Disclaimer: I do not own Life is Strange or any of its characters. This story is for entertainment only.
Chapter Five
Max runs a hand through her hair, glaring at the papers below her. The words stare up at her almost as though they're taunting her, daring her not to finish answering their questions. Another ten minutes pass until she groans in protest, closing her Language of Photography textbook because she thinks that after hours of trying to finish the finals review worksheet, she deserves at least a little break. A small sigh escapes her as she rests her head on the thick tome on her desk.
She feels exhausted, both mentally and physically. Her limbs feel like they're being weighed down, like there are sandbags tied around them making her movements sluggish. Her eyelids begin to flutter shut and unconsciousness begins to tug at her, and Max feels like a nap would actually be really nice.
Then she blinks her eyes open and a frown forms on her lips. Wait, that's not right... Lifting her head, Max picks up her phone and unlocks it, and then she just stares at the date on the screen for what feels like forever. "What the fuck?" she mutters after a good while, unable to tear her eyes away from the date and time.
9:53 AM - Saturday, December 12th
The fatigue makes sense then, because somehow Max had managed to completely forget about The Ritual. She looks up at the window, cold alarm running through her. It's already far too late to go hunting now because sunlight had met the horizon hours ago. A tiny hint of panic begins to sizzle in the pit of her stomach because this is the first time she's ever missed The Ritual. It vaguely reminds her of that first night she ever fed, and she shudders at the memory.
She shoots the schoolwork a spiteful look with new found resentment. It's appalling that she'd been so caught up in trying to finish reviews and essays that she'd forget about something so important, especially after years of being so diligent.
And to make matters even worse, her phone buzzes only a few minutes later.
Chloe: yo, Mad Max, ready to hang?
"Shit," she grumbles. She had promised Chloe that she would put this day aside so that they could go and do something together. For a second she considers if she should cancel, but then a pang of guilt shoots through her at the thought. After the argument that had gone down just a few days ago, it wouldn't be right for her to bail on the other girl; if she did, she's pretty sure she would surpass Chloe and officially obtain the title of Shittiest Friend Ever.
She rubs her hands over her face, contemplating what to do. Max doesn't feel that tired and she thinks she can get away with just waiting until tonight. She feels incredibly unsettled about the whole situation, but at this point there's not a whole lot she can do about it. She's never gone hunting during the day before and the mere thought sounds scarier and more unappealing than simply waiting until she can be masked by the quiet safety of night.
It's just one day. She'll go along with whatever plans Chloe has for the day and then as soon as midnight rolls around she'll go and hunt. It'll all be fine... right?
The wind rustles through the trees, whispering through the leaves. They're still stained a myriad of reds and oranges, and it feels less like winter and more like the last remnants of fall are still clinging onto the days. That's not particularly abnormal though and Max doubts that the temperature will drop below forty degrees again, much less procure another little bout of snow—lovely as that had been. Arcadia Bay, being a town located along the Pacific coast, doesn't exactly see a whole lot of freezing weather.
But the air is still chilly, and Max zips up her jacket as Chloe leads her deeper into the woods. It's kind of interesting how the other girl had chosen hiking to be their "fun activity" for the day, which means being in the same general area where Max goes to hunt; she wonder's if the universe is just messing with her now. She can't help but notice the scents of various critters nearby and it reminds her of the vague feeling of weakness in her bones. It's such an odd and unpleasant feeling she's not used to, and she wishes she could satiate her needs right then and there.
Of course, that's not even a remote possibility, due to the girl bounding ahead of her. "Where are you even taking me?" Max asks, overstepping a fallen branch on the ground.
Chloe glances back at her and grins. "You'll see. There's an epic spot up a little ways."
Max wonders how Chloe even knows where she's going, considering that they aren't even following a clear path, but she decides not to question it and rather waits to see where they end up. They don't talk much during the trek, mostly because it seems like the blue-haired girl is more focused on getting them to their destination more than anything else.
In terms of weather Max can thoroughly enjoy, it's a really nice day in her book. Any day where the sun is hidden from view is.
However, she secretly loves when the sun hangs high in the air, even though she can't necessarily be outside in it for extended periods of time. She thinks the way the sun splays across certain scenes make for the best photographs, and the bright tone is admittedly more beautiful than the dull and muted feel of gloomy days in her opinion. That isn't to say she doesn't carry a fondness for days like the current one though. Over the years, she's developed an affection for overcast days that will last her entire life.
After a while of following Chloe further into the depths of the forest, she finally finds herself in a small clearing along the edge of a steep hill. Max hadn't realized how high they'd climbed, because the little expanse of flat land overlooks most of Arcadia Bay. It's a stunning view and Max instinctively pulls her camera out to take the shot.
