A Long and Lonesome Highway

Chapter Two: Silver Machine

Jerking herself awake, she shot up like a rocket, a film of cold sweat enveloping her body. The dribbles sliding down her face and neck, her shirt and pajamas felt glued to her body. Max looks around her room, barely illuminated by the lights outside. She stopped and stared at the rays, half expecting them to start rotating. She blew a sigh of relief out her nose.

You can't escape the lighthouse here...

Holy shit... relax... breathe.... It was just a dream...

Jefferson is gone...

Max pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head upon them.

Thinking about those red binders, nausea rose in her gut. All those names, Kate and Rachel were names among the many. Max and Victoria would've been a couple more.

Max cried silently, sitting in her own dark room. The blackout room seemed suffocating, alarm bells rang.

She had to get out of there.

Flinging her comforter off and slipping on the closest hoodie she could find, Max quietly left the room.

At two in the morning, Blackwell was almost completely still. The inhabitants lie dormant, their night of partying eventually wears down.

For Max, going back to sleep was the last thing she wanted to do. In the hall, she noticed Dana's door was wide open with a dim light casting a couple moving shadows.

Cautiously, she tiptoed to the stairs. Taking a quick peek around the corner before passing by, Dana sat on her bed reading something while a boy was passed out in her bed without a shirt.

Gaining her strength, Max entered the doorframe and tapped it with her knuckle.

Dana gasped when she saw someone in her doorway, but calmed down when she saw who it was.

"Hi, Dana..." Max held her arm.

"Oh, hi, Max... I didn't expect to see you awake."

"I couldn't sleep." She murmured.

Dana contorted her face, "hey, I'm sorry about Chloe, I had no idea you knew her."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too."

Dana sighed and placed her papers next to the boy, getting up she approached Max, who flinched away. Dana ignored it and gave Max a warm hug.

Max just pressed into her, Dana seemed to know what she needed. A few tears pushed past her eyelids, Dana broke away. Looking into Max's eyes, she smiled. Not one of her usual bravado, but one of compassion.

"It's okay, just don't think you have to go through this alone."

You have no idea... this is my burden.

Attempting to throw the topic, "Dana, whose that in your bed?"

She shook her head, "Justin, don't try to change the subject, Max. Please, don't shut yourself out. It's okay to not be okay."

Max lightly shook her head, "Dana, I-I, I can't tell you the whole story, but, I fucked up..."

Dana donned a confused look, "Max, what do you mean? You were just a witness, Natham confessed..."

"Please, please don't remind me." Max begged. Panic and pure unrefined grief bubbled within herself, "I should go."

Dana gave up her pursuit, throwing her hands in surrender. "Okay, but please Max, come to me even if you need to talk."

Grateful for the offer, even as undeserving as if is, Max left as quietly as she arrived. Trying to walk away quickly and quietly was easier said than done. Floorboards squeaked under her light feet, but she made her way into the courtyard.