Time Seizure

Chapter 2 - Not Yet Out of the Woods

Unable to go further in their truck, the two girls continued their search on foot. Chloe led the way while Max lagged behind.

The silence that filled the area was deafening. The only sounds that would accompany it were either the trickling of leaking drainage, the sizzling of torn power lines, the creaking of broken wood ready to break off of whatever structure it was part of, and the distant cawing of seagulls.

Max squinted up to see those birds gliding through the air like it was all fine up there, like they didn't have to worry about whatever situation was below them; Max envied them. This would have normally been another good photo opportunity for her, but she had neither her camera, nor the spirit.

She was so focused on what was above her that she tripped over a piece of rubble on the road. Luckily, Chloe had noticed her stupor and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Fucking hell, Max."

Chloe kept a hold of her for what felt like a minute. She was seriously starting to worry, like if she was to let go, her brunette would just lose balance again.

"You're hella looking like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine." Max muttered.

"No, you're not."

She faced Chloe again, her drained eyes trying to look reassuring. Her head was angled and wobbling like it could at any moment come loose off her neck.

Chloe cupped a hand on Max's cheek and gazed into her blue eyes with her own intensely.

"Come on, Mad Max, I know it's hard. I need you right now." She was now trying for the 'strong motivator' appeal.

"Chloe..."

"We're gonna find the Two Whales, okay?"

Max nodded rather timidly but took in a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Right then, a sharp pain twisted in the side of Max's head, and she dug her sharp nails into her temple as she collapsed, groaning in agony.

"Max! What's wrong?" Chloe dove down to scoop her head off the ground. "Oh God!"

Fresh blood had begun pouring out of her nostrils again. It wasn't a moderate stream like usual, but it was like an aggressive faucet. It ran down her face to the underside of her chin, then down her neck, and dripped onto the pavement where it was already growing a puddle.

Max's vision blurred and shimmered next, much like it would whenever she bent time around her, only this time it was more aggressive. Looking up at Chloe's silhouetted face with the bright sky behind her, she looked mysteriously angelic. This glimpse shined upon her like another Polaroid she could capture and add to her collection. Soon, everything went blinding white.

Overexposed...

And then...

It passed.

The pain. All the bleeding. The brightness. It all receded.

Max came to as her vision steadily rendered back to normal. When it did, she could make out the image of Chloe cradling her face, her eyes bloodshot with tears, and her gaping mouth crumpled with grief. She was sobbing hard, like her lungs were being squeezed.

Regaining some strength, Max lifted a hand to brush her cheek to let her know that she was fine now. As soon as Chloe realized this as well, she hauled her into a bearhug and continued sobbing into her shoulder.

"You scared the hell out of me!"

"I'm... okay now, Chloe."

Chloe shook her head.

"It's not okay! This is my fault!"

"No, Chloe!" Max brought their faces together.

"It is! Did you use your powers again? Did I die again?" Looking into Chloe's puffy eyes broke her heart.

"I didn't! Not this time! Never again!"

Chloe settled down eventually.

"It just—happened." Max continued. "It—just came suddenly and—."

Max shook herself.

What's going on?

She was stuttering now. Her brain was still fuzzy, probably still recovering.

"I thought you were having a seizure." Chloe whimpered. "I thought I was about to lose you too."

Max narrowed her eyes, having regained some footing of determination.

"You won't—lose me! I won't leave—you!"

At that moment, Max lunged in to press her lips against Chloe's. Chloe was taken aback at first, but then eased into her kiss almost immediately; it was icy, yet warm. She pulled Max ever closer until their chests, their hearts, touched one another.

"I—love—you." Max managed to utter.

"Same to you, hippie."

Chloe leaned her forehead into Max's and combed her fingers through her rumpled hair. She wanted this to last forever, but both knew they had to get moving again.

*****

After cleaning the blood off of Max's face, they continued through the wasteland. Max was in front this time, leading the way, while Chloe stayed closely behind, monitoring her.

"I th—think we're almost there now."

Chloe hummed to her statement but said nothing. During the rest of the way, she almost hadn't taken her eyes off her friend. Since Max had that attack, her speech had become even more cluttered, and as for the way she was walking now... she was looking unstable.

Chloe herself was starting to tremble just from watching her.

What is happening to her? She wasn't like this before when she had her nosebleeds.

But this wasn't from her powers this time, as she claimed. How the hell would she know? Normally, her nosebleeds her just a minor hindrance from overusing her powers. This, however, was surely different.

"Chloe? Max?"

Both girls shot up to see a middle-aged waitress revealing herself from the doorway of a ruined diner that they recognized all too well.

"Mom?" Chloe cried.

"Oh, thank God!"

Joyce darted after the girls to embrace them both, tears of joy flushing out.

"I'm so glad you're both okay!"

"I'm glad you're here too, mom!"

The two teens returned the hug.

Max felt a wave of relief wash over her. Joyce was alive. That means others could have survived too.

Joyce released her death hold and turned first to Chloe.

"Where the hell were you?" Her voice was raised in a mixture of love and fury.

"We were at the lighthouse." Chloe said. "We were looking everywhere for you. Max saved my life."

Joyce turned to Max next, her eyes lit with pride and gratefulness. She checked the girl up and down like she was another daughter; looking at her face, she could sense that something was off, but she was too washed over with relief right now.

"The Lord truly did send a guardian angel, didn't he?"

Max bowed her head humbly while Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Did—anyone else m—make it?" Max finally asked.

Joyce too took at the strange way she delivered that question but smiled reassuringly.

"Why don't you both come inside and see?"

With that answer, Joyce took the girls into the diner, away from the debris.

They were safe, but nothing in Max's guts gave the impression that they were out of the woods yet. Chloe felt that too.