Rewritten Version: @doodledump

Chapter 20.

          Max regained himself back together to see that he was in the bathroom standing awkwardly by himself. He was a bit confused but decided to go with it.

Maybe he was dreaming?

He turned over and looked in the mirror and saw what he was wearing: A tucked in black and white checkered polo with a brown leather belt, that kept it in place to his black shorts.

Looks like I was sleep walking while they brought me back from church. He thought. Probably whenever I passed out, they brought me home so I could rest.

Max looked down at himself and saw that something felt . . . wrong.

He picked up his arms and saw that there was a black tally mark on his wrist. "What the . . ." He said in fear, but was too confused to finish his statement.

He sighed before looking back at himself in the mirror, still confused on how he even got into his
bathroom . . .But he finally decided to go out to see if anything changed . . .

He unlocked the bathroom door and exited into the long hallway that led to Lauren's room and his own.

He decided to check on Lauren first. He knocked onto Lauren's door and hesitated before speaking, "Lauren?" He asks. "Lauren?" He repeats.

No response.

He sighed before turning around and heading towards his room. "Mark?" He said as he pushed open his door and walked into his bedroom. But there was no sign of his brother.

As he silently looked around his bedroom, a loud car horn came from outside. He jumped slightly as he ran out from his room and out into his living room. The car honked it's horn once again and Max ran outside. He then saw Mark and Lauren leaning against Mathew's truck.

What the? Mad thought, as he took a few steps off of his porch.

"Goodness," Mark complained, "Took you long enough."

Max then noticed everyone's clothing: all the same ones from church the day before.

"Why are we all dressed up?" Max asks as he ran up towards his brother.

Lauren opened up the passenger door and slid into the seat, "You forgot?"

Mark opened the back seat door and slid into Mathew's truck, as Max followed behind and sat in the seat next to the door. "Yes?" Max questions. "What did I forget?"

"Church." Mathew finally said, "We talked about this last night."

Max froze. What?! No way! This is not . . . No . . .

"What day is it?"

"Sunday." Mathew, Mark and Lauren all said.

No . . . It can't be Sunday. Yesterday was . . . When was yesterday? Was . . . Was yesterday Saturday? Or Sunday?

As Max continued to question the situation his head began to pound.

Mathew finally pulled out from the drive way and started to ride onto church.

---

          Max sat awkwardly during the church ceremony. He had also memorized some of the preacher's teachings from the time before.

He had no idea how or why this was happening, but he would figure something out . . . Someway or somehow . . .

The priest finally finished preaching and Max watched as the preacher. waved everyone goodbye as elders, young adults and parents walked slowly out from the aisles.

Max shivered with the thought of deja vu.

"Max," Lauren said beside him, "Let's go, get you head out from the clouds."

Max hesitated as he stood up from the seat and opened the door that opened towards the long aisle way.

He felt his world slowing down as he walked down the aisle. He saw the priest laughing with the elderly and the young running around the church, singing Christmas carols. He looked around and remembered what happened.

As soon as I step outside these church doors, he thought, I'm going to faint . . . I have to avoid it.

Max quickly gathered himself together as he made his way closer and closer towards the church doors.

Max pushes open the first big church door and held it open for the rest of his family.  As Lauren grabbed hold of the door behind him, Max continued to walk.

He took a few more steps, nothing happened. Five more steps, nothing happened.

We got this . . . He thought.

But as he continued to walk in the direction of Mathew's truck, his vision started to spin. No. Not again.

Max felt himself start to sway on his feet as he tumbled down. He laid his hands onto the ground as his vision started to waver in and out of focus. No . . . I won't stop . . .

"Max!" He heard Lauren say from behind him, her voice echoing.

Max fell onto his back as he looked up with blurry vision. No . . . No . . . No! Not again! Please! He shouted to himself.

But his vision went black . . .

. . .

          Max opened his eyes with a bright light shining above him. He squinted his eyes and tried to look past the light. Then, he knew where he was.

The hospital.

"Oh, you're awake," the same nurse from "before" said as she leaned over Max.

"Hi . . ." Max croaked.

I have to get out of here.

The male doctor leaned over him and gave Max a small smile. "Feel better?"

"No." Max stated bluntly as he quickly sat up and jumped off from the hospital bed. He jolted over and opened the door and went full sprint down the hall.

He blocked out the nurse and the doctor's voices as he continued to run. No way. No way . . . I have to . . . get out of here.

Max saw the exit of the hospital as he sprinted outside. He put out all of his weight and pushed open both the doors.

Once again, nothing was there.

No trees, no sky, no road, no cars.

Nothing.

Just like before.

He turned around to see that everyone there was frozen, just like last time.

He turned around and saw the the doors were swung open from his weight.

He calmed himself down and walked inside slowly to see the nurse and doctor, frozen in mid-sprint.

He took a step as he was inches away from the doctor. He reached out for the doctor to place a hand on him, but he quickly had his vision start to blur. He pulled his hand away to have his vision back to normal.

What the . . . He thought. He stared at the doctor a few more seconds before thinking. Maybe this won't happen again, he thought. Let's just go.

Max walked outside as he walked straight into the area of the void. He sighed as he took another step as he fell down, just as he did the last time.

Let's just see what happens . . . He suggested towards himself.