A Long and Lonesome Highway

A Refresh

Max threw up in her mouth, swallowing the wretched bile. The pictures of her were the same ones Jefferson had taken, the one on the chair, she recognized the black shirt. The one when she was on the white floor, contrasting her shirt and dark hair, the shadows merged with her, her bound hands resting right in front of her very eyes. The distant and intoxicated look in her face disgusted her.

Oh shit.

She retched and spit some nasty stomach fluid in front of her, a gob of greenish-brown snot spit landed in front of her.

She shivered.

Then Jefferson walked in, brushing the plastic curtain aside on the far side of the room. His glasses only amplified the menacing look, he pulled his lip tight to form a malevolent smirk.

"You really didn't think you could get rid of me that easy, did you, Max?"

She didn't dignify him with a response, she only narrowed her eyes with an unrelenting rage. A betrayal she should've seen coming.

Jefferson ran his fingers through his hair. Studying his subject. "Why the long face?" He chuckled, "aren't you grateful you locked me away? You let Madsen kill me."

"Yes, I did. You deserve it, and more."

He scoffed, "you know Max, John Lennon once said, "life is what happens-"

"Blah blah blah blah, you can shove what Lennon said up your ass." Her words dripped with venom.

Jefferson smirked again before picking up a syringe. Max's blood ran cold for a second, alarm bells in her mind began to ring.

"You know, despite it all, you're still the best model I've ever had the pleasure of, capturing."

He pricked the needle into her neck, delivering the dose that would end Max's life.

Max yelped before launching up and out of bed. Instead of being restrained to the chair, she looked around her room.

She sat down on her couch and buried her face with her hands, crying quietly into them.

I just want this to end... I don't want to feel this anymore, I just want to rest...

She felt so exhausted, her body was crying out for rest, but her mind wouldn't allow it. Whenever she slept, the nightmares kept crawling out. She turned to her alarm clock, displaying 11:47 on it's red digits.

It's not even midnight yet.

The desire to find shelter and comfort elsewhere was too strong, she had to talk to someone. Kate and Warren were probably asleep, who could help her right now?

An imaginary lightbulb appeared over her  head.

Dana.

Max didn't bother getting dressed, there was a good possibility that Dana would also be asleep, or fooling around with Justin.

Fuck it.

She walked down the hall, the lack of light unnerved her, but she had to see someone. There was a slight murmur behind her door. Max took a silent breath, and knocked on the thin plywood. The sound stopped, and Dana opened the door in pajamas and a robe.

"Oh, hi, Max, what's up?"

"Hey, Dana, sorry to bug you so late, I hope I didn't bother you." Max clutched her arm with her other hand.

"Max, you could never bother me, I'm just chilling with Justin." Dana opened her door to reveal Justin sitting in a chair by the window. He looked so different without his hat or glasses on.