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Chapter Text

Cold rain seeped into her clothes, the wind continued to howl as it continued to whip at the soft skin of Max’s face. The sky coloured grey; the sort of grey only found between two extremes. Yet none of this mattered except for the weight of the Polaroid picture nestled in her front pocket.

In this moment, nothing mattered except for that photo. A photo that would decide the fate of those in Arcadia Bay or Chloe Price.

The beat of her heart thundered in her ears as Max desperately tried to search for any answer in the face of the person that mattered most.

That face merely looked back at Max in resignation. A resignation that spoke of selflessness and acceptance. An acceptance that a part of Max didn’t want to believe in.

But with one gaze, both of them knew what had to be done. They understood the consequences of their selfishness.

Max couldn’t tell whether the wetness on her cheeks was rain or tears. Her words came out in quiet defeat. “Chloe… I’m so so sorry… I… I don’t want to do this”.

Arms encircled Max as she buried her head in the junction of Chloe’s neck, as if Chloe could shield her from whatever happened. Max relished in the embrace, desperately trying to memorize the feel of Chloe against her and the quiet thrum of Chloe's heart, the very beat which signified life.

Even if Max could protect Chloe, Chloe couldn't protect herself from Max… or possibly fate. Rips in time, sacrifice after sacrifice. This moment was proof that the culmination of Max's actions were meaningless.

All too soon Chloe pulled away, leaving only the sudden chill of wind and rain. Chloe’s usual care-free now only carried solemn acceptance. Teal eyes that filled with hope only held tears now.

Chloe’s voice cracked at the end. It was as if each word stripped away Chloe’s strength and only left the vulnerable girl Max loved. “Being together this week… it was the best farewell gift I could have hoped for. You’re my hero Max”.

Max couldn’t say anything. All she wanted was time but even something she could control wasn’t on her side.

Her hands gently reached out and cradled Chloe’s head and soon Max’s mind blanked out with the gentle pressure of lips against hers. This kiss was different, nothing like the rushed and spontaneous the one they first shared in Chloe’s room. The very memory made Max’s chest ache further, the details of that first kiss etched into her mind.

Max tried to convey all the emotions she felt. The kiss was tinged with sadness but also the love that grew. A love that culminated from childhood and, despite the 5 years, all the emotion and nostalgia came surging back in merely 5 days.

Deep inside, Max knew she was a coward in the past. She couldn’t face Chloe, not when Chloe needed her most. Instead Max hid away and purposefully lost herself in Seattle. But in this moment, she was almost courageous.

In this instant, Max faced her emotions. She faced Chloe in what was the only way; through the last moment of contact before Max would be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.  

Warmth blossomed spread across Max’s form, the cold of the storm forgotten with the push and pull of that kiss.

Softly, as if one touch would shatter the temporary peace, Chloe’s hands framed Max’s sides in a light hold. Simply relishing in the last moment of human contact.

Yet this was still a moment, destined to fade.  The arms that held Max went slack when Chloe pulled away. The warmth that was once there was now cold emptiness.

The words left Chloe as the distance between them grew, her voice cracking at the very end. “I’ll always love you… Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak.”

Before Chloe could disappear behind the foliage of the trees, she turned around and met Max’s gaze. Chloe’s voice came out resolute despite her fate. “And Max Caulfield? Don’t you forget about me.”

Max’s voice coming out a broken whisper. “Never.”

Chloe’s form retreated behind the whistling trees, her form lost in the storm. With Chloe’s every step, the dread within Max continued to rise; soon she would have to make a choice.

Deep inside Max knew why Chloe left. Chloe needed to disappear. Not because she needed to be strong but, so Max could have the freedom to choose. They both knew that with Chloe’s presence, their resolves for the greater good would crumble and already, Max wanted to just run to Chloe.

To just hold Chloe and never let her go.

A selfish part of Max just wanted to let the storm pass through if it only meant for Chloe to be here once more. Even just one more moment would have been enough.

Max’s hand shook as she took out the butterfly picture from her pocket. The weight and texture was so familiar yet it left Max nauseous.

It’s time.

Max closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm the conflict of emotions that brewed in her form. With one last deep breath, she focused on the faint presence of time as it coiled in the palm of her hand. Time was almost alive; weak as it bent itself one last time.

The familiar pressure that started in her temples gradually spread, the image blurred and refocused in on itself and all too soon Max was back in the washroom.

The click of a camera and the accompanying flash brought Max back to the moment that started everything. The very memory was haunting, a sharp reminder of what was to come.

A blue butterfly fluttered from the bucket to the sink. In the near blue light of the washroom, the butterfly looked almost ethereal, its wings moving languidly.

The very scene was tranquile; a sharp contrast from the chaos that would ensue.

The sound of approaching footfalls cut the peace of the washroom. Max knew what would happen next. She knew of the confrontation that would result in a loved one being taken. She knew that she was helpless; the loss of one life was necessary for the thousands at stake.

Nathan entered the bathroom and gazed at his reflection. He leant against the sink as if to steady himself. “You own this school Nathan. Don’t be scared… If I wanted, I could blow it up. Remember, you’re the boss.”

The washroom door opened once more, Chloe’s sure steps echoed in the washroom. With every step, Max’s heart plummeted even further. Even if she knew what was going to happen, anxiety gripped her heart. IN the impossibility of it all, Max hoped that things would change. That maybe Chloe would live through this.

Nathan couldn’t look at her. Even if his tone was a casual challenge, his body language spoke volumes. It was as if he was a cornered animal, ready to lash out with the faintest provocation. “So, what do you want?”

“I hope you checked the perimeter as my step-ass would say." Chloe was casual, unsuspecting as she checked each stall before she faced Nathan; defiance shining brightly in teal eyes. "Now let’s talk bidness.”

“I got nothing for you.” Nathan’s tone was menacing, aggression seeped into his voice.

Max’s head started to hurt. What was once a slight pressure became a searing pain that started at her temples only to encompass her body. Max clutched at her head, a wave of nausea washed over her but it was different this time.

Max’s vision became splotchy as the walls started to blur; the ground spinning beneath her feet.

Chloe’s words were distant despite the proximity. “Wrong. You got hella cash.”

That was it. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

With 5 words, Nathan exploded in fury. “YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THE FUCK I AM OR WHO YOU’RE MESSING AROUND WITH!”

“What are you doing? Come on put that gun down!”

Max didn’t have to see the fear in Chloe’s voice was evident. This was it. Max buried her face in her hands, her legs gave out slowly as she curled inwardly and slid down the wall. She sat down, helpless to fate.

“DON’T EVER TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I’M SO SICK OF PEOPLE TRYING TO CONTROL ME. NOBODY WOULD EVER EVEN MISS YOUR PUNK ASS”

The gun went off. And with that, the pressure in her head escalated to an unbearable pain so much so that Max cried out.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain faded as the world steadied beneath Max, her vision slowly clearing.

In front of Max, the butterfly stood still on the sink, its wings as stiff as a board. Even after a couple of moments, the butterfly didn’t move. The washroom was now eerily still, a vast contrast from the erraticism Nathan emanated.

What? Shakily, Max stood and peeked from behind the wall.

Chloe had her hands in front of her as she tried to calm Nathan down. The bullet floated ominously in the air, a mere inch from piercing the flesh of Chloe’s stomach while Nathan’s face remained contorted, stuck in a fit of rage.

Time was frozen.

Max didn’t realise she was moving until she stood merely a foot from the scene.  Just one more touch before everything falls apart…

Timidly, she reached for Chloe, fingers brushing the face of the only person she couldn’t save. That familiar warmth met Max’s palm. Before Max could relish in the heat, Chloe jumped at the first bit of contact.

Max’s eyes widened, she pulled her hand back as if it burned. Did time start again?

Teal eyes met blue. A gradient of emotion crossed Chloe’s face, from fear to shock. Chloe’s words came out a whisper. “What are you doing here?”

Max couldn’t answer. Moments passed as she stood agape, speechless at the events.

A beat passed before Chloe realized her surroundings. “What the fuck is going on?” 

Max stammered, finding it hard to find her words. “I don’t—I barely touched you and now you’re actually moving but time is still frozen and—" 

“Time is frozen? What—” Chloe paused when something grazed against her stomach.  

Teal eyes travelled downward only to find a bullet poking at her stomach. Overcome by a sudden curiosity, Chloe nudged the bullet that touched her, yet it didn’t move. No matter how much force Chloe exerted, the bullet was stagnant in mid-air.

Chloe met familiar blue eyes, a small frown made its way to her face, just trying to understand what happened in the small span of a couple minutes. “What’s going on Max?”

“I don’t even know anymore” Max looked just as incredulous. “I thought time stopped but…”

“You can stop time? No way, this has got to be a dream or—“ A searing pain suddenly wracked Chloe’s temple. Blindly, Chloe reached out for something, only to clutch the sink beside her, the only support that kept her from doubling over in agony.

Memories and visions rushed through Chloe in fragments. A fire alarm being pulled before Nathan shot her, a train almost running her over, being shot in the head by a man that could barely be seen. But in each memory, Chloe didn’t experience the sensation of pain. Instead Chloe could see herself being killed 3 times and yet she was still alive.

Chloe could recall time rewinding itself with each outcome differing. All this eventually lead to the storm that destroyed Arcadia Bay, but for a moment it didn’t matter. What only mattered was the girl in front of her.

With each memory, a range of emotions went through Chloe; the most prominent emotion being happiness. The intensity of that feeling was so foreign, the same sort of happiness that hadn’t happened since she was a child. It didn’t matter how bad the situation was, there was always a shared content between the two.

Chloe could sense the love that spoke in Max’s every action and rewind. The care that Chloe thought would never exist, came rushing back. For a small moment, she didn't feel abandoned or angry. Instead, Chloe was at peace. So much so, that she willingly would sacrifice herself for the greater good.

In the chaos of all these memories, one thought struck Chloe.

Max loved me.

It wasn’t until a hand rubbed her back when Chloe realized she was hunched over, blood trickling from her nose.

“Are you okay?” Max’s voice slowly became less distant as the pounding behind Chloe’s eyes gradually receded.

Chloe finally looked at Max, recognition clear in teal eyes. Nothing had changed. Max still wore the same chlorine bleached jeans and a hoodie, yet the picture of a butterfly was clenched tightly in Max's grip. 

Chloe wiped the blood with her sleeve as she stared at the girl who managed to bend space and time out of love. "I was supposed to die… Why did you save me?” 

“Chloe, I—” Before Max could finish her sentence, her body gradually became translucent.

“MAX WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO YOU?!” Chloe screamed.

“No… ” Max’s shook her head, refusing to believe the truth. Max’s eyes focused on her hands, the flesh already fading into nothingness.

“You can’t disappear on me. Please. I just got you back!” Desperately, Chloe tried to latch onto Max’s forearm as if she could keep Max with her for just one more moment. They needed to talk. They needed each other. Even that gesture was in vain as Chloe’s hand fell right through, as if Max was never there.

“I’m sorry, Chloe.” Max whispered before disappearing completely.

This was it. That was the last time they’d ever see each other. As quick as Max came, she faded into existence and with her disappearance, the butterfly picture swayed down slowly. It landed quietly on the tiled floor, the only sign that Max had been here.

Chloe bent down to pick up the photograph, her hand tracing the wear and tear. In her hands was the event that started everything, both the beginning and the end. Yet before Chloe could even think, the world started to fade to a blinding white until nothing remained.

Chapter Text

Max had vanished into nothingness, Chloe was left alone with Nathan’s time frozen body. Yet the washroom no longer looked the same. The walls started to fade away, everything was engulfed in light.

“MAX!” Chloe tossed awake in her bed, her clothes clung to her in cold sweat. The light from her window shone on her while the birds chirped incessantly outside.

She shook her head, trying to come to terms with everything that had happened. Usually, she’d never remember her dreams, she only remembered the feeling or the sensation they’d cause. Yet she remembered this dream as if it had just happened. Max disappeared before her eyes and only left memories.

Chloe looked around her room, there was still graffiti painted on the walls yet her height chart went untouched. A warm glow bathed the messy room while the scent of fresh pancakes filled the air. She could hear her mother downstairs making breakfast. So far, nothing had really changed. Her old Blackwell timetable was taped to her wall, there was scarcely any graffiti on it.

Chloe languidly stretched and made her way downstairs. Her bare feet padded softly against the carpet. She passed Joyce and yawned “Morning”.

“Morning kiddo. You’re up early.” The baritone of his voice was unmistakable.

Her father sat at the table as if it was the most normal thing in the world. As if he never left her. Chloe was speechless, this had to be a dream. Yet she found herself running towards him.

She threw herself at him. Her arms hugged him tightly to her as if he’d vanish if she ever let go. William’s stubble scratched her cheek but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She felt his heavy arms hug her back awkwardly.

“Dad… You’re actually here…” It was barely audible. Her voice cracked, it was the only thing that was remotely stable. Her thoughts were in disarray as she took in her father’s presence. His face still held laugh lines as if he were untouched by fate. Her vision blurred with tears.

She thought she’d be angry. He had left her. But any sadness or anger left her and all that was left was relief. He never abandoned her. William was alive.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Is everything alright Chloe? I haven’t seen you this worked up since Bongo died.”

Chloe pulled away from her father. She studied his face, trying to decipher why he was here. “Nothing. I’m sorry I was just… I had a bad dream.”

“Well I’m sure it’s nothing that some of your Mom’s world-famous pancakes couldn’t solve” His grin was infectious, Chloe couldn’t help the small smile that escaped her. She quickly wiped the tears that gathered in her eyes.

The pancakes sat in front of her but she scarcely touched them. She was too stunned by this morning’s events, her father continued to wolf down the pancakes as if nothing ever happened. It was as if the car accident never occurred. 

“Are you sure you’re okay honey? You’re usually downing these pancakes like there's no tomorrow.” Her mother’s concerned voice cut through her train of thought.

“I’m fine. I just… I guess I don’t have much of an appetite.”

Joyce looked at her skeptically. Chloe began to slowly chip away at her pancakes. They were light and fluffy. It reminded her of how much Max used to fight with William over who could have the last of Joyce’s pancakes.

“Max would love these.” Chloe absentmindedly said.

Her father paused “Who’s Max? Some boy I don’t know of?”. His tone was playful but his eyes also held that fatherly protectiveness.

Chloe looked at him incredulously “Max used to come over when I was 13? We’d pretend to be pirates. She loved Mom’s pancakes. Remember? She wolfed them down as much as you. Both of you would wrestle over who’d get the last stack of pancakes”

William looked at her confusedly “Chloe the only visitor we’ve had in the house was Rachel and she started coming over when you were 16.”

She sat in disbelief. William never knew Max. Chloe knew that he would never forget Max. Her family would never forget her best friend. She looked outside to her garden where the mural they drew should have stood. But it was never there. The garden was empty and clean.

“I uhm… Sorry that dream must be messing with my head. It was hella weird.” The day seemed to drag on even if it was just morning. She needed answers.

Her mother laid a hand on her should and rubbed it soothingly. “It was just a dream sweetie. Don't worry about it. Also, you better hurry up and finish those or you’ll be late for school.”

