Life is Grimm
Chapter I: Chrysalis
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff. ."
-The Doctor
Woah! What the fuck…? Max Caulfield woke up again in her classroom, not from her vision like before, but this time from witnessing a murder happen in the bathroom. She looked around the room frantically, trying not to have a panic attack. Everything was the same as before. How? How can that Be? Max held back the urge to cry seeing as how she just saw someone get shot, but, somehow is now where she was before that girl with the blue hair was killed by Nathan.
Max tries now to piece together what happened. I was in the bathroom… He shot that poor girl… I held up my hand… and then I was back here. She just couldn't make sense of this. It had to be some kind of dream. She obviously didn't go back in time. Right?
"About photography, as he likely was. These pieces of time can frame us in our glory and our sorrow; from light to shadow;" I already heard this lecture… Mr. Jefferson was giving the class a photography lesson, as per usual, the same one from earlier. So similar that, it was exactly the same. Taylor hurled a piece of paper across the room at Kate. Now Kate is being hassled again... Max's breathing would not steady, nor would her heart slow down. She was wondering if she really went back in time. And if Victoria's phone rings… This is real. Sure enough, things played out like before and Victoria's phone buzzed on her desk.
"Shit!" Max was startled and accidentally sent her old Polaroid camera flying off of her desk. Man, I cannot believe this… No one seemed to even notice. Jefferson continued his lecture almost robotically, and the students focused on him. Then the idea hit her. Okay, if I'm crazy, I might as well go all the way… Can I actually reverse time?
Max breathed in deeply and held up her right hand. She felt a headache coming but soon she was proven right, time slowed to a halt and soon began moving backwards. She noticed as the camera began reassembling itself, and that someone did see it fall. Victoria of all people. It was hard for her to focus on visual details so Max couldn't tell if she was upset, or thrilled to see it happen. Knowing Victoria, probably thrilled. Her camera soon returned to normal and she broke out of her rewind. When Max was done, she noticed something flicker on her hand, a shadow or something just as she was done. The marks were immediately dismissed as she could barely contain her excitement.
I did it, I actually did it! I'm a human time machine… Max's precious camera was reassembled and things continued as before with the lecture. She could barely believe it, but she needed more proof that this would play out exactly the same way it did last time. When I took my selfie, Jefferson asked me a question. If he does again, I'll know this is for real. Max picked her camera up and took a selfie, just like before. The flash illuminates her and the wall behind her and the shutter clicks loud enough for the whole class to hear. She pulls out her Polaroid and the teacher turned to her, as amused as before.
"Shh, I believe Max has taken what you kids call a 'selfie'... A dumb word for a wonderful photographic tradition. And Max… has a gift." Jefferson leaned on the middle desk and continued as before.
I know I'm not dreaming this. It's real. I can tell. So I can go back in time… What if that girl isn't dead yet? Can I save her? I need to go the the bathroom quickly and check it out! Her train thought was interrupted when Jefferson captured her attention with the same question from before.
"Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?" Not wanting to linger, she tried to avoid it all together with an excuse so she could go save that girl
"I'm sorry but I really have to use the bathroom."
"Nice try, Max. But you're not going to get away that easy. We can talk more after class." Oh shit, Jefferson wants to keep me after class. And I need time to save that girl…
"...A process that gave portraits a sharp reflective style, like a mirror." Victoria answered while Max was thinking and turned to her to rub it in. "Now you're totally stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad face." Just like before, Victoria just had to give a snarky remark. Maybe this time though, Max can be the one to rub it in. What if I rewind again, and give him the right answer?
Max rewound again, this time, she noticed her hand much better than the last time. It was grey, dark, and old? Max ignored it and broke the spell to the moment Jefferson asked the question.
"Now Max, since you've captured our interest and clearly want to join the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?" It was like clockwork how that didn't even change slightly. This time though, Max was ready to answer.
"The Daguerreian Process. Invented by a French painter named… Louis Daguerre. Around 1830."
"Somebody has been reading as well as posing. Nice work, Max." Jefferson smiled, proud of Max that she could answer her question. Victoria turned to glare daggers her way and sighed, but Max didn't care though, or even notice. She was lost in her thoughts again. The bell rang and Jefferson gave his reminder to the students about the everyday hero contest.
"And guys don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the 'Everyday Heroes' contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you'll be feted by the art world. It's great exposure and it can kickstart a career in photography. So Stella and Alyssa, get it together. Taylor, don't hide, I'm still waiting for your entry too… And yes Max, I see you pretending not to see me." He ended the same way as before, by reminding Max about the assignment she'd much rather avoid. Max, you are not crazy. You are not dreaming. It's time to be an everyday hero. Max rushed over to the door only to be interrupted by the teacher.
