Life Is Strange: After The Storm (Chasefield)(Discontinued)

13

Once again, I wake up around twelve with some heavy feelings that I wish I never had. Around three to four years ago, my life was alright. I mean, excluding the secrets I had and some insecurities. I'm still hurting from the trauma. I lost my friends, the town that felt more like a home than my parents' house. I was tortured psychologically and made to fear what I'm good at. I survived a damn tornado and if it wasn't for Toby, I'd be dead. And then I'm thrown out by my parents and my ex commits suicide. Then there's the other ex who blinded my left eye. At least Valerie has been here by my side since the day we met.

I go through my usual routine of showering, brushing my teeth, making a coffee and so on. I decide to turn on the TV to hear the news. Not even this is good news. Trump plans on building a wall around Mexico to prevent drugs being transported. He's already started apparently. Not all Mexicans are bad, though. I know one nearby who is growing somewhat popular in his school. He's sixteen and honestly, a great artist. I've seen his posts and it's as if he was born an artist. In my opinion, Trump is a racist who thinks he can do what he wants. He'll get his karma one day.

I turn the tele off and pack my shoulder bag and leave for the gallery. I arrive and take out my shades to stare at my reflection. I don't know why I even wear these when they don't cover the whole damage of my left eye. I'll try a day without them. I then begin to make my slow walk around the huge gallery. I stop at a photo of a sunset over a lake titled "Golden Hour." I love the look of it but I don't really get a feel of it. Usually if a photo is beyond great, I'd get a strange sensation. That only happened with one or two of Max Caulfield's photos.

I move pass a few and stop to admire one of a squirrel with the most beautiful red fur coat I've ever seen. Reminds me of Samuel. A guy who worked in Blackwell but had a strange connection with squirrels. I found it creepy then but now I see it as a gift. Animals run when they see me. Literal animals, that is. I pass another few and then a few more. I'm getting no motivation from any of them. That was until I stop to gaze at a photo that sent shivers down my spine and made my lungs light of air.

A photo of the Arcadia Bay lighthouse. It's title: Chaos Theory. It wasn't the lighthouse itself but it was the view. The town at the left. The bench, the ocean and setting sun. Even the map of Arcadia in the bottom left corner. The owner's name sent a strange feeling throughout my body. Possible hope and a slight bit of joy. I look to my right where the goth I saw last night was sitting, sobbing while she wrote into her journal. A small digital camera sat on her left and her shoulder bag on her lap. It almost hurts seeing her like this, and as expected, curiosity has me sitting beside her.

"Hey, you alright?" I ask quietly. Her hands tremor and her breath shook, making her sound like she was about to kick it. "I saw you last night at one of the clubs. You looked real upset." I speak with a gentle voice but that seemed to only upset her more. "Leave me alone," She replies. "Come on. A problem shared is a problem halved." It's not but I'm trying to cheer a stranger up. What else am I supposed to say? She closes her journal and sets it aside before sliding her hands into her bag and taking hold of something." My problem can't be fixed. Everyone's gone so I might as well join them." She lowers her head and shifts herself away from me.

"What?" I question with some growing concern. "I suggest you leave before you get scarred." My eyes immediately land on the revolver she revealed, causing my fear to hit the roof. "Don't do it, Ma'am." I go reach for the gun but that only made this situation a lot worse. "Stay back," She says as she jumps to her feet with her gun aimed at my chest. "Woah, hey. Put the gun down. You don't have to do this, there's people who can help." I hold my hands out as if it would shield me from her. I look around to see others getting dangerously close.

They probably think this is anything other than a suicide attempt. "What's going on here?!" A security guard appears but very quickly steps back and slaps his hand on his own pistol, ready to aim and fire which is stupid. "Stay the fuck back!" She yells, firing a round to the ground were the security stood. "Ma'am, please! Put the gun down and we'll help you!" I don't know how I can help but maybe giving her reassurance that she's not the only one who's been through this might do the trick. "If I want to die then I'll die! You can't take that right away from me!" I got to take a step closer but she quickly swung the gun around and fired.