"We should talk to her."
Chloe leaned back in her chair and stared upwards into the ceiling. Rachel was right. They should talk to Max and straighten her out. But what do they say?
"Maybe," was Chloe's only reply. Truth be told, a large part of her just wanted to go home. For once, her life seemed to be working out the way she wanted it to. Rachel was her girlfriend; something that she thought wasn't possible, and she was close to graduating high school. Who thought that would ever happen?
But so what if her parents died in a horrific, fiery car crash? So what if they both haunt her dreams frequently? So what if the guilt of refusing to go shopping with them because she refused to spend any time with them because they insisted that moving away from Max was something they "had to do"? So what if the guilt of letting her parents leave that fateful day ate her alive every day and she just wished she could turn back time to stop them, or in her darkest moments wished she had gone with them?
None of that matters, now that she has Rachel. Rach has brought her a sense of purpose and joy in her life that she never thought would be possible. Sure, her and Rachel had talked ceaselessly about going on an adventure. They talked about leaving all of Seattle behind and forging their own path. All that was fun to talk about, and it was something she still wanted to do. However, this escapade for Max had drained all the travel itch out of her. She wanted nothing more than to return to her normality.
Inwardly, Chloe had never seen Max look the way she had. It pained her to see the desperation and depression that had become her Max.
Yet, outwardly, Chloe merely shrugged at Rachel's comment. Internally, she was brainstorming different ways to confront her friend.
"Dude, why are you looking for this dead guy?" No, that's too cruel, even for you Chloe.
"You okay?" No, that's too generic.
Meanwhile, Rachel was burying herself into more research about the town. She pushed a lowly lock of auburn hair behind her ear. Briefly, Chloe was distracted by how attractive her girlfriend was. Then, she rightfully shook herself out of her reverie.
"Come outside with me. I've got a blunt I need to smoke."
Rachel glanced up from the book she was reading, and hesitated. She looked past Chloe at Max.
"She'll be okay for a few minutes," Chloe insisted. "Once we're done, I promise we'll talk to her."
Rachel nodded and the two left the building and walked out to the car. Chloe climbed in the driver's side and withdrew her bag from the pocket in the driver's door. As she got her blunt ready, Rachel spoke up.
"You believe anything Max has been saying?"
Chloe lit up and took a deep withdrawal of her smoke. She let it sit for a moment before blowing it out into the darkening sky above. "Max has been acting hella strange the past few months. Like an entirely different person."
"Hm," Rachel considered her answer before leaning against the back car door. Chloe watched as the wind blew through her gorgeous hair and the remaining sun reflected in her eyes. "You know, I could say the same. She practically gawked at me a few times one day, and the next she was totally normal. One day we had a thorough discussion on the Theory of Relativity, the next day she was struggling to keep up with the same conversation.
So, I guess in other words, nothing she's saying is adding up, but she's so convinced that this person was waiting for her that I can't help but be interested." She glanced over at Chloe. Chloe offered her the blunt and Rachel took it. "Has she ever mentioned this Warren dude before?"
Chloe merely shook her head. "I'm not sure what to do. You're right we should talk to her. But I'm not good with this shit. Fuck, it sounds like it's more your expertise, Rach." She took her blunt back from Rachel and hit it once more. She thought maybe the weed would make this easier, but Chloe was starting to think it might make it worse. She grabbed a water bottle that was half drunk from the center, and downed it. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it calmed down the cotton mouth in her throat. The sun had been setting off the horizon for some time, and as she threw the empty water bottle back into the car, the night had taken hold.
Rachel handed her the blunt back. Chloe took one last puff before extinguishing it and placing it back into her makeshift storage.
"Let's go talk to her."
*
Meanwhile, Max was rifling through pages. It felt like a fruitless effort. Every page dove deeper into the comet that passed dangerously over Arcadia Bay, and the devastating effects it had on the town. All it did was make her more depressed, and certain that she was going insane.
After yet another insert on the comet and its trajectory, and the vicious tornado, Max simply laid her head down on the table in defeat.
"Had I just dreamed it all?" she mumbled quietly into the wood. "Did I remember the landscapes and the subdivisions subconsciously? Did I just imagine this boy?"
Max closed her eyes and fought the urge to sob. She had forced her friends to come so far basically for nothing. Sure, she unraveled this mystery that she wasn't aware existed, but it was not what she hoped. She almost wanted to slip into unconsciousness. The overwhelming emotions of the day had taken hold, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep.
"You okay, Max?"
She heard Chloe's voice as she and her girlfriend approached her. Max didn't have the energy to raise her head. Yet, the urge not to be rude forced her neck to lift her head high enough to peek at her friends.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"Well, I wanted to show you this," Rachel stated simply. She produced the book she was sifting through, and she pointed out an image of a braided cord.
"Braided cords?" Max whispered.
"Yeah," Rachel nodded. "Apparently, there were some spiritual people that lived in the town, like, Native Americans, that kind of shit. They braided these cords for themselves and for other members of the town. I just thought it was interesting."
Chloe leaned on the table and took a closer look at the image. "Huh, it looks like that wristband thing you're always wearing, Max."
Max's eyebrows furrowed as she extended her left arm to take a look at her wrist. Now that Chloe mentioned it, the braided cord in the book did strangely resemble the band around her wrist. Was it a coincidence?
A memory seemed to tug at the back of her mind. She had worn the thing for years, but never stopped to remember where it came from. Where did it come from?
"Well, anyway," Chloe sighed. "I'm beat. And I'm tired of driving. We're supposed to be headed back soon anyway."