Chloe laughs behind her. "I knew you'd dig it!"
After she's taken the picture, she turns around with a smile. "This is pretty cool, Che. How'd you find this place?"
"I found it a few years ago when I left the house one day to get away from my step-douche and mom. Back then I had to mark the trees with a knife so I could find my way back, but now I've been here enough times that I don't need to do that anymore. This hideout is a lot more secret than the junkyard," she says, chuckling a little. "I don't feel comfortable kicking a fire up here though, sorry."
"It's fine," Max replies, removing her shoulder bag before sitting down. The grass is soft and dense beneath her fingertips, tickling her skin as she touches the emerald-colored blades. Chloe sits down next to her and for a long time they just sit there, staring off into the distance and merely enjoying one another's company. Max's mind drifts as she thinks about her vampirism, and she idly wonders how long she could go without feeding before she was reduced to a similar state as that first time.
She's not exactly interested in finding out though, and she mentally kicks herself again for messing up this morning. It's impossible for her to wrap her head around the fact that she neglected to take care of things due to something as mundane as schoolwork. She sighs and tosses a glance at the blue-haired girl next to her; Chloe looks content, leaning back on her hands with her eyes closed.
Max shuffles and pulls herself to her feet before grabbing her camera. She snaps a shot of Chloe then, intent on capturing the peaceful expression on her face as she sits there in the grass. The other girl cracks her eyes open and smiles a little while quirking an eyebrow. "Like the view?"
Max rolls her eyes. "You looked happy. It was a good picture."
Right as it seems like Chloe's about to respond, two things happen in that instant. A loud rustling ripples throughout the air as a deer bursts into the clearing, and Max, startled by its sudden appearance, instinctively takes a step backwards. The next thing she knows, there's the terribly unmistakable feeling of falling deep in her gut, and wind is assaulting her face. She scrambles to grab onto the edge of cliff, but her fingers don't find a proper hold and she's tumbling far below.
She hears Chloe shouting her name but she barely registers it, her thoughts instead focusing on the intense pain blooming in her side. Even though realistically it's only a few seconds, it feels as though time slows down as Max falls to the ground. When everything finally stops moving, it takes her a few moments to gather her surroundings.
The hill is steep but luckily for Max it wasn't as tall or high up as she'd initially thought. She sees Chloe up at the top, peering down with a panicked expression written across her face. Then she realizes that the other girl is still calling out to her. "I-I'm fine," Max manages to grit out, even though she feels far from it.
"I'll be there as fast as I can, okay?" Chloe shouts. The sound of her rustling through the trees follows.
The pain is what shocks Max the most. When she glances down to get a proper look at herself, she gasps a little, which only sends another shock of agony zooming through her chest. Crimson stains her jacket around her abdomen, and her clothes are in a torn and bloodied mess. Unzipping the jacket, she hastily lifts the material of her shirt up before inspecting the damage through clenched teeth.
There's a huge gash along the left side of her abdomen and she hisses as the cold air hits the injury. Max inches backwards until she's leaning up against a tree stump, crying out as she moves herself. Max can see more blood spilling from her stomach and it only reminds her of the fatigued feeling in her bones. It's terrifying in an oddly nostalgic way, making her think of that night she'd been on the verge of death. She thinks she might be approaching that level of desperation as she presses her shirt against the wound in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding.
Even though it's probably only a little over five minutes, it feels like hours before Chloe is there by her side. Max's breath hitches as the other girl comes bounding over; she looks a little scratched up herself, and Max figures she didn't exactly take much care in getting to her unscathed.
"Oh shit," Chloe curses, running a hand through her hair. "That—that's a lot of blood!"
Max doesn't say anything, only watches as Chloe pulls out her phone and attempts to dial someone, a constant stream of swear words falling out of her mouth as she waits for an answer. Then she barks out another curse, followed by, "There's no fucking signal out here! Shit, Max, I don't know if I can carry y—"
She doesn't hear whatever else Chloe continues to ramble on about, because her attention is instead focused on the only thing she knows will fix things.
Blood.
Obviously her own won't work—that ship had sailed years ago; she had attempted it one time simply out of curiosity only to find it had no effect on her whatsoever—but she isn't sure what else. She doesn't think Chloe is capable of going out and finding her an animal, much less actually capturing and killing one... Then an absolutely insane idea pops into her head and despite everything happening, it makes her heart flutter. Her blood, you idiot!
I can't just bite her. What if it turns her? Max argues with herself in her head.
Does it matter? You're going to fucking die!
Of course it matters, she thinks. She cannot risk the other girl; she'd rather die before even considering it. Of that she is sure. Then something else crosses her thoughts.
"Chloe," she blurts, looking up at the girl who is pacing wildly just a few feet from her. Spinning on her feet, she stops abruptly, rushing over to kneel next to her.
