"How fucking dare you, you Nazi prick!" Chloe exploded, stepping menacingly toward David while Max was trying to hold her back.
"Chloe," she kept shouting, "calm down!"
"I didn't mean to insult," David defended himself, stepping back with his hands raised in a gesture of appeasement while Joyce also stood between them, her arms spread wide to keep them apart.
"Oh yeah?" Chloe shouted. "And in what world is the word 'parasite' not an insult, asshole? Remember how you lived here unemployed before you got that job at Blackwell? Sure you're not a parasite yourself?"
"She does have a point, David," Max scolded gently. "That was not a nice word at all."
"I was just saying I don't like the idea of you leeching-"
"David!" Joyce interrupted sternly. "Not a good word either!"
"Okay, feeding off of people like that, it's just… not right."
"Just because you don't understand something doesn't make it not right," Max said.
"But it's assault!"
"Big whoop!" Chloe retorted. "Most of the people we feed on are consenting anyway."
"Consenting? There are people who consent to that?"
"She's right," Max said, "we go to clubs, places where we can find people who enjoy to have us bite them. For them, it's like a fun game, they don't realize we really feed this way, and we don't take enough blood to cause any damage. David, I understand you're not comfortable with this, it could take you some time to get used to the idea, but that's just the way we are now, and we can't change that. You have to accept it."
Okay, a couple times we kind of assaulted people. But they were bastards who had it coming!
Are you sure? Warren and Brooke deserved this too?
Well, no, but-
Even Nathan, he's obviously mentally ill, do you think he deserved to be tortured and scared like that?
Okay, okay, we may have gone a little overboard a couple times, but it's hella hard to stay in control all the time! And we didn't kill or seriously maim anyone!
David huffed, apparently not convinced. "It's… I still don't like this, it's not normal."
"What a fucking surprise," Chloe sneered, crossing her arms with disdain. "You almost had me there with your grand speech about making it up to me and being a good stepdad, but first thing you don't get, you revert back to Stepführer mode. Reminds me of when Rach came-"
"This is a completely different situation!" he roared back.
"Now," Joyce declared, loud enough to cover his voice. "If you don't mind, girls, I'd like to have a little private conversation with my husband."
And on these words, she dragged him to the garage and closed the door behind them. Which was kind of useless since the girls could hear through the door, but better give them the illusion of privacy, right?
"I know you're not comfortable with this," they heard Joyce tell him, "I'll be lying if I said I am. It's weird and we're going to need time to get used to it."
"It's not just weird, honey, it's-"
"But," she interrupted, "it's also a miracle that gave me my daughter back, and I am not letting it drive her away from me. I love her, and I always will, no matter what she becomes. And as she reminded you just now, you promised to make an effort! Now it's time to put your money where your big mouth is, David Madsen! You will get back in here and apologize to your stepdaughter, or God is my witness I will kick your ass so bad you're gonna need a donut cushion to sit down for the rest of your life!"
Having heard it all, Max and Chloe had to refrain a chuckle when they saw David return to the living room, his eyes low and his cheeks red with embarrassment.
"I…" he mumbled sheepishly. "I was not comfortable with this, uh, situation, and I judged you too fast, and I didn't use the right words, and I am sorry. Knowing you two are vampires scares me a little, I have to be honest about that, but I will try to be patient and understand and accept it."
Chloe opened her mouth but Max, sensing she was about to snap back with one of her "witty" retorts, elbowed her.
"Meet him half-way," she murmured.
Chloe sighed. Fuck, Max, why do you have to always be the sensible one?
"Apologies accepted," she said begrudgingly. "For now. But you're gonna have to make a lot more effort in the future."
Max sighed in relief. And a bloodbath avoided, but that was close! David seemed sincere enough, surely they would get along in the long run, but man what a headache this was going to be until then!
Her phone rang at this moment, interrupting her thoughts, and when she took it out, her blood froze in her veins. Victoria had sent her a picture, which she recognized instantly: it was the selfie they'd taken at the Halloween party, each with an arm wrapped around the other's shoulders, making vampire faces at the camera. Of course, Max was not visible anywhere, and the picture only showed Victoria in her dress, making a face with her fake fangs, with an arm raised and wrapped around nothing like an idiot.
Holy shit, I completely forgot this pic!
The picture was followed by a text message:
Victoria Chase: care to explain?
The brunette barely had time to figure out what to answer when a second text arrived:
Victoria Chase: boardwalk. In 20 minutes. You better be there or we're done.
"Chloe!" Max called. "We got a problem…"
Max found Victoria standing at the end of a jetty that cut across the beach from the boardwalk, in front of an ice-cream shop that was closed for winter. The young photographer couldn't help but stop and gape in awe at the wonderful sight of her girlfriend turning her back to her, standing on what looked like the edge of the world, her gaze lost in contemplation of the ocean, with the golden dusk light shining on her equally golden hair and the chill wind making the tail of her expensive coat flow like a cape. Such a beautiful picture, waiting to be taken… she had to fight to refrain from grabbing her Polaroid. Tori would probably not like it if she started taking pics like this was a leisure walk. Instead, she walked to the end of the jetty and gently touched the blonde's arm.
Victoria jumped, and turned around to face her girlfriend with a stare so cold it could've frozen her dead… if she wasn't kind of already dead, of course.
"Hi, Tori," she greeted sheepishly, but as she leaned in for the kiss, Victoria dodged and stepped away, turning her back to her once more.
This isn't starting good…
"I was feeling lonely," the blonde started, staring at the sea. "We had… a really nice date last Friday, I thought things were going great between us-"
"But they are!" Max interrupted. "I had a lovely date too!"
"Oh, really? Then why did you become a ghost right afterward? You couldn't be found anywhere in the dorm, it's like you disappeared!"
"I told you, Tori, I have business with-"
"With Lacroix, yes I know." She snorted: "You always come up with a good excuse, don't you? And for Tay's party, you're spending time with Joyce, fair enough… then who did I hear call you? Cause that certainly didn't sound like Joyce!"
"I, uh…" Max's words died in her throat and she couldn't but stare at the wooden planks beneath her feet.
"So," Victoria continued, turning around to face her, "as I said, I was feeling sad this afternoon, wondering what was going on, where I went wrong… I got nostalgic and realized I hadn't yet taken a look at the pictures from the party… only to find that you'd somehow found a way to hack into my fucking phone to edit yourself out of our selfie! I don't even know how you did that, or why… I mean, wasn't it easier to erase the pic altogether if you didn't like it? What kind of twisted fuck does that?"
Max opened her mouth, but Victoria raised a hand to cut her off: "I'm not finished, Caulfield. Now…"
She took a deep breath, and the young photographer could see her green eyes sparkle with tears: "I'll be truly honest with you, Max: this is all new to me. Most people think I have a lot of dating experience, but au contraire! I had… very few relationships before, none of them worked. With you, I'm just starting to figure out that it may have something to do with me preferring girls after all. And trust me, coming out is not the easiest thing in the world!"