Rachel raised a sardonic eyebrow. "You are the last person I expected to be responsible."
Chloe smirked. "I'm a woman of many layers!"", she announced with a flourish of her hand. "The point still stands though. I'm sure this place will close soon. We found what we were looking for. I think we should just go home."
"I hate to admit it," Rachel crossed her arms. "But she's right, Max. There's nothing else here for us."
Max scooted her chair back and slowly stood up. She felt withdrawn and defeated. Her friends were right. She had strung them along for too long, and it was time to go home.
But she couldn't stop thinking that there was something she was missing.
"Alright. What if we find a place to sleep tonight, and then go home in the morning?" Max suggested.
Chloe and Rachel nodded. "I can agree to that," Chloe said. "The only question is: where do we sleep?"
"We probably need to backtrack to find a hotel," Rachel suggested.
The bald man from before appeared. He had been pacing around the place for some time, allowing the girls to do their own research and explore the premises of their own devices. He had taken the opportunity to approach them now when he overheard what they were saying.
"This place also serves as a rest stop for travelers. We have up to six rooms if each of you wants to take your own."
Max nearly smiled in relief. She'd sleep for a few hours, then she'd sneak back if need be and do some more research. She had to figure out this mystery. She felt that deep down there was a puzzle piece that she was missing.
The bald man led Max and Chloe down a few hallways, while Rachel went back to the truck to grab their stuff. The bald man opened a door with a key, and explained that he'll leave the door unlocked, so that they can leave at any time. Max went to stay in a room of her own, while Chloe and Rachel decided to share a room.
The room itself was sparse. It held a queen size bed, a TV across from the bed, and two nightstands on either side. Max dropped her stuff on the floor and plugged her phone into the outlet behind the nightstand beside the bed.
Max made a quick pit stop at the bathroom down the hall and attempted to settle down and sleep. She laid on her side and closed her eyes and hoped she would fall into oblivion.
She didn't know how long she slept. She remembered closing her eyes and then the next moment she knew she was laying on her back, and she felt the blanket of sleep slowly getting pulled away from her.
Max. Max! Don't you remember?!?
Max's blue, bloodshot eyes opened suddenly. Something had clicked in her brain, and as she left her left arm to stare at the cord, the memory locked into place.
"They twist and they turn. They tangle and unravel now and again. That is what time is."
Max threw the covers off of her and climbed out of bed. She had to throw on clothes and had to leave as soon as possible. She knew what she had to do.
*
Rachel woke up before Chloe. Chloe was quietly snoring into her ear. One leg was completely over he waist, while the other leg dangled off the side of the bed. Rachel was curled up in a semi fetal position as her eyes slowly opened. It took a second for her to recognize where she was before she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to take the grogginess away.
Rachel reached out to check the time and sighed. Guess it's time to get up.
"I could use a shower," she mumbled to herself. She delicately tore the band out of her hair to undo her bun. She allowed the hair to cascade messily down her face before pushing it behind her ears.
Rachel glanced down at Chloe, snickered, and decided to let her sleep for a bit longer. Rachel took off for the bathroom, and used the facilities, thankful that no one seemed to be around quite yet.
Once finished, she casually sauntered her way to Max's room. She simply wanted to see if she were up to begin their journey home, but stopped when she saw the note. A paper, seemingly torn from the journal Max always had, was taped to the door that led to Max's room. All it simply said was:
I have to go somewhere and do something. Go back to Seattle without me. I'll catch up.
-Max
*
"I can get you close, but I won't be able to make it all the way there in this car."
"That's fine by me."
Max replayed the conversation in her head as the bald man drove her towards a checkpoint. He had given her a map so she could chart her course, which she was grateful for.
She held the cap of the pen in her mouth as she used her phone light to chart her course. Max had a feeling deep down that she would subconsciously remember her way anyway, but needed to have a backup just in case.
Once finished, she stared out the window. The outskirts of town had started to bloom with more trees and wildlife. It was beautiful, but now wasn't the time for pictures, even if she did have proper lighting.
Moments later, the bald man dropped her off at the checkpoint. She thanked him, and he wished her luck and reminded her to be careful before he turned around. He had given her his facilities number in case she needed help, which she took.
Now, she was suddenly alone, and it was peaceful. Max couldn't afford to hesitate, however, and she took off for her hike, set on her destination. She went up and down hills, and checked the map at times, yet she never started from the path.
After some distance, the sky opened up and rain began to fall. She raised the hood on her hoodie and ran her way down the dirt path. She slipped once or twice, but thankfully didn't fall as she navigated her way down.
She passed a tree that seemed familiar. She scrambled up one last hill, and she finally stopped and saw… she had arrived.
The valley seemed untouched by the tornado that struck Arcadia Bay. The only changes from what her mind's eye remembered were natural changes from erosion and runoff from the river.
It was the valley. She couldn't remember its name, but she knew it was named after someone important. But that didn't matter. She gingerly descended down the valley and made her way to the shallow part of the river where she remembered crossing.
Her clothes were soaked, but that didn't matter. She found the shelter she was looking for when she crouched underneath the rock canopy of the shrine. She took her phone out of her pocket and turned the flashlight on.
Max shone the light on the cord. "It's a union."
She flashed the light over to the shrine, which held two cups and a long extinguished candle. The cups seemed smothered in moss, but fortunately they were covered at the top and when Max removed the covering, the water inside seemed fine.
Suddenly, she heard the rain behind her stopping. She grabbed the cup and waited. The clouds opened up, and warm orange hues colored the gleaming landscape.
"Golden Hour." Max stared down at the cup. "This better work."
She drank.