better view. "Did I say something?"

"Geez, Rachel, save some facts for the rest of us." Chloe smirked, only realizing that it wasn't nearly as funny as she was making it in her head. Still, teasing Rachel about being an overachiever was only something she could do, otherwise it was just mean. "Your honor's student is showing."

"Rude."

"No, it's cute." She reached out to brush some of the hair behind her ear, before leaving a kiss on her cheek. "Really."

"Well, at least I didn't steal 'hella' from you." Rachel poked her in the side, making her recoil back. "You don't even use it right half the time!"

"I'm adding my own spin to it."

"Oh, I'm sure you are."

Max let out a shaky laugh, only now realizing that maybe everything was going to be okay. It was like something changed in her, something flipped almost instantly. Just seeing them together pulled her out of her horrible nightmare for a moment. A moment she so desperately needed.

"I'm seriously glad you guys are here. You definitely took my mind off of whatever weird shit happened."

"That's hella good, Max." Chloe said as Rachel raised her eyebrow at her for using the one specific word. Now it was sticking out louder than ever before. Oh, Chloe wasn't going to let her live it down now. "But seriously, I was starting to think we weren't going to find you."

"I know, I'm really sorry." A glimmer of sadness washed over Max, but she was just feeling guilty. How did it all change again? Her emotions were about as inconsistent as the weather. "I just didn't know what to do."

"Better us than someone else." Rachel just shrugged.

"Like Dicktator David."

"That would be so weird, Chloe." Max laughed at the thought. She might have called him to help with the darkroom, but that was the extent of that. "I don't like him anymore than you do."

Chloe nodded back, but everyone was starting to grow restless. They could only hang out in the forest for so long before another problem appeared. Let alone the fact that Max had completely forgotten that someone was by the barn the entire time. Were they listening to them? Maybe planning on some kind of attack? She started to hear branches crackling, but when she turned to look, she realized it wasn't real.

Chloe was beginning to stand up and brush off the dried and crusted pieces of mud off her pants, reaching out to help Rachel up with her.

"I think we all need a fucking break. How about a trip to the diner?" She stretched out, yawning, before heading over to Max to lend her a hand. "It's on me. Whatever you want." Max grabbed a hold of her hand and lifted herself up. "Then we can finally be done with this shit. No more drama. No more–"

A loud car horn suddenly interrupted Chloe, followed by a gunshot-sounding noise that instantly caused all three of them to duck. A car backfiring.

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me."

Rachel laughed, but truthfully she was relieved that something was finally happening. That feeling she had when she first woke up was still sticking with her, even if it was coming in waves depending on what was going on. Adrenaline was starting to set in, but in a good way. She didn't realize they weren't alone. How many people were going to show up?

A blue sedan pulled up right next to the red truck, with another person getting out of the car wearing a poncho as well. It wasn't even raining anymore, so they looked severely out of place in the environment. The one that had been waiting by the truck, for nearly an hour by this point, was incessantly tapping their watch while walking over to the other person exiting the vehicle. They were much larger than the one who was waiting, like an older adult.

"What took you so long?"

"The damn storm. I was staying at this motel down south. That place isn't just a few minutes away, you know."

"What the hell were you doing at a motel?"

"Hiding from all the shit you've pulled me into. I'm just waiting on some cash right now. My hands are tied until she pays."

Chloe was creeping forward, almost falling off the cliff trying to get a closer view. Those voices. They sounded too familiar. She kept glancing over at the cars like it was going to help her figure it out, but it only made it worse.

"Make the bitch hurry up then."

"I'll see what I can do."

The blue sedan.

She instantly felt sick to her stomach at the realization. It couldn't have been true. Was she being lied to the entire time? Was he working behind her back?

Chloe quickly turned around and stood up, catching Rachel's attention immediately.

"Babe?" Rachel joined her, reaching out to grab her hand, but was pushed away. Chloe's face was pale. She saw something she didn't like and it was only making Rachel more concerned. "What's wrong?"