"It wasn't easy for me either…"
"Let me finish, please! What I mean is, it's my first time being with… a girl, and a girl I really like, and I don't want to ruin it but I'm not feeling confident at all in this. Yes, me, Victoria Chase, I admit I'm scared shitless, and it's not a pleasant feeling at all! And if I feel like you're keeping things from me, then it's not… it's not gonna work, you need to be honest with me, Max!"
"I'm trying!" Max shouted. "I'm trying but it's so fricking hard!"
"Why is it so hard?" Victoria yelled. "What are you hiding, Max?"
"I… I…"
"And would you please take off those stupid shades when we're talking?"
Dammit, why is it so hard? For Joyce, it was Chloe's decision, I just went along, but here… she's my girlfriend, and if I want to keep her I have to do it on my own! But what if telling her only makes things worse? What if she rejects me?
She took a deep breath and removed her sunglasses to meet her girlfriend's gaze. The light was dim enough now for it to be just mildly uncomfortable. Then she grabbed her hands. They were warm. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you, Tori, but… my life is… let's say it's a little… complex."
She made a pause. Victoria stared at her in confusion. "It… it may happen for someone to… to have several… facets, you see?"
Tori nodded, but Max could see she didn't quite get it. "And… sometimes," she resumed, "these facets may lead someone to… have some sort of double life."
"Are… are you telling me you're bi and you're also dating a guy?"
"What? No! Of course not!"
"Oh, shit, then there is another girl, isn't there? Who is she?"
"No, it's not that! Shit, listen, Tori, I… you see, normal humans – I mean, people – they get up in the morning, they… they eat their breakfast and then they go to school, and work, and… and when they go home, their day is over, they can rest and sleep at night. You see what I mean?"
"No."
"Okay… crap, okay, what I mean is, for me… I don't do that… when I… when my day is over, I get to rest a little and then my second day begins. At night."
"Oookaaaay… so you're moonlighting? Like, you found a job as a stripper or something?"
"Eww, no! Dammit, you don't get it…"
"I would get it if you spoke clearly! What are you trying to tell me, Caulfield?"
"I…"
I am a vampire! I am a vampire! Four fucking words, come on Max, it's not that hard!
"Okay," Victoria cut her, losing patience. "We'll try it another way: I'm going to ask you very simple questions, and you'll answer with yes or no. Alright?"
She didn't wait for Max's answer to start: "Are you seeing another girl?"
"Yes. But it's not what you think!" she quickly added upon seeing Tori's nose flare in anger. "She… I'm reconnecting with an old friend. I lost sight of her years ago and, well, we've been spending a lot of time together these past few days, fixing our friendship and all…"
"What? Is that it? Then why haven't you told me? You never told me you had old friends here, except… except Chloe! Who is she, then? Do I know her?"
"Yes," Max muttered, staring at her shoes, mustering all her courage for what was coming. She closed her trembling hands into fists, took a deep breath, and made the jump: "Yes, you know her. It's… Chloe."
Victoria froze in utter shock and confusion. At first, she could do nothing but stare at her girlfriend, wondering what the hell she was talking about. But then, a spark of understanding illuminated her brain. Softening, she took Max in her arms, petted her hair gently, and said with her sweetest voice:
"Oh, Max, I'm so sorry… and to think I made a scene when you… you still miss her, don't you? I can only imagine how hard it must be for you, how badly you wish she were still here, how it can lead you to… to imagine she's still alive, and you guys are reconnecting… I'm sorry, I know you need time to let her go, and I'll be patient, but I want you to let me in, to help you…"
But to the blonde's bewilderment, Max pulled out of the hug and said, with an air of supreme annoyance: "I'm not making this up, Tori. Chloe is really alive, and I've been spending time with her for four days now."
"Max, be reasonable! We… we were both at her funeral, how can-"
"Yes, I know. She was dead then, but she returned."
"The dead can't return!"
"Yes, they can. I know. I know because…"
She closed her eyes. No, I can't!
"Do it," she heard Chloe's voice. Not in her head, but in her ear, Chloe's actual voice, coming to her from the punk's hiding spot seven hundred feet away. With their super-hearing, it was easy for the punk to overhear their conversation and for Max to hear her voice. "You can't make it this far and get chickenshit now," she continued. "Tell her, Maxi-pad. I'm right here with you."
She could almost feel her best friend hold her hand in support, and it warmed her heart. So she took a deep breath, and dove:
"I know because I brought her back myself. And I could do that because I'm a vampire and it's one of the things I can do."
Victoria's jaw dropped. She stayed silent, dumbfounded, for a full minute, until she finally registered her girlfriend's words and sighed, pinching her nose in annoyance.
"Look," she said, "I… I liked it when we played vampire games, I really did, but now is not the time for that kind of fooling around, Max."
"I am not fooling around. This is real, Tori, trust me. And I'm sorry I've kept you in the dark for so long, but I needed to… get my bearings, first, get used to my new life, and to Chloe's return, and-"
"Wait, Max, wait," Victoria murmured, softly taking the photographer's hands and looking her in the eyes. "Do you believe this is all real? That you're a vampire and you brought Chloe back?"
"Yes. But-"
"Okay." She nodded. "Okay, look Max, I care about you, you can trust me. Do you trust me?"
"I wouldn't be telling you all that if I didn't. Look-"
"Good. So I'm going to help you, okay? We're we gonna go through this together, but you have to promise me you're going to listen to the doctors and take any meds they deem fit, alright?"
Max took a moment to register, then she frowned and her nose flared in anger: "You think I'm a looney?"
"No! Of course not! Just because you're traumatized and seeking solace in your imagination doesn't mean you're crazy, just that… you need a little help at the moment. But I promise it's going to be alright. I'll be with you, and so will Kate, and Warren, and Joyce and-"
"Shut up!" Max roared out so abruptly the blonde felt her jaw snap shut by itself. The brunette's eyes blazed with irritation so intensely that Victoria took a step back. Her eyes looked like they were about to fry her on the spot!
"Look, Tori, you're a real nice girl and I like you a lot, but right now, shut up! I have something I have to tell you."
Victoria froze on the spot, her hands shaking a little. She felt cold, all of a sudden. There was something in Max's eyes and in her steely, unwavering tone, that commanded silence and attention.
"Everything I'm telling you is real," the brunette resumed. "Everything. And I have the means to prove it, right now. Just look at my shadow."
"Your what?"
"My shadow. Down there, look at my shadow! See anything strange?"
"No, I don't," Victoria mumbled, complying. "I don't see anything, I…" then it struck her. "Holy shit, I don't see any shadow!"
"That's right."
"B-but how did you do that?"
"That's just the way I am," she replied with a shrug. "We don't reflect the light like humans do."
"W-wait, there's got to be some trick! You're messing with my head, here, I mean what the fuck!"
Max rolled her eyes and groaned. "Okay, step two: do you have a mirror on you?"
