1 gunshot.
5 days of hell.
Memories, but only ones she would remember.
Her dorm room was quiet and dreary. Everything sat in its original place, exactly where she had left it weeks prior. The acoustic guitar rested on the couch; the plant that sat by the window looked so sad it was almost a taunting reflection of Max's inner feelings. The little Polaroid pictures, of what felt like a different life at this point, hung up on the wall above her bed. The chatter of the other students was heard from the hallway as it was the early afternoon, yet the town had never felt so dark.
It had only been one day since Chloe was shot in the bathroom. One day of agonizing nightmares that Max felt like she couldn't escape from. The last thing Chloe was told before her death was that nobody would miss her. Not a single person left in the world would care about her. She would be left on the floor with blood trailing out from her, only to be discovered in such a way that brought no justice to the horrors that existed behind closed doors at Blackwell Academy. She would never get closure on Rachel's mysterious absence and subsequent death. She would never realize that after five years, Max came back to Arcadia Bay.
Nathan Prescott was arrested and placed under custody shortly after the incident by David Madsen. Rumors spread like wildfire across the campus. Max tried to listen in on the conversations during her classes on what others were saying, yet her mind must have blocked it out as nothing came through. She was numbing her pain. Even the mere mention of Chloe's name sent her into a spiral.
She had been pacing around her room for nearly two hours without stopping, trying to figure out how her choice had been wrong. In the heat of the moment, Max truly believed that protecting the town from the storm was the right thing to do because it was saving the lives of hundreds of people over just one. The choice was horrendous, but there wasn't another option. Or so she thought.
She had only managed to show up for two classes today, as the rest were pushing the limits of what she could handle at the moment. Nobody else knew about her powers or the time she had spent with Chloe over the past week that was now starting over again. No one knew about the darkroom and the horrors she not only witnessed but were subjected to herself. And it was likely that nobody would ever know either, as trying to convince a bunch of teenagers at an art school that she could time travel would most likely not go over well.
But something was off. A mistake was made somewhere under her radar.
If the cosmic forces of the universe were indeed real, they were pushing Max to do something she never expected. Thoughts of another life she could be living, alongside Chloe and others she had yet to meet, plagued her mind throughout the night prior, so much so that she stayed up without a single bit of rest. One cup of coffee after another, followed by relentlessly searching on the internet for answers that only led her further astray.
There had to be another way because the feeling was becoming consuming; a way out of the life she decided didn't feel like the natural choice from the get go. Something felt incomplete, almost as if a part of her was missing. The thought of having to attend Chloe's funeral later in the week was too much to bear and she could only make one final decision to prevent it.
Max had the potential to reverse every choice she made; something that without her confidence in her powers, she wouldn't have done initially. If at all. Earlier that morning, just as the rays of dawn were beginning to peek through the blinds and her eyes burned from constant crying hours prior, she came up with the most ambitious plan imaginable: Travel back to a time when both Chloe and Rachel would still be alive.
Max was taking an enormous chance that could alter not only her life but the lives of many others, including one person that she had no connection to.
Rachel Amber.
The elusive and mysterious figure that seemed to plague the entire town in remnants of herself through missing posters strewn across every corner. Quoted to be Chloe's guardian angel, she was unknown to Max. Everyone acted like they knew who she was, pretending to be her best friend and acquaintance, but it never felt genuine. Maybe, Max thought, Rachel didn't even know who she was, unlike the world painted her to be. She certainly didn't deserve her fate, yet at the same time, could be too far gone to be saved. It was a risk.
Chloe truly loved her, and while it was hard to judge if the Rachel Amber she heard about was capable of reciprocating those feelings back, if it meant that Chloe was going to be happy, it was worth it. Max knew that they both desperately wanted to live in California, but other than the constant mentioning of running away to escape the small town, that was all she was aware of. Five years of living in another city meant that she was left out of a lot of new experiences, including the way Chloe changed over time. Rachel was there to witness it; she was present in her life when Max was not. In a way, it made her feel immensely guilty. But regardless of that feeling, she did want to meet Rachel as well especially after hearing how highly Chloe spoke of her all the time. She couldn't have been as bad as other people made her out to be.