Chloe was expelled from Blackwell. Or at least she should have been. What the hell was happening? She had no time to think, there were so many things that were left unanswered. Chloe took one last look at her father, she wanted nothing more than to just spend more time with him but she needed answers.

She went back upstairs and got to her closet.

….

FLASHBACK

"Put this on and let your inner rock girl come out! You can afford to take chances! Whenever and whatever you want to try! … For example, I dare you to kiss me!”

“W-what?” Max’s expression was priceless. Her shocked face was adorable and her cheeks lit up in a slight blush.

“I double dare you. Kiss me now.” Chloe wore a smug grin but deep inside she was anxious.

Chloe was about to take her comment back, she understood what the silence meant. Although it kinda hurt, a part of her wanted Max to kiss her.

Her thoughts died down when she’d felt hands cup her face and the brief touch of Max’s lips. It was warm and soft but she was too stunned that this happened. She didn’t know what to do, she had to think. Regretfully, she pulled away as fast as the kiss started.

Her heart pounded, all she could think of was the feeling of the kiss. Her face heated up. “D-damn, you’re hardcore Max! Now I can text Warren and tell him he doesn’t stand a chance… unless he’s into girl-on-girl action”. Chloe had to turn away, she couldn’t look at Max right now.

“You’re such a dork.” Max’s face was slightly red but she clearly was pleased with herself.

She remembered this with clarity. Max had to have been here. Max had to have existed. 

….

Her truck was in better condition the last time she left it. She drove to the only place she could think of, Blackwell.

The school stayed the same. The hallways still crowded with bodies that wanted to go to class or figure themselves out. It felt almost surreal walking through the hallways again. She was back at Blackwell. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder where Max was.

She went into the science lab for her first class, but all her thoughts stopped at the person sitting at the bench. Chloe could easily spot that blonde head of hair. Her feather earring seemed to glow blue even in the light. The girl looked back at her and smiled, the smile that Chloe would give anything to see one last time.

“Rachel…”

Chapter Text

“Are you okay Chloe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Chloe was seeing a ghost. She had seen Rachel’s body in the junkyard. What was once a hollowed skull was now fleshed out. Instead of discolored skin taut against bone, her cheeks were rosy and full. Those blank eyes that stared aimlessly at the sky, now looked back at her in hazel concern. The putrid scent of death was replaced by a soft jasmine.

She needed to control her emotions. Now was not the time to freak out in front of everyone.

It took all her strength not to run up to Rachel and to tackle her. Chloe took a deep breath, and stomped down her emotions. “I’m just really happy to see you Rach.”

“Chloe you saw me yesterday.”

“A lot of things happened and I just… Rachel I missed you and I’m just so… happy you’re here with me.”

“Chloe… We’ve got a class together and we’re best friends. I’m supposed to be here with you, I’ll always be here for you.”

Chloe only nodded. She couldn’t take anything that was being said to her properly. Her head was reeling. Rachel was alive. William was alive. The two people that had made her happy were present. Yet none of this mattered without Max. She had to find her. She had to find the girl that may have caused all of this.

“Hey Rachel, have you heard of a girl name Max Caulfield? She’s a student at Blackwell. Petite, short brown hair, carries a polaroid camera around. Sound familiar?”

Rachel looked at her bewildered “I know all the kids at Blackwell and I haven’t seen anyone who matches—“

“Now I know y’all aren’t talking about science. If you have something to say about the lab we’re doing, speak up now. Otherwise keep it down.” Ms. Grant’s gentle voice cut through the noise of the students. Her footsteps became the only thing heard as she walked in the class.  

Ms. Grant didn’t drone on like the other teachers. Her voice commanded attention and managed to enrapture even those that weren’t interested in science. She took different elements and started to show how the lab was going to be done.

“We’re going to measure the amount of pressure in this reaction. When this reaction happens, hydrogen gas is formed. The hydrogen gas gathers in this sealed glass container. After 5 minutes, you must release the pressure gradually by twisting this valve on the side of the glass. If you don’t release the pressure, the glass can explode…”

Although most of the students paid attention, Justin was more interested in the actual glass. He stared at it in wonder, as if it held the answers to the universe. Chloe could already tell, he was high as balls and so was his lab partner, Trevor. Even though they sat in the bench beside her, Chloe could smell the scent of cannabis off them. If things weren’t so hectic, she would have tried to bum a joint off them.

She had no time to dwell on this. The lab occupied her otherwise distraught thoughts. They gave her a false stability. At least she knew what would happen in the lab, she could control it.

Chloe looked at Rachel beside her, they both got into the groove of things when the lab started. It didn’t matter if it was a lab, Rachel and her worked well together, they always have. And for a moment, everything seemed alright, maybe even normal.

Until the glass cask on the other bench beside them exploded.

Shards of glass soared through the air, they glimmered in the light prettily. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. Justin and Trevor’s glass flung itself in what felt like a million directions. Chloe saw shards impale the soft skin of Justin’s face, leaving trails of red where they hit.

Her head started to hurt. That familiar headache appeared as she raised her hand to try and protect herself against the incoming shards of glass. Yet nothing happened. There was no pain.

She put her hand down, some pieces of glass were suspended in air. Other bits of glass had already launched themselves into the flesh of unsuspecting students, blood already prickled from the wounds. Chloe looked at Rachel, the other girl’s face was frozen in shock as a piece of glass floated in front of her face menacingly.

In the frozen chaos, Chloe could feel something, it felt almost tangible. She raised her hand as if she could grasp it and focused on that feeling. Time had started to rewind yet the throbbing in her head increased into a searing pain. It became almost unbearable but she couldn’t let the glass hit anyone. She couldn’t let the glass hurt Rachel.

The glass flew to its original place, the cracks in the glass cask disappeared as if nothing ever happened. The ground underneath her felt unsteady as the pain in her head gradually disappeared. The world felt disorienting as it spun beneath her feet.

Before her Justin and Trevor were no longer wounded, they were comparing answers with the other students. The glass in front of them went unnoticed even when it was already starting to expand. Chloe walked quickly to the glass cask and slowly turned the valve, releasing the pressure.

Chloe released a sigh of relief and turned back to her own bench. She tried to walk back but lost her balance. She almost fell head first into the bench had it not been for the arms that caught her. The slight scent of jasmine was dizzying to her already disoriented head.

Rachel looked at her worriedly as she held Chloe. The other girl’s body felt limp in her arms. “Ms. Grant is it alright if I take Chloe to the washroom? She doesn’t look well.”

Even before Ms. Grant nodded, Rachel was already dragging Chloe to the washroom. It felt like the longest walk Chloe had ever taken even with Rachel supporting her weight.

The door to the washroom closed, Chloe’s legs felt like jelly on the tiled floor. She let go of Rachel and stumbled towards the sink. Her reflection stared back at her in the mirror, her nose was bleeding. She went to rinse her face, the red of her blood faded away into the water.

Rachel looked at her in the mirror. Her arms crossed, a scowl on her otherwise youthful face. “What the hell is going on with you? Don’t tell me you’re just happy to see me. There’s something more than that.”

Silence was her only answer.

Chloe felt a hand on her shoulder. “Chloe… whatever it is… you can tell me.”

Chloe heaved a sigh and met Rachel’s gaze in the mirror. “I think I can control time.”

Rachel looked back her incredulously “Are you kidding me? At least come up with a lie that’s believable. Or maybe tell me when you’re as high as Justin or Trevor.” It was clear she was angry, Chloe couldn’t blame her. It even sounded unbelievable to herself. Rachel shook her head and went to open the washroom door, she grasped the handle before Chloe grabbed her wrist.

“I’m telling you the truth.” Chloe’s voice was softer, nothing like the usual confidence she exuded. Chloe was too tired to even put up a fight. Either Rachel believed her or not.

Rachel turned to face her. She studied her face, trying to find any hints of dishonesty. Chloe’s eyes stared back in blue adamancy. Rachel sighed. “Alright let’s say you can control time. Prove it.”

“Why do you think I released the pressure in Justin’s glass cask? I knew it was going to explode. No one even noticed that it was going to explode but me.”

“That’s just one incident.”

Chloe huffed “Rachel I’m hella tired right now. How about we meet up at the junkyard tomorrow and I’ll prove it to you.”

Rachel exhaled “Fine. Don’t be late.” With that the blonde-haired girl disappeared out the door, leaving Chloe in the washroom. Chloe’s face looked paler in the dim light of the washroom but at least she got her balance back. She pushed herself off the sink and left the room where this all started.

….

Her footsteps would echo in the usually quiet house. But this time it was different, she heard the distant sound of a TV playing. Joyce was off working late at the Two Whales which left William. It felt like a dream when she walked inside her house. For years she’d dream about what she would say if her Dad were back but now it was as if her words left her. In its place was simply relief.

Sometimes she’d dream of screaming at William for abandoning her, she’d scream about how her life had turned into a living hell when he left. Other times she’d cry simply because she missed him. But now he sat at the sofa, watching the television. The floor beneath the sofa lacked the wine stain that marked one of her precious memories.

“Hey kiddo.” His voice ran clear even with the TV in the background. William turned his attention to Chloe.

“Are you okay? You look a little pale there.” He went to stand up but Chloe just shook her head.

“I’m fine… Dad. Just tired.” She gave him her best smile as she continued to go up to her room. It felt weird to say Dad again. She didn’t even want to call David her step-father. At the time, it felt like he was a replacement her mother got. He would never replace her father. No one would. Any mention of her father angered her. That’s why she didn’t mention William or anything dad-related. It only reminded her of being left by those who ‘cared’.

Her footsteps were sluggish as they carried her to her room. She was too tired to remotely function. The events of the day had tired. Chloe didn’t bother changing her clothes, she collapsed into her bed as sleep overtook her.

….

DREAM SEQUENCE

The pour of rain greeted her when Chloe opened her eyes. The lighthouse stood atop the hill, it was the only source of light amongst the storm. She shivered in the cold rain, the breeze whipped at her skin. But that didn’t matter. The only person that mattered was standing at the precipice of the cliff, her back towards Chloe.  

Max stood and watched the destruction of Arcadia Bay. The storm continued as bits of the town were caught in the chaos. Her clothes were wet and clung to her frame, she stood small amongst the destruction of their town.

The wind roared yet Chloe could only hear her heart beat. Her feet carried her as if the day’s events never mattered. She saw all she needed to see. Max was here. Max existed.

Without a single word, Chloe’s arms wrapped around Max. She tried to convey all that she felt in that one hug, her happiness and relief at seeing the girl who stopped time. The other girl briefly sunk into the embrace before pushing Chloe away.

Max shook her head. “Chloe you can’t use the rewind anymore.”

How the hell did she know about the rewind? “If I didn’t use the rewind, Justin and Trevor would have gotten hurt.”

Max bit her lip, it was a nervous habit of hers whenever she was hiding something. “Just… Please don’t use it. I know you think you’re helping but you’re not helping.” Although Max was nervous her eyes showed she was adamant in this.

“I thought you were about helping people? I’m not even using it for anything fun.” Chloe’s tone was harder. Her frustration rang clear to Max. The whistle of the wind was Chloe’s only answer.

After a couple moments, Max spoke carefully “Your actions have consequences. Every time you change something with the rewind, the future changes.”

Max couldn’t even look at her, she stared at the ground, a frustrated scowl marring her face. Finally Max met Chloe’s gaze, Max looked defeated. Defeated by what? Time? Chloe couldn’t tell. “I’m sorry I can’t say more but… it’s better this way… for you.”

“You’re not there Max.”

Max flinched as if struck “You’ve got Rachel and William. I thought you’d be happy.” Max wanted to say something but nothing would come out. It was as if the words just stopped and all that Chloe could read was the raw emotion in that expressive face.

“I love them but I need my partner in time. I need my best friend.” Chloe’s anger was gone. All that was left was the vulnerable girl who bared her emotions.

“I don’t think I can come back”. It was quietly said yet Max’s words rang clear amongst the violence of the storm. It was the very last thing Chloe heard before she was brought back to reality.

Chapter Text

Light poured through the planks and rusted metal sheets that made up the roof. The hideout was littered with beer bottles, pizza boxes and make-shift chairs, yet it was the closest place that Chloe would have called home. The brick building carried parts of her and Rachel in it, whether it was the posters on the wall to the bracelets lying on the table. It even carried a part of Max in it… or at least it should have.

Chloe sat on the bench near their spool table, a joint in her hand. She looked at the lack of graffiti that decorated the walls. She saw her and Rachel’s tag, but Max’s was no where to be found. Instead there was only blank concrete.

Pale wisps of smoke curled throughout their hideout. The scent of cannabis permeated through the air, a scent that managed to relax Chloe. The tendrils of smoke managed to distort her vision and for some reason that was relaxing. She didn’t want to see the truth. She didn’t want to see Max’s absence.

This whole timeline seemed crazy. First William and now Rachel. Both of them alive. It was as if this whole thing were a dream where her loved ones existed. Everyone but Max. A part of her expected to just wake up alone in her bed, her father and Rachel would still be dead. Maybe she'd even just wake up with Max beside her like in the previous timeline. Yet with each passing day, she believed all this to be real. Maybe this was reality and not a dream. With each day she awoke in the same room, in the same bed, in a town with the same people.

The dull thump of footsteps on dirt cut her train of thought. “Are you finally going to tell me about what happened yesterday?”

Rachel Amber stood at the entrance, bathed in light. Her blonde hair glowed softly just like the rest of her. She walked towards Chloe and sat on top of the musty chair they scavenged off the junkyard. It creaked under her weight.

Chloe sighed, her high was already being dampened. “I already told you, I can time travel.”

“Alright cool. Hey, did I ever tell you that my Uncle was the tooth fairy?” Ah there it was. That familiar sarcasm, the tell-tale sign that it really was Rachel.

“I was being serious.”

“Where’s my proof then?” Rachel looked at her expectantly, a perfectly manicured brow raised.

Chloe squashed the remainder of her joint in an ashtray and walked outside. The junkyard was a paradox. It was a combination of old and new. She could see the remainder of the cars she had smashed yet there was always something new to be found. Even with new pieces of trash coming in, the junkyard still looked the same.

She looked at parts of destruction within the junkyard. She remembered the rage she had felt towards everything. When the world had become too much, this place became her outlet. No one would want the stuff in the junkyard, no one would miss it. It gave her an odd sense of comfort, the possibility of forgetting what was once loved.

She remembered the bat she’d smash through car windows with. She never pictured anyone while she crushed already ruined things, Chloe only had felt rage. Rage at life for taking away those she loved. Sometimes a sadness for when she would never be able to hear their voices. It was as if she wasn’t allowed to be happy.

However, it all changed with Max. With Max by her side it felt like she could have closure. They fixed everything and each other. Max saved her from herself. Max stopped the rage and left happiness.

Chloe had even done something that was almost impossible for her, she forgave and accepted. She forgave Max. Even though Max had left her for 5 years, just having her back again made her happy. It was as if those 5 years never happened and they went back to being pirates. She accepted the deaths of William and Rachel. Instead she started to look more towards the future. The hope that left her was suddenly back. The hope for something more.