"Yeah."
"Take it out."
The girl complied, and took her pocket mirror out of her purse.
"Now look at yourself."
She did, and as she contemplated her own reflection, Max came to stand by her side. Victoria blanched and almost dropped the mirror in shock.
"What the actual fuck…" she muttered, her voice weak and quivering.
The way Max was standing beside her, it was absolutely impossible for her not to appear in the mirror. And yet… she didn't. No reflection at all.
"See?" Max said. "I didn't mess with your phone, Tori. I just don't appear in mirrors, or in pictures. I should've kept you from taking this pic, at the party, but… I forgot. I was having so much fun with you, I didn't think of-"
"Okay, stop it now! This… this isn't even funny!"
"But-"
"I said, shut up!" Victoria yelped, jumping away from the brunette. She lost her hold on her mirror in the process, and it shattered in dozens of pieces on the wooden floor.
"Tori, wait! I didn't mean to scare you!"
"You didn't?" Victoria shrieked, her face ghastly white and her breathing ragged. "Then why are you doing this to me, Max? I wanted to believe you needed help, but those… special effects or whatever that is? Is this your idea of a prank? Are you enjoying scaring me like that?"
"No! Tori, I-"
"You know what, just… stay away from me," the blonde ordered, crying, as she turned her back to her and began pacing back toward the boardwalk. "I can't deal with this. I just can't."
"Tori!" Max begged out loud, feeling the tears tickle her eyes. "Please, listen to me! You have to trust me!"
"Plan B, Maximus," Chloe said.
Max nodded. Right. Last resort. All or nothing.
She made a dash and caught Victoria's arm firmly.
"Let me go!" Victoria shouted indignantly as she struggled to break free – to no avail.
"I just have one last thing to show you."
"I'm not interested."
"Tori, please!" she ordered, pulling at the captive arm to force Victoria to turn around and face her. Once again, the blonde was taken aback by the intense fire in her girlfriend's eyes. That was definitely not the Max she once knew. She had changed, and in a way she'd never thought possible in so little time. Could there be… some truth in her wild story, then?
Vicky, you're tripping here! She scolded herself.
"I've told you everything, I opened up to you because I trust you, Tori. I really do, and I'm sorry it took me so long. And I want you to trust me. Look."
She pointed out to a pile of boulders sitting on the beach at the foot of the lighthouse cliff, reaching out into the sea.
"Between these rocks and the cliff," Max explained, "there's a little secluded cove. Have you heard of it?"
"Yes," Victoria sighed, "I believe it's called Caliban Cove. So what about it?"
"I want you to go there with me. It's just seven hundred feet from here, it'll take us five minutes to go there, and five minutes for you to come back here. Ten minutes, it's all I ask for. If you care at least a little about me, if I haven't told you all that for nothing, please, give me ten more minutes of your time. And then, if it's really what you want, we'll never speak to each other again."
Victoria pondered. Oh God, she's actually dead serious!
If I care… yes, I do care about her. Even if she's batshit crazy, I do care. And what's ten minutes, anyway?
"Right," she nodded. "Ten minutes."
It actually took them a little more than five minutes to get there, since Max had to wait for Victoria to carefully take off her shoes and socks before she stepped on the beach – "I'm not ruining $2000 shoes on that stupid sand!" – and then a little more time to climb up and down the boulders to reach the cove proper. And then they stood, side by side, staring at the water, basking in the blood-red twilight.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Max whispered thoughtfully. "We used to play here often, with Chloe. This was our secret cove, where we buried our pirate treasures." She chuckled. "I wonder if some of the shit we buried back then is still here."
"It… yeah, it's beautiful," Victoria murmured, feeling cold and uneasy. "So… is this what you wanted to show me?"
"Not quite."
Without adding anything, Max turned around. Victoria followed suit hesitantly. Right as she began to move, she felt a presence, close by, and her nose picked up the scent of cannabis. They were not alone. There was someone here, behind them, smoking.
And then she turned and she saw her.
Her mind blanked. Her knees got weak on her and only Max's quick support prevented her from collapsing. She opened her mouth, but not a sound came out. She couldn't speak, she couldn't think, she couldn't process what her eyes were gazing upon, for her brain revolted against the sheer absurdity of it. It was impossible.
I was at her funeral!
"Sup, Chase?" Chloe greeted her, sitting on a rock, with her joint between two fingers of her left hand. "Long time no see, huh?"
When Kate returned to the dorm on this Sunday evening, she felt slightly tired yet extremely happy with herself. She had just spent the whole day – after service of course – at her beloved charity programs, delivering meals to the destitute and visiting sick children at the hospital, and seeing the spark of joy in those kids' eyes when they saw her was really the high point of her week.
But as she climbed up the stairs to the girls' floor and opened the door to the hallway, she was surprised by how noisy it was! Loud music and cheers and laughter, and it all seemed to come from the TV lounge!
A party? That was odd, usually parties were organized by the Vortex Club, and never took place on a Sunday, even less in the TV lounge. Unless it was one of the girls' birthday, in which case her friends would throw a little get-together to celebrate, but she didn't think it was the case today.
Curious, she poked her head inside the room. Wow! The whole dorm was here, chatting, dancing, drinking and all around having a good time! How unusual, considering how hostile some of the girls were with each other! Seriously, Brooke and Alyssa drinking from red cups and chitchatting with Taylor and Courtney? What kind of parallel world was that?
"Kaaatiiiiiiiiie!" Taylor squealed with delight when she spotted the Christian girl. Then, before Kate could react, she had taken a couple noodle-legged strides to her and planted a big wet smooch on her lips.
"Wow, Taylor!" Kate gasped in shock as she jerked her head back. Taylor's lips tasted of beer. Okay, so it wasn't a soda-and-cookies party. And judging by the girl's glassy eyes and stupid grin, she had been at it for a while already. "What was that for?"
"That, Katie," Taylor mumbled drunkenly, "was a huge thank you to the best! Chick! In this whole! Fucking! School! Seriously, when you said you'd pray for my mom, I thought it was nice, but… hell, I never thought it would work for real!"
"For real? Taylor, what do you mean?"
"She's cured, Katie! My mom is cured! Her cancer? Poof! Vanished! Docs say it's a miracle!"
Kate gasped in amazement.
"Tay, this is awesome news! I'm so happy for you and your mom!"
"Thank you! For everything! You know, I haven't always been nice to you, but I'm sorry, I'm so really sorry about how stupid I was before!"
"Don't worry about that, it's forgotten now."
"Awesome! Then let's have a drink!"
"Uh, Taylor… you know I don't…"
"Oh, right! Uh…"
"Here," Dana intervened, offering Kate a cup of Coke. "Let the sober stick together!"
Now that was odd, Kate thought as she accepted the drink. Dana wasn't the wildest party girl of the bunch, but she still enjoyed the occasional glass of beer or wine, usually.
