Chapter 44: The Swirling Storm

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Rain slammed down onto the roof of the Prescott farmhouse. Max pushed open the doors.

"Freedom..." She said to herself.

She watched as the rain hit the ground and trees blow in the wind. "Holy shit! The storm is real! I need to find Warren..." Max took out her phone and attempted to call him again. Her phone now had connection. "Yes!" She called Warren immediately. Once he picked up, Max said, "Warren? Can you hear me?"

"Max?! Damn, where are you?"

"Never mind... Listen, do you have that photo you took last night in the parking lot?" Max asked him. "Uh, yeah, but why? It wasn't that great a shot..." He said. "Yes, it is and I want it! Where are you?" Max asked. "I'm at the Two Whales diner." Warren told her. "Pretty much trapped in here with Joyce, thanks to this armageddon weather. I'm expecting the ocean to turn red..."

"I'm on my way." Max said to him. "Come on, that's crazy! You can barely walk on the sidewalk outside... Seriously, Max, stay wherever you are. I don't think this storm is getting smaller... I'm kinda scared."

"That's okay, me too. But it's not over yet, Warren... So, hold on!" Just as Max hung up, Warren called out, "Wait—" Max unlocked Mark's car and entered it.

She started the car and drove down the dirt path that has now turned into a mud path.

Arcadia Bay was full of destruction. Power lines torn down. Vehicles turned over. Debris everywhere.

"I told you. I, Truss Limpbow, have been warning you people for years that our culture of sin and entitlement would lead to God sticking us down! And, I'm the one trapped in this fucking radio station. Somebody get me the hell out of here now! Now, goddammit! What do I pay all those taxes for?"

The radio started to cut out. Max's phone suddenly vibrated. Max grabbed her phone and checked the notification.

"You have one new message. Message received yesterday at nine p.m."

"Max, it's... it's Nathan. I just wanted to say... I'm sorry."

"I didn't want to hurt Kate or Rachel, or... didn't want to hurt anybody."

"Everybody... used me." Nathan gasped for air due to his crying.

"Mr. Jefferson... is coming for me now. All this shit will be over soon."

"Watch out, Max... He wants to hurt you next."

Max listened to Nathan with a frown on her face. She knew under all that bad that Nathan wasn't a bad person.

"Sorry." Nathan cried out.

Max looked at her phone with a heavy face. She forgave Nathan for everything he's done. And was sad that he was dead. She looked back at the road and continued onward to Two Whales diner.

There was so much destruction that Max had to stop the car. Citizens of Arcadia Bay still remained in the streets. Even some students from Blackwell Academy roamed the hellish streets. Max cautiously exited the vehicle and closed the door. Max stared up at the monster of a storm.

The tornado from her visions.

Warren is at the Two Whales diner, so hurry up!

"Please somebody... anybody... Help me!" Max recognized that voice as the truckers voice she met at the diner just a few days before.

Hey, that guy is trapped! I have to help everybody I can.

Max approached the trucker. "Oh Lordy... Thanks, kid." He said. "Are you okay?" Max asked him. "Once I get the hell out of here... I been hauling loads way too long in this shithole town." Max lifted the piece of debris off of his leg. "You better go now." She told him. "And I ain't never coming back here... You need a lift?" He asked her. "No, thanks. I have to find a friend." Max told him. "You go, girl. You go." He told her as he limped away.

Max saw Evan taking pictures of the surrounding area and destruction. Max saw something hurling toward him that he didn't even see. It smacked Evan across the head. Knocking the life out of him. Evan lifelessly fell to the ground.

Not Evan... I have to stop him from getting hurt.

Max rewound time to stop him from getting killed.

"Evan, do you see that tornado? Get the hell out of here!" She told him. "Max, there's no way I can pass up these images! Just look at it!" He said. "You can't take a picture when you're dead! Now move your ass!" Max told him. "Okay, if you insist..." Evan said.

The piece of debris that killed Evan whizzed passed his head.

"Whoa, Max! You do know things! I'm such an idiot." He said. "Only if you don't find a safe spot until this blows over, okay?" She said. "Now I better listen to the real "Everyday Hero"... Come with me!" He told her. "I have to help somebody else first." Max told him.

Evan nodded and ran off to find shelter. That was another person Max helped. But she still needed to get to Two Whales.

"I'm stuck up here!" A voice shouted. "Help me down, Max!"

Shit... Alyssa needs help again!

Max had helped Alyssa avoid bad situations all throughout the week with her rewind. And now Alyssa needed help so she wouldn't die.

Max climbed up to Alyssa. She saw a plank she could use to help Alyssa walk across. Max lifted it and brought it over to her. She placed it down and walked across it. "Come on, Alyssa! Take my hand!" Max said. Alyssa gripped Max's hand. "Here I come!" She said and walked down with Max. Just as Max and Alyssa crossed, the plank fell.

"You did it, Max!" She said. "Are you okay?" Max asked. "Now I am! We need to get out of here!" Alyssa said. "Alyssa, you go on. I have to help other people." Max told her.

Alyssa's head arched up and her eyes widen. "Watch out, Max!" Alyssa said and pushed Max away. A sign came tumbling down that would have crushed both her and Max.

"Damn... that was close. Thank you, Alyssa!" Max said. "Now were even. Be carful out there!" Alyssa told her as she went to find shelter. Now Max was alone again.

She really needed to find Warren so she could use his picture to go back in time. She needed to find away around the truck that was blocking her from Two Whales.

"God, you're not dead! You're not!" Someone shouted. Max saw a woman crying over a mans body. There was no saving him. He was too far gone to rewind.

Oh, I can't stand seeing these bodies...

Max was set on finding Warren. That was her mission. To get his picture and go back in time. But she still had to get around the truck that was blocking her.

Max crawled through a hole that led into a building. There was fire burning inside.

How can I get out of here?

Max saw fire sprinklers on the roof. That was a way to clear the fire. She saw a fuse box that could turn them on. She turned it on and watched the water spray out and put out the fire. But doing so killed another person. The fisherman from before. He was electrified to death and and slumped over.

He's dead... electrocuted...

Max walked through the water and into the room the fisherman died. She rewound time and resurrected him. She crouched in front of him.

"Come on, you have to get out of here right now." Max told him. "I need to breathe... I... I need air..." He said, struggling to get the words out. Max helped him up. She walked to the fuse box just outside the window. She stuck her hand through a hole in the glass and turned it on.

The water sprayed out again. Putting out the fire. "You should get out of here!" Max told the fisherman. "The whole town is dying..." He said as he walked out.

Okay, I better hurry to the diner over there. I need Warren's photo.

Max walked out of the room and over to a broken window. She crawled through it and placed her feet on the ground. She then saw it.

There it was. Two Whales diner.

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