She was walking around the general vicinity, not going too far, but pushing the limits on every step. The air was feeling constricted. Chloe took off her beanie and rustled her hair, then quickly put it back on. Then she adjusted it about ten times too much.

"Chloe?" Rachel was slowly following her every move. "Hey," She put her hand out again, this time more forcefully taking ahold of Chloe's arm and pulling her to a stop. "What's going on?"

"This is too much for me right now." Chloe just looked down at the ground and shook her head. She felt so betrayed. So hurt. "We need to just leave."

"No, I'm not going anywhere. I told you this." Rachel watched for Chloe's reaction before squeezing her hand. She didn't do much as a response, but Rachel was trying to make it seem like she wasn't irritated at her , she just wanted to fix the problems she caused in the first place. Although, it was starting to feel like anything she said or did was taken wrong. The entire situation was complicated and messy. Rachel sighed quietly. "Look, if you're going to chicken out, that's fine, but you need to give me the gun."

"Gun?" Max leaned back on the tree surprised. Chloe, and now Rachel, bringing weapons to a potentially dangerous situation wasn't that out of the ordinary, but it still put her on edge. She already had the conversation with her about the revolver, now this?

"See, I told you she'd be upset!" Chloe gestured to her who was clearly not bothered.

"I'm…not upset?" Max lightly laughed. "But why did you bring one?"

She was ignored, though not intentionally. Chloe had too much on her mind to think clearly.

"No, I'm keeping the damn gun." She stood back and crossed her arms, pulling away from Rachel's grasp. "That's one thing I'm not seeing today."

"I can handle it, Chloe."

"I'm sure you can. But no."

"Okay, whatever." Rachel sighed, impatiently dragging Chloe with her as she crouched down near the edge of the tree line. Max followed and sat on a tree stump that sat off to the left. "Let's just get a little closer and see what's going on." She whispered, watching the barn with the utmost intensity. "If it's nothing and they leave, fine. We can go to the diner like you said and I'll let it go."

The first person hastily left the front barn doors carrying out a large black duffel bag before the other one followed. They brought it to the back of the red pickup truck, then went back inside for more. It went on for several minutes. Large lights and more bags. Then, they both were transporting some storage boxes to the sedan.

The trio was completely silent as the two mystery people were busy hauling out everything from the barn. It was strange, but it was making complete sense to Max. It was so clear what they were doing, too. The way the binders were laid out on the floor. The neat and tidy organization in the darkroom. And she had insane timing to have just missed it.

"Holy shit." Max's eyes were glued on the scene, barely able to look away. "They're going to destroy the barn."

"What? How?" Chloe whispered back.

"Just watch."

Max and her eerie, cryptic language that held a lot more meaning than anyone would've liked. It was annoying at times, sure, but both Chloe and Rachel knew better than to doubt her anymore.

The two people down below were almost done, carrying out the final three duffel bags to place in the truck before one of them dug in one of the side doors for something. Five plastic containers of gasoline. They both took one at a time and started at the perimeter first, walking around the barn to douse every square inch of it with gas. When they got empty, they threw it into the bed of the truck once more, before grabbing another canister. As soon as they made it inside, they went out of sight for a few more minutes before coming out again.

"Ready when you are."

The larger person gave the smaller one a thumbs up before they reached in their pocket for a lighter. A couple of flicks later and a spark was made, igniting the match that was held out in front of them. They tossed it onto the jagged trail of gasoline, bringing the entire barn into flames.

The fire was mesmerizing, and Chloe was practically enamored by the sight. She didn't even notice how restless Rachel was getting, already maneuvering around her to adjust her view.

"Should we call the police?" Max nervously mentioned. She knew her phone was somewhere around, buried underneath the grass.

"I'll give the big man a call. Tell him it's done."

After a subtle nod and something inaudible being mentioned, the larger one returned to their sedan and drove off, never to be seen again.