Oh, well. She shrugged and toasted with her and Taylor, then Brooke, Alyssa and Courtney joined them.
"Hey, Kate!"
"Hi, girls! Wow, I'd never thought I'd see you have a drink and chat with Taylor and Courtney! I mean, no offense, girls, but-"
They all laughed at her blushing cheeks and reassured her that no offense was taken.
"I got to admit, we're far from friends," Brooke explained, "but what happened to Taylor's mom, I mean it's so awesome we just had to celebrate with her!"
"Yeah," Taylor added with a sly wink, "not at all for the free drinks."
To which Brooke replied by good-naturedly flipping her the bird, which got the two girls laughing together. Despite the vulgar gesture, the scene warmed Kate's heart. It was so good to see the whole dorm gathered here, and everyone getting along! Everyone except…
"I don't see Stella?" she asked the girls. "And Max and Vicky?"
"Stella said she's got some stuff to do tonight, she's coming later," Alyssa informed.
"Oh, okay. What about Max and Vic?"
"Vic is late to her best friend's party because of girlfriend drama," Courtney scoffed. "Again."
"Court," Taylor scolded her gently.
"What?" Courtney defended herself. "Just telling it like it is. You know it's true, Tay, she's not the same since she started dating Max. She's neglecting her Vortex Club duties, and sometimes it's like she's not even-"
"I get it, I get it," Taylor interrupted her, feeling slightly annoyed. "Can we just not talk about it tonight? I want it to be fun."
"Did something happen between them?" Kate asked, worried.
"I dunno," Taylor answered. "She said she had to see Max tonight to discuss stuff, she doesn't like how Max is working so much it's like she hardly sleeps at the dorm anymore… don't worry Katie, it's probably nothing, I'm sure they'll be coming together soon."
"I hope so…"
They were so cute together, it would be such a shame!
"Know what," Taylor added, "I'm gonna ring Vicky, see what she's up to."
While Tay fiddled with her phone, Kate turned to Brooke. She had noticed the change in the Asian girl's eyes when Kate had mentioned Max and Vic, the sudden shift from relaxed and cheerful to tensed and somber.
"Are you okay, Brooke?" Kate asked. "You look… worried."
"Hum? Oh, nah, it's okay."
"Are you sure? Is everything alright with…" she had a moment of hesitation and she felt herself blush when she uttered the name: "with Warren?"
Just talking with Brooke about her relationship made her nervous because those walls were thin. Of course she'd heard them on Friday night, everybody had! And now, whenever she saw her, or Warren, she had very embarrassing images in her head because she couldn't shake off the idea that they had… you know… done it.
"Oh, yeah," Brooke said with a forced smile, "we're great, don't worry about it. Well, kind of sad he couldn't come tonight cause it's a no boys allowed party, but… yeah, we're good."
"Okay… is it about Max then? I know you can't stand Victoria, and the thought that they're dating may be a little tough for you to deal with, but I promise, when you get to know her better you'll see she's a good person!"
Brooke just shrugged and absent-mindedly raised a hand to finger the pendant she was wearing. "Yeah, you're probably right…"
Kate took a look, and gasped when she saw what the pendant was. A silver crucifix? Brooke was wearing a cross? Brooke the hardcore Richard Dawkins fan was wearing a Christian symbol?
"T-This," she stuttered, "this… i-is this a cross?"
Brooke gave her a confused look, then, upon realizing what Kate was looking at, gasped and quickly put the pendant under her hoodie.
"I'm sorry," Kate said, "I didn't want to be intrusive, I was just surprised. I didn't know you were getting into religion…"
"Yeah," Brooke giggled nervously, "it's never too late to give it a try, right?"
"I can only encourage that! Hum… you know, if you want to talk about it, you're always welcome to my Bible study group, or… or in private, I wouldn't mind."
"Yeah, thanks, I may… I may do it."
"Hey, Vicky!" Taylor said on her phone. "So, how are things going?"
"P-Pretty good," Victoria answered, her voice quivering. "Huh, s-s-sorry I'm late, but I'm g-g-gonna be here soon!"
"Vic, are you okay?" Taylor asked, concern sobering her up. "You have a funny voice."
"Y… Yeah, I'm good."
"Are you sure? How's it going with Max?"
"We're having a very nice conversation, actually! And, huh… I gotta hang up, we're not finished yet, I'll tell you about it later."
"Okay… see you later then?"
"Sure!"
Victoria hung up, still pale and shaking. Sitting on her left on the rocks, Max gently squeezed her thigh. On her right, Chloe offered her the joint, which she accepted. Inhaling the weed, she started to unwind.
So this is my life now, she thought. I'm sharing a spliff with a girl whose funeral I attended. Yup, everything's cool.
She wanted to laugh. For the past few minutes, Max and Chloe had explained everything to her, and rocked her world upside down in the process. So now she had to deal with the fact that her girlfriend was a goddamn real vampire who had used her power to bring a dead girl back. And she was one of the few people who were in on it. Which meant that her first time with a girl was also, unbeknownst to her, her first time with a fucking real vampire! Oh, and there was a third vampire, the one who'd turned Max, but she couldn't disclose their identity because of vampire courtesy.
Insane wasn't strong enough a word to describe it.
Hot?
What the fuck, Vic?
Well, her fangs do look hot and… that first time was...
Do you it's the right time to think about that?
She shook her head vigorously.
"You okay?" Max asked, running a gentle finger down her cheek, which made her shiver.
"Yeah, just…" she let out a chortle. "Processing, I mean, this is so… wow! But then… I guess I should thank you for trusting me. To think I was afraid you were cheating on me…"
"Well, I see where you're coming from," Max answered, grabbing her hand. "I mean, you couldn't have guessed the truth on your own, who could've?"
"Yeah, you're right. It was Tay on the phone, she was wondering what we were up to, she's waiting for us at the party. You know, about…"
Then she turned toward Chloe, struck by a sudden revelation.
"…her mom…" she trailed off, staring at the blue-haired girl.
"What?" Chloe asked. "Something on my nose?"
"Dr Pendleton?" Victoria gasped. "Khloe with a K, right?"
"Oh, shit…"
"It was you at the hospital! I thought I'd recognized you! When you said 'hella' it was… I felt it was too much of a coincidence! Which means, the nurse who looked like Max, was…"
She turned back toward her girlfriend, all color having left her face. Max nodded sheepishly.
"Y-yeah," she admitted. "Sorry about this whole… masquerade thing…"
"S-So you were there… then I guess you have something to do with Tay's mom's miracle cure?"
"I, uh… while you guys were chatting with Khloe with a K, I gave Mrs Christensen some of my blood."
"You turned her into a vampire?" Victoria yelled.
"No! Not at all! It takes three doses to turn someone, when you have only one you're still human! You're just… better. I mean, healthier, and stronger. Remember how I was on Monday? I ripped Logan a new one and then I stuffed myself like a pig? Well that's the effect. On top of healing any disease you may have… including cancer."
