Bipolar

Running up that hill

Lucas runs to the brunette and the girl he had been in love with for two years. He gets down to Max's eye level while talking to her.

Dustin is on top of Steve's car waving his walkie talkie in the air trying to get a signal. "Dustin?" He hears in a crackling, breaking radio signal of Nancy's voice. "Nance. Nancy we really need your help. Did you find anything?" He said with an urgency that gives Nancy chills. "Music. That's all Henry would talk about, what's going on?" She asked quickly. Dustin gave no responds before jumping off the car, leaving the walkie talkie and running to the grave.

"What's her favorite song?" Dustin said as Lucas continued to attempt to shake Max awake. "Um, I don't know?" Izzy said quickly before turning to Lucas. Lucas didn't look at any of them.

Izzy began to run to the car with Dustin following close behind. She swung open the back seat door grabbing all of Max's tapes and her headphones. She handed Dustin some of the tapes as he ran back to the grave.

Izzy followed close behind as Dustin dropped the tapes and him, Izzy, and Steve all picked through the songs to find the most listened as Lucas continued to try and wake Max up.

                                       ———

Max sits legs criss crossed as she reads the letter to her dead brother. The sky gets dark as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. "Max" she hears. She turns to the noise to be faced with her dead step brother.

As he walks closer he continues to speak. "Max. Max, how could you kill me. How could you, max. Max! Come here max!" He says, his voice booming from inside Max's head as it gets louder. She quickly gets up before being pushed back down my Billy. As she hits the ground, falling from the gravestones platform, a splash comes up, soaking her clothes in the mysterious, rancid smelling liquid.

As she looks back up to face Billy his straight face looks back at her. She quickly gets up and turns the corner down to the other graves.

She runs from the dark sky as it slowly turns red. She squats out of breathe as she listens for the steps of her dead brother, chanting her name asking her to come out.

A hand comes over the grave, grabbing Max's red braid. As she looks up she's met with a horrible face. It's burnt and blood red. The teeth are gone and the eyes are cold with no life behind them. She pauses for only a second before pulling her head and running off. The braid loosens as a few red strands are ripped out.

She runs down a never ending field of red and black before running into something. A tree like stand that holds the disfigured body of a girl. Chrissy.

Max covers her mouth as she widens her eyes at the unbelievable sight.

Her bones are snapped and twisted in every way. Her neck twisted around to the side with her mouth open. Her eyes were two big black holes. Max looked into them like a sky with no stars. "My trophies" she heard from a deep voice. She turned to see the burnt man a few feet from her as he walked up. Splashes of the dark liquid that had covered Max's clothes sounded as he walks closer and closer.

"It's time" he repeated as he walked closer to her. His voice boomed in her head like it was a room with no windows or doors. "Lucas!" She screams over and over as she hears his faint voice.

He walked to her. Face to face. "It's time, Max" he said before putting his hand above her face. She lifted from the ground. Her shoes drag the rough but slippery ground as she lifts up.

She closes her eyes as a tear escapes. "No" she repeats. "Please. I don't wanna die" she says as she cries. "Max!" She hears loudly compared to the silent whispers she heard earlier. "Max!"

———

Max lifts off the ground as her body goes limp. Izzy quickly slides the headphones over her ears praying Nancy's right. This has to save her. This will save her.

Running up that hill begins to play as Max stays above the group.

The boys scream Max's name hoping she'll wake up. Izzy stays silent as she stares at Max hoping this won't be the last time she sees her. Izzy slows her breath as Max goes higher into the sky.

———

Max looks around for any sign that she was alive. A white light shows as her favorite song plays. She looks toward the sound as a hole in the dark world shes stuck in. The burnt man looks toward the sound as she falls to the ground.

Max begins to run as he slowly follows behind her. She runs toward the light hoping it will either bring her back or kill her softly. As she look more at the light she sees herself. She looks at herself float above the rest of her friends as she scream and flail their hands above their heads. A loud bang comes from beside Max. Shards of wood fly in every direction. Max falls from the shaking ground. She quickly gets up and begins to run again. She looks back once to see another piece of wood aimed for her. She runs, not looking back a second time. Loud bangs come from beside and behind her.

The light gets smaller as she gets closer. Finally she hits the ground.

Her shallow breathes as she attempts to inhale deeply. Izzy quickly takes the headphones off her head as she rests Max's head on her lap. Max grabs Lucas's arm. Gripping tight as he hugs her.

The redhead falls back onto the brunettes lap as she finally breathes in deeply. "Max, your nose is bleeding" Izzy said as Max allows the blood to flow, breathing in as much air as she was deprived of. Izzy balls up her sleeve to her hand and wipes the girls nose. The red stains the crème colored cardigan Izzy had put on at the Wheelers. Izzy hugs Max like it was the first time they had seen each other in years. "I thought you were dead" she says. "Me too" Max says as she inhales Izzy's scent deeply. The familiar smell eases Max, thinking back to the first time they met. Izzy, Max, and Billy. Billy.