Life is Stranger

Follow Your Dreams

The doe walks gracefully up the trail towards the lighthouse, shimmering in the dappled rays of afternoon sunlight streaming through the trees. Max follows after. She can hear the surf pounding on the rocks below, the sound mixing with that of the forest. As Max reaches the top she sees that the doe is waiting for her. The butterfly rests in the centre of the forehead, gracefully flapping its wings. The surrounding air seems to ripple with each beat. She reaches out her hand towards the doe. As her fingers make contact, she notices the ring – two intertwined diamond hearts, one pure white, the other a beautiful, brilliant blue. Hanging around her neck is Chloe's bullet necklace. The doe from the necklace Chloe gave Max on her tenth birthday is now attached to a bracelet upon her wrist. She is wearing a short but elegant black dress. The butterfly slowly flutters towards Max and lands on her chest, directly above her heart. The doe glides forward and entwines itself around her legs. Everything goes black.

The darkness gradually fades away, slowly forming an oval shape. A preacher slowly appears at the centre. A small chapel. The preacher is of slim build and also dressed entirely in black. Pure black ripples emanate from his body, blending with the black ellipse that surrounds him. He stands there utterly motionless, as if he were frozen in time. The preacher stares directly at Max, his bespectacled eyes as paralysed as the rest of him. The top of his head is completely bald, but there is light grey hair just above the ears, continuing around to the back of his head. The scene ripples out of sight.

Another chapel. Another preacher. And Chloe. A different Chloe. A stunningly beautiful Chloe. She is wearing an off-the-shoulder dress which matches the colour of her hair perfectly. Pure silver feathers hang from her ears. Around her slim neck is a pretty silver heart-shaped yin yang pendant. Max herself is wearing a pure white wedding dress, veil and opera gloves. She delicately slides a blue-banded silver ring onto Chloe's finger. They share a loving kiss.

Ripple.

David. Weeping. Joyce holding his hands and kissing his eyes softly before embracing him.

Ripple.

A small young boy Max doesn't recognise. A freckled face and short, strawberry-blonde hair. A skateboard lays at rest on the ground between his feet. He is bent forward, hands on his knees and laughing hysterically.

Ripple.

On the beach. Angry black clouds. Rain. Thunder. Lightning. Max can feel tiny little needle-pricks stinging her face as the fierce sea hurls droplets of fury at her. A dark grey wall of...something on the horizon. Then a minute speck. Coming this way. Fast. Making a bee-line straight for her. A bolt of lightning streaks down from the clouds above, tearing the air asunder as it descends at ferocious speed. It strikes the shallow sea directly in front of her.

Flash. Ripple.

Chloe again. With Rachel. Playing darts inside what looks like a small, cinder-block hut. In Chloe's truck, laughing raucously. At the lighthouse with Frank and another girl. The four of them littered around a blazing camp fire, the yellow light flickering on their faces. Chloe lying down with her head resting in Rachel's lap. Rachel stroking the blue hair as Chloe blows a smoke ring. It slowly drifts up into the cool night air, framing the full moon in a perfect circle before dissipating into nothingness. Rachel's face. She is furious. In Chloe's bedroom. Sitting on the bed. Rachel suddenly throws something at the wall. Chloe and Rachel kissing. Rachel holds out her arm and takes a photograph with William's camera.

Flash. Ripple.

Chloe's face. In another bedroom. This one dimly lit. Chloe's eyes flutter open as she wakes, bleary-eyed and confused. A bare arm drapes itself around her neck. The arm belongs to Rachel. Then...Max tries to screw her eyes closed, but it is impossible. She is forced to watch. Everything.

Ripple.

The dark room. Strapped down to the bed. Really hard to see. What could be the outline of a couch. Is that someone sitting on it? Sitting there perfectly still. Not moving. Two incredibly faint points of light. Eyes? Just watching her. Looking right at her. Max whimpers. A sudden, blinding light.

Ripple.

William. On his bed. Writing.

Ripple.

Max enters the dorm corridor. It is dark except for the light from the candles littering the floor along the edges. A figure stands in the gloom at the far end, head bowed. Hands held to the chest, as if praying. They suddenly charge straight at Max, head still facing the floor...

Ripple.

Chloe flying. No. She isn't flying. She is falling.

Ripple.

David. With a gun. Running. Shooting. Shouting. A figure follows behind, also running. An explosion. David looks over his shoulder. He screams.

Ripple.

Chloe. Sitting down, huddled against the cold. Surrounded by tree trunks. Scenery passes by. Sitting at a picnic table. A pack placed in front of her. Drinking soda from a can. She suddenly picks up the pack and runs away. Soda streams down. Tears stream down. Sitting on the beach with Frank. Chloe brings a hand to her face and wipes away a lonely, golden tear. They bring their bottles together. At home. In her bedroom. Throwing something at David. David staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Tears in his eyes.

Ripple.

William. In the lighthouse hut. Standing at the head of a large table. Figures seated around the table. A toast. They all raise their glasses. Blackwell. With Wells. In the office. Drinking whiskey. Now he is at home...in the hallway...walking out the door...Joyce dropping a bag of chocolate chips...

Ripple.

An old barn. Thin beams of evening sunlight leak in through gaps between the boards, illuminating motes of dust drifting lazily in the air. Straw covers the floor. The long-forgotten hulk of a rusty old tractor looms from the dusky shadows in one corner. An owl sleeps perched on a rafter high overhead. A wooden chair in the centre of the floor. Someone strapped to it. A bag over their head. The captive is shaking with fear and sobbing. A dark patch of wet straw underneath the chair. A menacing figure wearing a white hockey mask bends over the trembling victim. Removes the bag...

Ripple.

William's old barbecue in the garden. Cold, grey, dead ashes lie in the bottom.

Ripple.

Chloe in the clearing at night. On her knees. Digging. A small box. Chloe somewhere else. In the dark. On her knees. Digging. She falls backwards and frantically scrambles away. She holds her head with one hand, and wraps the other tightly around her knees. Pain. Sobs. Agony. Grief.

Ripple.

Kate. Smiling. A golden smile. Holding out her hand. A small group of silhouettes some distance behind her, a pure, brilliant golden light streaming out from behind them. Max cannot see their faces, but knows that they are smiling. Smiling at her.

"Come Max. It's time." says Kate. Even her words are golden.

The world starts to disintegrate around her. The golden light is replaced by blood-red embers, which rapidly spread out and merge together. Burning everything.

"Max. It's time. Time to wake up."

Max opens her eyes. Kate is sitting on the bed beside her, smiling, a hand tenderly placed upon Max's forearm. Watching over her as she dreamed.