"This is… amazing, I… what…"
"Yeah?"
"What else can you do? I mean, do you have any other… superpowers or something?"
Max grinned: "Want a demo?"
"You've been waiting for this moment, ain't ya SuperMax?" Chloe chuckled, which made Max turned to a nice rosy shade.
"Uh, well, I've been kinda anxious about it, yes."
"About what?" Victoria asked, feeling suddenly worried. What did she have in store for her? Was she going to turn into a bat or some scary shit like that?
"Is it safe, Chlo?" Max asked.
"Safe for what?" Victoria insisted, her brow creased with increasing anxiety.
"She just wants to make sure no-one's gonna see us. She doesn't want Mr Baguette on our asses again, after the fuse he blew yesterday…"
"Shh, Chloe!" Max scolded.
"Mr Baguette?" Victoria asked, and then it dawned on her. "Oh crap, are you talking about Lacroix? So he is the vampire who turned you?"
Max rubbed her face with annoyance. "Crap, way to keep a secret! Thanks, Chloe!"
"You're welcome!" Chloe replied cheekily, which made Max groan even harder.
"So, yeah, Lacroix is our vampire dad," Max confirmed.
Victoria was speechless. What the hell were they going to announce next? That Kate was a werewolf?
Meanwhile, Chloe climbed up the highest boulder to check out the beach and the town beyond. She took a long huff, and announced merrily:
"Coast is clear! You can woo your girlfriend all you want, Max!"
"Now," Max asked gently as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, who stiffened at the touch. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?"
"For this."
And Victoria yelped as Max swept her off her feet and carried her in her arms, one hand around her shoulders and the other behind her knees. Surprised, the blonde wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck and held tight, although Max didn't seem to show any sign of weakening.
"What are you doing?" she yelped.
"Just showing you one of the most fun things a vampire can do."
"Carrying me is the most fun thing?"
"Well, I do enjoy carrying you, Tori, but that's not what I wanted to show you. Look."
And she pointed downward with a slight nod of her head. Victoria, following the instruction, looked down… and squealed like a little girl in terror, holding on to her girlfriend for dear life. The ground was a good ten feet below, and it was getting further and further away… they were suspended in thin air, and rising… they were…
Holy shit, they were flying!
"Seriously, Max?" she yelled out of the top of her lungs, her heart threatening to explode any second. "What the fuck?"
"Relax," Max replied quietly. "I got you. You're safe. Just enjoy the ride."
Oddly, there seemed to be some weight to Max's words, as Victoria felt herself relaxing, and even loosened her grip on the brunette's neck.
Is this a dream? She wondered, contemplating the face of the lighthouse cliff scrolling down in front of her as they were slowly ascending, her ears filled with the thunderous drums of her heartbeats. Taylor was right, I've had a crush on this cute, shy hipster since day one. But when she showed me what kind of tiger hid underneath the cute kitten, at the party, that's when I really fell for her.
And now… now I discover the tiger really has fangs. And superpowers. She's strong, she can cure diseases, she can beat death itself, and for the love of God she can fly!
My girlfriend is a goddamn superhero!
Holy shit I think I'm in love.
They finally reached the top of the cliff and Max landed near the bench at the foot of the lighthouse. Then, she slowly helped Victoria on her feet, and the blonde took a couple wobbly steps to the bench, where she sat, a huge stupid grin plastered on her pale, shocked face.
"Everything okay?" Max asked with concern.
"Yeah," Victoria whispered dreamily, catching the brunette's hand and holding onto it. "It's… wonderful…"
"Oh, you're so cute together!" Chloe chuckled, and Victoria jumped when she saw the bluenette was sitting beside her on the bench. She wasn't there a second ago!
"H-How?" she started, but Max answered promptly:
"We call that the flicker. Just another power she's using to scare you, Tori. And it's very mean, Chloe, be nice to our guest now!"
"Yes, Mom," Chloe sneered. "I'll behave."
Max sat between them and lay a tentative arm around Tori's shoulders, and to her greatest delight, her girlfriend relaxed to the touch and lay her head on her chest. Max couldn't resist kissing the top of her blond head, and Tori sighed with contentment. Chloe rolled herself another joint, and they sat there together for a while, staring at the ocean. Night had almost fallen now, with only a red glimmer still visible on the horizon, and the air was getting colder by the minute.
"What are you gonna do now?" Victoria asked eventually.
"What do you mean?" Max asked.
"Well… Chloe's back, you cured Taylor's mom… what next? Are you gonna be dealing justice every night, like vampire Batmen? Or are you gonna come clean to everyone? Can I boast about having a vampire girlfriend, or will I have to hide it?"
"Are you saying… you still want us to be together? It doesn't... freak you out?"
"Of course it does freak me out, but… at the same time, it's pretty cool, you know? So, yes, if you want it… I do."
"I do too," Max answered warmly, and the two girls smiled at each other and shared a tender kiss.
"Now this is making me a little hot," Chloe said, making the two girls separate and groan.
"Way to ruin the moment, Price," Victoria said.
"Why? I meant it as a compliment. You two look hot."
Victoria felt her ears and cheeks blaze, and turned to her girlfriend whose white face was turning a nice shade of pink that made her freckles stick out more. Damn she was cute!
"Thanks, I guess?" Max mumbled awkwardly.
"Don't encourage her," Victoria groaned. "Really, the last thing I want to have on my mind when I kiss my girlfriend is Chloe Fucking Price watching us and enjoying it!"
"Hey, at least you got my name right this time!" Chloe noted with a gleeful smirk. "You know, I was a little wary at first, when Maxi-pad told me about you two, she kept telling me how much you'd changed, and I wouldn't believe her… but I have to admit, you do look like you've changed. You're not such an ice-cold bitch anymore."
"And you…" Victoria retorted. "You haven't changed one bit, actually."
"Thank you."
"It wasn't necessarily a compliment."
"I know. Love you too, Icky Vicky."
Victoria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, which made Max giggle while Chloe flashed her best shit-eating grin.
"To answer your question," Max said after a while, "we have a couple projects underway. Joyce and David know about Chloe now, and together we'll work on how to bring her back to the world. There's also the matter of Warren and Brooke, I guess we'll need to have a very awkward talk with them in the near future, which I'm totally not looking forward to…"
"Wait, they know you're vampires?"
"Actually, no. They know Chloe is alive, but we didn't tell them about the vampire thing, and… since our prank went a little too far, I think they're really pissed at us now, so we don't know how we're gonna handle that."
"I'll help you," Victoria assured her.
"You? But… Brooke hates you, doesn't she?"
"Doesn't matter. If confronting a salty dork is all it takes to help you guys, I'll do it."
"Thanks, Tori."
"That's what girlfriends are for," she said as she squeezed her hand. Their eyes met again, and Victoria thought about how happily she would drown in those ocean eyes…
"This is so sweet, I think I puked in my mouth a little," Chloe said.