Now there was only one other person. Rachel felt like she had her chance. It was rushed and impulsive, but after waiting just another minute in case someone else showed up, no one did. She was going to do it. Fuck it.

"I really think we should call—"

"Hold that thought, Max." Rachel held out her hand in front of Max, before stepping out from the trees and climbing down the steep hill. She did it too fast for anyone else to stop her. She was sliding, rocks and sticks falling down with her. "Hey!" She yelled at the person standing alone, briskly walking towards them like she was on her own mission. Her voice was starting to become muffled from a distance. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

The person was too busy taking a picture of the burning barn to notice or hear anyone else approaching them.

"Chloe, what is she doing?" Max was feeling herself practically tremble. She didn't know what was going on or what was talked about prior, and seeing Rachel do something like this was extreme. She didn't know her well enough to know if it was a regular occurrence, but it was definitely not something she would do.

"I don't know what's gotten into her, Max." Chloe shook her head, frustrated with the situation. "I really don't." She was already starting to make herself out to the area where Rachel was standing, feeling like she couldn't bear the thought of watching from afar. At the last second she turned around to face Max, holding onto a small tree branch for support. "You coming?"

"No," Max was scanning the environment intensely, not really paying attention to anything else. "I need to find my phone first." God, it was going to take forever to find it again. Why did she have to throw it to begin with? "I'll be over in a few minutes."

A simple nod was all Chloe could give before she climbed her way down the hill. She had no idea what she was going to be getting herself into.

"Hello? Answer me, asshole!" Rachel walked right up to the one standing by the truck, putting her hand on the mystery person's shoulder until they turned around sharply to reveal themselves. "Nathan?" She backed up, not feeling so comfortable anymore. "Oh, no fucking way."

"What?" Chloe was casually making her way over, hearing Rachel say something but couldn't quite hear who it was. She was trying to read the situation from a distance. "Who is it, Rach?"

"Rachel?" Nathan stepped back in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask you the same thing but," She looked out at the burning barn, now starting to become inflamed. Smoke was appearing from the cracks on the roof. It reeked of gasoline. "I think I've already got my answer. Gotta hide the crime somehow, right?" She reached over to nudge Nathan in the side as a joke, but he backed away like he was offended.

"Ever heard of minding your own fucking business?" He hissed before bending over to grab the empty can of gasoline from the ground to put in his truck. "Aren't you supposed to be in a coma?"

"That was months ago, Nathan." Rachel stood back and crossed her arms, peering into the treeline only to see Chloe approaching. Good. Max didn't need to be involved in more drama. She just hoped she didn't back out from the whole ordeal and run back to the truck. Though, she wouldn't blame her.

"Of course. Yeah. Sorry." He put his phone in his pocket, acting exceptionally fidgety. The back of the truck creaked open as he threw the plastic gas can into it. "Still got those cravings?" He abruptly said before pointing to the front end, suggesting that he had something with him. "I have an emergency stash in the glovebox."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You can keep your fucking coke and shove it up your ass for all I care."

It was a touchy subject.

It wasn't a topic that she talked about out loud that often. If ever. Rachel and her previous drug use wasn't just a taboo subject, it was potentially deadly if brought up to the wrong person, like Chloe. She didn't want to go there, especially right now. And plus, she hadn't touched anything since leaving the darkroom. That was her own choice, one that was not easy to confront. It was partially the reason why she was so freaked out about her shaky arm as she assumed it was from withdrawals.

"Really?" Nathan slammed the truck bed shut, brushing his hands together to get off any remaining dirt. "Victoria wasn't lying, then. Good for you."

"Save the sympathy for another time, Nathan." Rachel was chewing her lip, shifting uncomfortably as she stood there alone. She needed Chloe, even if the conversation wasn't that bad anyways. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

The sound of footsteps were only getting louder, until a familiar face appeared next to Rachel, joining her at her side. Chloe winked at her, before reaching out to wrap her arm around her shoulder. Rachel nestled into the comfort, only to receive a nasty look from Nathan in return.

