The View From Here [Life Is Strange/Pricefield]

The View From Here

Chloe really needed to get new boots. The soles were all run down, there were old mud stains and scuffs that had been there for who-knows-how long, and the zipper in the back only went up two third's of the way on a good day. But despite her mother's constant prodding- even offering to take her daughter shopping for new ones- she had refused to part ways with them. How could she? These were her adventure boots. Her pirate shoes. The pair she'd worn on all those backyard camping trips with Max, the two of them stargazing and making up funny constellation names all night. She had climbed stubborn trees with these boots, splashed around in post-thunderstorm puddles, made X's in the dirt with back of it's heel to mark buried treasure. They'd taken her through everything fun in her life these past few years, but really, none of the adventures would have been half as fun if Max hadn't been there with her. So it was her attachment to all the memories with her best friend, she thought, that made her so reluctant to get rid of them. It was sort of like a keepsake- a memento of their friendship that was ever-growing, but one she could have with her always. And she thought it was better than a necklace or a bracelet or whatever else her mom had suggested in replacement, because you can lose jewelry, but how can you forget to put on shoes? Point proven. Joyce: 0, Chloe: 1.

"Jesus, Chlo", Max called from some feet behind, clearly short-winded by all the uphill walking they'd been doing. She had stopped in her tracks and was bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. She continued, huffing between her words, "How fast...do you fucking...walk...."

Chloe turned around and let out a chuckle at her struggling friend before turning her back again, stepping over some old bricks and mulch to proceed further up the old abandoned path. There had once been what looked like a set of stone steps leading the way up, but over the years they had been misplaced and eroded into the forest floor. "Hurry up, Max!" she yelled eagerly, not looking behind, "We're gonna miss it!"

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"Yes, dummy, I do. Now move that skinny white ass!"

Max pretended to be annoyed. "Yeah, yeah..." she replied, biting down her smile.

It was September, the first week of the 8th grade. The weather had just begun to shift from the warm hug of summer air to the chilly but gentle breezes of autumn. The clouds hung around more than they usually did, which was a lot for Arcadia Bay, but the leaves hadn't begun changing colors quite yet. This evening the air was stagnant except for the occasional soft gust of wind that blew stray strands of Chloe's strawberry blonde hair in her face. She tucked a strand behind her ear and continued leading her friend up the steep path of the forest until the clusters of trees thinned out and gave way to a clearing.

"Yessss", Chloe spun around to grab Max by the hand, too eager to show her the view. "I told you it would be worth it. Do you like it?" She waited for a response. "Max? Yo?"

The short haired brunette opened her mouth in awe. "Woah", she exhaled, "It's perfect".

It hadn't looked like anyone had been there in awhile. In the distance to the right, the lighthouse stood above them, overlooking the sea. Wildflowers bloomed in random places, sticking out their petals in between the cracks of old cement blocks and other abandoned junk. A couple feet ahead the land jutted out like a ledge, and facing it lay the rest of the world, out there past the vastness of the ocean that seemed to stretch on endlessly. They had arrived just in time to witness the sun setting into the water, covering the sky in soft hues of red, gold, and pink. It was as if the sky were blushing. It was indeed, perfect. Or the closest to perfect of a view the two of them had ever seen. It was perfect and in this moment, it was theirs. It was theirs, and theirs only.

Walking around, they found themselves a wide boulder to sit on as they watched the sun set before their eyes.

"Told you it would be badass", said Chloe, nudging Max with her elbow, who giggled and nodded her head in silent agreement. "We're totally claiming this place," she stated as she pulled out a ruffled up map from her pocket, flattened it on her lap and marked down the new spot in red marker. "There," she said, pleased with herself, "That's a total of five territories discovered by Booty Hunters Max And Chloe. We've got a pretty good turf set up now. If enemy pirates attack us from the other end of the coast I'd say we're prepared enough to give them a good ass kicking."