"I see you, Max Caulfield. Don't even think about leaving here until we talk about your entry." Max shuffled over to Jefferson, trying to think of an excuse while he asked where her entry for the contest was.
"Uh, yeah, I'm not sure I have one." Her excuse was about as hollow as a cave. She had one, but felt it was the worst thing she's ever taken.
"Given your selfie output, I'm sure you must have about a thousand pics by now."
"It'll take a long time to find a good one…"
"Max, don't wait too long. John Lennon once said 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' Go on now, don't let me stop you." Max looked down towards the floor before turning around and heading to the door. She had business to take care of. Life happens while you are making other plans. It also happens when I'm standing around talking to you while a girl is about to get shot! She ran as fast as she could to the end of the hall and back into the restroom. She burst into the restroom and began her plan to save that girl.
Okay, Max, retrace every step… Max washed her face, shredded her photo, and took the picture of the blue butterfly again, exactly like before. She then waited pacing, waiting for the moment it would happen. Soon enough, things played out as before. Nathan and the girl were arguing again.
" Leave them out of this, bitch." There's Nathan.
"I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself-" and there's the girl. Max's heart was racing again. She had to help that girl, she couldn't let that happen. Not again.
"You don't know who the fuck I am or who you're messing around with!" Nathan pulls the gun out again and holds the girl to the wall like before. Max began frantically looking for a way to help. Then she saw the fire drill.
"Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down!" The girl screamed, trying desperately to avoid being shot. Max however needed a something to break the glass of the fire bell. She grabbed a hammer she saw under the nearby janitor supplies.
"Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"
"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs-"
"Nobo-" Max broke the glass and pushed on the alarm causing it to ring through the halls. The two arguing by the door ceased and the girl seized this opportunity.
"No way..." Just as Nathan said that, Max heard a loud snarl from behind the stalls. The girl spoke, but she sound far different than before. Less human, but still understandable
"Don't EVER touch me again, freak!" Max heard Nathan get shoved and the girl run off.
"Another shitty day…" Nathan huffed as he ran out of the bathroom as well. Max finally peeked out from behind the stall. That did not happen! This cannot be real! Max suddenly felt sick, with a nagging headache. She stumbled over to a sink and held herself up feeling like she was about to faint. She saw something happen. Something far stranger than even her ability to rewind time. She changed right before her very eyes.
Max felt her skin crawl. No. Slither. It was even somewhat painful. Oh no… what the fuck is happening now? It began losing its color too, even developing dark spots and becoming wrinkly, she turned her head up to see herself in the mirror only to see the same thing happen to her face. Her right eye fused shut while the other's color faded to a foggy blue. Her normally brown hair turned silver and parts of her face decayed off, baring rancid teeth and a gaping maw one expects only the devil would have.
Max couldn't look away. The transformation completely overcame her. If it wasn't for the fire bell, the whole campus would have heard the terrifying screech she let forth. She could only look in horror at what she became. Eventually, she calmed down, taking a deep breath and the transformation faded away. Max was her normal self soon enough and quickly exited the bathroom. I can't tell a soul about any of this. Not my rewind power. Not the girl. And definitely not that fucking scary ass metamorphosis.
Today has been one long fucking day. The bizarre snow drifted down on Arcadia bay as Max went to her dorm. The girl she saved turned out to be her long lost best friend, Chloe Price. Max didn't even recognize her, especially considering the blue hair and punk clothes. She told Chloe about her rewind power and her visions, but left out the zombie morphing thing. Chloe seems to have her doubts, but overall believes Max's word. Chloe dropped her off back at her school after the two had an adventure for most of the day. So much has changed in one day and it drained Max completely. She felt compelled to soldier on and find answers about her rewind ability, but she wanted to test one more thing before diving into the vast internet topics and library books about time manipulation.
No one was out in the courtyard except Max, and one lonely little squirrel. Max crept up to the little creature, standing before it to test out if this transformation ability she discovered was something more permanent like her ability to rewind time and not just a freak occurrence. She focused, took a deep breath and felt the change again, it was less painful than it was the first time, but she could still feel it. This time she finished her transformation by opening her mouth wide to hiss at the innocent woodland creature, causing it to panic and frantically scurry back into the woods. Max dismissed the transformation immediately.
"Sorry little squirrel! I didn't mean it!" Max rewound time just to avoid traumatizing the poor creature. At least she knew her transformation wasn't a one off, and a relief to know she can control it like she can with her powers.