That hope still burned bright. There had to be a way to get Max back. Maybe Rachel knew what to do once she witnessed it. But for now, she was at the junkyard. Chloe didn’t really know what to do amongst the ruins of trash. So far, the only time her rewind worked was when something dangerous happened. She mustered up whatever pseudo confidence she had.

A thought suddenly popped in her head, Chloe smirked. “Alright I’m going to… predict what colour your underwear is.”

Rachel’s shocked expression gave way to a cocky smile. “You sure this isn’t just a trick to worm your way into my pants, Price?”.

“I don’t know, Amber. All I know is that I’m going to predict those undies of yours. If you show me I’ll rewind time and I’ll give you my ‘prediction’”.

Rachel quirked an eyebrow yet her smirk was still in place. She lifted her shirt and slightly pulled her pants down to reveal plain black panties that hugged her hips. 

Chloe closed her eyes and concentrated on that same feeling. The same tangible sense she had when the glass cask exploded in the lab. She raised her hand, trying to grasp what was almost there. The familiar pain that started in her temples increased as she focused. Chloe could see an after-image of herself and Rachel talking as time rewound.

Chloe stumbled as a slight wave of nausea took over. Distantly, she could hear Rachel’s voice “You sure this isn’t just a trick to worm your way into my pants, Price? Woah are you okay?”

Chloe rested her hand on the dilapidated car beside her. She shook her head, trying to steady herself. Yet a triumphant grin made its way to her face “All I know is that your wearing plain black undies, Amber.”

The look of shock on Rachel's face made all this sweeter to Chloe. It had actually worked! She could control time! The moment of happiness died down as quick as it came. At first she thought she’d use it to manipulate space and time for her gain. Maybe she could take all of Frank’s money and get out of Arcadia with Rachel. But even this idea seemed empty. She wanted to get out of Arcadia, this was true. But it felt empty without Max even with Rachel by her side. Deep down she knew, none of this would have happened without Max.

Rachel recuperated from her shock as she tried to mask indifference. “That’s… that’s just… pure coincidence.” Rachel’s words sounded empty to herself.

Chloe rolled her eyes. She thought back to how Max proved it. She couldn’t predict what would happen in the next 30 seconds. It was the junkyard for god’s sake. Barely anyone came. One of the reasons why this place was her personal home away from ‘home’.

Max would have known what to do. She always did. Rewind or not.

Chloe saw 2 piles of cars that were stacked on top of each other. They weren’t touching, there was about 1 meter of space between them. Suddenly, she had an idea. Chloe dragged Rachel by the hand and they went behind the twin piles.

“There’s nothing here Chloe.”

“Exactly. Now that you know that, I want you to stand in front of these 2 piles. I’m going to go behind one pile and come out the other. Without you seeing me move in between.”

With that Chloe moved behind the pile on Rachel’s left while the other girl stood in front and waited. Behind the pile of trash, Chloe tried to stomp down the remaining nausea as she tried to focus on stopping time. It was different from rewinding. The pain was more intense. What was once a creeping pain in her temples turned into a fierce agony. Her head felt like it was about to explode.

Chloe nearly tripped while she walked behind the other pile. The pain didn’t cease, it was as if she could feel the word spinning underneath her feet. The world stopping would have felt almost surreal if it weren’t for the pulsing in her head. She saw Rachel frozen in time, the other girl was studying the pile where Chloe previously stood behind.

The walk felt a mile long even if it was only a meter. Finally, time started again. Chloe shuffled out of the other pile, her legs felt like jelly. Her head was swimming, she felt the trickle of blood from her nose. Rachel rushed towards the unsteady girl who practically collapsed in her arms.

Rachel noticed the blood that stained her red plaid shirt “I can’t believe you can actually… manipulate time. How did this even happen? Chloe? CHLOE?”

Chloe could barely hear her, she was starting to lose consciousness. Rachel’s voice was sounding more and more distant but she could faintly hear her name being called. Everything stopped when her vision turned black.

---

A hand rubbed soothing circles into her back. For a second, she felt like a child where everything was fine. Chloe languidly opened her eyes to the fading light of a sunset. Pink and orange blended in the sky. The light casted looming shadows on piles of trash.

Rachel’s worried expression greeted her back to consciousness “Oh thank God you’re finally awake. I thought I lost you there for a sec.”

Chloe didn’t respond, her head was still reeling as if she just came back from the worst hangover. She noticed that her head was pillowed on Rachel’s lap. When she went to talk she could feel the dried blood on her upper lip. “God my head feels like it’s going to explode. What happened?”

“I should be asking that.” Rachel’s hazel gaze implored her to talk.

Chloe knew this would happen. But she was always honest. She took a deep breath and sat up, resigned to answer anything.

---

After everything was said and done, Chloe drove Rachel to her house. The silence in the car was almost maddening. Chloe wasn’t sure whether Rachel believed her or whether the other girl thought she went bat shit crazy. At least if Rachel talked it would give her a hint.

By the time Chloe finished telling Rachel about everything it had become twilight.  She told her about Max and how these powers were suddenly hers. She confessed that she blackmailed Nathan to get more money for their escape out of Arcadia and how it almost led to her being shot had it not been for Max.   All Rachel did was nod and take the info quietly.

Rachel never asked about what happened to her in the other timeline. Chloe wasn’t even sure how to tell her. She knew Rachel would be devastated. Hell, Chloe didn’t even know what happened in this current timeline. What more Rachel’s role in this timeline?

The longer she thought about timelines and her power, the more confused it made her.   

The drive felt like hours even if it was just 20 minutes away. When they finally reached Rachel’s place, Rachel only muttered a quiet ‘goodnight’ before getting out of the truck. It was the only thing she said during the whole ride.

Even with the background noise of the radio, the drive back felt empty. However, her house wasn’t empty. She saw light in the living room, a sight that she’d found herself getting more and more used to. By this time, David would probably be holed up inside the garage and Joyce would be working a night-shift at the Two Whales. Yet when she entered the house, William and Joyce were cuddling on the couch. A sight she never thought she’d see again yet it made her happy.

Chloe sluggishly made her way up the stairs and into her room. Her bed was the only thing that gave her solace, it took her in an embrace that shielded her from the stress of the day.

---

DREAM SEQUENCE

Her dream was a vast contrast from the warmth her bed offered. In place of warmth was the cold rain that dripped down her face. Beneath her wasn’t the comfort of a mattress but of the hard ground path. The thunder continued to rumble, the wind whipped at her face. She felt her teeth chatter amid the cold. Her clothes and hair clung to her. In the grey of the storm her blue hair almost appeared grey.

Yet during all this the lighthouse stood tall and proud. The only object of defiance amongst the storm. Its light shone brightly amongst the grey.

From the corner of her eye she saw a doe. It climbed out from where the forest started and walked on the dirt path. It felt like it was leading her somewhere and she had no choice but to follow it in all this chaos.

The path was muddy and littered with fallen trees but the doe remained graceful. It seemed to beckon her as it navigated up the treacherous hill. The doe stopped at the edge of the cliff where the lighthouse looked at sea, it seemed to study the storm as it ripped through the town.

Eventually, she stood in front of the lighthouse. This was where everything started and ended. Chloe expected the roof to rip off yet the structure still stood strong.

Her gaze wandered to the destruction the of the town, expecting to see the doe at the cliff's edge. The doe was gone. In its place stood Max. Even amid the storm, Max looked beautiful. She also looked pissed.

“God Chloe. What did I tell you about using the rewind?”

“Wow Max. You know it’s starting to feel like the only time you ever talk to me is when you wanna lecture me on the rewind. And by the way, you only told me not to use the rewind not WHY I shouldn’t use it.”

Max was silent, her expression was indecipherable. It was as if she couldn't meet Chloe's gaze, the other girl's eyes focused on the ground.

“Max… Why can’t I use my power? I barely did anything! All I did was show Rachel. I know I can trust her.” Chloe continued.

Max’s voice was quiet, almost inaudible. “If you keep using that power… It’ll cause another storm. Everything is connected Chloe. The timelines could even be connected to other timelines. Whenever you change something, it will affect something bigger. No one is ready for that. I wasn’t ready.” 

Chloe could say nothing. It made sense. It was Chaos Theory. Everything contained some form of chaos whether it was orderly or disorderly. Changes that happened in a person’s life could affect the total amount of chaos. Changes in time messed with the environment's natural chaos. The rewind caused disorder.

Amongst the turmoil, an idea appeared. “The only time I get to see you is when I rewind time.”

Her ideas continued to flow. So far, this was the only solution. “What if the storm is the only way of bringing you back?”

Max shook her head. “Chloe… you can’t do this. The storm is dangerous. It could destroy you and all of Arcadia Bay.”

“Then I’ll enter the storm.”

Chapter Text

Chloe sat in her stool as Ms. Grant was finishing her lecture. The equations sat on the board, but she could hardly concentrate. The class was about to be over. What was the point?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Rachel had texted her. ‘Hey wanna meet me at the photography lab?’

They hadn’t spoken to each other after the junkyard. Yet Rachel was finally talking to her and oddly Chloe was relieved. She quickly typed out ‘yeah’ before shutting her phone.

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Students rushed out of the class, eager for the 5-minute break until they had to enter another class. Chloe took her time when she gathered her stuff. She knew it would be a while. Rachel was always passionate about photography class.

Her footsteps were muffled amongst the noise of the hallway as she made her way to the photography class. She entered the doorway and stopped. Any relief she felt for finally being able to talk to Rachel was extinguished. The scene unfolding in front of her was so simple and yet it chilled her to the bone. It was as if hell had frozen over. 

In front of her, Mark Jefferson was speaking to Rachel. A small smile made its way on the blonde girl’s face as they spoke. They spoke as if there was no one else in the room. The calm glow of the room seemed to add to the natural radiance of Rachel.

The anger seemed almost foreign to her, it came in a rush. Where the scene had frozen her, anger had begun to thaw her being. She felt her fists clench, her fingernails cut crescents into her palm. It took all her strength not to run up to Jefferson and beat him bloody.

Rachel saw her at the doorway and smiled. Chloe tried to squash down her anger but Rachel had already seen her expression.  As soon as the smile came, it faded into concern. Rachel quickly said goodbye to Jefferson. Chloe wished she’d say goodbye to him forever.

Together they walked out of the class. Chloe could feel the tension leave her the farther they got from that class. She would always remember the psychopath that hid under the guise of a beloved teacher. At his very core, the man was twisted. He would charm those around him only for them to be lured into his trap. Into the dark room.

She remembered the bleached walls of the dark room. The pictures were black and white, just like the innocence and corruption he compared. There were tones of grey for the transition between black and white that he longed to capture. Yet he never realised his own corruption.

The red binders were the only thing that brought colour to the bleak room

The terror she felt was unmistakable. The moment Jefferson and Rachel spoke to each other in the class brought forth images of Rachel she never wanted to see again. Shots of Rachel ranged from enraged to unconscious and finally dead. All in black, white and grey.

Even the slightest gaze towards Jefferson reminded her of the feeling of duct tape that bound limbs to a chair. She could remember Max’s fear. It was as if she could feel the sensation of a needle sinking into her skin followed by everything going black.

Her eyes would open only to reveal the bright flash of a camera. She stared at the figure that captured her at her most vulnerable. His eyes only stared blankly back at her. He took pleasure in her unconsciousness. The slightest of movement would anger him. She could feel a hand shove her head back into the position he wanted. The sound of his voice seemed to shake the room yet she forgot the words he screamed. She remembered the fear Max experienced. It was as if it was her own fear.

Chloe could feel everything that Max felt. She remembered Max’s blurred vision caused by the drug and the horror of what could have been. A mix of terror and anger burned within her. She would make Jefferson pay. It didn’t matter in what timeline.

“What were you and Jefferson talking about?” Chloe needed to calm down, she tried to control the venom in her voice. Rachel and her were finally talking, she couldn’t ruin this.

“Well aren’t you chipper today? Jeez I thought the ability to manipulate time and space would have brightened your mood.” Rachel was noticeably happy. Her presence seemed to wrap Chloe in a bubble of comfort and for a moment, it was hard to be mad.

Rachel never answered her question.

Chloe knew what made the other girl happy. The emotional manipulation and lies that made her smile. It was all a façade.

“That’s the thing… We need to talk.”

“I’m not sure if you noticed this but we’re already talking.”   

“Rach I’m being serious. I… I never got to tell you about what happened to you in the previous timeline.”

Rachel’s usual smirk faded. Concern replaced her smugness. They were already outside of the building.

Wordlessly, Chloe took her hand and led her into the small forest near Blackwell. Their footsteps echoed on concrete until they were muffled by the soft ground of the forest. The canopy of trees shaded them from the bright sun. The noise of Blackwell could be heard in the distance.

A moment of silence echoed between the two. Chloe didn’t know what to do. Warm hazel eyes implored Chloe to speak yet the words seemed stuck in her throat. The familiar concern Rachel showed for her steeled her resolve. Rachel had to know. For both their sakes. 

“Rach you went missing and I couldn’t take it. You were the only thing that was remotely good in my life since my dad died and I couldn’t stand to see you gone. Even if you didn’t want to see me, I just wanted to know where you went. If everything was okay.”

The words seemed to pour out of her, she couldn’t stop them “I couldn’t have found you without Max. And we… found out about you and Jefferson.”

Rachel’s expression flickered from concern to shock and finally rage, those soft amber eyes hardened. “Mark Jefferson is my teacher that’s it. And my relationships are none of your business Chloe.”

“It’s my business when that relationship lands you in a junkyard! Jefferson killed you Rachel. Max and I found your body in the junkyard. I saw your body Rachel. You died. That’s why I’m just so… so happy to see you again.” Chloe’s voice cracked at the end. In the midst of this, she couldn’t help but reach out and put a hand on Rachel’s shoulder, as if to ground herself from the emotion that managed to leek through her words.

Rachel swatted Chloe’s hand away as if it burned. “You’re fucking crazy. I know Mark. You barely even know him. He’d never do that. He’s different.” She shook her head in disbelief, the tone of her voice could cut steel. “I was going to tell you about our relationship myself but you know what? I knew you’d react this way. You just can’t stand to see me happy with someone that isn’t YOU.”

The venom in Rachel’s words hurt. Yet Chloe met her abrasion with gentleness, her voice grew softer. “I’m only worried about you. I’ve seen what happened in the previous timeline. It could happen again if you let this drag on.”

“God, I can’t believe I was stupid enough to actually believe you had super powers. But you’re actually fucking crazy and I’m crazier because I believed you.”

Chloe’s gentleness was replaced by anger all too soon. The disbelief was evident in her voice. “Are you serious? Rachel you’ve seen my powers in action. You’ve seen the effect it has on me.”

“They’re real now? You’re not even certain about Max’s existence. Apparently, she just disappeared out of thin air. Tell me, if you have time powers why can’t you figure out whether she’s real or not? You can literally see WHEN she exists. So, why don’t you?”

Chloe was speechless. Rachel didn’t believe her and the worst part was she was right about Max. So far, she only saw Max in her dreams and there were no traces of her in this timeline. Even though Rachel was right, deep in her heart, Chloe knew that Max was out there. But she still wasn’t sure how to prove it.