Some things were never going to be the same again if Max went through with her plan. Relationships would change and evolve; friendships made that she would have never expected, only to realize that it was what she was missing the whole time. Other situations would be so different that she would have to navigate them through unforeseen circumstances, working through not only her own mind but through the help of others along the way. The darkness of the future past was significantly hazy, but it wasn't going to stop her. If she was going to be gifted superpowers in the first place, she might as well use them to her advantage.
A small shoe box sat on the top shelf of her closet, filled to the brim with old memories and pictures taken while she had been living in Seattle. Images of old friends and family moments. There had to be something that was taken earlier that year, she assumed, as the closer to the date listed on Rachel's missing posters the better. As well as ensuring everyone's survival, it provided a fresh start at the same time rather than rewinding back years and having to make up so much history in the process.
Sitting on the couch, Max rummaged through the box now placed next to her. There were probably hundreds of pictures, although most were not dated properly and others were so old that they were starting to fade. She found one that might have worked, her and her dad on top of the Seattle Space Needle, but she decided that it was a bit too dated to be useful. Buried deep underneath a stack tied together with a rubber band, she found a smaller picture taken of her and her family on a hike, labeled April 19th, 2013 with a black marker, as Mt. Rainier peaked through the trees in the background. Dangerously close to the day Rachel went officially missing, but out of any other options, it would have to do.
The paper rested in her hand for a moment as she glanced around the room to take it in for a final time. There was no way of knowing if she would even be back at Blackwell in the new timeline, let alone be staying in her exact dorm room again. In fact, if she went back to a time when she was supposed to still be in Seattle, nobody except for Chloe and Joyce would recognize her. Not a single person from Blackwell would even know her name. The rewind was going to give her a second chance at herself, a chance to rebuild and construct a version that she was proud of, and not let others walk over her. As much as she would miss her current life and the memories made during it, it was getting old quickly. The time had come to decide for everyone, not just for herself, where it was on her own terms without a storm steadily approaching the town.
She held out the picture and focused intently, forcing every single bit of concentration she could muster onto it. Her hand was beginning to become numb, then the feeling traveled up through her arm and spread across her entire body. The passage of time was shaking her peripheral vision. Walls were closing in. Her ears began to ring. The image was just starting to warp in shape, bringing her closer to the desired reality. She could practically hear the other hikers on the trail talking among themselves around her. The air smelled like pine trees. Then, a bright white flash appeared.
Nobody would ever know that this week had happened.
A doe rested in a bed of grass off in the treeline, gazing out at Max as she walked by. Its fur was a golden brown color, dressed with white spots across its back. She noticed it almost immediately, smiling at the little reminder of her past. Her parents were steadily leading the way ahead of her, now so far in the distance that they seemed to be in their own world. Subtle laughs and murmurs were heard as they talked amongst themselves. The doe didn't seem to mind the additional company that the trail she was walking on held as if anything, it appeared to be at ease. The air around was still and peaceful with the tall trees swaying ever so gently in the wind.
Despite the steep path, the hill Max and her family were climbing up held one of the best views of the city. A great photography opportunity, but she wasn't sure if she was going to take it this time. There were more important things to be focusing on now.
Wildflowers were just starting to grow again from the winter months, now with little blue and white flowers peeking out from the tall grass. A reminder of rebirth and change. Nobody else was around and she appeared to have all the time in the world to mentally strategize her plan going forward, something that she tried not to plot out extensively the night before. Now it was months in the future. Her head hurt at the mere thought. Figuring out time jumps and trying to explain them were two entirely separate problems she still couldn't rationalize.
The largest problem she faced was time. She needed to leave Arcadia Bay soon, if not that same day, without causing either of her parents too much grief. She had been mulling over every single possibility, from plainly asking either parent to drive her down themselves to asking Chloe to pick her up in Seattle. But Max had an idea, one that was going to come with heavy consequences.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, immediately checking the time.
April 19th. 4:00 pm.
