The Girl Who Rewinds Time [Life is Strange]

Chapter 42: The Photography Teacher

Max appeared in the strapped chair. "Oh, fuck!" She muttered.

God, no... I'm back here again? I thought I fixed everything!

"What did you say, Max?" Mark asked her with his arms crossed.

What? Jefferson should be in jail, not here...

"Jesus. It's like you're back in my class. You're still spacing out. It might be cool if you took one of your patented selfies now..." Mark said to her. Max was so confused. Why did she end up back here? "The transformation between the old Max and the new Max... Anyway, answer my question, please." Mark leaned close to her.

Max glared up at him. "Eat shit and die." She told him.

Mark smirked. "Good answer, good answer." He said. Blood leaked from Max's nose again. "Hey... Your nose is bleeding!" Mark said. He tried attending to it, but Max refused to let him help and looked away from him each time he tried.

"Probably gave you too big a dose. Sorry about that, Max. But considering you're about to die, a nosebleed is a first-world problem." He said. Max just glared nothing but hatred toward him.

Max looked at the area where Victoria lied. But she was no longer there. Mark followed her gaze and smirked. "Oh, I had to let Victoria Chase go." Mark told her. "You let her..." Max said. "Don't be stupid, okay? She's exactly where she deserves to be." He said. Max shook her head. "No..." She muttered. "Oh, as if you care." Mark said to her. A deep glare formed on Max's face. She slowly looked up at Mark.

"Your iris... That... dilation like a shutter... the pictures you're taking of me now. Too bad you pissed away your gift." Mark said. "You could have won the contest, but you destroyed your own beautiful photograph... What a waste." He eyed down at her. "Sorry. I burned all your stuff. I got a little carried away."

Fuck! He burned my diary! That's why I'm still here.

"Especially since you've developed from nerd to hero within a week. There's something... weird going on with you."

Thunder roared outside and the lights dimmed for a second. "Whoa! Did you see how crazy it is outside?" Mark said to Max. "Like I said... something weird." Max refused to look him in the eyes.

"There's that fear..." Mark whispered. "Oh, Max... It's an honor working with you on these final sessions. I hope these images will be appreciated for what they truly capture. The loss... of youth." He said.

"At least... that's the last lecture you'll ever have to hear from me... And I promise you... no more nosebleeds." Mark told her. Max looked up at him. "Mr. Jefferson... Please... don't do this. You don't know what's happening." Max said. "Shh-shhh... Quiet... Quiet, Max." Mark told her softly and walked away.

Max tried ripping her wrists free. But they weren't budging. "Please!" Max said to him. "Don't do this!" Tears filled Max's eyes as she watched Mark fill the needle with more drugs. She didn't want to die. She started to sob as she realized what was about to happen.

Mark turned to her with a needle in hand and walked over to her. "I promise. This final dose won't hurt." He assured her. He pushed Max's head to the side and lowered the needle to her neck.

When a sound emerged from the entrance.

"What?" Mark questioned and quickly grabbed a tripod. He hid behind the wall and waited for whoever it was to walk around the corner for an ambush. A figure walked into the room with a gun.

David!

Mark slammed the tripod down onto David's wrists. Knocking the gun out of his hands. David went for the right punch. But Mark ducked and pushed the end of the tripod into David's stomach. Knocking the wind out of him. Mark raised the tripod into the air and slammed down onto David's head.

"No, David! No!" Max said.

"Jesus... David Madsen! He's out cold..." Mark said. "Good. I always hated that fascist fuck. Everybody at Blackwell did, right Max?" Mark dropped the tripod and grabbed the needle. "Okay... Let's try this one last time..." He raised the needle to Max's neck.

She raised her hand and spread her fingers and watched as the events from before unfold.

"And I promise you... no more nosebleeds." Mark told her. "Wait! Hold on! Can I... Can I please ask you for one last... request?" Max asked. "Oh, you got me, Max. How can I deny that face?" Mark said.

"And would you mind turning off the lights? They make me squint, so I won't look good for the shot." She said. Mark smiled at her. "Now you're thinking like a real photographer..." Mark said and turned off the studio lights. "And I don't want your last memory to be bad lighting." Mark told her and walked away. Max watched as he did the same thing as before.

Mark turned to her with a needle in hand and walked over to her. "I promise. This final dose won't hurt." He assured her. He pushed Max's head to the side and lowered the needle to her neck.

When a sound emerged from the entrance.

"What?" Mark questioned and quickly grabbed a tripod. He hid behind the wall and waited for whoever it was to walk around the corner for an ambush. "David, watch out!" Max shouted. Mark looked at her over his shoulder. "How... How did you know that?" Mark questioned her. But still hid behind the wall.

David quickly turned the corner and aimed the gun. Mark swung the tripod at David's hands. The gun shot into the wall and fell out of David's hands. Once Mark caught his balance, he swung the tripod over David's head.

David fell to the ground with an open wound on his head. Mark stepped over David and swung the tripod over his head again. Putting him out. Max had to try something else in order for David to be the victor.

"Uh... excuse me, but my throat is scratchy..." Max told Mark after rewinding. "Can I please have some water?" Mark rolled the trolley over to her. "Of course. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He said and poured a bottle of water into a small cup. He placed the cup to Max's lips and let her drink the water.

After grabbing the needle for the third time, Mark told Max, "I promise. This final dose won't hurt." He assured her. He pushed Max's head to the side and lowered the needle to her neck.

When a sound emerged from the entrance.

"What?" Mark questioned and quickly grabbed a tripod. He hid behind the wall and waited for whoever it was to walk around the corner for an ambush. "David, watch out!" Max shouted again. Mark looked at her over his shoulder. "How... How did you know that?" Mark questioned her. But still hid behind the wall.

David quickly turned the corner and aimed the gun. Mark swung the tripod at David's hands. The gun shot into the wall and fell out of David's hands. Once Mark caught his balance, he swung the tripod over David's head.

David fell to the ground with an open wound on his head.

With the trolley in front of Max, she shoved it toward Mark with her foot and distracted him. With his attention caught off guard, David quickly stood up and delivered a right hook across Mark's jaw. He then smacked his palm against his cheek.

After regaining his composure, Mark looked at David. "No gun... no balls..." He said. "Jefferson! It's over!" David told him. "You are not going to stop me!" Mark said and ran over to the other side of the room. David followed in pursuit. But was met with another gun being pointed at him and was shot in the ribs. David clutched his hand to his side and fell onto the couch. Dead.

"David Madsen... of course." Mark said. "Well, this is what you get for playing cop—a real bullet."

Max rewound time again. She had to get it right this time so that David wouldn't die.

"Jefferson! It's over!" David told him. "You are not going to stop me!" Mark said and ran over to the other side of the room. David followed in pursuit.

Max pulled the cable leading to the studio light with her foot and the light fell down. Mark stopped in his tracks and glanced at the light. With Mark all froze up, David ran up to him and punched Mark again. Mark's glasses flew off his face as he tumbled to the ground. David punched him over the head and knocked Mark out cold.

Mark Jefferson's reign has finally come to an end.