"Jesus Christ," He scoffed, wanting to say more but held back. Weird. "What is she doing here?"

Chloe glared at him. But he didn't seem to care, switching his mood so suddenly that it was hard to follow what he was going to do next. He started to walk to the driver's side door getting ready to leave, but for some reason stopped midway.

"Fuck, before I forget…" He impatiently sighed, feeling around himself like he was looking for something then jumped up inside his truck, rummaging around. "Rachel, I have something for you."

His voice was muffled as he was hanging out the door in such a ridiculous way, it was hard for Chloe and Rachel to hold back from laughing. Although, he was taking too long. It couldn't have been that important.

He suddenly slid out from the doorframe and reached out to Rachel to hand her a little slip of paper.

"Frank wanted me to give this to you."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Chloe, sharing a similar feeling of confusion, before she carefully opened up the paper to reveal a handwritten note and a small picture of her attached. She brought it closer, reading it to herself.

Rachel,

I haven't stopped thinking about you since we both ran into each other. I miss what we had. Why the fuck are you back with Price?

Maybe this pic will make you reconsider ;)

We need to talk. Maybe do something more. Soon.

- Frank

Was this planned? Frank knew better than to do this. So did Nathan. The whole town knew where Rachel was. It wasn't a secret. And the picture. She barely had any clothes on, making it clear that it was carefully selected on purpose. That fucking pig.

Any patience Rachel had for Nathan was thrown away at that moment and was replaced by a burning rage that wasn't going to be distinguished until she did something about it. Her eyes locked onto him as he was beginning to climb up into his truck to leave, clutching onto the note before shoving it in Chloe's face to read for herself. That piece of paper could burn in hell for all she cared.

"Why the fuck did you have that?" She said through gritted teeth, reaching and pulling Nathan out from the door. She gripped onto his poncho, ripping the plastic as he nearly fell out onto the gravel. She had completely taken him by surprise. "Tell me now!"

"I told you, Frank gave it to me!" He was having trouble keeping his balance, carrying himself through sways and uneven steps until he held onto the driver's side door. Nathan couldn't meet her gaze, looking away at every moment she got near. He was so easily intimidated by Rachel. Too easy.

Rachel glanced back at Chloe who was staying back in place, not wanting to get involved quite yet. But she was just as furious from the note, now thrown onto the ground into a crumpled ball. Frank was gross for putting that stupid picture in with it. He knew about Chloe and Rachel. He saw them together. It just made everything worse.

Frank Bowers was Rachel's biggest trigger. Something where it didn't matter how far she ran from it, he was always there creeping in the shadows. Any plan said moments ago with Max was thrown out the window. This was way more important now.

"When? When did you get it?" Rachel snapped, grasping onto Nathan's poncho now by the neck opening to drag him closer. It wasn't easy because he was taller than her, but maybe it was the pure rage and frustration that had built up over the past few months that gave her the strength to do it. The plastic crinkled underneath her fingers. "How long has this fucking picture been with you?"

"I–I don't know!" Nathan stuttered on the lie. "Maybe a week? Two weeks?"

He was acting nervous, but the kind of nervous where Rachel couldn't read what he was going to do. It was like he forgot to take his medication that morning, or maybe he sourced it from somewhere else illegally. Either way, it wasn't working. Nathan was a ticking time bomb and that timer was going to go off any second.

"And you just kept it to do what? Get off on it?" She got so close to him, just enough to see a hint of fear in his eyes. Good. Rachel had him by the throat, but the plastic was beginning to slip. She tightened her grip a final time, while Nathan was squirming in place with his arms trying to grab onto anything to pull him out. "What else does Frank have?"

"I don't know anything about it, bitch! What the fuck do you want from me!" Nathan yelled with his fists clenched by his side, daring to do more. He wanted to. Oh, he really wanted to. After everything that had happened between the two of them, it was the only thing running through his mind. He tore himself out of Rachel's grasp and pushed her back hard, making her stumble backwards. "Get off of me!"