Only three meager days away from the date on the missing posters. It was an approximate day however, as no one really knew when Rachel supposedly skipped town…or as Max knew, her demise in the darkroom. But ever since she arrived in the new timeline, time seemed to be slipping away from her making her feel as if a clock had been placed on her. Hiking in the middle of the forest wasn't something she really wanted to be doing right now, but she couldn't just leave. She wouldn't be able to explain half of what she wanted to say to anyone other than herself. She continued walking onward, noticing the doe trailing behind her at a cautious distance, while simultaneously looking down at her phone.
The messages app looked lonely and sparse, filled with old and new friends she made during her time in Seattle. There were some that she needed to reply to, and others that were left on read for too long. As she was scrolling through the names, she came across the one she was looking for the entire time. The one that seemed to stand out from the rest. Chloe Price. The last message she sent was from 2010. Max didn't even realize that Chloe had kept in contact for a few years after she had left, seemingly trying to communicate to a wall but eventually gave up after numerous tries without a response.
Despite feeling a tremendous amount of regret for shutting her out of her life, Max needed to warn her as soon as possible. Or at least check in before leaving town. There was so much to say and so much to catch up on that she didn't know where to start. Aside from the fact that there were too many variables at play, she wasn't going to risk anything happening to Chloe during her journey down to the Bay. It had everything to do with Chaos Theory and she knew better than to be naive about it. Although Max knew that she had no control over anything that could happen, even the worst possibilities, the idea that she did was comforting enough.
Max: Hey, where are you right now?
Brief and to the point. It felt incredibly strange to have to start all over again with her. Only five days together bonded them closer than they ever were, but that wasn't the reality now. Max was starting to approach the overlook with her parents looking out across the metal barrier at the skyline until she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. It hadn't even been a minute yet.
Chloe: ?
Chloe: Max? holy shit it's been YEARS
She was still alive, at least enough to formulate a response. Good. Some things were already starting to work out even if only three texts had been sent so far. Max was always going to have to prove that she wasn't going to leave again, regardless of what would happen. It was a part of the deal she chose if she wanted anything to change.
Max: I know, I'm like the worst friend ever. But I promise I'll make it up to you. Swear.
"The view up here is amazing, don't you think, Max?" Her dad, Ryan Caulfield, gestured for her to join him by the railing. He held a sympathetic gaze, holding back from asking too many questions to what she was up to moments ago. She was taking an unusually long time to make it to the top of the hill.
"It is," Max stood next to him, but was practically bursting from the seams with adrenaline. Her phone kept making noises from notifications that were only from Chloe herself and her dad was noticing. She fidgeted with the zipper on her jacket to help distract her. "It really is."
Another loud ding, then a third one. Ryan raised his eyebrow.
"Hey," He reached over to put his arm around Max's shoulder, looking down at her with unwavering attention. He knew. "You don't have to pretend that I can't hear anything. Go ahead," He said, pointing to her phone wrapped tightly around her hand, then gave a smile back. "Someone clearly wants your attention."
Max hesitated, but nodded and walked over to a bench nearby. The metal was cold on impact.
Chloe: do you even know what this is doing to me
Chloe: please tell me you're being serious rn
Chloe: holy fuck holy fuckkkk
Max could only laugh to herself at the image she was picturing of Chloe right then. She knew that she was probably freaking out; it was completely expected. There were years between them, something that she was already frustrated with herself about. It shouldn't have been that long. She should have set aside time to stay in touch, even though she never did. While Chloe didn't answer her question yet, she was alive . That fact was too good to ignore. It kept repeating in her mind like a broken record. She was alive and well somewhere, and for a single moment, everything was okay.
Max: I'm being so serious! Chloe, don't freak out but I'm coming back to Arcadia Bay soon. Possibly tonight.
Chloe: you're gonna make me cry max
Chloe: TONIGHT?
Max: I hope so…Sometime in the next 48 hrs
Max: But I really need to know where you are right now.
A rustle of something off in between the trees was heard. Max glanced over only to see the doe once more watching her. It was so patient and unafraid, carrying an amount of confidence that wasn't typical for a wild animal.