Rachel studied her face, expecting Chloe to retaliate. It was almost as if she wanted Chloe to prove her wrong. But nothing happened. The only thing that answered her was the whistle of wind as it rustled the leaves above.

Rachel couldn’t bear to look at Chloe. Whether it was out of shame, sadness or anger, she left Chloe in the forest. Her feather earring swayed gently with her steps.

Chloe watched as Rachel’s form receded in the distance. Even if she wanted to call out to her, what could she say? She felt tears of frustration gather in her eyes. Frustration at fucking up her friendship. Frustration for Max not being here. Frustration at Rachel for not listening to her. Frustration at herself most of all.

----

The day seemed so long. She couldn’t focus on anything that was being taught or said to her. When she walked towards her car she felt empty. It was like watching someone else experience life. It was like watching a stranger drive her truck to her house.

Disconnected and numb. The emotions should have felt familiar yet every time they struck it felt like the first time.

The day took its toll on her. She didn’t even eat. There was no appetite. Instead she went to her room and slept. The only thing that welcomed her was her bed.

At least she’d stop feeling this way if she went to sleep. Even if it was only temporary.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Chloe opened her eyes to the light of a setting sun. She sat on the wooden bench beside the lighthouse. Yet instead of the expectant storm there was only the sound of waves as it ebbed and flowed on the beach.

Arcadia Bay was intact. There were no beached whales, only the quiet murmur of the town and the boats that swayed in the water. It was strangely peaceful.

Chloe heard soft footsteps come towards her. But she didn’t turn around. She knew who it was.

The bench creaked with the additional weight of the other person. Both just sat there watching Arcadia.

Chloe exhaled softly, her tone was tired even in a dream “why are you here?”

“I knew you’d be feeling lonely after… what happened between you and Rachel today.”

“Hah. You saw that shitfest eh? Why did I even bother? I just fucked up everything… Again.”

“You bothered because you care. I’m sure Rachel knows this but… to some extent she may love Jefferson and hearing that hurt her.”

“I just… I never thought she’d side with him, y’know? She’s seen these stupid powers in action and yet she believes that asshole.” Chloe sighed and ran a hand through her hair, she knew Max was right. “Since when did things get so complicated? I remember when our biggest issue was how to get a wine stain out of a carpet.”

Max let out a bittersweet chuckled. She gave Chloe a soft sad smile. “Even with time powers I couldn’t answer that.”

A comfortable silence stretched out before them. For a moment, Chloe let herself be engulfed in the calm that was Max’s presence. When the outside world raged, Max seemed to ground her amongst the storm.

In the soft light of the sun, Max looked tangible as if this wasn’t a dream. Her brown hair seemed to glow, in the light Chloe could see the highlights that blended together fluidly. Max’s blue eyes were glazed and looked at nothing as if she wanted to commit this moment to memory. The atmosphere was bittersweet yet Max still looked beautiful. Chloe wanted to reach out and touch her one more time. Just to prove she was real.  

Right now, it was just Chloe and Max.

But this didn’t change the fact that this was still a dream, a dream that would fade in time. Max was a dream. For now.

Chloe broke the silence the way she broke everything else. “Where are you?”

Max could only stare at the ground, it took her several moments to answer. “The universe isn’t three dimensional. There’s four dimensions, the 4^th dimension is time. I don’t exist in this timeline Chloe. I only exist in time. I can see everything that happens past, present and future but… it’s hard to interact with anything”

Max took a deep breath, her voice grew softer “You’re in a timeline where I don’t exist Chloe and maybe… Maybe it’s better this way.”

Chloe looked at her incredulously “What do you mean?”. It wasn’t better. The familiar emptiness she felt when Rachel and her father died was coming back. It crept over slowly. The only one that could stop it was sitting beside her and yet Max didn’t see it.

“You have Rachel and William. All because I don’t exist. What if this timeline is better without me?”

 “Max without you none of this would have happened. You changed my life for the better. You saved me time and time again. I have to bring you back. I need you back.”

“Bringing me back would involve the storm. You know how dangerous it is, it’ll destroy Arcadia. It could kill Rachel and William.” Max couldn’t meet Chloe’s gaze, her gaze shifted downwards “Think of space like an ocean and time like a sheet of ice on top of that ocean. Every time the rewind is used, it causes cracks in time. The ice cracks and the ocean shows. The line between space and time blur. That’s how you can see me.”

Max took a deep breath as if to center herself, her voice was quiet even amongst the silence “When there’s a crack in the ice the exposed water doesn’t stay water. It tries to fix that crack. It crashes against the ice until it solidifies. This is the storm. The storm is meant to restore balance.”

“The rewind’s already been used multiples times. The storm should already be coming. Why are we delaying the inevitable?” Chloe was resolute in this, frustration leaked in her tone. If the storm was already coming then Max would come with it, the destruction of Arcadia was certain. It was only rational.

Max shook her head “The rewind hasn’t been used enough to cause a storm. Chloe there’s still time to prevent the storm from ever happening and I’ll… I’ll be fine here.” Her words came out forced as she tried to convince herself.

Chloe could see the lie; the hesitancy was obvious. She knew Max well enough. Chloe knew that the selfless girl in front of her would rather exist than see her suffer. But Max didn’t know the emptiness she caused without being there. Maybe it was out of selfishness or love. But the answer was clearer than before.

Chapter Text

The hallway of the Girl’s Dormitory stretched out in front her. At the end of the hallway was a window that showed the never-changing glow of the afternoon. Outside of the window, pink and purple merged in the sky and bathed Blackwell in its light. Nothing ever changed outside or inside the corridor. It was frozen in time.

Nothing changed in the stagnancy of the hallway. The corridor continued to exist between space and time. 

Max walked down the hallway yet no matter how far she walked, the end of the hallway stayed the same distance. It was an infinite hallway that had an infinite number of doors lining the walls. The dorm map that showed who each door led to was devoid of any names.

She didn’t need a map. She knew where each door lead to. She knew when each door lead to.

Through each door was a moment in time. She could hear the distant sounds of the outside world through each door. It filled the empty corridor and gave her a small amount of comfort. At least she was still somewhat connected to the world.

Max paused in front of a door. She instantly recognized both voices talking behind the door. The baritone of a man who she wished she could have saved and the voice of the girl she loved lied beyond the door.

Deep inside she knew she shouldn’t have peered inside. She knew Chloe was happy yet why was she still curious? She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Upon entering the doorway, she entered Chloe’s house. In the kitchen Joyce was making breakfast. The pan sizzled and crackled with the promise of food. The smell of pancakes, eggs and bacon wafted through the house. The scent was familiar and comforting.

She walked towards the table where Chloe sat. But Chloe wasn’t alone, her father sat across from her. The scene unravelled so naturally, they playfully bantered back and forth. It shouldn’t have shocked her when Chloe smiled but it did. The smile she would only give those who she loved. It was such a rare and beautiful thing. Yet there it was.

William and Chloe were together again, their happiness was evident. This whole household looked and felt like one of those cheesy sitcoms. Chloe actually had the chance to be a teenager without death being a constant presence around her. Without the anger of having her loved ones taken away from her. Max couldn’t be happier for her.

Chloe’s smile was soft as she talked with her father. Max’s hand tentatively went to cup Chloe’s face expecting the familiar warmth. The same warmth on that cliff even amidst the storm. Yet her hand went right through. A familiar sense of dread hit her in the gut. She couldn’t touch Chloe.

Max could no longer interact with time. She couldn’t interact with space. She merely existed in time. For a moment she felt surreal, just being able to see Chloe happy again. But the underlying truth beneath it hurt. She’d never get to see Chloe unless it was all a dream. A reality for them would never exist.

Max turned her back on the scene and walked back into the door leading to the endless corridor, staring at the door she entered. A sense of sadness overtook her but that smile was worth it all. Chloe was happy and that was all that mattered.

She continued walking down the corridor until she heard the distant sound of music playing behind one of the doors. It wasn’t the calm tunes of an indie rock band playing. The music was wild and rugged. The raspy voice of the singer and the sounds of a crowd made her curious.

Hesitantly, she opened the door and was greeted with the inside of an abandoned warehouse. Some windows were shattered, the moon could be seen outside. The warehouse was dimly lit with haphazardly placed work lights. Within the small building a balcony that reached all around could be seen but only a few people went up. The interesting parts were on the ground floor.

It was amazing how people could turn a dilapidated building into something almost habitable. The building had a certain look to it. Graffiti decorated the walls, people sat on second hand sofas and smoke and drank as they pleased. The tables were littered with alcohol and empty beer bottles. Overall, the place possessed a grunge texture that had Max wishing her polaroid was with her to capture this moment.

On the ground floor was an elevated stage where a band blasted music. The rough voice of the lead singer hyped the crowd. Everything was wild and crazy, the crowd cheered and danced without a care in the world. It was darker in this area, lights flashed across the stage and to the crowd. Opposite to the stage was a bar. If people weren’t dancing to the music they were getting drunk.

Max felt slightly out of place. This whole place was Chloe’s domain, from the music to the people yet it was exhilarating for her, just being able to experience Chloe’s world. Even if it was a small part. A world she wasn’t a part of for years. An aspect she wishes she could have changed. She never realised how precious her time with Chloe was.

Her thoughts stopped when she saw Rachel walk through the door of the warehouse with Chloe in tow. Max almost didn’t recognize Chloe. The other girl’s hair was still blonde, a sharp contrast from its usual bright blue. Yet her and Rachel were easy to spot amongst the crowd of bodies.

Max felt a sense of nostalgia just seeing the other girl. It felt like she saw the start of a transition from the Chloe in her childhood to the Chloe she grew to love. 

Rachel and Chloe giggled as they made their way to the dancefloor. The scent of cannabis was evident as they passed Max. They went to the balcony, together they moved their bodies along with the music without a care in the world. It was as if they were intoxicated but without the alcohol. Chloe was drunk on Rachel’s presence, a smile lit her face as she lost herself in the music. The bass pounded against the walls as they moved.

Max couldn’t help the tinge of sadness as she watched them. A part of her was jealous of Rachel. The other girl could be there for Chloe unlike Max. She felt the familiar build up of her insecurity as she watched the two move naturally to the beat of the music together. It was familiar, as if they had known one another their whole lives.

The rare smile Chloe showed seemed to light up the dimly lit building. Her happiness was evident as she basked in the music and the exhilaration of Rachel’s presence and for a moment Max took solace in that smile.

Yet some selfish part of her wanted to be the cause of that happiness. She wanted to be there for Chloe. To be able to watch Chloe grow and grow alongside her. To share whatever pain Chloe experienced. She wanted to be able to touch and interact with Chloe just one more time. But it was always one more time. She’d see Chloe in a dream just one more time. Yet she couldn’t stop herself.  Just one more time…

Max turned around and walked to the door she came from as the two danced the night away on the balcony, it felt like she was intruding. The door closed behind her, the loud music became distant once again. She expected to see the hallway before her. But the hallway didn’t end in a wall. It ended in a storm.

The walls seemed to ebb and flow as if they tried to enclose the hallway again. The forest could be seen outside. Max ran towards the end where the hallway met the forest, the wind started to whip at her face as she got closer. At first, rain lightly pelted her but grew to a steady drench.

She was back at the lighthouse. Atop the cliff, she saw Arcadia Bay being destroyed as the tornado tore through the small town. The storm would happen. Or maybe it already did. She couldn’t tell anymore.

Amidst the storm, she expected to see Chloe but the girl was absent. They both knew that the lighthouse was the only spot safe from the storm so why wasn’t Chloe here? She felt a spike of anxiety course through her. 

Max was the only one at the lighthouse. She was the only one safe from the storm.  

All of a sudden, she heard a creak above her. The roof of the lighthouse looked like it was about to come off. But Max had no time to dwell on this. The wind already tore it off by the hinges, the roof plummeted towards her.

She closed her eyes and tried to prepare for the impact… but it never came.

The rain that pelted her and the storm that lied beyond the walls of the hallway vanished. Max opened her eyes to the corridor as if nothing ever happened. At the end of the hallway, the wall stayed in place. The afternoon light shone through the window yet again. Max continued to walk down the corridor, her footsteps shaky as she tried to figure out what to do.

Her thoughts raced. Where was Chloe? Was she caught in the storm?  There should still be enough time to stop the storm. She knew Chloe had yet to use the rewind enough to cause a storm yet it was still coming.

Max couldn’t help the frustration that overtook her. She was always good at finding a solution to all of this. But that was with the rewind. She couldn’t control time anymore. Only Chloe could.

That fact alone froze her. Chloe may have caused the storm for her. Deep inside, she knew this was true. It terrified her yet her heart ached at the thought. A selfish part of her wanted to be able to see Chloe but it wasn’t worth it. The lives of Arcadia Bay came first and if she had to sacrifice love then so be it. Love shouldn’t kill thousands. If they never saw each other, the storm wouldn’t happen.

There was only one solution that stuck out. A solution that threatened to rip her heart from her chest. Max knew her presence only strengthened Chloe’s resolve to cause the storm. She had to say goodbye to the girl she loved. It was so simple. The thought shouldn’t have hurt this much.

Yet the familiar ache in her chest spread.

She continued to walk down the hallway until she felt a breeze drift through the empty corridor. As she got closer a doorway caught her eye. It lacked a door. Instead just beyond the doorway was the familiar sunset where everything began.

The cliff overlooked the calm of the sea. The sounds of the forest were the only things heard. The quiet light bathed Arcadia Bay in a pink glow as the sun gradually set. But none of these things mattered. What mattered was the lone girl sitting on the bench. Her bright blue hair was unmistakable.

The other girl sensed her presence and turned to her. A small smile set on her face as she saw Max. The same smile that was only for Max. It made Max’s chest feel heavy for what was about to happen. Max tried to smile back but it was a forced and sad thing.

Chloe picked up on the shift in mood, concern replaced the smile. The smile Max wished would stay forever. Chloe got up from the bench and walked towards her.

For once, Max had no words. No words needed to be said for any words she would say would break the moment. And right now, Max was the one breaking. Instead she walked towards Chloe and hugged her. Chloe’s tall frame fit well against her and for a small amount of time everything was alright. Max relished in the feeling of Chloe being in her arms one more time.

Her head was nestled in the crook of Chloe’s neck, Chloe’s arms wrapped around her waist. The warmth Chloe exuded almost made Max believe that this was real. But deep down the truth raised its ugly head. This was still just a dream.

“Is everything okay?” Chloe’s voice was soft even amongst the quiet sounds of the forest. Max melted at the concern. It was such a rare thing to see. She knew Chloe was selfish except towards the people she loved. The fact that she could see Chloe becoming more and more selfless was a gift in itself. She got to see Chloe grow and grow alongside her even if it was for a short time.

It felt like there was a lump in her throat. For a moment Max wanted to lie. To reassure that everything was going to be fine. But it wasn’t. There wasn’t any other solution to the storm except this.

Max took a deep breath and tried to calm the race of her heart. “I saw the future Chloe… The storm came but you weren’t there. You weren’t at the lighthouse and Arcadia was being destroyed. I… I don’t know what happened to you Chloe.”

Silence echoed between the two of them. The underlying possibility of what became of Chloe stretched before them. Max broke the silence the way she was going to break them.