"Don't fucking touch her!" Chloe ran over and got right in his face, following his movements sharply. She desperately held herself back from punching him right there, but it was difficult. Her hands were shaking in rage.

"Shut up you fucking dyke!" Nathan pushed her back even harder than he did to Rachel, taking her breath away for a moment. He couldn't lose. No. Especially not to Price. "Fuck you!"

"Back off, asshole!" Chloe matched his steps and closed him off, somehow managing to shove Nathan onto his truck forcefully. The metal exterior rang on the impact.

She stood coldly in place, waiting for his next move. Like a game of chess. She knew Rachel, and definitely Max, would be pissed later if she went there, if she went to the feelings she was holding inside of her since April. She knew that even if they had talked about it beforehand, through the reluctance and hesitation, that it was never going to get this far. But she had to. Nathan almost shot her in the darkroom. She saw what he did to Rachel without her even knowing. The mental images were coming on too strongly, blinding her from anything else that was happening around her. Rachel yelled something but she didn't know what. The fire from the barn was only growing stronger. This moment was in the making for a long time.

Each step Chloe took towards Nathan seemed to get louder and louder each time. She was getting closer. Too close.

"You've hurt everyone I've ever cared about!" She stood directly in front of him, arms crossed. "You hurt Rachel," Another small step forward. "You hurt Max," She was so close that she could smell the expensive cologne coming from his jacket underneath the sheet of plastic. It was nauseating. "You're gonna pay for this shit."

Nathan took a deep breath before charging at Chloe. "Nobody tells me what to do!"

He swung hard, hitting her eye with his fist, with a glint of fury in his eyes. She lost her balance and crashed to the ground, colliding hard with the sharp rocks below. Everything went blurry. The entire world seemed to fade in and out.

The sound of something metal fell out from behind her, skidding across the gravel. She reached up to feel her eye, as the sensation that something was wet was dripping down her cheek, and when she pulled away, a stain of blood covered her fingertips. An open wound slashed just under her eyelid. But Nathan wasn't afraid to go further. He knelt down and wrapped himself around her legs, raising his fists before swinging at anywhere he could hit. A blow to the jaw. Then her shoulder. He was being completely consumed by his emotions.

Everything was happening so fast that there wasn't another moment to spare. Nathan wasn't just out for blood, he was going to kill Chloe. She was going to die just because of Frank.

As Rachel desperately searched around for something to stop Nathan, the metal casting of the pistol glimmered in the light, causing her to run straight over to it. She had watched it initially fall but waited until there was a free moment to grab it. She had to do something. Anything. Chloe was clawing herself away, grasping at the tiny pebbles but it wasn't working. Nathan kept dragging her back for more. The sudden movement Rachel made when she urgently reached down for the gun caused Nathan to pull away from the fight for a moment. Shock spread across his face at the sight. Rachel held the pistol with both hands, steady and confident.

"Back the fuck up!" Rachel screamed with every bit of force she had in her, moving her finger to the trigger. "Now!"

A sudden burst of wind appeared out of nowhere, blowing up the dirt from the ground. The trees were swaying back and forth in the distance. It was starting to swirl around her and the barn, causing the fire to only be ignited more so.

The barrel was looking at Nathan right in the face, unwavering. He backed up from Chloe slowly, waking up from the destructive trance he was in. The sound of footsteps were heard from behind Rachel, but she didn't dare to take her focus off of Nathan.

"You won't." He was out of breath, reluctantly pulling himself up the side of the truck to stand up. For the first time, he wasn't armed. He didn't have anything on him other than a lighter. Rachel had him beat. Checkmate. "You won't do it, Rachel."

"Yeah? Try me, motherfucker."