"Fuck off, Price," Victoria retorted with an annoyed tone which didn't quite match her good-natured smirk. Chloe was an irritating one, for sure, but she'd sworn to herself that, if given the chance, she'd be nicer to her. And she had to admit, she was also pretty funny.
"And… there's something else," Max said, biting her lip. She hesitated, looked at Chloe with a conspiratory air. Chloe nodded at her.
"Okay," the punk took it from here, "since you're involved now, Chase, we might tell you everything: we are gathering evidence about Wells being involved in Jeffershit's Dark Room thing."
Victoria froze, her jaw slacked. Then, when she eventually got her breath back, she uttered:
"What. The. Fuck?"
"It all began after Chloe came back," Max explained. "She wanted to find out the truth about Rachel, who really killed her, you know? I told her everything we knew, then, but…"
She hesitated, then decided against telling her about their visit to Nathan. Victoria still cared about him, she didn't need to know that.
"Chloe thought it didn't add up," she resumed.
She then turned to Chloe with an insistent look. Thankfully, the punk got the message quick.
"Yeah," she said, "this whole thing seemed weird, I mean, just two guys who managed to kidnap and drug girls for so long without being caught? And with a super high-tech underground lair? It looked too big. So we broke into Wells's office-"
"You did what?"
"We didn't break anything actually, Tori. We can, uh, turn to mist to go through doors. It's pretty convenient."
"Oh."
I must be getting crazy cause it doesn't surprise me as much as it should!
"So, as I was saying," Chloe continued, "we broke into Wells's office and we hit the jackpot: files about Nathan that he kept buried in his hard drive, stuff that mentioned the Dark Room! And threats from Nathan's dad."
"Wait, Sean Prescott? I know he tends to blow things out of proportions as far as his son is concerned, but-"
"It goes further than that, Tori," Max interrupted her. "It took serious money to set up the Dark Room and to cover up the kidnappings. Money and help from the cops. And we know there is at least one bent cop in town because I spotted one trying to scare Kate into withdrawing her accusation against Nathan."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. I heard it, and I took a photo. So we're sure Wells knew about what was going on with Jeffershit and kept his mouth shut. And we believe he did because Sean Prescott told him to. Because it's Sean Prescott who runs the whole thing."
"And we're going to take him down," Chloe concluded. "Question is, Chase: now that you know everything, are you joining our pirate crew?"
"I… I…"
She was lost for words. Really, what could she say to that? She still deeply cared about Nathan, and while she knew his father was a ruthless businessman and overall not the nicest man in town, the thought that he could be the head of something so… so horrible… dammit, she just wished she could go back to her dorm and take her time to think about it all.
She was about to tell them that when, all of a sudden, Chloe groaned in pain, wrapped her arms around her belly and toppled down to the ground.
"Chloe!" Max yelped, instantly jumping off the bench to kneel beside her friend. "What's happening to you?"
"Maybe we should take her to a hospital?" Victoria asked, before she realized what a stupid idea it was. "Oh, right…"
"Nah," Chloe sighed as she slowly sat back up. "I'm gonna be alright, girls, I… I dunno what happened, some kind of… gut feeling, you know? It wasn't really painful but… wowser, it was pretty intense!"
"Did you just say 'wowser'?" Max chuckled.
"No I didn't!"
"Oh, yes, you hella did!"
"And you just said 'hella'!"
They both chuckled and, in one voice, declared: "I'm a good bad influence on you!"
"I feel this BFF bullshit is gonna get old fast," Victoria mumbled, rubbing her face.
"Jealous much, Vicky?" Chloe teased her.
"I'm not answering to that," the blonde stated.
Then the high-pitched wails of a hundred car alarms startled them.
"What's that?" Chloe asked as the three girls jumped on their feet and turned toward the town. In the night, the streets were illuminated by the streetlamps and the headlights of the cars, all flickering madly under the cacophony of the alarms, sirens and horns that seemed to be all working by themselves. It was like the whole town had gone crazy all at once!
"The heck?" Max interjected in stupor, and then she noticed her legs were shaking. No, not her legs. The ground. It was quaking, very slightly, but noticeably.
"Girls, do you feel that too?" she asked.
"Yes," Victoria said, "it's… an earthquake? What's going on?"
"Look! Over there!" Chloe shouted in sudden fright, pointing her fingers toward the East.
They followed her direction. There was an orange glow that seemed to come from a spot in the forest away from town, like a second sunset. As Max looked, her sensitive nostrils picked up the acrid stench of burning wood and plants. Not a sunset. A forest fire! And the location… it looked close to…
"Fuck," she yelled, "the lair!"
"Shitshitshit!" Chloe screamed as she flickered off, leaving the two girls alone atop the cliff.
"The lair?" Victoria asked.
"Yeah, our hideout. We got to check it out, come on!"
And without waiting for her girlfriend's reaction, Max grabbed her and flew her down the cliff.
"Want me to take you back to your car?" she asked her as they landed near the truck. Chloe was already in it, fiddling with the ignition to try and turn off that goddamn horn.
"Course not," Victoria protested, "I'm coming with you!"
"But… Tori, are you sure?"
Victoria took a deep breath. Her first reaction to these overwhelming revelations had been to wish for some time to think it through… but right now, as she saw Max's brow creased with worry and her big pleading blue eyes, she knew there was only one answer she could possibly give.
"Max, do you remember that day, on the old boat? You named me Quartermaster, and I intend to earn that title! You trusted me completely, the least I can do is be there to help you!"
"Tori, I…" Max started before emotion choked the words in her throat. She stared at the blonde girl, tears welling up in her eyes, and Victoria's heart melted. She grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Fuck, I really am in love.
"Would you two hurry the fuck up?" Chloe roared. "We got somewhere to be!"
Brooke couldn't believe her eyes: somehow, the girls had convinced a very sober Kate to dance on the table. Yes, Kate, the meek and shy little wallflower who didn't drink and didn't party, was now standing on the TV lounge coffee table with Taylor, swagging to Rihanna and laughing all the way, looking like she was having the time of her life.
But the fun was cut short when the sound system glitched, turning the music into an ear-splitting Larsen.
"Fuck!" One of the girls shouted as everyone else had their hands on their ears. "Turn it off! Turn it off!"
There was a panicked scramble, and Courtney was the first to reach the tablet and switch off the sound.
"Phew!" she exclaimed. "Sorry about that, guys, I don't know what happened. Everyone okay?"
The girls looked at each other. They all looked okay, if not a little confused. Taylor, Brooke, Alyssa, Dana, Kate…
"Kate!" Juliet shouted in fright as she rushed to the Christian girl's side.
Everyone gathered round. In the hustle, Kate had fallen off the table and was now lying down, all curled up in a fetal position, her eyes shut tight, her whole body shaking, her knuckles white from holding her cross so tight.
"Kate! Are you hurt?" Dana asked as she lay a hand on her cheek, and oh God she was sweating so much!