There was something so familiar about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It wasn't just because a holographic version of it led Max through her journey to finding Rachel's body in the junkyard, it was something much more mystical than that. It was hard to commit to those beliefs, as she wasn't one to just outwardly believe in something she couldn't see, but after becoming superpowered, everything had meaning. The doe began to rub its hooves into the dirt. Something flew around it that had distinctly shaped wings, but from where Max was sitting, she couldn't tell what it was.
Chloe: I'm by the beach
Chloe: and I just met up with my dealer…if for some reason you needed to know that
Frank Bowers. She must have run out on her stash of weed, Max assumed, or maybe she needed something stronger. It was hard to judge where Chloe was at this point in her life because even the six month difference before was noticeable.
Max could hear both of her parents begin to approach her again as if they were ready to head back home. A small gust of wind picked up out of nowhere, blowing some of the litter that was sprawled out across the trail. The doe was only inching closer to her until it bent down to open up a little box of stale take-out food with its snout.
She hurried another text back.
Max: Shit I need to go. I'll talk in a bit.
It was much easier going downhill than going up, which made the trip go much faster. Max was giddy with an overwhelming amount of feelings, and while her parents took notice, they were holding back from mentioning anything out loud. There was so much to do, so much to fix and make better now.
Chloe: Max tell me what's going on
Chloe: Max?
The sun had just set behind the wall of the ocean, mixing with the quickly approaching evening. The stars were out in full but while all of them were dead, at least she could still see them in the clear sky above. Every wave crashing on the sand to the gentle breeze was soothing. Chloe was laying back on the roof of her truck, parked just at the edge of the parking lot that lined the beach, looking up into the sky with a joint nestled between her fingers. She took a long drag before the smoke swirled around her face. It had been a day.
Max Caulfield, the girl who left for Seattle at the absolute worst time imaginable, texted her after an excruciating five years. She didn't know what to think, not wanting to read too much into it to prepare herself for disappointment. Max had also mentioned that she was coming back to Arcadia Bay that same night. There were no other details given, and while the weed was numbing her from thinking deeply about it, there was an underlying sense of unease about it all. It was incredibly random and unlike the Max she knew years ago. She knew that people could change, but this was almost too drastic.
Out of nowhere, her phone buzzed.
Max: Where are you now?
Chloe: still at the beach high as fuck
Max: What are you doing later?
Chloe's brows furrowed as the questioning was only becoming more bizarre. Maybe it was just the high, but at the same time, it couldn't have been. She exhaled a thick cloud of smoke with a piece of ash falling down onto her shirt, leaving a dark stain that didn't come out when she brushed it away. Slowly, she typed out a response back.
Chloe: idk probably the same thing
Max: I want you to stay exactly where you are, Chloe. Don't go anywhere. Don't leave the beach. Don't even leave the area you're in right now. I'll be there in a few hours.
A flood of unease instantly washed over her, taking her like a tidal wave. There was something unnaturally wrong. Since the moment she texted earlier, Max wasn't acting like herself. Every word felt weighted in ways she didn't understand. She was acting scary. Chloe couldn't make herself move, feeling bound to the truck.
Chloe: Is something going to happen?
The message was left in the digital void with no escape. No response was given fast enough.
Chloe: Max?
Chloe: 5 years later and you're still Max Caulfield…
The air was completely still. Not a single person was awake except for Max.
It was hours later. The time was closer to midnight, steadily approaching the next day. Her parents had gone to bed well over two hours ago, giving her ample time to prepare her items for her escape to Arcadia Bay. That wasn't to say that there weren't any problems as it was anything but that. Shortly after arriving home from the hike, Max went up to her room to begin to pack her clothes and other necessities away into a suitcase. It immediately gained the attention of her dad who wasted no time to follow her upstairs to see what was going on. Whether it was a mixture of her unusual behavior that day or the fact that she was making so much noise from up in her room, she wasn't sure.
Discussions and brief arguments were held, all erring on the side of caution as quoted by Ryan, but Max was never completely honest with what she was doing. She never explicitly said that she was leaving town. She was being led along through her own guidance, not feeling very keen on letting anyone else know. It was frustrating and it was going to make her parents extremely upset when they would find out the next morning, but for the first time in Max's life she didn't care.
