Obstacles

The Dark Room

|Max's POV|

    ugh. my head...

Max opened her eyes that had been red and swollen from crying, as well as the side effects of jumping through time over and over to try and get out of this hell hole. Her eyes roamed her surroundings, feeling groggy and confused from being drugged. She looked down at her hands and feet, in which both were bound to a chair in a place that was all too familiar. The Dark Room. How did I get to this place? I sought it out trying to find clues with Chloe. I didn't think I'd be a..victim. She quickly shouted out for help as loud as she could, her voice cracking with every word.
"Someone..please! Help!" She called out with whatever strength she had left, even knowing no one could hear her in Jefferson's expensive bunker.

She began to struggle in her seat in hopes of loosening up one of the zip ties around her wrists and ankles. Max paused upon hearing a groan coming from below her and she quickly turned her head towards the noise. Victoria? how can this be happening? how did we both get here? i warned her about Nathan!
"Victoria?! Victoria, wake up." Max spoke in nothing louder than a whisper. She knew she needed to come up with a plan before Jefferson came back. Who knew what he was out planning.

Chloe..oh Chloe.

Max was hit with the sudden flood of memories of the events that occurred the night before.

|Flashback|

"God, i'm gonna kill that little psycho." Chloe muttered under her breath angrily.

"I can't focus if you're yelling, please." I tried to calm Chloe down before i became too distracted and unable to use my rewind power.

Chloe stomped along the ground of her favorite hideout. After finding Rachel Amber's body buried at the junkyard, Chloe hadn't been the same and was seeking revenge on Nathan Prescott, he was the one to blame for all of this.

He drugged Kate and Rachel and was even planning to go after Victoria Chase. Luckily i had gotten to her first, twenty minutes prior at the Vortex Club party. Victoria had been a tough one to warn, being skeptical over the allegations of her best friend Nathan. She didn't want to believe that he could be capable of this, but he was.

"Max, when we find Nathan you better rewind so that i can kill him over, and over, and over." Chloe continued her threats that weren't helping in the slightest, and doing nothing but annoying and distracting me from focusing on what really mattered, exposing Nathan and staying alert for any traps. He was dangerous and we both knew it.

"For god's sake Chloe you have to be quiet. We could die, okay?" I scolded her, trying not to make it obvious that I was already scared enough without her death threats. I needed to make it clear to Chloe that this wasn't a joke, and that we couldn't be sloppy about this.

We arrived at Rachel's burial site, Chloe quickly clawed at the dirt with her hands before we both turned our heads away quickly to avoid the odor. I couldn't help but to have flashbacks of when we discovered what was left of her body the first time. Chloe was visibly hearbroken. I tried my best to comfort my best friend, but there was no way of consoling her.

"Max, look....she's still here." Chloe sighed, kneeling by the ditch.

"Don't look, Chloe." I spoke shakily, unsure of how to react to what we were seeing for a second time in the same week.

I began to back away from Rachel's remains, feeling a sudden sharp sting at the nape of my neck. "Oh..no.." I extended my hand out immediately in attempt to rewind time as i stumbled onto the ground, becoming weaker by the second. "Chloe! Look out!" I spoke in nothing louder than a whisper trying to warn Chloe before it was too late, but everything was happening so fast. The world felt as if it were moving in slow motion and i was unable to move or do anything to help Chloe one more time. I couldn't believe what was happening...not again.

Chloe quickly drew her pistol to aim it at the mysterious figure that had put me down, as if they knew i was the only one who would be able to fix this mess. I kept trying and trying to rewind but i was far too disoriented to do so, everything was a blur. I kept my gaze on Chloe, unable to look away from the blue and purple haired girl who i'd grown so fond of all over again this week. How could things end up this way? why couldn't i do more to help her? why me? why us?

Bang.

The shot rang out, my ears immediately beginning to ring with a high frequency . I saw Chloe fall in what seemed like slow motion. She was down and there was absolutely nothing i could do.

"Chloe..." i breathed softly, slipping back on to the ground in defeat. My phone light was the only thing illuminating the burial site, i turned myself onto my back with the last bit of energy i had as the tall figure came out of the shadows and into the light. The familiar face looked right into my eyes, staring me down as if he were my savior.

Jefferson.