Not Just Another Number

Saving Max

I quickly take out a cigarette and place it into my mouth. I pocket the carton and raise the lighter to my face. I light it and raise it to the end of my cigarette, igniting the end. I breathe in deeply as I pocket the lighter. The smoke fills my lungs, leaving a heavy weight behind. I slowly breathe out to smoke as I watch Max. She's been up there for a while...

And it seems like I'm not the only impatient one. Steve climbs out of the car, slamming the door behind him. "All right, it's been long enough."

"Steve, just giver her some time." Lucas says as him and Dustin also leave the car. Steve rolls his eyes and looks at Lucas. "I have, all right? I'm calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can." I drop my cigarette, sniffing it out with my shoe. "I'm coming with. She's been up there for a while." As we walk up the hill, a sudden stinging pain shoots through my temples. I stop for a moment, regaining my bearings as the smell of copper fills my senses. I bring my hand up to my upper lip and find it wet. I pull my hand back and find my fingers red with blood. "Oh shit." I whisper to myself.

"Max. Time to giddy up, yeah?" I hear Steve say ahead of me.

Chime. Chime. Chime. Chime.

The sound of the clock chiming freezes the blood in my veins. "Max!" I yell, running up to her and Steve.

But I'm too late.

I drop to the ground next in front of her. Her eyes are rolled back into her head. She's breathing heavily. She's under Venca's curse. "Max! Wake up!" Steve yells, shaking her shoulder, trying anything he can to wake her up. "Guys!" Steve shouts for Dustin and Lucas.

"Max, c'mon, wake up!" I practically scream as I reach for her. I grab her shoulder and her face, trying to wake her up. A cold, almost burning pain shoots through my palms, forcing me to pull my hands away. I hiss at the pain, looking down at my palms. They're fine, but that cold feeling remains. Just like when Will was possessed. Except now I can't use my heat to pull her out of this.

"Max, you gotta get out of there!" The boys are yelling, shaking, and holding her, trying desperately to wake her up. But nothing works. Steve grabs Dustin my the lapel, shouting at him. "Call Nancy, Robin, and Christine! Go get 'em! Call them! Go!" Dustin shoots off like a rocket, running back to the car to radio the others. I grab Max's hands, ignoring the freezing temperatures coursing through me. "Max, c'mon, you have to fight this!" I plead, feeling my eyes stinging with tears. I can't lose her. Not now, not ever. Despite knowing it won't work, I try to channel that fire I use to have. I pull from deep within my chest with force, something I use to do so easily, it was almost like breathing.

Nothing happens.

A tear falls as hopelessness fills me. "Guys!" I shoot my head up, looking at Dustin as he runs back over to us. He drops whatever was in his arms on the ground. I look down, finding tapes and Max's cassette player. "What is this?!" Lucas demands.

"What's her favorite song?"

"Why?"

"Robin says if she listens...It's too much to explain right now! What's her favorite song?"

We immediately start searching through the numerous tapes, searching desperately for her favorite song. "Lucas, which one is it?" Steve asks, flipping through a couple tapes frantically. Suddenly, Lucas grabs a Kate Bush tape. "It's this one, right here!" He says, passing the tape to Dustin. Dustin practically slams it into the cassette player before putting the headphones on Max and playing the tape. A muffled version of 'Running Up That Hill' can be heard coming from the headphones.

We all stop for a moment, waiting on baited breath to see if it worked. "Max! Wake up!" We yell, trying to speed up the process. "We're right here, Max." Lucas pleads. I grab her hand again, rubbing my thumb along her knuckles, when her hand starts to slip from mine. I helplessly watch as she starts to float in the air, leaving us all on the ground. I stand up, trying to grab for her, but she's already floated beyond my grip. "Max!" We scream, jumping for her.

Max suddenly gasps above us before falling. "Max!" I shout, reaching my hand out for her before she can hit the ground. The air around me stills as I run for Max. She stops mid air before she hits the ground. I grab a hold of her, restarting time. As time continues, Max falls into me, sending us both to the ground with me cushioning her fall. The boys immediately circle us, surrounding Max. "Max! Oh my God!" Lucas says. Max panics, hyperventilating. I move from under her so Lucas can hold her. She immediately wraps an arm around his, shooting her other hand out to grab mine. I take it and notice her body temperature returning to normal. "It's okay." Lucas soothes her. "I thought we lost you." Max tries to regain her breath, holding onto the two of us even tighter. "I'm still... I'm still here."

"I'm still here."

All four of us surround her to hold her, glad that Max is safe. I look up at Steve and we lock eyes. The both of us know that this was way too close.

We need to end this.

And soon.