Not opening her eyes, Kate mumbled something incomprehensible in reply.
"Shit," Brooke exclaimed, "looks like she's having a seizure!"
"Is it because of the sound glitch?" Taylor asked.
"I dunno, but we better-"
"Shhh!" Dana ordered, and once silence had settled, she focused back on the Christian girl. On what she was mumbling. The speech was fast and low, words uttered out of apparent terror, but she could make out the words:
"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday…"
And on and on, without stopping.
"What the hell?" Courtney muttered. "Bible verses?"
"It looks like," Dana said. "Girls, I'm scared, what's happening to her? Do you think we should call 911?"
Before anyone could answer, the light turned on by itself, startling them all.
"What the!" they gasped collectively, staring at the ceiling light that kept flickering like a strobe. And then came the sounds, from outsides. Wailing sirens, alarms, horns. Alyssa went to the window and informed the girls that the cars outside seemed to have come alive, flashing and honking by themselves.
The girls all stared at each other in silence, shivering as though a chilly gale had swept the room. Their legs were trembling. Or was it the ground that was quaking? A few cups fell off the table.
"What are we gonna do?" Taylor asked, and as a response, everyone turned their gaze to Dana. After two years at Blackwell, trying her best to support everyone and communicate her best energy, the cheerleader had earned the unofficial title of "dorm mom", and she was the one people tended to look up to whenever there was trouble.
"Okay," she declared, "first we should take Kate back to her room. Taylor, Courtney, Brooke, Juliet, you do that, and I'm gonna call 911."
With relief at having someone take charge, the girls went to work and carried the Christian girl's tensed, trembling frame back to her room. When, after some effort, they eventually lay her down on her bed, the mad flickering of lights, the concerto of sirens and the quaking beneath their feet had come to a stop, and a downpour for the ages was now beating at the windows. Kate appeared to relax, her hands released her cross, and then she opened her teary eyes and looked at the four girls in confusion.
"Hey," she mumbled, "what are you doing here? Wh-what happened?"
"Kate, are you alright?" Brooke asked solicitously as she knelt by her side. "Holy fuck, you scared us back there! You… you just fell down and stayed like, locked up, mumbling Bible verses and all, it looked like you were possessed!"
"I… I don't remember well, it… I remember I heard a scream…"
"A scream?"
"Yes, didn't you hear it?"
"No, I… girls?"
She looked at the three other girls in the room, but they all shook their heads.
"Odd," Kate said. "Cause I heard it clearly, it was… oh my God it was so horrible, it was like a cry of pain, and despair, and hate, I've never heard anything so intense before! It startled me and I fell from the table, and then… then it felt like I'd fallen into a black pit, none of you were there with me, I was all alone and I felt like there was no more hope left in the world, only darkness and… cold. And in the distance, too far to be seen, I could sense the presence of this… this other. The one that screamed. And then I woke up here with you."
The girls grew silent and pale. Kate was shaking like a leaf. In her cage, Alice the bunny was hopping around with agitation. What in the world could have triggered that… waking nightmare?
"How do you feel now?" Taylor asked.
"I think I'm okay, just… I still feel a little cold inside, it's difficult to describe, but it's like… a fear?"
"You must be in shock, whatever happened to you must've messed you up badly," Brooke commented. "Just relax for now, Dana's calling a doctor, they should be here soon."
"Uh, guys?" Courtney asked, her voice high and quivering. "Is this like, normal?"
The girls turned their attention to her. The fashionista was standing rigid, pale as a ghost, pointing a trembling finger toward a shelf. Kate had a little angel statue on that shelf, a cheap one of white plaster, but that she loved dearly. Everyone focused on it, and let out a collective "What the fuck" gasp.
Two little red streaks, like bloody tears, ran from the statue's eyes down its cheeks.
In Arcadia Bay Hospital, in the psych ward, the nurses and orderlies already had their hands full trying to keep a semblance of order after the lights and the electronics had gone bonkers for some unknown reason, when they received a call to attend to a patient immediately. The patient was restless, bouncing on his bed and wailing, and they feared he might hurt himself if he wasn't bound and sedated as soon as possible.
Once that was done and the patient was relaxed, the staff stared at him in wonder. With the dose they'd injected, he should be sleeping soundly by now, but he remained in an agitated, sweating semi-slumber, and he kept muttering the same sentence he'd been screaming earlier, over and over again.
"Rachel in the Dark Room," Nathan Prescott mumbled, "Rachel in the Dark Room, Rachel in the Dark Room…"
Several miles away from here, at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, Mark Jefferson woke up with a start so violent he fell from his cot and landed heavily on the bare concrete floor of his solitary confinement cell. Breathing fast, he cast nervous glances around, but there was no-one with him in this small grey cube of concrete and steel he called home now. Yet…
He had been taking a nap. Yes, in the early evening, but he lived entirely inside his cell, cut off from the other inmates, with his only interaction being the guard who brought him his meals. So there was nothing much to do here, really, and he'd gone into the habit of napping regularly to make time go faster. One day, one of the guards had laughed at him, saying he shouldn't complain, at least he had a small window here, unlike that Dark Room of his where he kept his preys… he had just shrugged. There was no point in arguing with those philistines who understood nothing about true art.
So he was in the middle of his nap when he was abruptly awakened by someone shouting in his ear, but there was no-one here. Was it a dream? No, he'd heard it way too clearly, it was really like there was someone sitting by his cot, shouting his name with a voice filled with such rage, such sadness and pain and lust for vengeance, it froze his blood in his veins.
But it was only a dream. It had to be. Because there was no-one here, and because this voice, it belonged to someone who was long dead. That much he knew. He had buried her himself.
A knock on the door, followed by Pompidou's barking, pulled Frank Bowers off his weed-induced haze. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed and shuffled through his untidy RV to the door. He held his dog's collar to prevent him from jumping at the visitor's throat as he opened the door, and released him when he saw who that visitor was.
Stella Hill. Codename: Dachshund. Immediately, Pompidou began to run around her legs, panting excitedly. Pompidou loved Stella. The girl, giggling, gave him a pat and called him a good boy, then looked up to the man who invited her in with a quick nod.
She closed the door behind her, and as usual when she got into the RV, she wrinkled her nose. The place still looked like a pigsty and reeked of sweat, weed, baked beans and dog food. But she was getting used to it.
"How're things?" Frank asked with his usual raspy, grumpy voice.
"Not too bad," the girl said cheerfully. "The Halloween party paid off big time, say what you will about the Vortex Club, they're not cheapskates! So I can pay you back now!"
She proudly produced two $100 notes and put them down on the table. Like the professional he was, Frank promptly pocketed the money, then sat down at the table, took out his accounting book, found the page where he'd written her $200 debt, and scratched it off.
"Anything else?" he asked, seeing she was not about to leave.
"Well, uh," she hesitated, shuffling on her feet. "I kinda need more. The usual, benzo, 1g of speed, and Ritaline."