“And for that reason I… I don’t think I can ever see you again.”

The look of disbelief in Chloe’s face made Max hesitate. But she had to press on. It was for the best. “I know you’re doing this for me but think about all the lives that are going to be taken during the storm.”

“Then I’ll just warn them. Max please. Don’t do this. I can’t lose you.” Chloe held Max’s hand as if to keep Max with her.

Max shook her head and gently slid her hand out of Chloe’s grasp. She had to distance herself now or it would be impossible. “People aren’t going to listen to someone they barely know. Please Chloe… Love shouldn’t kill. And you’re not losing me. I’ll always be there for you.”

“You’ll always be there yet you’re leaving me. Just like everyone else did.” Chloe’s frustration was evident, her tone taking on a familiar bitterness.

“God Chloe, I’m doing this for you! I’m doing this because of all the lives at risk! Including yours!” Max took a deep breath. Her voice was barely a whisper “I can’t protect you Chloe… I don’t even know what could have happened to you.”

Chloe’s voice was weak, she knew Max was right. “We can still get through this… together.” She couldn’t tell whether she was trying to convince Max or herself. All she knew was that she didn’t want to lose Max yet she knew the other girl was going to say goodbye. Forever.

Max bit her lip and tried to muster whatever resolve she had. The words died in her mouth when she met blue eyes. Those eyes begged her to not leave, they spoke volumes of what wasn’t said. The very reason why Max was doing this. Out of love. Soon she found herself spilling the one sentence that threatened to break her. “I’ll always love you.”

She couldn’t recall who leant into who first. All she could feel was soft lips pressed against hers. A hand weaved itself in her hair and gently cradled her head. Her eyes fluttered shut. Just the simplest of touches caused tears to burn in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. The truth threatened to consume her, the ache in her chest spread.

She would never see Chloe after this.

Max felt a mix of emotions rage within her. She wanted to savour the feeling of Chloe against her yet the truth nagged her. It was a constant reminder that this wouldn’t last forever. They wouldn’t last forever.

She tried to convey all the emotions she felt into the kiss. Emotions she hoped Chloe would understand.

All too soon, Max broke away. The hand that cradled her head went slack as if all the strength disappeared. As if all of Chloe’s resolve broke with one kiss.

Max couldn’t look at Chloe, she knew the other girl was starting to break. But this was necessary. Max turned away from the girl who came to mean the world to her. She went towards the doorway. Her footsteps felt heavy, the farther she got from the girl the more her heart started to tear itself into pieces.

Soon she was back into the corridor. When she looked back there was only a wall where the doorway once stood. Max buried her head in her hands and let the grief consume her. She slowly slid down the wall, her tears fell on the hardwood floor as she curled in on herself.

Chapter Text

Chloe woke gasping as if she never breathed air. Her clothes clung to her body in cold sweat. When she went to rub the sleep out of her eyes she noticed a wetness on her cheeks. Her fingers glistened with tears in the light of the room.

She buried her head in her pillow. “Partners in time my ass” yet the muttered words felt empty.

Chloe expected the bitterness at having lost a loved one to surface. The one person that truly understood and accepted her was gone. But the only thing she felt was a familiar numbness. It was as if the world were still a dream.

A selfish part of her wanted to cause the storm. Even if it was for just one more moment with Max. Her thoughts drifted to the dream. To the feeling of soft brown hair between her fingers. To the warmth of lips against hers. For a moment, nothing mattered. It was as if the world faded and all that was left was Max and Chloe. For a moment, everything was right. They were together.

But there was no time to savour any of it. The underlying truth hovered over her like a dark cloud. This was the last time she’d see Max. The dream vanished and took Max with it. They wouldn’t last forever. As quick as the kiss came it faded. With that kiss, her will disappeared and only dread remained. She would never hold Max again.  

She never even got to tell Max how she felt.  

She wanted to be angry at Max, even just to curse the other girl for being so goddamn selfless. At least she’d feel something rather than the void Max left. But any anger she mustered quickly faded because she understood Max’s reasons. Max was right. No one should be killed because of love.  Chloe’s thoughts drifted to her loved ones. They didn’t deserve to die like this.

She thought of her mother. Even in the previous timeline, her mother remained supportive no matter what decisions or fuck ups she made. For years, Chloe was selfish and her mother still accepted her. She couldn’t lose her mother. Joyce was the only figure who was there constantly. She deserved better than to be killed in a storm.

Her thoughts drifted to her father. The way his eyes would crinkle when he smiled at her. The familiar baritone of his voice that always had a softness to it. She was so grateful to see him again. She used to dream of seeing him one more time, just to tell him how much she loved and missed him. But she never got to. He died in front of her eyes. Chloe could still hear the crack of bone as a truck tore through the car. She could still see the life fade from his eyes.

And lastly, she found herself thinking of Rachel. The other girl was there for her through thick and thin when no one else was. Rachel was the only friend of hers that stayed with her regardless of the death of her father. Rachel accepted Chloe despite all the emotional outbursts. On a deeper level, Rachel may have even understood the other girl.

Chloe sought the comfort Rachel provided. Her presence was like a ray of sunlight amongst the shitstorm that was Chloe’s life. She thought of Rachel’s courage, the courage that inspired Chloe to face whatever came but it was Max’s influence that taught Chloe how to accept whatever happened.

Chloe already knew the pain of losing Rachel and William, it was through Max that she accepted their deaths. Chloe got closure. Yet here she lost Max in their place. It was as if the wounds that healed now re-opened.  

She couldn’t help the slight bitterness that arose, it was as if she wasn’t allowed to be happy. But deep in her heart, Chloe knew that this was for the greater good. It was what Max wanted.  That fact alone gave her solace, it quieted the bitterness within. No one should die for her selfishness.  

Max wanted to protect her, that much was obvious. Chloe’s fate in the future was already uncertain, Max never knew where the other girl was. Yet for a moment, none of that mattered. What mattered was that she could see Max. So much so that she forgot the people in the town. Their lives didn’t matter at the time. Her selfishness disgusted her.

The storm wouldn’t happen.

She tried to get out of bed but found herself completely drained. It was as if the dream vanished and took her strength with it. She spent a couple of moments just laying there, the numb feeling still present. It was as if the world were a dream and nothing really mattered.

The only thing she had to do was to go school so why was it so hard? Chloe forced herself up and got ready. The pills that sat on her bedside drawer beckoned her to take them. She never took them. There was no point.

She walked past her father in the hallway, her footsteps were heavy. William saw that something was wrong, a concern replaced in usual chirpiness. But he didn’t pry and for that Chloe was grateful. It didn’t matter what timeline; her father could always read her.

Chloe looked at the doorway as she passed through. The dream came back to her. Max disappeared through a doorway and everything faded. At least this doorway led somewhere. She briefly wondered what Max was doing now, where she could have gone. But there was no way she could answer that now.

The world continued as if it was a dream. It felt like she was watching another Chloe drive to Blackwell. It was as if she was drifting aimlessly in life. Anything that was taught or said to her never registered. There was no point. The day dragged on, time felt slowed.

She walked through the hallway to get to her next class. She saw a head of blonde hair, the familiar blue earring gently swayed. Rachel briefly glanced at her but then disappeared further into the crowd of bodies. Even when she wanted to remain hidden, Rachel always stood out.

They hadn’t spoken to each other in days but to Chloe it felt like weeks.

The day continued to drag on without purpose. Slowly, the bright light of the morning diminished into the soft glow of a setting sun. The town was oddly beautiful in this light. Pink, violet and orange blended in the sky but Chloe didn’t dwell on this. She was too tired for any of it.

The day stripped away what little energy she had. Nothing really happened. Yet time moved slower and she grew more weary as the day progressed.  All of this and she hadn’t even touched her power. The drive back home felt empty.

The house was empty and dimly lit with the light from outside. She went straight to her room, too tired to deal with anything. The one thing that welcomed her was the comfort of her bed. It held her in an embrace that shielded her from the outside. Even if it was just for a moment, Chloe drifted off to sleep and felt a glorious nothing.

----

The bright flash of a camera brought her back. In front of her, a camera sat perched on a tripod, its lens stared down at her. Black, white and grey coloured the walls. The colours contrasted yet they seemed to blend in the room. It was a bleak space where the only thing that mattered was subject and photographer. The room was still and stark yet the man behind the camera took his time capturing her pose in the unchanging room.

The room creeped her out at first but she could understand why Mark liked it in here. He truly came alive when in the dark room. It was the only place where they could drop their facades. Drop the illusion of teacher and student. A chance to be real.

Mark was fixated on the very image of her. He always saw past the illusion where only the very essence of Rachel Amber remained. It gave her a sense of belonging.

Rachel took a moment to see Mark in his element. She loved having her picture taken by him. It was a chance to see herself in a different light, it was the potential to be someone new. With every photo she unravelled before him. He slowly peeled the layers until she laid bare before him.

But Mark wasn’t content with just seeing the real her, he understood her. He saw all the different visual possibilities, the different illusions she cast. Despite all the illusions, Mark accepted her and for that she was grateful. He loved her despite everything.

Deep down inside, she wondered whether people would still love her if they got the chance to see her real self.  Would they accept her as Mark had? But she would never give them a chance. She wouldn’t ruin her image. People loved her illusion, why change it? She didn’t dare find out. She feared the answer.

The click of a camera brought her back. He captured another shot. A pure and simple shot, Rachel posed amongst the white backdrop. Countless pictures of their sessions lay in the camera. As if he could capture a new version of her. With each picture, she could see herself more clearly. But more importantly, she could see how she was viewed through the eyes of the photographer. In the eyes of Mark. Each photo gave her a form of closure to the one question she couldn’t answer. Who was she? Who was Rachel Amber? A part of her didn’t want to answer it.

She eyed Mark as he studied each photo he took. Her thoughts drifted to Chloe’s words. He killed you, Rachel.

Chloe’s voice was but a whisper that haunted her thoughts ever since those words were first uttered. The words were ridiculous. Mark was gentle and calm when it came to her. His real self was on display only for her. He wouldn’t dare lay a hand so why did Chloe feel so passionately about this? The other girl wasn’t passionate unless it truly mattered. Yet when she looked at Mark, Chloe’s voice seemed to fade. Instead Mark became the only thing she saw. He became the only voice that echoed in her mind.

Mark’s gaze met her own and he offered a gentle smile. “Beautiful.”

She wanted to respond with something snarky but she couldn’t. He took away whatever words she could muster the way he took a photo. Rachel was frozen. Instead she felt the tell-tale hotness that coloured her cheeks.  

Before she could say anything, his back faced her. Mark made his way to the desk as he processed the photos they took. It would mark one of their many sessions yet she never tired of it. Rachel never tired of him.

His form receded, her eyes trailed the broad of his back. The white of his shirt matched the walls. It was bleak yet she was captivated by the starkness of the room. Yet something stood out from the monotone shades of the room.

She glimpsed red within one of the many lockers that stored his photos. She sat up from the white backdrop and donned a black robe that covered her bare form. Her footsteps were quiet as she approached the red binders. Upon closer inspection, the red binders had different names etched on them. Different models. Different women.

Her hands shook when she took out one binder. She gingerly opened it, the fear within her rose. The photos inside were black and white. The model lay on the white backdrop, yet nothing was natural about her pose. The nameless girl looked completely out of it. Her eyes were blank as she gazed somewhere far off in the distance. The model was completely unaware of what was happening, unaware of the camera capturing her vulnerable state. Her body was limp and lifeless.

Chloe was right. Those three simple words spun round and round in her head. She was going to die.

It wasn’t just one girl. There were multiple models that Mark did this to. She didn’t know what became of them. A part of her didn’t want to know. She wanted to scream but knew she had to be silent about this. She needed to get out of here.

When she looked at Mark, the very site of him now disgusted her. She let him touch her, she trusted in him. Internally, she berated herself. She was a fool. She should have seen this coming, the signs pointed at Mark yet she was blinded by love. Blinded by his lies. She should have listened to Chloe. Would she see Chloe? Would Chloe even see her after all the shit she put her through?

Time seemed to slow. She had to think but her thoughts threatened to consume her, the anxiety rose. The red binder felt heavier in her hands.  Rachel barely registered the angry footsteps that came towards her. Hands roughly caught her wrists, the red binder clattered to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Mark’s voice was quiet and menacing. His grip tightened on her arm, enough to leave a bruise.

“Getting the fuck out of here you manipulative asshole.” With that she broke away from him and ran towards the door. She made it mid-way but he was quick. The ground rose to meet her, he tackled her against the floor.

She thrashed against him, pushing and punching him whenever she could but he was stronger. He caught her hands in his own and pinned them above her head. Rachel looked up, his face hovered menacingly over hers. His expression blank except for the fury behind his eyes.

“I didn’t intend for this to happen to you so soon.”  His voice was quiet yet it echoed in the room.

“I liked you better when you were silent.” With that his head dashed into hers, the world was fuzzy and the ground seemed to spin. She could vaguely feel blood pool from her nose. Yet even in her disoriented state, she caught the glimmer of a needle in the artificial light. She felt a brief flash of pain in her neck, the world quickly became black.

Her last thought was of Chloe.   

---

Chloe woke with a start. She ran her hand down the side of her neck, the sensation of a needle felt all too real. The skin was still smooth and untouched. The dream was too vivid to be fake. But none of that mattered.

Rachel was in the dark room. There might be time to save her.

There was no time to call David. Even if he wanted to help her, he couldn’t. He wasn’t the head of security anymore. David was a simple bus driver.

She ran to the basement, hoping that the gun her father kept might still be there. She found it lying in one of the cabinets untouched. It had a full magazine of ammo, a promise of death. The safety clicked beneath her hands. The weight of a gun in her palm gave her comfort. That motherfucker would pay.

Her footsteps were quiet as she quickly made her way out of the house and into her truck. The sun had already set, the skies were painted an inky black. Not even a single star shone in the sky. Her truck raced down the empty streets, the gun lay in the passenger seat beside her. The streetlights flew by and faded into the distance. She already knew where to go.

Chapter Text

The drive was silent. The road stopped long ago, in its place was a dirt path and darkness. The only thing that lit up the path were her headlights. The crunch of gravel beneath the wheels of the truck were the only sounds she could hear. In the silence, her mind screamed at her.

Rachel was in the dark room.

Memories flashed before her eyes. Memories of the previous timeline. The images of Rachel in the darkroom came rushing back. Images that were once repressed burst free. They ranged from Rachel unconscious to bound and angry to being buried into the ground. Her eyes were devoid of life as they lowered her into the hole. Suddenly they weren’t images. She remembered the smell of Rachel’s decaying remains. She remembered how pliant and soft the rotting flesh was beneath her fingertips.

But things were different. This wasn’t the same timeline. Rachel wasn’t dead, there was still time to save her. She had already lost Max, she wouldn’t lose another person again. Not in this timeline at least.

She finally arrived at the barn. The sky was black save for the full moon. The light of the moon casted shadows on the trees. The shadows looked like fingers reaching out to her. This whole forest managed to give her the creeps at night.