"Yes? Tell me what to do and I'll do it."
"Pocket knife. Do you have one on you?"
"Um, yeah, right here," she replies somewhat slowly, pulling one out from her back pocket.
Max's heart thumps wildly in her chest at the thought of what she's about to ask. Of course, it was already beating rapidly from the adrenaline coursing through her, but she feels like it only speeds up more and that doesn't help stop the blood flow one bit. "I need you to cut yourself," she says.
"W-what the fuck do you mean, Max?" Chloe stutters, clearly confused and freaked out.
"Just do it," she grunts, her hands clenched in tight fists as pain wracks her body.
"What the fuck is that going to accomplish though? I think you're delirious, l-let me try to get you to the hospit—"
"Chloe," Max says, her voice a steely and determined thing, surprisingly steady all things considered. And there must be something in her expression when she says it too, because the other girl stops talking and just stares at her for a second before hesitantly flicking the knife open.
"I—fuck—okay, Max. Only because I trust you," she says quietly, staring at her. Somewhere in the back of her head, Max thinks that Chloe must be the delirious one here, because no one in their right mind would have accepted this particular demand. "Where?"
"It... it doesn't matter."
Then Max can only stare as Chloe drags the blade across her wrist, right below the base of her hand. Three little beads of blood form before they spill together across the fresh wound and Max glances up at Chloe's expectant face for only a fraction of a second before something inside her snaps; it too, is reminiscent of that first night. Her hand darts out, grabbing Chloe's wrist before pulling it to her mouth, her tongue flicking to catch the blood that's just started to drip down.
And the flavor is so different yet so similar to animal blood that a strangled noise pushes past her throat, a choked combination of a moan and growl at the same time. She feels Chloe try to tug away but Max tightens her grip, both refusing and terrified to let her go. Nonetheless, a tiny voice lingering in the back of her consciousness reminds her to be careful not to puncture the other girl's skin with her teeth. This way, she's only drinking Chloe's blood, not actually biting her. In the back of her head, Max hopes it's enough, and if not, that's a bridge she'll cross when she gets there, because the current fog that's enveloped her brain is hard to get past.
Then the wave of euphoria hits her, and it's unlike anything Max has ever felt before. It crashes into her tenfold compared to that first time she'd tasted blood. She can feel as it surges throughout her veins, pulsing through her body and sinking into the very core of her bones. The pain in her abdomen quickly quickly dissipates until it's but a mere throbbing sensation in her stomach.
When she finally lets go of Chloe's wrist, she licks her lips and looks down at her stomach injury; while it's still a bloody mess of torn clothes and skin, she can tell that the bleeding has stopped and she thinks it might have closed up completely.
And then she looks up at Chloe, and she has no idea what to call the expression on the other girl's face. It's scared, shocked, alarmed, and most of all it's confused. The cogs turning in her brain, trying to piece the facts together, are almost tangible. Max opens her mouth to say something but no words come out because she doesn't know what to say. What do you say to your best friend after you've just frantically drank her blood and then healed before her eyes? How do you explain that?
Max doesn't even realize that her hands are shaking as she pulls herself to her feet with little effort; they're not shaking from fear or fatigue, though. Rather, the pure energy coursing through her is fresh and buzzing inside her with such a strong vigor that she's trembling. And then there's the metallic taste on her tongue, which is also strangely sweet at the same time. Chloe just stands there, watching as Max awkwardly straightens her clothes to the best of her abilities. Unfortunately, a vampire's powers don't extend to magically fixing ripped and stained fabric.
It's only a few moments but it feels like forever before Max comes to a conclusion. The truth. All of it. There's no sense in hiding it now, so I'll just tell her everything. With that thought in mind, she looks the other girl in the eyes and says, "Well, you wanted to know what I was hiding so bad… here it is, Chloe." Then she reaches out to touch the blue-haired girl's arm and her heart sinks when she recoils away.
"I—I need to go," Chloe mumbles, shaking her head as she stumbles a few steps back.
"Wait," Max says, taking a step forward. "Chloe, let me explain, I'll tell y—"
But Max can only stare as the other girl shakily turns tail and runs off into the woods, her chest beginning to swell with a sad kind of ache. And nonetheless, through all the different things tumbling around in Max's head, there's a tiny yet terrible thought about how the taste Chloe's blood still seems to sizzle delightfully on her tongue.
Author's Note: Hella bean spillage! This was one of the funnest chapters to write, so I hope you guys enjoyed it. Things get rough in the next few chapters, but I absolutely positively promise they get better! Also, I'm replying to reviews and dropping random rambles and story updates on my tumblr, so be sure to check that out if you're interested. There's a link in my profile.