The Diary of Max Caulfield

Friday, October 11

October 11 (...I guess)

I watched Chloe die again.

Killed by my favorite teacher. Why?

Because we were stupid and let Jefferson trick us with a phony text.

So we ended up back at the junkyard, and fell right into his trap. We should have called the police the second we found Rachel, but I had gone along too far with Chloe. I keep thinking I'm invincible, that I'm a real everyday superhero... but no, I'm just Max Caulfield.

Maybe all my powers are an accident of fate. Or am I being punished like Chloe? What have we done to deserve all this pain? What did Rachel do? Kate? William?

Then there's Mark Jefferson... I can't ever call him "mister" again.

I'm still shocked that he turned out to be the one hiding behind the Dark Room, but if I think back on those "pieces of time," Jefferson has been dropping hints all along. It makes me sick to think how long he's been doing this for — and to whom.

The needle... I can still feel that needle on my skin. Thank God I can't remember Jefferson posing me for most of his sick session. Imagine all those other people who had to suffer through that horror... like Rachel and Kate. That made me determined to get out of that room, at least to stop him and save Chloe. I had to use my focus rewind on multiple photos so often that even I got confused.

Worse still, I knew I was screwing around with various realities again, but I had no other choice. Chloe would not die in a junkyard next to Rachel Amber. And there was no fucking way I was going to let Jefferson be the last person I ever saw. It's hard to even imagine myself in that studio alone with Jefferson acting like that... Everything was so neat and sterile, but it felt like the filthiest place on Earth. If I didn't have this ability to bend time, what would I have done? What could I have done? Sometimes I felt removed, like I was looking at myself going through this hell. But thanks to Jefferson's class photo, he personally helped me to escape.

I also feel so terrible that Victoria had to end up in here with me, just because I warned her about Nathan. I should have known that she would rush to Jefferson for protection. Instead, he kidnapped her and almost murdered her... because of me.

I'll never forget the way Jefferson looked at me, so cold and mean... I felt like I was on one of those awful true-crime shows my mom binge-watches... How does somebody become evil? He actually shot Chloe in the head... just like that.

Motherfucker.

I wish the police had taken Nathan in, after I told Principal Wells that he drugged Kate. He might still be alive and maybe he would have taken down Jefferson too...

I can't believe I was able to focus and rewind into my selfie all the way back to art class on Monday. I turned in my photo for the contest, after I sent a text to David warning him about Jefferson. Whew. The only reason I haven't had a total meltdown is the fact that I do have this incredible power. I have to use it right for once... and maybe never again.

It was weird to be in class with Jefferson, like I wasn't just tortured by him in an underground bunker. I saw him for the first time as he is: a creepy, manipulative psychopath, filled with bullshit. He uses art and passion to seduce people, but behind that there's nothing but hate and perversion. I only pray that I can fix this timeline, not fuck it up.

Max to the future. It feels like I finally made things right. Chloe is alive. David Madsen became a real everyday hero by busting Jefferson and his dark room, along with Nathan and his father. The Prescotts have lost control of Arcadia Bay. Now I'm the official "Everyday Hero" on my way to San Francisco with Principal Wells, who is a lot more funny and laidback when he's not stressing about Blackwell Academy. It's hard for me to totally relax but all these pieces of time seem to be falling in place.