Chloe grabbed the gun that lay on the passenger seat and placed it in her jean pocket. She made a beeline for the dilapidated barn. She had to be careful with this. One noise would alert Jefferson of her presence. Her footsteps were muffled by the ground as she peeled back a metal sheet that hid a hole in the barn’s wall. Even in this timeline, the barn hadn’t changed.

She crept slowly and placed a foot carefully through the opening, the wood creaked under her. She paused waiting for any tell tale signs of movement. Silence only met her. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She walked slowly and carefully to the door hidden amongst the floorboards. By the time she got there, the lock was removed on the metal trap door. Jefferson was in the dark room.

She bent down to lift the heavy metal door. It was a lot easier with Max’s help, but she was alone now. She used the strength of her legs to pull the door up, her muscles burned in protest against the weight of the door. Her fingers ached from trying to lift the metal up.

The door creaked as she finally pried it open. The very sound was high pitched and penetrated the silence. It seemed to echo in the quiet of the barn. The only person that couldn’t have heard it would have to be deaf. She cursed inwardly at the offending creak.

Ahead of the door lied a small staircase that would take her to the dark room. The staircase was dimly lit by a small light that flickered. Jefferson might have heard her. He could be ready for the intruder. She had to think. She had to be silent.

A thought popped into her head. If she went down the stairs and rewound to when the door was closed then there would be no sound. Time would rewind and she would still be behind the door. Technically, she would have never opened the door. Instead she could ‘teleport’ behind.

The very idea made her hesitate. You haven’t used the rewinds enough to cause a storm. There’s still time to stop the destruction. Max’s voice was but a whisper in her thoughts yet they rang clear. But Rachel was in danger, that was enough to let her ignore Max’s plea. Besides she’d probably only rewind once or twice. What was the harm in that? The gentle voice inside her head went silent.

She crept down the small opening while holding the door. Her muscles trembled in exertion. As she went deeper down the staircase, the door gradually shut. Her arms burned as she tried to close the door slowly. But she couldn’t stand it much longer. Her muscles gave out on her, the door slammed shut.

The very sound made her jump, it bounced off the staircase and echoed. Further ahead she felt the barely-there vibration of footsteps. Jefferson knew she was here. But she couldn’t panic. With a deep breath, she raised her hand and felt for that tangible force.

The familiar ache started in her temples until it became a pressure that engulfed her head. Her head was pounding, her vision blurred. She saw herself move backwards. Time was rewinding, an imprint of herself walked backwards and re-opened the door and out the previous Chloe walked. The door re-shut as if it were never touched.

Chloe stayed behind the door as she watched her imprint disappear out the door. Not a single sound was made. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked down the stairs. The light in the small corridor continued to flicker with artificial light. At the end of the corridor was the vaulted door. Beside the vaulted door was the keypad.

Her fingers automatically typed the code. The numbers beeped quietly as she typed the familiar code, the fading on the keypad still remained the same. It was eerie how everything stayed the same as if it were untouched by time. It was eerie how Jefferson remained the same.

The keypad beeped and the door unlocked. She could hear footsteps inside, Jefferson knew she was here.

The entrance of the bunker led to a sink. On the side of wall were shelves stocked with food supplies. A curtain separated the dark room from the entrance. She opened the door slowly and raised her hand once more just before she entered the door. 

In that moment time felt tangible. The pain that started as an ache in her temple swiftly became piercing. She felt a trickle of blood down her nose as the pain kept intensifying. Her vision blurred and refocused in on itself. The room was spinning. Her hand came up and clutched her head in an attempt to soothe the pain.

For a moment, she forgot where she was and what was the point of all this. All she could feel was the pulsing in her head. Chloe stumbled through the door, with each step her vision started to clear and the room became gradually clearer. She nearly fell as she approached the curtain that separated the entrance from the dark room.

Chloe took a calming breath and walked towards the curtain. Her hand went towards the gun tucked into her jean belt and pulled it free. With both hands on it, she walked through it ready in case Jefferson decided to jump her.

Yet when she passed the curtain, Jefferson stood crouched behind it and armed with a tripod. He didn’t make a move, his gaze never wandered. He was frozen in time. He was vulnerable.

Just the sight of him triggered something within her. It was as if her brain stopped thinking, her hand moved automatically to the gun. She raised it and cocked the hammer. The click resounded in the room.  It was so simple. All she had to do was pull the trigger. He’d pay for what he did. Heck he couldn’t move out of the way, the gun was so close.

He didn’t even look at her. He was still anticipating her arrival, ready to strike had it not been for time freezing. He intended to harm whoever walked in. She was ready to shoot him when the thought struck her.

Jefferson would never know that he was killed by her hands. He would never know why he died. The thought left her feeling strangely unsatisfied. He needed to know who killed him and why. He needed to know her hate.

Her hand shook, the gun felt heavier in her hands. He wouldn’t die, at least not like this. It was too easy. The gun was lowered. Instead she raised her fist.

She exhaled softly and felt time start. Jefferson’s head whipped around when he saw Chloe beside him. His shocked expression greeted her as he tried to figure out how she appeared there. She wouldn’t give him time. Her fist connected with the soft skin of his cheek. The crunch of soft bones beneath her fist was strangely comforting.

He fell backwards on the tiled floor clutching his face. But one punch was enough. It was as if a switch flipped within Chloe and her actions seemed a blur. She climbed on top of him and raised her fist just once more. She kept telling herself once more but each punch never felt like enough. Even when his blood coated her knuckles. Even when the skin of her knuckles split from the repetitive abuse. The pain wasn’t enough to stop her, she barely felt anything.

He struggled against her and managed to land a blow. She staggered back with the force of it, her vision became blurry but she didn’t feel the pain. If anything, she felt more alive. The savage beating wasn’t enough anymore.

She stopped time before he could land another hit. His fist froze midway. The pain that came from rewinding didn’t even matter. The adrenaline kept her going. She moved to land a punch square in his face. Time started just before her fist collided with his face. The fist that was supposed to contact her fell. The punches seemed to rain down on him. Even when he tried to shield himself with his hands, it only delayed the inevitable. It only delayed his death.

His movement gradually became weaker and weaker as he lost consciousness. Eventually his movements stopped. Yet Chloe kept beating him. She forgot why she was here. The only thing that mattered was making Jefferson suffer.

Until she felt something akin to a hand lay on her shoulder. It made her pause, fist still in the air. From the corner of her eye, Chloe saw a shadow of a person. She looked over her shoulder but nothing was there. As quick as the touch came it faded.

Below her, Jefferson’s face was a big bloody mess. His glasses had skittered off while his face started to swell. Various bruises lined his head. Just by looking, his nose was broken as blood trickled down into his beard. Just the sight of him disgusted her.

For a moment, she had forgotten herself. For a moment, she wasn’t Chloe Price. She was the epitome of human anger. The thought alone shamed her, she didn’t want to believe she was capable of this degree of evil yet the truth lied underneath her. A man was nearly beaten to death because she couldn’t control her anger.

She gazed around the room feeling almost surreal, the room seemed bigger. All her thoughts stopped when her eyes landed on the very reason she was here.

Rachel laid on the floor of the white backdrop. Her arms and legs were bound by duct tape. The only thing that covered her was a black robe. Chloe clambered off Jefferson and rushed to the other girl. Soon Chloe had Rachel propped up in her arms. But the girls body sagged in her arms like a rag doll, her head lolled to one side. Hazel eyes remained closed.

Carefully, Chloe took out the knife she kept tucked in her jeans and cut the duct tape that bound Rachel.

Chloe tried to shake the other girl. For a moment, Rachel still didn’t move. Several moments later her eyes fluttered open. Those eyes focused on nothing in particular.  The hazel was glazed over, the blank expression remained on Rachel’s face.

Chloe merely cradled Rachel’s head in her arms. “I’m here Rachel. I’m finally here.” She curled in on herself and leaned her head on Rachel’s. The tears came automatically. Whether it was tears of relief for actually getting to Rachel on time or tears of sadness for failing to protect her best friend. She couldn’t tell. All that mattered was that she saved Rachel. The mistakes of the past wouldn’t happen.

“I’m sorry.” Had Chloe not been so close to Rachel, she wouldn’t have heard those words. It was barely a whisper.

Chloe broke away from her position and gazed at Rachel. Hazel eyes looked back at her weakly. They were still slightly glazed. No words needed to be said. With one look, they understood each other. It was as if those weeks of silence never happened. Forgiveness rang out between the two of them.

Rachel attempted to get up but her body felt like jelly. Chloe seemed to sense this, with a quick inhale she kept one arm to support Rachel and hooked another underneath the other girl’s knees. When Chloe went to stand the floor seemed to shift beneath her. Chloe stumbled towards the couch and gently placed Rachel atop.

Rachel’s eyes gradually focused. “Your nose is bleeding.”

Chloe’s hands went to her nose immediately. When she looked at her hands she couldn’t tell whether the blood belonged to her or Jefferson. She didn’t look at Rachel, she couldn’t. “Don’t worry about it.” She knew her friend was looking at the blood on her shirt and hands, she couldn’t meet that gaze. Her brutality hung over her like a dark cloud.

Chloe turned away and walked towards Jefferson’s body. She dragged him towards the chair he placed Max in. His body pliant as she threw him into the chair. Only a groan escaped his lips, he was too weak to move. Rachel only studied Chloe in silence.

Chloe moved to get the duct tape he kept. She took her time binding his arms and legs to the chair, layering his limbs with absurd amounts of duct tape. Just so he wouldn’t break free. The silence in the room was deafening. Rachel didn’t have anything to say, she merely watched Chloe at work, the blank expression still on her face.

Chloe wasn’t satisfied with just binding his limbs to the chair. She took one last piece of duct tape and covered his mouth.

For a moment, everything felt surreal. Jefferson was gone. Once the police stormed this place, he’d be in prison. Even in the darkroom, a sliver of peace made its way to Chloe. All that was left to do was to call the police.

She took her phone out of her pocket and dialled. Her tone was surprisingly calm as she gave all the details about the barn. She relayed every single bit of information on Jefferson including what took place in the dark room. The police were on their way. After everything was said and done, she hung up. The click of the phone was the only sound in the room. Rachel’s gaze wasn’t on Chloe, instead her eyes focused on the floor.

The dark room made Rachel look smaller. Then again, this whole issue was bigger than the both of them yet here Jefferson was bound. They won. Chloe wanted to at least tell Max what happened. She actually saved someone rather than being the person who was saved.

Chloe walked towards the sofa and sat beside Rachel. The silence between them seemed to stretch. After a couple of moments, Rachel laid her head on Chloe’s shoulder. In that moment, they didn’t have to say anything. The only thing that mattered was that they had each other.

In the silence Rachel reached out towards the bloody hand between them careful of Chloe’s wounds. The skin atop Chloe’s fingers had split. Even then Rachel couldn’t tell whose blood was on Chloe’s hands.

Chloe's gaze drifted from her hand to study Rachel’s face. She noticed the bruise that was starting to darken on the other girl’s cheek. Her newly found peace dissolved, she went to stand and get one last hit in. The rush of anger seemed almost foreign. Until she felt a hand grasp her own.

Rachel couldn’t meet her gaze. “Don’t.” Her voice was gentle, it seemed to relax Chloe amongst the anger and hate. She paused and finally looked at Chloe “Besides, I’ve got you here.”

Chloe’s anger melted away as fast as it rushed in. Rachel gently pulled her back to the couch, she couldn’t find it in herself to resist. Rachel laid her head on Chloe’s, their hands intertwined and rested on Chloe’s thigh.

Rachel broke the silence. “Thank you, Chloe. I… I don’t know what I’d do without you. If it hadn’t been for you, I… don’t know what would’ve happened to me… He… He…” Rachel couldn’t finish her sentence; the emotions became too much. She started sobbing and buried her head in the crook of Chloe’s neck. She needed to shield herself from this room, she needed to shield herself from the world.  

Chloe could only hold her close. Rachel kept repeating “I’m sorry” in a whisper of a voice against the crook of Chloe’s neck. She felt each of Rachel’s sobs and shivers, the tears dripped down her skin. It hurt Chloe to see her best friend - the girl that was outwardly strong for those around her – crumble.

Chloe only pulled Rachel closer to her and murmured “There’s nothing to be sorry for” near the shell of Rachel's ear. In that moment, Rachel pulled away and their eyes met. “I… I should have listened to you… I- Fuck, Chloe I’m so stupid. I should have known.” Rachel’s eyes filled with a new wave of tears, her fists clenched out of anger.

“Don’t. You have nothing to apologize for.” Chloe’s words came out soft. “He assaulted you. He manipulated you. You’re a victim. And look” Chloe gestured towards the dark room, with each word she became stronger “All this is going to be gone. That motherfucker is going to pay. I’ll make sure of it.” Chloe went to wipe a tear that managed to fall on Rachel’s cheek.

Chloe continued “If anything… I’m sorry for not being there for you sooner.” The sincerity behind Chloe’s eyes made Rachel pause. The emotion was raw and genuine, just like Chloe. The sheer force of it made Rachel’s heartache. In the end, the only person that truly accepted Rachel stood in front of her.

A crash resounded at the entrance and soon footsteps could be heard. The police were here. They swarmed the scene and the moment was ruined.

Everything seemed to be a blur for Chloe. She answered all the questions, all while keeping Rachel in her arms. It wasn’t until the paramedics had to check on Rachel that the two girls had to separate. As Chloe went to leave, she took one last look at Rachel. The girl met her gaze, those soft hazel eyes made Chloe want to stay a little longer. But she had to get home.

She walked out of the barnyard. Outside police cars and ambulances parked in front of the barn. The forest was no longer moonlit. Instead the red, blue and white lights penetrated the dark. The forest had less shadow to it. The night became clearer.

But that wasn’t what caught her eye. In the sky, there was no longer a full moon. Instead two full moons in the sky stood side by side.

Chapter Text

Morning light shone brightly in her eyes. She turned away from the offending light. The birds outside continued to chirp incessantly, their high-pitched voices bounced in her head. It felt like the worst hangover she’d ever gotten but without the fun memories of alcohol. At least her sleep was dreamless.

She opened her eyes blearily, her vision still blurred with the remnants of sleep. Her mind still cloudy with the after effect of sleep. In the unclear vision, she caught site of someone on her bed. The sight was familiar, the other girl laid beside her on the bed. The other presence in her bed should have alarmed her yet she found herself relaxed.

A hand cupped her cheek in a familiar gesture, a thumb softly caressed the skin beneath the gash on her cheekbone. The touch almost felt warm. For some reason, she didn’t shy away from the contact. Instead she melted into the touch. The small form of contact comforted her. For a moment, in the blurriness of her vision, she saw the unmistakable blue of Max’s eyes.

It was as if Max lied beside her. It was as if the morning after their Blackwell pool stunt happened again. The very memory felt like so long ago.

A soft voice met her ears. So quiet, it was barely a whisper. “I’m so proud of you.”

She recognized that voice. The tone of it haunted her thoughts. Chloe shot up from the bed, her hand came to rub the remaining sleep out of her eyes. When she next gazed down at the bed it was empty. Her hand reached out to touch the place where Max previously lied, the sheets were cold.

“I must be going fucking crazy.” She ran a hand through her hair and chuckled darkly. Subconsciously, her hand drifted from the sheets to her face where Max’s hand previously laid.