It was completely out of character for her, border-lining mania. She knew it was about the worst decision she could possibly make, doing what she did to Chloe years prior just to do the same thing to her own parents. The ones who were not only helping out with her Blackwell scholarship that was likely not going to happen, but the ones that completely took care of her her entire life. They didn't deserve to be left in the dust by their one and only daughter, just to wake up and see an extensively written letter explaining her whereabouts. She could already hear the phone call being made in just a couple of hours.
The letter itself was written as soon as her dad left her room, carrying an aura of suspicion with him as he was undoubtedly going to tell her mom downstairs. The words were composed fast and to the point, scribbled in pen with scratch marks over misspellings, as there wasn't too much time to spend on it. Multiple paragraphs and additional details were thrown in for precaution. It was folded up neatly to be placed on the kitchen countertop when Max would make her break in a few minutes.
She had bought a bus ticket online that took her straight to Portland and then over to Arcadia Bay; a five hour drive that couldn't come fast enough. It was out of her comfort zone and a little risky, but she had to.
A large green suitcase rested near her bedroom door, so full that Max had a difficult time closing it. A small backpack was slung around her shoulders, alongside her messenger bag, all filled with belongings that made it seem like she was never going to come back to Seattle. She most likely wouldn't for a while. Her journey forward to fix everything that had gone wrong in the previous timeline was only just beginning.
The time ticked by dreadfully slow. Chloe was growing increasingly hesitant about following Max's instructions, as doubts were starting to creep in her mind. Maybe she misread the texts and she was doing the opposite of what Max asked her to. But she knew deep down that despite her off-putting behavior, there had to be a reason she wanted her to to stay where she was. The beach wasn't so bad anyways, especially as the night went on. Anything to not be stuck at home where David would lecture her about something else she did wrong was worth it.
Chloe: It's been hours Max
Chloe: how long do i have to wait out here
She now sat on the tailgate of her truck with her legs swinging off the edge. The beach was unusually quiet that evening, but oddly enough, Chloe couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched. Someone or something was out there, lingering in the shadows, probably doing something illegal. Though, she couldn't see much from where she was parked to prove her point. She restlessly tapped the rusty metal beside her as she waited for a response.
Max: Bad traffic. Won't be there for a few more hours. Sorry :(
She was likely getting close to Portland. All of it was just so shocking. The Max she remembered from years ago was more of a wallflower than a risk-taker. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just made everything more strange. That and the fact that she was leaving out too much information to feel comfortable about made it even worse.
Chloe: And why can't I go home?
Max: I'll explain everything later. Can't you just sleep in your truck or something?
Chloe: I guess
Just as Chloe was about to lean back in the bed of her truck because she had been sitting for longer than she would have liked, she paused halfway down on her descent. Something wasn't right; it was terribly wrong. Her neck almost cramped up at how sharp the realization was. She reluctantly took her phone in her hand again.
Chloe: wait
Chloe: how did you know that I have a truck?
Max: You could say that it was a wild guess ;)
Chloe: what the hell is that supposed to mean?
Chloe: MAX TELL ME
Max: hehe :)
Chloe: MAX CAULFIELD
Chloe: NO EMOJI!
A loud car door slammed shut a couple of feet away, snapping her out of any attention she had left. Just a short distance away, a glossy black van with darkened windows was parked. There were two people standing around it, both carrying large boxes as they were clearly packing away some supplies. They paused for a moment, talking about something that was inaudible, before exiting the parking lot and heading up the hill that was off to the left where the lighthouse stood. The tailgate creaked on the weight as she made her way over to follow the mysterious individuals.
The surrounding area was extremely dark. Not a single street lamp was around.
Chloe slowly and hesitantly approached the van, peeking up into the windows but couldn't see a thing. The doors were locked tightly shut with small chains tied around the back. The license plate was a jumbled mix of numbers.