"Got the dough?"
"Well, uh… no. I was thinking, maybe you'd grant me another credit?"
"Seriously? After it took you so long to pay this one off?"
"I know, but I really need those!"
"What if you can't pay it this time? I'm not a goddamn charity!"
"I'm not asking for charity! Think of it more as… an investment!"
He raised a dubious eyebrow: "An investment?"
"Yes! Without those meds, I can't keep good grades, and if I can't keep good grades, I can't get to college and become rich and successful. Now what if I make it, get a super degree and get rich, all thanks to you? I won't forget the people who helped me get to the top, scout's honor!"
And she flashed him the best Colgate smile she could, which made him chuckle. This kid had high hopes, for sure. Dreams of making it big to escape her lousy family. Reminded him of another one like that… he gently caressed the bracelet on his right wrist.
"Okay," he grumbled, "but you better pay it off quick this time!"
"Yas!" she squealed with delight. "Thank you, Frank, you're the best!"
"Yeah, whatever."
He stood up and was about to give her the goodies when all of a sudden, Pompidou started howling, and the RV seemed to come to life, its radio and horn blaring and its headlights flashing.
"The fuck!" he shouted.
"What's going on?" Stella cried in fright, her hands over her ears to protect them from the noise.
"I don't know!"
Then the floor started shaking, and an ashtray, a plate that still had dried up beans in it and a couple bottles of beer all came crashing down. Frank hurried to the driver's seat and fiddled with the ignition with shaking hands until, finally, the whole mess died down on its own, and a thick rain started pouring.
"Was that an earthquake?" Stella asked, panting.
"I don't know," he said. "But I got a… strange feeling about this."
The girl looked at him, frowning. He looked weird. Pale, uncomfortable. Sick, maybe? And they way his left hand was rubbing his right wrist, as if he was nursing a sudden pain or… then she noticed the bracelet he was wearing. It sure looked like a very girlish bracelet. Odd, for a guy like Frank. Or maybe… maybe this was a gift, from a girl? Stella'd never imagined Frank could have a girlfriend! But before she asked, he gave her a serious look and said:
"I think you better leave now. Come back tomorrow for the pills."
Samuel was scared. The Blackwell groundskeeper usually enjoyed his evenings. After a day of hard labor, he would go back to his small apartment on campus and sit in front of his kitchen window, from which he had a nice view of the groves. Then the squirrels would come to his window, and talk to him, share stories, sometimes ask him for little favors.
But tonight, as the rain poured outside, the squirrels appeared at his window, and the squirrels were angry.
"You had one job, Samuel," they said. "See what you've done?"
"This is not Samuel's fault!" the groundskeeper complained feebly. "Samuel tried to warn Max, as you told him, the sleeper must not wake up! But she didn't listen!"
"Yes, she didn't," the squirrels said. "Now the sleeper is awake. God have mercy on Arcadia Bay…"
"She knows where we're going?" Victoria asked, worried.
Chloe was driving at breakneck speed, shooting across town like an arrow and into the woods, keeping her eyes on the road and her jaw clenched tight the whole time. The drive across Arcadia had been unreal, all around them the city seemed to have gone mad with wailing sirens and flickering lights and dogs howling and panicking people hurrying outside to try and understand what the hell was going on. Then everything had stopped, at once, and the mother of all rains had started falling. Which hadn't slowed Chloe down the slightest, she was still pumping gas like all the hounds of hell were behind them, the wheels sliding on the soaked road, tidal waves forming on both sides of the truck as it cut through the downpour.
And between the rain and the darkness, Victoria couldn't see shit through the windshield and was getting anxious.
"Don't worry," Max whispered, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can see through the dark."
Soothed by her girlfriend's assurance, Victoria decided to try and relax, and nuzzled in the crook of Max's neck, who wrapped a protective arm around her. Her girlfriend wasn't exactly warm, but she liked her scent, and there was something emanating from her, a strong aura. It made her feel safe.
Chloe took a sharp left and left the road to enter a narrow dirt path that led deep into the forest, and it was like a gateway to another world: the rain stopped, and as the visibility became clearer, the blonde craned her neck to observe their surroundings through the glass, and saw that though there was no fire burning, all the trees around them looked burned, their skeletal remains looming above them, ash grey and desolated, glistening with rainwater in the headlights.
After driving about half a mile through this eerie, desolate landscape, Chloe came to a stop in a small clearing and jumped off the car. Max and Victoria followed suit, the rich girl wincing as her shoes sank into a thick, grey sludge. So much for saving them from the sand earlier!
But the state of her shoes was quickly forgotten as she took a couple hesitant steps away from the truck and looked around in awe. It was oddly, uncomfortably warm. The trees, the soil, everything was scorched and damp and smelled of rain and wood fire, and at places around her and between the trees, plumes of hot steam kept escaping from the earth, yet no flame was visible anywhere. And in the middle of the clearing, there stood an old, decrepit barn, untouched by the fire. And though there was no moon, the whole scene was visible to Victoria's human eyes, as though bathed in an ethereal pale glow.
"Well, at least the lair was spared," Chloe commented with relief.
"Where in the world are we?" Victoria murmured in confusion. "We were… driving through the forest and suddenly it feels like we've taken a portal straight into Mordor!"
Chloe raised an eyebrow: "Did you just make a Lord of the Rings reference, Chase?"
"Yeah, so? What kind of idiot has not seen Lord of the Rings?"
"This is the lair," Max explained. "It's like a, uh, secret room for Chloe. And I also have my coffin in it."
"You sleep in a coffin? Like in the movies?"
"Yeah. It's a lot comfier than it looks, actually. But this place, well, it doesn't look like that, usually. I wonder what happened? The trees… they all burned so frickin' fast, and the fire died out just as fast!"
"That's right," Victoria agreed. "Like all the trees in a half-mile radius caught fire in an instant, and were then instantly put out by the rain… it looks almost like some kind of tiny nuke went off, but then the barn doesn't have so much as a burnt plank when it's in the middle of it, it doesn't make sense! I've never seen fire act so strange before!"
"I have," Chloe commented. "Not so strange, but I've seen fire act really fucking weird before, when… oh, shit! Look, the fucking door's open!"
And, panting with stress, the punk rushed straight to the barn, bolted through the door and disappeared inside the building.
"What's happening to her?" Victoria asked.
"We should follow her," Max answered, agitated. "I have a bad feeling about this."
The girls strode to the barn, and they'd barely set foot inside when they heard a blood-curdling shriek from below. They hurried through an open trapdoor on the floor and down a concrete staircase. Through an open metal blast door, and then through a curtain that looked like an American flag.
The first thing Victoria saw in the big underground room beyond the curtain was three coffins aligned on the floor, two closed and one open. Chloe was standing over the open coffin, staring at the two girls with eyes bulging with terror, her face so colorless it was almost grey. The coffin was empty.
"Rachel," Chloe whimpered. "Max, Rachel she's… she's gone."