This was foolish. Max was gone. There’s no way she could be there. That’s what she told herself. Yet a part of her wished Max was still with her. Just the presence or the possibility of Max being there made her heart ache. It brought back the sweet memories she wanted to suppress.

A part of her wanted to believe that Max was here. The storm was already coming... Maybe the lines between time and space were starting to blurr? Maybe she could actually see Max? She wanted to suppress these thoughts. She wanted to forget Max but she couldn't bring herself to do it. If she could just forget, she wouldn't suffer. 

Chloe thought of all the crap that happened the night before. The police wouldn’t let her drive alone. Instead her truck was towed and she rode in the police car. It had already been well into the night when they knocked at the door.

Her father opened the door, his fatigue faded into worry immediately. He studied her face, her cheek bled languidly underneath the bandage the paramedics put while the skin around her eye was starting to darken with the promise of a bruise.

“What happened officer?” William tried to keep his voice calm but Chloe knew the worry in his voice.

“She got caught in an altercation when she attempted to save her friend. A man kidnapped and beat a girl. Your daughter found the girl on the floor and subdued the man. We’re still figuring out the details due to the incident being fairly recent.”

“I… I see. Thank you for escorting her home. I’ll just take it from here then.” With that, William and Chloe walked through the darkness of their house towards the table.

He left Chloe for a moment to get Joyce. Her mother was still slightly drowsy. When she saw her daughter, all traces of sleep faded.

“What in the hell happened? Chloe what did you do?” Her mother’s hands went to cup her face, her gaze shifted as she studied every wound and bruise on Chloe’s face.

Chloe took a deep breath, ready for the onslaught of questions. The events of the night were starting to get to her, her head ached ever since the drive home started. She told her parents everything. About Jefferson, Rachel, the darkroom and how she nearly ended up beating a man to death. They only sat in silence.

“How did you find all this out?” Her father’s voice was quiet. It was the question she should have been able to answer yet for an instance she was speechless. How do you explain time powers and visions of the future without being labelled as crazy?

Hey Mom and Dad! I’ve gotten mysterious time powers and for some reason I can see the future. I’m not crazy I swear. In fact, these time powers were given to me by my childhood best friend that doesn’t exist anymore. Not crazy, right?

Instead Chloe merely said, “I’ve been having dreams where I can… see the future.” It was the simplest explanation she could come up with that didn’t make her sound like a complete lunatic.

She continued “I know it sounds crazy but… I had a vision of the dark room. I saw Rachel in the dark room and I just... knew it was real.”

Joyce spoke up “Why the hell did you just rush off by yourself? You could have gotten yourself killed! Why didn’t you tell us?” Her mother’s tone got progressively angrier with each word. Her frustration and worry was evident.

“There was no time to call anyone. I didn’t have enough time to tell you. Rachel was in danger.”

William rubbed the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes and tried to take deep breaths. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow. I know you’re tired. Just… please get some rest.”

She went into her room and collapsed on her bed. Soon she went into a dreamless slumber.

But all that was last night. It was a new day now. Chloe went to get up out of her bed. Her muscles protested, still sore from last night. Her whole body ached while her head pounded. She limped towards her door until she noticed that the clothes from the night before still covered her.

She walked over to a mirror and studied herself for a moment. Her shirt was torn and blood stained. Her hands were covered in small scratches while the knuckles had dried blood caked on them. When she went to move her fingers, she felt the sharp pain from her wounds.

The skin around her right eye was black, the bruise prominent. A bandage lied atop the gash on her cheekbone. Her eyes had bags underneath. All in all, she looked like a mess.

Strangely, none of this concerned her.

Breakfast was a different story. Her parents were silent. Nothing could be said as Joyce made breakfast. Usually her father would make some lame dad joke and she would shake her head or maybe laugh at how bad it was. Usually, her mother would nag her to help with something in the household.

But not now. Now it was only silence. The lack of sound made her feel out of place.

Joyce turned the TV on, it filled the dining room with sound. The sound brought her a small sense of comfort. The television lit up with the news lit, a woman popped up on the screen. “Last night, a 19-year-old girl was kidnapped by well-known photographer and Blackwell teacher, Mark Jefferson. Police found the girl - later identified as a Blackwell student -  in a bunker suffering from minor injuries when they stormed the scene. The girl was rescued by another student who managed to subdue Jefferson. The girl is currently being hospitalized and treated for her injuries.”

During the news anchors speech, footage of the dark room was shown. Chloe and Rachel remained anonymous and for that, Chloe was grateful.

A thought crossed her mind, Rachel was in the hospital. She had to visit the hospital, just to make sure Rachel was okay.

Her family continued to eat in silence regardless of the news flashing. Afterwards, Chloe went to her room and lied on her bed. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and started texting Rachel.

You up?

Yeah I just woke up. I feel like a truck just ran me over.

Same uhm did you see the news?

Yeah.

Is it alright if I visit you? We don’t have to talk or anything.

I just wanna know if you’re okay.

Sure. I’m in Arcadia Gen. Hospital.

Room 636.

Chloe clicked her phone off and got ready. She was almost out the house door when she felt a hand clasp her shoulder.

“Already out and about kiddo? Haven’t you had enough excitement?” Her father tried to maintain a playful tone but she saw the worry in his eyes.

“I’m going to visit Rachel in the hospital. I just… wanna make sure she’s ok.”

“Let me at least drive you then. I can wait until you’re done. I… realize it must have been rough so…” He rubbed his neck, clearly awkward.

Chloe couldn’t help the slight smile. “Alright Dad. Thanks.”

The drive was silent but it didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. Soon, they were welcomed by the plain white building that was the hospital. It was a small building that sat atop a hill which overlooked the town.

She walked through the tiled hallways and found Rachel’s door. Her father decided to wait outside the room.

Chloe tentatively knocked on the door. A quiet “Come in” was said behind the door. The voice managed to cool her nerves. The door knob twisted and she was greeted to the sight of Rachel hooked onto an IV, dressed in a plain white hospital gown. She lied propped up on the hospital bed.

Beside the bed was a window that showed a view of Arcadia Bay. The skies were a bright blue, the sun continued to shine without a cloud to protest its light. The lighthouse continued to glow even in broad daylight. The sea was calm as boats languidly floated on its surface. Upon closer inspection, the bustle of people in the sleepy town could be seen.

The light of mid-day shone on Rachel, it gave her blonde hair a halo. The hazel within Rachel’s eyes was evident. From a distance, Rachel almost looked at peace. She looked like the embodiment of innocence. As Chloe got closer, she noticed the bruise on Rachel’s cheek that began to darken. It brought back memories of who caused that.

Rachel turned towards her, a soft smile graced her features. “Hey.” That smile dispelled any negative thoughts Chloe had. She couldn’t fight off the returning smile, Rachel’s bubble enveloped her once more. For a moment, everything was alright and it was just Chloe and Rachel, back together again.

Chloe went towards Rachel’s bed and place her hand on Rachel’s. “Is everything alright?”

Rachel studied the wounded hand for a moment. Chloe’s hand was freshly bandaged. But it didn’t matter. She knew the wounds behind it. She knew the scars it would leave. It took her a moment to find her voice.

“Well asides from the concussion and the bruising on my face I’m… alright.” Rachel tried to chuckle but it came out a bittersweet thing. Her eyes didn’t stray from their interlocked hands.

“You don’t have to pretend around me. You know that right?” Chloe’s tone was soft, her eyes looked at Rachel. The other girl remained silent. Chloe took a deep breath and asked once more “Are you really alright?”

Rachel studied the concern behind those eyes. In the light, Chloe’s eyes were a clear teal. Rachel could always see what Chloe was feeling. It was that brutal honesty that tore down the walls she placed. Rachel studied the girl in front of her. The girl that managed to look past the illusion of perfection. Past the facade of the strong girl. Under that gaze, only Rachel remained. For once, Rachel allowed herself to be weak. The illusion crumbled in front of Chloe. That fact alone was strangely liberating for Rachel.

“No. I’m not alright.” Rachel’s voice choked out the sentence.  She felt arms enclose her, she melted instantly at the touch. She melted under human contact. The emotions Rachel longed to supress started to spring forth. Her guilt. Her shame. It threatened to choke her.

“I know.” Chloe’s was but a whisper.

“But how did you know?” Those 2 words brought Rachel back. She broke away from the embrace.

“I… I saw what happened in a dream… I saw everything. For a moment, I was you. I got to understand how you felt.” Chloe took a deep breath. “If anything I… I should have paid more attention to your feelings and well… I should have been a better friend. Maybe if I was there for you more, maybe you’d feel comfortable enough with me”

“No… I… I shouldn’t have doubted you. I should have just listened. I mean… I got to see your time powers in action. Hell, you can even predict the future. Despite all this, I stopped listening to you… I even stopped talking to you. I… I’m just sorry this happened.”

“Stop apologizing. Hell it’s not even your fault. It’s that asshole that caused all this.” Chloe shook her head. The memories started to resurface. “I’m just shocked that this happened. I’m just shocked that I did that.”

“You saved me Chloe. If it hadn’t been for you… I could have…”

“I know but… someone nearly died because of me. And for a moment I… I didn’t care whether he lived or died. I only wanted him to feel pain.” It was true. Chloe knew of all the unspeakable things Jefferson pulled. The trauma he caused Max and Rachel. She felt their pain. But all that seemed to fade with the first blow she dealt him. In that instant, her thoughts of Rachel or Max faded. Instead hot fury moved her. 

Truth be told, she wanted Jefferson to die. But she didn't utter it. 

“You did what was necessary.”

Chloe chuckled darkly “Since when did things get so complicated?”

“Maybe we’re caring too much?”

“Hah. You’re Rachel Amber. Were there any ever fucks to give?”

“Was that Rachel ever real?”

“She was to me.”

In that moment, there was only silence. Rachel was astounded but slowly a smile made its way to her face. She was real. The bluntness of that statement made her chuckle. It was just so… Chloe.

They sat in silence for a while as they took in the view of the window. Yet it wasn’t the rays of sun the penetrated the clouds. Instead it began to hail. Beads of ice were pelleting the roof of the hospital in the middle of summer. The blue of the sky could no longer be seen. The day had turned grey.

Chloe’s thoughts raced in her mind. Did she use the rewind enough to cause a storm? No. It was only used twice. She tried to desperately rationalize it. But deep in her heart she knew, the storm was coming. No matter what she did, the storm would come regardless. Max was right.

“Rachel, when are you getting out of the hospital?”

“I’ll be released tomorrow. Why?”

Chloe took a deep breath, trying to center the disarray in her mind. “The consequences of using my powers disturb the natural order of things. By using my powers, it ended up causing a storm.”

Chloe continued “The storm happened before in a previous timeline. Maybe it’s inevitable. I don’t know anymore. All I know is that we… we have to warn everybody. This isn’t a normal storm Rachel. It will tear through anything and anyone in Arcadia Bay. I’ve seen it.”

“I believe you Chloe. But will they believe you?”

“We have to try.” Chloe’s voice was resolute in this. “As long as everyone gets out of Arcadia Bay, they’ll be safe.”

“So, what’s your brilliant plan?”

“I mean you’re pretty popular. With your help, we can warn a ton of people. Maybe they’ll even believe us. That’s about as far as I got.” Chloe rubbed her neck sheepishly.

Rachel looked at her skeptically, one perfectly manicured brow raised. “That ain’t much of a plan…”

“Ok what’s your brilliant plan then, Ms. Amber?”

“I’m not the one with time powers. Your argument is irrelevant, Ms. Price.”

They just sat in the hospital, just enjoying each other’s presence. A comfortable silence stretched before them. The soft taps of hail hit the window were the only sounds heard. But the world continued to spin outside of Rachel’s bubble. The storm was still coming.

“It was really nice seeing you, Rachel.”

Rachel’s small smile seemed to light up the hospital room. Chloe was grateful to see it once more. 

“I’ll see you at school Chloe.” With that Chloe bent down towards the hospital bed and pulled Rachel into a hug.

When Chloe exited the room, she felt lighter. Determination filled her steps. Outside, the hail continued to pour down. She may not be able to stop the storm, but at least she could save the people in the town.

Chapter Text

Blackwell hadn’t really changed after the incident within the darkroom. The sea of bodies rushed around her. The rumours were starting to fly already. Even though Chloe and Rachel were anonymous on the news, she could hear the whispers.

It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Both girls came back to school at the same time with injuries. That was bound to raise a red flag somewhere. Chloe’s blackeye was evident, it contrasted sharply on her pale skin. The bandage that covered the wound on her cheekbone was gone, instead the wound lay in plain sight. The dried blood that protected the wound was rough and jagged. Needless to say, she turned a few heads for the past couple of days.

Strangely, Chloe felt more powerful. Her injuries made her look tougher. Whenever someone met her gaze they’d immediately look away.

Rachel was doing slightly better, the bruise on her cheek was starting to yellow and fade. However, she walked with a slight limp.  Both Chloe and Rachel were a sight for sore eyes but at least they were happy. Or as close as to happy before the inevitable storm.

No teachers bothered them. They already knew what happened.  Talk of Rachel and Chloe had spread fast.

Chloe walked into the science lab. Rachel sat in their shared lab bench, she smiled softly as Chloe approached. Soon Ms. Grant entered and the lesson started.

Halfway into the class, the teacher’s voice started to grow softer until it was but a whisper. The class started to dim as well. She tried to focus but her consciousness was failing her. The class gradually blurred and darkened until everything went dark.

When she next opened her eyes, she was greeted to the site of the Two Whales burning amongst the storm. The wind whipped at her face while the sky stayed dark and grey. A flurry of rain and wet snow pelted her. She shivered in the cold. Around her was sheer chaos.

The buildings and house surrounding her were reduced to rubble. The powerlines had broken, the broken wires gave off sparks. The roads were no longer clear, cars either crashed against one another or were broken by the debris. The rubble had managed to block the roads. Despite the rain pouring on the town, the buildings were still engulfed in a fire that continued to grow.

The people of Arcadia Bay were arguably in a worse state of disarray than the actual town. Chloe saw a mother crushed by rubble while her son tried to pull her out. But it was all in vain, his mother didn’t move. Bodies were littering the streets, she couldn’t even tell them apart. Some were electrocuted by the powerlines, others had been set on fire while the remainder were in the process of dying. There were more people dead than dying.

The people who managed to get away with minor injuries stumbled, lost in the chaos. The roads were blocked, the cars no longer functioned. No one could outrun the storm. No one escaped.

She often joked about Arcadia being a living hell. But now, the joke became a reality.

In the distance, the storm raged on. The massive tornado continued to spin as it drew in anything surrounding it. The tornado ripped apart homes and buildings as it edged closer towards the town.

It was as if time were repeating itself.

It was a different timeline. At least that’s what she told herself. In the destruction, her thoughts spun. Where was Rachel? Where was William and Joyce? Were they safe? Did she at least warn her loved ones in time? Were they stuck in the storm?

Where was Max?

She knew the storm was inevitable. The signs were all pointing to the storm. But she never knew when it would happen.

Chloe ran toward a car-repair shop, half of the building had already been destroyed. She took shelter for a moment, at least it provided cover from the rain and wind. Quickly, she pulled out her phone.

