Gunshot (A Life Is Strange Oneshot)

Gunshot

"I can't make this decision, Chloe!" I yelled, feeling her grip my shoulders tightly and stare straight into my eyes.

"No Max," she whispered, into my soul. "You're the only one who can."

I knew what I had to do. What I needed to do, what she wanted me to do. But it wasn't what I wanted.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry." I was already crying, and now, as I pulled her into a tight embrace, I began crying harder. "I don't want to do this!"

"I know you don't," she tried to soothe me, hugging me tighter, my head in the crook of her neck. "But we have to."

I pulled away slowly, staring into her eyes. They were so beautiful- and I had to give them up with this as their last true memory. Before I watched the blood, heard the gunshot, felt the crash of her body shake the floor where I was sitting.

"No matter where I end up after this, in whatever time frame or reality I'm in, these moments are all real- will always be real!" She yelled over the storm. "And they'll always be OUR moments!"

I shook my head, grabbing hers with my hands, holding her still as we both leaned in at the same time, meeting each other halfway. Chloe's tongue wrestled mine for half a second, quickly won, and then I pulled away.

"I'll always love you!" Chloe shouted above the roar of the storm. "Now go! Get out of here before I freak!"

I felt her eyes on my back as I stared at the photo, a few tears joining the rain that already gathered on the beautiful Polaroid. I didn't want to do this. But it wouldn't be right to sacrifice the entire Bay just for Chloe- just for myself. So I forced myself to go back- to watch as all time began to blur around, me, and then the whir signaling that my camera was ready to release a photo.

I shook the butterfly picture out, and took a seat behind the stall. I knew this was my last goodbye to Chloe, and even if I couldn't directly tell her goodbye, I wanted to hear her voice one more time. I yearned to touch her bare skin one more time, lock hands with her one more time, leave another lingering kiss on her lips one more time. Just one more time...

But I couldn't. I had to be strong. Had to do this- for her. For Rachel. It was what Chloe wanted- and as I heard the door open, I instantly knew I wouldn't be able to hold my tears back for long.

"Wrong, you gotta hella cash." I heard her voice, her sweet, angelic voice, even though she was angry. The voice that had whispered assurances in my ear, told me a lustful command, yelled for me to run, or get out of the way. The voice came from the mouth that had kissed me, calmed me. And it all came from the person that loved me, that I loved back, that life was crueler to. Cruel enough to that time had froze her in a loop of death.

"That's my parents, you stupid bitch." Nathan's voice insulted her, and I had to keep myself from jumping out right there to interfere and save Chloe again. "Not me."

I toned out most of the conversation, until I heard-

"You are gonna get into way more trouble for this then drugs!" She exclaimed, knowing what was going to happen. Tears fell onto the bathroom floor as the gunshot sounded- as I saw blood splatter onto the ground from where I was sitting, felt the smallest quake that her body made to where I was sitting. Already missed her, though she had asked for this. If I wanted to, I could just go back using this butterfly picture... Like I just had.

But then I'd have to listen to that heart-wrenching speech from Chloe again, and I knew it would convince me once more to save Arcadia Bay, because she really did have a way with words, whether she would admit that or not.

But I knew now that she was gone- and as I felt time begin to rumble around me- saw the pictures I had took of us turn to Jefferson and Nathan getting arrested, changed to me crying at Chloe's funeral as she was lowered into the ground with her father, right beside him. I cried so hard as the memories and photos disappeared- including the ones of when we were thirteen. I locked them up, didn't get rid of them, so I'd never be tempted by the idea of bringing her back. Of never letting her go again.

And now, as I think back at all of this in Portland with my beautiful blue-haired wife, with my little baby Cecilia, who had bright brown hair, like a mix between mine and Chloe's, I allowed a tear fall down my cheek. I missed Kate- Warren- Joyce. Missed them all equally. Wish I could've brought them with me.

But Chloe was my number once priority. She was the only one I cared about above the rest. I hadn't been able to stop myself from going back to that cliff on the exact same day- heard the exact same speech- thought the exact same thoughts.  Felt the exact same things. With only one or two changes;

Number One; I had gotten no kiss from Chloe, only our hands held and hugging that day.

Number Two; I ripped the photo in half and threw it out into the hurricane, allowing no chance of Chloe being killed off exist anymore.

And now here we were, on our couch, watching cartoons with our adopted three year-old and our adopted twelve-year-old, with our wedding rings still fresh from last year's wonderful occasion, Chloe only being twenty-one, and I only being twenty- enjoying our lives. And though we will always be scarred by watching our hometown be destroyed, always remember those we lost that day, always remembering that we were the only survivors, we were still happy.

Because Time Waits For No-one.

Yet it rewinded for us.