The sound of movement rustled in between the trees. Chloe inched her way forward, following the noise. The path was leading up the hill to the lighthouse and just out of the corner of her eye, she saw an orange light glow from the little building next to it. In her nineteen years of living in Arcadia Bay, that building was never occupied. She remembered when she and Max were little, they would try to sneak in but never could because it was blocked off. This time there was definitely someone in there. Or was in there. She wasn't one to get easily spooked by other people doing suspicious activities, but something about it being nighttime, being alone, and weird noises made for a tense situation.
The large door to the lighthouse quickly slammed open, unveiling a man dressed in all black attire carrying a lantern. His mind was visibly on something else, watching the ground beneath him as he walked forward. The light flickered across his face casting harsh shadows. Chloe was standing her ground the entire time, watching his every move as her gaze was steady. He nearly ran into her, jolting to a stop as soon as they crossed paths.
"You aren't supposed to be here," He grumbled, dragging the light by the handle as he started to push past her. His annoyance was becoming increasingly apparent. "You do know that, right?"
Chloe peered up at the tower, watching for any signs of activity. Every window was darkened. For it being a lighthouse, there sure wasn't any light. The entire situation was rather strange.
"I didn't know anyone could go inside." She mumbled to herself, shrugging back the thought. Chloe really didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not with some guy that didn't seem to be causing any trouble. He was probably just the lighthouse attendant, she assumed, but there was an air to him that didn't seem honest.
"Like you would have any idea of what happens in there." The man let out an exasperated sigh before continuing his trek down the hill. "Now if you'll excuse me," The metal surrounding the lantern rattled on every step, small rocks kicking up behind his boots. "I really need to get going."
Suddenly the door to the lighthouse opened again, revealing yet another person dressed similarly to the man Chloe was speaking to. They were noticeably shorter and were carrying a cardboard box labeled 'lenses' written in marker. Their attention was immediately brought to their conversation, despite it already being cut short moments ago.
"Chloe? What the fuck are you doing here?" The other person hissed, bumping into the door with the box before kicking it shut with their foot.
She squinted closely at him as the voice sounded incredibly familiar. Too familiar.
"Wait, Chloe?" The other man carrying the lantern harshly turned around at the mention of the name. "As in…Chloe Price?"
"Yeah?" A feeling of dread washed over her as she started to back away slowly. There was something off about the way the man spoke. "And?"
"That makes so much sense." He grinned wildly as he was now starting to approach her at a rapid pace. Chloe was becoming surrounded. "Rachel won't shut up about you, you know."
"Rachel?" Chloe froze, feeling the blood rush out of her face that left her dizzy and lightheaded. She felt boxed in. Enclosed. Rachel was dangerously quiet over the past few months and she hadn't heard a word from her since. "Where is she?"
The other person laughed, only aggravating her more. She grabbed a hold of his jacket and pushed him back, taking him by surprise. They both knew something she didn't.
"Where the fuck is she?"
"Relax," The taller man put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her back away from his accomplice. His demeanor shifted to a more controlling yet confident stance. "She's being well taken care of."
He was practically breathing on Chloe's neck with how close he stood to her. She anxiously looked around for something to use as a distraction, or possibly a means for escape, but she noticed the other person subtly gesturing to the lighthouse in such a way that made it clear what she had to do.
"Is she in there?" Her voice shook as she broke away from the man's grasp and started to run over to the door before she was quickly stopped. Too many emotions were starting to rise up. It couldn't be true. "Why the hell is she in the lighthouse?"
The man remained silent, exchanging a knowing glance with the other person. They nodded briefly back then leaned closer to whisper something to each other. Tension was heavy in the air. It was two versus one, but she didn't want to fight. Chloe wouldn't have a chance either way.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." The man crossed his arms, staring at her intently. She wasn't going to go into the lighthouse without consequences; she was going to pay for interrupting their plan. "Your choice, Chloe."
She paused for a moment, quickly going over her options. She was so close to figuring out what was inside, and with the notion that Rachel was potentially in there made it all the more tempting. But Max. She warned her about staying in her truck until she arrived, not leaving the area at all. Not even to go home. But desperation was starting to take hold as Chloe sprinted to the door once more, barely able to grab onto the handle before she felt a sharp sting piercing her neck. The world became blurry almost immediately. Her legs seemed to give out from underneath her just before she collapsed to the ground unconscious.
