Always

Wake

(Forewarning: this was my first story so expect it to be mediocre at best).

I wake up suddenly with a gasp. How did I get here?

I found myself at the lighthouse. The sunset was waning with beautiful orange and red colors. Ordinarily, I would be taking out my camera and taking a snapshot with my camera; but suddenly, just as I had done in Jefferson's class on that Monday, I was brought to a vivid dream.

"Nobody would even miss your punk-ass, would they?" I hear Nathan scream.

"Get that gun away from me, you psycho!"

Chloe...

The sound of the gunshot brings me back to reality and I'm staring back at the sunset. Shit, my eyes are tearing up. They're already puffy, and I figure Substitute Max has been crying.

'I'm so sorry Chloe.'

I sigh and turn. The lighthouse looks astonishingly... normal. As if the storm never happened. 'This is what Chloe died for? This?'

The scenery was beautiful, but it is so unfair. How can this world still be beautiful if she's still not here? How am I supposed to... to...?

No, she has to be here. She still has to be alive.

But.... I heard her. I heard her die. I heard David Madsen...

"Oh god, Chloe... Get on the ground, Prescott! Now! Chloe... please be alive. Dammit, why the hell are you here? Somebody, get me an ambulance."

I was so helpless, all I could do is sit there crying. 'So much for Super Max.' And suddenly, I'm sick of being here. I'm sick of being in this cruel world, that takes everything I love away. It tried to take Kate, it took Chloe so many times from me, it took my love of photography away....

'No, Max. Stop it. DO NOT think of the Dark Room. Do not imagine the look on Jefferson's face when you asked for one last picture....'

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it!" I ball my hands into fists and rub my palms into my eyes. "I have to stop thinking about this shit."

I look up into the clear sky. "Why?! Why did you have to take Chloe away! What did she ever do to you! And what about William? About Joyce? Why do you have to be so fucking cruel!"

This is probably the angriest I've ever been. And suddenly, I'm so infuriated at myself. What was the whole point of being able to rewind time if I couldn't stop this shit from happening! I look down to the rocks below. It would be so easy.... I could...

But right as I start to think of Kate, my phone buzzes. "Whose texting me?" I looked around for my bag and for the first time, I notice what I'm wearing.

"Why am I wearing a black dress? And this necklace, where did it come from?" I take off the necklace and examine it in my hand. It's gold, with a doe at the end of the chain. Who would give me a doe necklace?

I put it back on and find my bag. I left it on the bench overlooking the landscape. I dig my phone out of my bag and look at my messages. There are 6 missed calls. Two of them are from my mom, 1 from Kate, and of course 3 of them from Warren.