Life Is Strange

Chrysalis Part 2

Just then a beautiful blue butterfly flies into the bathroom, and lands on a dirty, old bucket in the corner of the room.

"What's it doing in here? How did it even get in here? Oh, well when a door closes, a window opens...or something like that. Anyways, you don't get a photo opportunity like this everyday so take a picture and quick."

I walk over to the butterfly and snap a picture. Right after I take the picture I hear someone enter the bathroom. I peek my head around the tiny corner and I see Nathan Prescott, the owner of the schools son.

"What's a boy doing in the girl's restroom?" I wonder.

Just then he starts talking to himself, "It's cool, Nathan..Calm down...Don't stress.. You're okay, bro....Just count to three..Don't be scared..You own this school.. If you wanted to you could blow it up... You're the boss," he says while leaning over the sink and looking at himself in the mirror.

At that moment a girl walks in, with short bright blue hair, a beanie,a skull and crossbones shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. She looks familiar...

"What do you want?" Nathan says to the girl.

"Well, first I hope you checked the perimeter," the girl says as she checks the empty stalls. "Okay, now let's talk business."

"I have nothing for you."

"WRONG. You have cash."

"My family has it, not me."

"Oh, boohoo poor little rich kid. I know you have been giving the students around here drugs. I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Maaan, I can see the headlines now."

"Leave them out of this!"

"I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk who begs like a little girl and talks to himself," she says shoving Nathan.

"You don't know who I am OR who you're messing with around here!" He says pulling out a gun and pointing it at the girl.

"W-where did you get that? What are you doing? Come on put that thing down!!" The girl says in a panicked voice with her hands in the air.

Nathan pushes her against the wall holding the gun firmly against her stomach, the girl struggling to get free. "Don't you EVER tell me what to do. I am so sick of people trying to control me."

"You're going to get in a whole lot more trouble for this than drugs.."

"No body would miss you! Would they?"

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"

The girl shoves Nathan away, and he shoots her.

"NO!" I shouted, jumping out from where I was hiding. My hand was reached out in front of me as if trying to grab something. The girl fell to the ground and Nathan dropped his gun. Suddenly, time seemed to rewind. I was back in the class room.

"Whoa! What just happened?! How? How can that be? I was in the bathroom...He shot that poor girl....I held up my hand,and then I was back here. I already heard this lecture." I thought. I then slightly moved my hand to pick up my camera, but instead of picking it up. I dropped it. "Okay, if I'm crazy, I might as well go all the way... Can I actually reverse time?" I hold up my right hand like I did in the bathroom, and everything started going back in time. The clock hands went back, and my camera fixed it self and flew back onto my desk. Like it never fell off. "Okay Max, don't freak out. Not yet. When I said 'hmm' Jefferson asked me a question. If I do it, and he asks me a question I'll know this is real."

"Hmm?" I say as loud as I did the first time.

"One of your fellow classmates seems to be interested in joining the conversation, finally. So Max, please tell me and the rest of the class the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?" He asked.

"Can I go to the bathroom real quick?"

"You're not getting out of this that easily, Max. See me after class. Is there anyone here who knows their stuff?"

"I do." says Victoria, "Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created ' daguerreotypes' a process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror," she continues and afterwords giving me a dirty look. Again.

"Very good, Victoria. The Daguerreian Process brought out fine detail in people's faces making them...."

"Oh no, Mr. Jefferson wants to keep me after class," I thought to myself, "But I need time to save that girl... Wait, what if I rewind again and give him the correct answer? Here goes nothing." I say sticking my hand in front of me. Time rewinds again.

"One of your fellow classmates seems to be interested in joining the conversation, finally. So Max, please tell me and the rest of the class the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?"

"The Daguerreian Process, invented by a French painter named... Louis Daguerre. Around 1830."

"Somebody has been reading as well at posing, nice job, Max. The rest of you can read more about it in your textbooks. Max, is obviously way ahead of everyone in her book."

Then the bell rings.

"Before you all leave don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the 'Everyday Heroes' contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you'll be feted by the art world. It is great exposure and it can kick start a career in photography," reminds Mr. Jefferson again.

"Max, you're not crazy. You're not dreaming. I need to hurry to the bathroom, it's time to be an everyday hero." I think to myself while walking towards the door.

"I see you Max Caulfield," says Mr. Jefferson sitting at his desk, "Don't you dare leave this room before we talk about your entry. I would NEVER let one of photography's future stars avoid handing in her picture."

"I'm not avoiding I'm just--"

"Biding time, waiting for the elusive ' right moment' ?"

"Exactly."

"Max, don't wait too long. John Lennon once said, ' Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' Go on now, don't let me stop you."

"That didn't turn out well," I think, "I had better rewind."

"Excuse me? Mr. Jefferson?" I asked.

"Yes, excuse you," Victoria interrupts.

"No, Victoria, excuse us. I would NEVER let one of photography's future stars avoid handing in her picture," remarks Mr. Jefferson.

"I'm on top of it, Mr. Jefferson don't worry. I think John Lennon once said, ' Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.'"

"Max, you're on fire today. All the right answers. Good. Make sure you finish working on it by today. I have faith in you."

"Thank you, Mr. Jefferson!" I say while walking towards the door. I exit the class room into the hallway full of students talking.

"I hope I have enough time to make it to the bathroom...please please please..." I think to myself. I sprint down the hallway into the restrooms. I go in and thankfully no one is in there. I retraced every step. First, I washed my face,then shredded my photo, and then the butterfly flew in. Right after I said that the butterfly actually flew in. Oh and then I took a picture of it. Then things went black for a second. That didn't happen the first time? Oh, well.

"Leave them out of this!" I hear Nathan say.

"Did I go forward in time a little bit? Focus Max. Not a good time to ask questions." I tell myself. "I have to find a way to stop him without being seen, but how? He was going to shoot her again any second so I'll need to make it quick." I look around frantically for something. " The fire alarm! That's it! I quickly need to figure out how to break this glass covering it though." I look around once more and see a hammer. I pick up the hammer, break the glass, and push the button. The alarm goes off, and the girl hits Nathan in the stomach; He falls to the ground, dropping the gun.

"Don't you EVER touch me again, freak!" The girl says while opening the door and running out.

Nathan stands up, grabs the gun he had previously dropped, and runs out as well.

"What just happened! I saw that girl get shot and then just saved her life! What is going on?! Do. Not. Freak. Out." I said aloud while walking quickly out of the rest room.