The barn let out an explosion, sending a fiery piece of siding out into the forest, lighting a tree on fire in the distance. The wind continued to gust across the area, now so strong that the red pickup was moving in its place. She could feel the energy coursing through her entire being but she couldn't stop. Not now.

Chloe was rolling to her side to try to get up, but kept falling over from losing her balance. She groaned in pain, clutching onto her eye. Blood dripped from her face on every move. Max had rushed over and knelt beside her, letting her use her arm to help guide her up. Subtle mumblings were heard as they both stood back. Though, a sense of electricity was starting to flow through Max, feeling her own power start to make itself known. It was happening again. She held back, holding onto any feeling she had to rewind and just never leave the living room in the first place. The barn must have been a hot spot for it, because she wasn't blind. She saw what was happening around Rachel.

Nathan was completely frozen where he stood.

"I'm giving you until the count of three to leave." Rachel stepped closer to Nathan with no hesitation, voice thundering with fire.

She gripped the gun hard, not moving it in the slightest. He was intimidated, that was for sure, but the biggest problem was that she didn't even know if it was loaded or not. She assumed it was, but did she really want to test that theory?

"One…"

Nathan grabbed onto the driver's door and boosted himself up into the seat, stumbling on entry. He had never looked so afraid in his life.

"Two…"

"Okay! I…Fuck!" The keys were dropped on the floor. He fumbled around on the ground for them before turning it in the ignition, causing fumes to blast out the exhaust. Rachel was so close to him, steadily getting closer at each number.

"Three!" She roared, flames burning brightly and winds picking up to an uncomfortable speed. She shot her arm straight up to the sky and she pulled the trigger.

Rachel fired the gun.

The recoil was stronger than she anticipated, blowing her shoulder back. It was loud, too, causing everything to be alarmingly quiet after. Apparently it was loaded. A lucky warning shot.

The sound made Nathan rapidly slam on the gas and race out of the area, kicking up a cloud of dust before he vanished into the horizon. He had no idea that she was going to go that far with it. But she did.

Rachel just stood there with the gun still in her hand as she stared off into the road. The metal weighed heavy. Her ears were ringing. Adrenaline coursing through her body. The wind instantly settled as soon as Nathan drove away, but the crackling of the fire was almost unbearable, despite everything sounding muffled. She looked down at her left arm, then the surroundings. What just happened? Did she cause it? She was stuck in her mind, racing through every thought she had, until Max pulled her out by yelling from behind.

"Hey! We need to get out of here now!" She urgently pointed to the barn that was nearly bursting at the seams from the flames. Chloe was clinging onto Max, desperately holding on. "It's going to explode!"

A loud hiss came from the wood, with panels falling off onto the ground below. The gasoline trail was done poorly which was causing the fire to spread towards them at a rapid pace. Chloe kept stumbling over her own feet, as Rachel rushed over to take her under her other arm. The gun was shoved into the back of her jeans for the meantime. As they all ran, they ducked into the forest nearby and made their escape as fast as they could. Branches were scraping and tearing their clothes to shreds. Rachel and Chloe were barely keeping up behind Max as she led them to the main trail where she assumed Chloe's truck was.

There was a loud blast that echoed throughout the surrounding area, then a flash of bright light. For a moment, they all stopped, watching as little bursts of fire and debris flew out above them. Chunks of metal sheeting were blown around them. The flames howled, deepening the sound on each stride.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Max called out, waving at the two behind her to pull it together. Everyone was gasping for air. Panic set in again.

Chloe's truck was just appearing behind the trail's sign. Clutching onto the handle and quickly jumping inside, she pressed on the gas pedal so fast that the truck jolted forward. She screamed and tried again, reaching down to shift into the first gear. They couldn't get out of there fast enough. After an initial struggle, they all drove off to the main road, watching out the front windshield the massive flames drawing from the barn. Someone needed to call the fire department, or there was going to be a forest fire. And yet, nobody spoke a single word the entire ride home.

The butterfly leads. The raven calls. The owl knows.