Her heart stopped when she saw the date. The storm was going to happen in a few hours.

She knew nothing could be done inside this building. But there was still a chance that her friends and family were caught in the storm. She had to at least try and look for them. Maybe she’d make a difference.

Chloe ran out of the building, her eyes scanned the debris as she ran through the town. But she recognized no one. It was almost barren. But she couldn’t dwell on these thoughts. From a distance, she heard the scrape of metal against concrete. The sound was getting louder and louder. She turned around only to see a school bus hurtle towards her.

Her muscles tensed, she shielded her face and tried to prepare for the impact. But it never came.

Chloe shot up from her seat with a gasp. The vision had felt real, she could feel the beat of her heart as she looked around the room. Everything was fine. There was no destruction. Not yet at least.

Her head started to pound with a sharp pain. Chloe clutched her head but the pain became near excruciating. A hand started to rub her back in soothing circles. The air no longer smelled like smoke instead it smelled slightly of jasmine. Beside her she saw the concern on Rachel’s face. But Chloe didn’t have the strength to brush off the worry. She didn’t have the strength to speak. It was as if the vision took her strength as it faded.

Distantly she heard Rachel speak. “I don’t think she’s feeling well, Ms. Grant. I’ll take her to the office.”

Chloe could feel the eyes on her, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. Instead she just leant on Rachel as they walked to wherever the other girl dragged her. Chloe’s vision blurred and she felt the slight trickle of blood down her nose.

In the bleariness of her conscious, she recognised they were heading to the washroom. The inside appeared almost blue. When they entered the washroom, Chloe stumbled towards a wall and slid down, her back rested against the wall. Her mind was slowly clearing.

Rachel sat down on the floor beside her, a roll of toilet paper in her hand. Carefully, Rachel turned Chloe’s head towards her and dabbed at the blood. “What happened?”

Chloe’s voice was hoarse “The storm is happening today. It’ll start in a couple of hours.”

“A-are you sure?”

“Rachel I saw it… Hell I don’t even know where you went.

Rachel’s eyes widened “Fuck. We barely have any time.”

“You need to get out of here quickly. Warn as many people as you can. Once the storm starts all hell will break loose.” Chloe ran a hand in her hair out of frustration.

Chloe got up from the floor, her footsteps were shaky as she got to the door. Her hand outstretched to Rachel “It’s time.” Rachel took her hand, the tight grip almost made Chloe believe that anything was possible.

They made their way to Chloe’s truck. For a moment, Chloe didn’t know where to go. There were so many places. So many people that had to know. Eventually, she decided to go to the Two Whales. It was the closest thing and her mother was bound to be there. The sooner her mom got out the better. With Rachel in tow, they sped off into the heart of Arcadia.

Outside, the blue of the sky stayed hidden behind a growing number of clouds. But that’s not what caught her eye. The sun’s light suddenly went dim. In the sky, the sun seemed to get smaller. No… The sun hadn’t gotten smaller. The sun was being covered by the moon. An eclipse was happening.

The wind seemed to pick up as more clouds darkened the sky. Chloe practically ran into the restaurant, Rachel trailing behind her. Inside the Two Whales, people seemed to catch site of the eclipse. No one expected it. It was never forecasted on the news.

Behind the counter, Joyce was pouring a cup of coffee. Her mother looked up, a small smile lit up her face “Fancy seeing you two here. Take a seat honey, I’ll be with you shortly.”

Joyce turned away and went towards the back of the diner. Before she could walk away, Chloe caught her mom’s wrist from across the counter “Mom there’s no time. There’s going to be a storm coming and it’s bad. It doesn’t matter where you take shelter. It’ll rip through every single building in here. You need to get out of Arcadia Bay” Chloe’s voice was desperate.

Joyce studied her for a moment, a frown on her face. “Chloe if this is a joke it’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking. Please Mom. I saw it happen. I dreamt about it.” Chloe’s voice got softer  “Just like how I dreamt about the Jefferson incident.”

“I know you want to get out of Arcadia but we will when we have the money. We’ve talked about this.”

“It’s different this time! You and Dad need to get out of here. Everyone in this town is in danger. Please. I’m not joking. I can’t lose you guys too.”

“What about you?”

“I have to stay here. Someone has to warn the people in town.”

Her mother looked at her, it almost resembled pity. “Chloe… they’re not going to believe you.”

“I still have to try. Please just take Dad with you and head out.”

“You expect me to just leave you here while a storm goes on. Come with us.”

“I… can’t. Please believe me. I’ll be fine—”

Thunder rumbled distantly. The sound seemed to penetrate her thoughts.  All too soon, the sky was a familiar dark grey. It was happening soon.

“Mom, it’s already happening. Please I need you to leave immediately. Warn Dad and go somewhere far away until the storm clears up. Your lives are in danger.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Trust me.” Chloe’s tone bore no argument. With that, she quickly walked out with Rachel trailing behind her. The rain was already a steady drizzle.

People ran down the streets already rushing for cover. The closest person made to run past her when she tapped his shoulder. He was a short and slim man with a closely cropped beard. Chloe recognized him as a local fisherman.

“Sir, there’s a storm coming and it’s dangerous. You need to get out of here. Warn anyone you can.” Chloe’s voice was desperate but he only shook his head.

“It’s only a slight drizzle right now. If anything, I think if we just wait it out it’ll be fine. Plus, if there was a storm about to happen, the news would have issued a warning or something. If anything, the only thing dangerous is the recent crime.” His tone was gruff.

With that, the fisherman walked away as if nothing happened.

It was a repetitive cycle that led nowhere. It didn’t matter how many people they warned, no one would listen. So far, people would either stare at them or walk away faster. It pissed her off. Apparently, no one seemed to value their lives… Then again, 2 teenagers walking in the rain and telling people that a tornado was going to tear through the whole town may not have seemed quite believable.

The rain was already a drizzle, the wind was starting to pick up. A chill ran down her spine at the temperature starting to drop, the cold ached in her bones. It would be here soon.  The day had already turned dark and grey.

Chloe turned to Rachel but the other girl seemed to already know. Rachel’s clothes were already soaked through and Chloe’s own attire wasn’t far off. Her black jacket didn’t stop her shirt from getting wet, her jeans clung to her legs while her blue hair ended up a dark blue that clung to her forehead. Hazel met teal and in that moment Chloe understood.

“Rachel, you need to get out of here.”

The sadness in Rachel’s eyes quickly replaced by stubborn anger “I’m not leaving you Chloe. Just come with me. We’ve already tried to warn everyone and it’s hopeless. Look around you.” Rachel gestured to empty town that was bathed cold rain “No one listened. They’re still treating this as if it’s some heavy rain.”

Chloe broke the gaze “I know but the storm is getting worse. Please you need to get out of here. Hitch a ride with my Mom. I need you to be safe.”

“And tell her what? ‘I’m sorry Joyce but your daughter asked me to just leave her in the middle of a tornado’?”

Chloe’s grew frustrated with the truth but she had to keep calm. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Please just trust me. I’ll be fine.”

“How do you even know you’re going to be fine? Chloe the storm is massive.”

“Because I saw it in a vision. I’ll be alright. I’ll survive.” The words were said with a strong conviction. A conviction that Chloe wished was real.

It was all a lie. Chloe didn’t know what her fate would be. Hell, Max didn’t even know. For all Chloe knew, the tornado could have ripped her apart along with everyone in the town. But right now, that didn’t matter, Rachel had to survive. One lie became the difference between life and death.

Rachel’s gaze flitted back and forth between teal eyes. Her eyes filled with tears, her words came out choked and desperate “What if I never see you again?”. It was said in a broken whisper. Rachel’s true emotions were starting to come out.

Chloe felt tears prickle in her eyes but she wouldn’t cry. She had to be strong. Chloe grasped Rachel’s shoulders and looked her in the eye. The false strength in her voice even seemed believable to herself. “You will. I’ll make sure of it.” Even if it was a lie, she’d make it a reality. The future ahead was different but who said she couldn’t change it? Chloe would survive. She’d see Max again.

Rachel took a staggered breath and closed her eyes. When Rachel next opened her eyes, the determination within them shocked Chloe. Her hazel eyes carried a newfound strength. But there was no time to dwell on this. Rachel didn’t give her enough time before the other girl’s hands grasped her black jacket’s collar and pulled her down.

Suddenly she felt the press of soft lips against hers. Rachel was kissing her. It lasted as quick as it came, Chloe gently pushed Rachel away, she needed to think. Her thoughts raced from the shock of it all.

Before Chloe could gather her thoughts, Rachel spoke “Come back to me.” With that, Rachel turned away and ran towards the Two Whales. Her form seemed to vanish in the torrential rain.

In the past, the very action would have sent her heart aflutter, Chloe would have even felt elation that her feelings were returned. But right now, the kiss felt wrong. Shame clawed at her throat. A feeling of dread coiled low in her gut. A sense of sadness overtook her. Even if she wanted to return Rachel’s feelings, she couldn’t. Rachel wasn’t Max.

The girl she wanted was waiting for her where everything began. Max was at the lighthouse. She couldn’t explain how she knew. Chloe just knew deep in her heart.

Thunder crack sharply above. The sky had already turned a dark grey. In the dim light, the town had already looked a bleak grey. The rain continued to pour as the wind started to pick up. Atop the cliff, the ray of light from the lighthouse seemed to shine brighter.

She was soaked to the bone, her clothes weighed down on her as if she were dunked in a pool. Against the force of wind and rain, she struggled down the street towards her truck. With every step, water splashed and coated her legs. Eventually, she caught site of the outline of her truck.

Chloe was breathless by the time she made it inside the truck. For a small moment, she was just grateful for some form of shelter. Outside the storm continued to rage. The sound of rain pelting glass served as a reminder. Beneath her hands, the truck came to life and soon she was racing down the streets of the empty town.

Behind her the crash of a tree resounded even in the roar of the wind. In her rear-view mirror, she saw the tree crash into a powerline. The wooden post had fallen on the road, sharp tendrils of electricity grazed the water on the ground. The storm was already causing destruction.

Even in her truck, she felt resistance of the wind as she drove down the road. It was almost as if the storm tried to keep her in its destruction.

Soon the concrete street was replaced by a dirt path. The buildings of the town faded behind her as the forest came into view. The trees managed to provide her a small form of cover against the rain. As she got closer to the lighthouse, the rain seemed to lesson. She couldn’t help the bit of relief she felt. But that moment was short lived when suddenly a tree fell onto the path.

The impact shook the ground beneath. Chloe exited the truck. The wind whipped at her face as the rain continued to pour down on her. Her arm went to cover her eyes from the water. Distantly, the figure of a deer came into view and leapt over the tree. When it landed, the deer stared at Chloe almost as if it beckoned Chloe to follow it. Chloe ran up the same path and jumped over the massive tree trunk that blocked the path.

The ground beneath her was soft and muddy, it almost engulfed her shoe with each step. But she had to push on. Her movements were heavy as she struggled against the elements. But with every step, the ray of light on the cliff seemed to grow brighter. By the time she reached the lighthouse, her legs ached with the exertion. The deer was no where to be found.

She looked out towards the town. The sea crashed against the cliff where she stood, the current seemed to shift and move as if it wanted to engulf whatever entered it. On the beach, the massive tornado began its decent onto Arcadia Bay. She saw the buildings rip apart, the destruction never ceased it only escalated.

Chloe averted her gaze from the storm. She could only hope that her parents and Rachel made it out alive. Hopefully they were some place far from Arcadia Bay.

But all her thoughts seemed to stop when she felt the soft thump of footsteps against the ground.

Chloe turned around sharply. In front of her, Max stood a short distance away. The other girl’s clothes clung to her form. The rain turned her hair a dark brown that clung to her forehead. Amongst the chaos of the storm, the other girl’s form looked small.

For a moment, they stood apart, just taking in each other’s presence. Everything felt like a dream but it wasn’t. This was their reality. They had a reality together. The thought alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Chloe’s thoughts seemed to cease as her feet carried her closer to Max. What started off as a dazed walk became a full-on run. Her arms wrapped around Max’s form as she pulled the girl closer to her. Max melted into the embrace. The other girl’s arms slid around her waist. They pulled each other closer as if the world would rip them apart once more.

“God please don’t let this be a dream.” The words were murmured against the shell of Max’s ear.

“We’re real.” Max let out a breathy chuckle that came out a sob and shook her head against the crook of Chloe’s neck. The very words spoke volumes. Time didn’t matter anymore. They could spend as much time as they wanted and each second would be theirs. Every memory, every word was real. They could last forever.

For a moment, they just stood there hugging in the rain. Chloe barely even felt it. The only thing she felt was Max against her. The fact alone was surreal. The familiar warmth Max emanated, her scent, it was dizzying.

Max buried herself deeper as if to shield herself further from the rain. Chloe felt the little shudders that ran through the brunette. Max was crying. Chloe pulled away for a moment, her hand came to cup Max’s cheek. Her thumb wiped away a stray tear that travelled down the other girl’s cheek.

Max’s eyes fluttered at the touch, in that moment everything felt peaceful in the chaos of the storm. In that instance, it was only Max and Chloe. The world seemed to fade away as Chloe felt herself enveloped in the calm Max seemed to carry with her. It was grounding.

When those eyes met her own, nothing else mattered. They seemed to trap her in an ocean that she wanted to drown in. It didn’t matter for how long. Time wasn’t a factor anymore.

Slowly, Chloe lowered her head down. Her mind blanked when she felt the familiar press of Max’s lips. The kiss started out tentative but gradually deepened. It was a form of reassurance. It was as if Chloe needed to prove to herself that all this was real.

The Max in front of her wasn’t some almost tangible form or an illusion created by a dream. The Max in front of her kissed her back and matched her fervor. The kiss tasted slightly of salt with the taste of tears. Her hand went up to cradle Max’s head, her fingers threaded through brown hair. Together they ebbed and flowed naturally. As if the time apart didn’t matter. What mattered was their time together.

Max moaned softly into the kiss. The kiss tasted of home and relief. It was as if a switch flipped inside of Chloe, her tongue softly traced Max’s lips. The world spun as Chloe’s tongue glided against her own. The taste of Chloe, her scent, it all made Max’s head spin. All she could feel was Chloe’s warmth.  

But air was a necessity. Chloe gently broke the kiss and laid her forehead against Max’s own, her eyes still closed as they both panted. When Chloe opened her eyes, she caught Max staring at her lips, the other girls’ blue eyes were glazed as a bright blush covered her cheeks.

Chloe couldn’t help but chuckle at the redness, she felt heat creep up her face. The intensity of the kiss sent her heart aflutter. “Your face is red.”

Max’s eyes widened, she looked up and briefly met Chloe’s eyes before she looked away. “S-shut up.” The blush darkened.

Chloe smirked, there was something sweet about corrupting the innocent. "I'm not complaining. I think it's pretty damn cute."

The sky had already started to clear. The light of the sun slowly peeked out behind the clouds. The wind no longer howled, the rain no longer poured down on them. In that instance, they were just two teenagers in love, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. Ahead of them the tornado no longer tore through the town. It had already faded. For a moment, everything felt at peace.