Sacrifices

 The storming wind whistled and howled, hit everything it could and carried away anything that let itself be carried. The sky went dark, as if it also wanted to be a part of this destructive scene. And Max knew, that time came.

One look down from the cliff towards the small town was enough. The small town, that had a raging tornado in its midst. This wasn't the first time she watched this scene. She'd seen it many times in her nightmares and visions. But this time she was certain. This one's real. A real storm destroying a real town.

"This is my storm! I caused this! I caused all of this! I changed fate and destiny so much, that I actually altered the course of... everything!"

When Max got he powers she wasn't sure how or why. She saved Chloe that day and that was the only thing that mattered in the moment. But the vision of a tornado and other strange occurences followed her the entire week she spent with her friend. There were no doubts. The storm came because of her.

"Fuck all of that!" Chloe growled. "You were given a power, you didn't ask for it... and you saved me! Which had to happen, all of this... except for what happened to Rachel. B'but without your power we wouldn't have found her! Okay, so you're not a goddamn Time Master, but you're Maxine Caulfield. And you're amazing!"

Freezing raindrops landed on Max's cold skin. The storm roared and Max could only watch as all her journeys back in time and all those overlooked warnings turned into one giant cluster of destruction.

"Max, there is only one way," the blue-haired girl mumbled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a polaroid photo of a blue butterfly. Max recognised it very well, but it felt like eternity since she took it. She knew it was a one-way ticket to the past... where she would get a chance to fix everything. "No, Chloe, I'm not doing that! I won't trade you!"

"You're not trading me! Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny. Look at how many times I've almost died or actually died around you! Look at everything that's happed in Arcadia ever since you first saved me!"

Max lingered over the blue-haired girl's words. She was right. How many times had she watched her die and gone back in time to avoid that fate? How many times had she faced the sight of her bloody wounds?

It almost looked as if destiny was determinedly demanding Chloe's life. As if her mere existence was an insult to the entire world.

But that didn't make any sence. Chloe did countless bad things, but the world was full of people like that. Why did it matter that she in particular escapes death's wrath? No, this surely wasn't about her.

It wasn't only about her.

The entire week played in the brunette's head. The things she changed in her favor... but also in the favor of others. After all, she managed to save Kate thanks to her power. She helped many people, even with the smallest of gestures. Some good came from her power too.

But unfortunately, when it comes to matter of life and death, fate tends to be cruel. It's not about who brings good or evil. It's about time. The time that Max ran out of.

Not today.

A long time ago.

"I saved my own life, too," she said. "Many times. You couldn't remember it, but... without my powers, I wouldn't be here either." Chloe turned to her friend, confused. "What are you trying to say?"

"That this is about both of us. We are both mere playthings of destiny, but you only thanks to my intervention. Universe has been after me ever since this whole thing began. And the only way to fix things is to give it what it wants."

Chloe's eyes twitched. "You're not serious, are you? It's not your fault! You never asked for your powers, why should you pay for using it?"

"... You know just as well as I do, that we would have both ended up on that bathroom floor whether I discovered the power or not. Perhaps destiny was generous after all. It gave us time. We found Rachel! We were together. This entire week. And now we're standing here!

And we can tell eachother anything!"

Chloe held firmly on Max's shoulders.

"I love you, Max. So... so much.

Farewell."

"Farewell, my love."

The tears in her eyes made it difficult to focus on the picture of the butterfly. But the girl was ready to accept anything the photo brought with it. The end came right when she took it. She just wished she'd known sooner.

Maybe she could have said goodbye to others too.

The girl got dizzy. The grassy ground was replaced by grey tiles and Max recognised her old polaroid camera. Before she broke it running away from Nathan. That won't get to happen today. The tiny machine spit out a photo and the butterfly that decorated it, fluttered its wings and rose in the air.

Max heard footsteps.

...

"I'm so sick of people trying to control me!"

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs!"

"Nobody would even miss you punk ass, would they?"

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"

Max stood up from the cold floor. She knew that she can't save Chloe or herself anymore. They escaped death for far too long, albeit unintentionally. And now came the time to say goodbye.

She heard a gunshot. Max stepped out of her hiding place, just like the first time she watched this scene. The blue-haired girl fell to the ground and Nathan pointed the gun at the other girl. She knew he wouldn't hesitate for long. He couldn't let a witness of such a crime escape him. The time traveller thought for just a moment that maybe she could go back once more... for the last time. She just wanted time to text a few people...

Goodbye.

But there was nowhere to go back to now. She was out of time.

The blue butterfly quickly fluttered its wings on the windowsill. The gunshots didn't scare it. Neither did the tiles, now turning from grey to dark red.

It has seen worse, Max thought to herself.

Her sight was vanishing, but before she got to close her eyes for one last time, she saw something emerge from behind the bathroom stall. It was a beautiful doe. The one that had been following her since the beginig of the week that was now forever tangled in the endless clot of time.

Come, Max. I'll help both of you find your way.