“They misplaced her

in a silent basement

with a basket of wine

aged with torment

Time has hurt her

needled pinpricks

trapped in the feeling

mind spins reeling

Give up quietly

to release me

please undo this

bitter false twist

Give her over

give her under

send us sober

she was my lover!”

Silent Basement by Tom Maxwell, from The Book of Halos

The ballroom’s gloom was the first thing she noticed. It was dim around the perimeter, from the long parallel walls to the corners adjoining them at the edges. The unrelenting overhead lights shined brightly as Max initially shielded her eyes with a flattened palm at her brow to block the harsh glow. There must have been hundreds of faceless people surrounding the center, minimized to only silhouettes because of the abundance of light beaming straight down in the spotlighted middle.

Max glanced at the material on her body, noticing she was draped in a snug, elegant dress. It looked feminine and powerful, with tight-fitting sections of gold and violet, and she felt a slight burst of confidence because of the clothing she adorned. Her hair was pulled back and professionally styled like a bride or high school-aged teens on prom night.

An arm stretched out in front of her with an open hand, fingers twitching at the bends for Max to join. She scanned upward from the hand and met a set of sapphire eyes; almost seeming to sparkle beneath the ballroom light. Her heart melted as she realized who was standing before her.

“Hey, Max,” Chloe started, voice soft and caring. “Can I have this dance?” A silky grin curled the corners of her lips.

Chloe was wearing a suit; a tuxedo. Her pants were red, as was her jacket, which was lined with a smooth black trim. The jacket was pleated at the bottom, near her navel area, with one of two buttons fastened; a narrow black vest beneath. Her blue hair was pulled back in a small ponytail bun, a thin braid circling the top of her scalp like a halo.

“I…” Before she could respond, she was pulled into Chloe’s body, one hand rested on each other’s waists and the other up above them to the side with fingers entwined.

Max couldn’t determine its location, but music began to spill into the room. The first beat of the measure was accented strongly, and she could tell the music was in ¾ time– at a rate of about 30 bars per minute.

Chloe smiled again as she began leading the pair in a standard waltz dance. Her eyebrows were angled upward with a confidence that filled Max’s heart.

Max was confused by what was happening, but her soul was bursting with love because of her proximity to her favorite person in the world.

Somehow, the moves felt natural. Without any effort, Max and Chloe flawlessly and fluidly moved around the ballroom, waltzing as if both were professionally trained.

At some point during the dance, Chloe began speaking. “I’m so proud of you, Max,” she whispered. “I mean that.” Her eyes were locked on Max’s with a profound focus. “You’ve come so far and worked so fucking hard to get here. You’re amazing, Dude.”

“Chloe,” Max purred. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

Unexpectedly, the first stinging of tears started prickling the back of Max’s eyes. Her eyelids began to fill, elongating and blurring her vision. She blinked a few times to clear the salty mist, and a trail of liquid escaped from where they had been housed.

Chloe released Max’s hand to the side and reached over. She gently swiped her thumb across her partner’s cheek, drying the streams beneath her eyes.

“Hey, hey. It’s fine, Max,” Chloe tenderly reacted, stopping their dance. The music stopped as well. The girls stood together in the center of the ballroom facing one another. Chloe finished clearing the tears away then leaned in and tenderly kissed Max on the cheek. “Mmm, still salty.”

Max glanced past Chloe’s ear and noticed the silhouettes were still surrounding them. In that direction, behind Chloe, two emerald green lights sparkled from one spot. Furrowing her brow, she wondered what it could be. Suddenly, a crashing realization made her heart drop in her chest. She pushed back from Chloe’s embrace and scanned the girl from head to toe.

“Goddamnit, you’re not real!” Max screamed.

“Max? What are you talking about?”

“Fuck! What is this… another fucking dream!” Max marched over towards the green sparkles, waggling her pointer finger in that direction. “Fuck you, Voodoo Man! This is goddamn torture. Why? Answer me that. Please. Why are you kicking my ass so hard? I love Chloe with all my heart, you know that! What’s the reason you keep dangling these perfect moments in my face?! You just get off on this shit?”

Max stretched out her arms and shoved the person the green eyes belonged to. The second she touched the man with her hands, the entire ballroom and everyone in it puffed into smoke.

Max shot up in her bed and stood to her feet. She ran to the corner and shrank down into herself sobbing, sitting on the floor with her arms around her knees.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

She rocked back and forth for a couple of minutes thinking about how pretty Chloe looked in that tuxedo in her dream, wishing it was all real.

So, I can fall asleep in this… between reality?

From her location, she heard muffled voices outside of the bedroom door. One was clearly her younger self and the other was her dad. Max wiped her face on her sleeve then stood, making her way to the door so she could get a better listen to the voices. When she heard the conversation she was having with her father, she knew it was the day after she was accepted into Blackwell. Max remembered the conversation almost verbatim.

Ryan: You’ve been talking about her since we moved. Now, you have the opportunity to actually reach out to her.

Max: I know, Dad. But what if she hates me? It’s been years since I talked to her, and we didn’t exactly leave on good terms.

Ryan: Who could hate you, Max? Plus, the only way you will know is to know; if that makes sense. Sweetheart, now is your chance to start over in Arcadia Bay. Back in your hometown.

Max: I’m so nervous.

Ryan: I know it’s been hard for you the past few years, but a fresh start is what you need. Just reach out to Chloe and I’m certain you two can patch things up.

Max: We aren’t kids anymore. Maybe she’s changed.

Ryan: Yeah. People do change. But they are always the same person at their core.

Max: I don’t even know how to reach out, Dad. What do I say, “I’m so sorry I left when your dad died. I didn’t know what to do. I was sad about him dying. I miss him so much! I didn’t call you because I didn’t want to be a reminder of… that day. I needed your support badly, Chloe, but that was so selfish of me. How could I ask YOU to support ME when you were sad, too?  He wasn’t my dad. I’m sure you were sadder than me, and I was afraid I would say something stupid and hurt you even more. Then I had exams at school and promised myself I would call you after. But then I felt like too much time had passed by and you wouldn’t want to hear from me anyway. I’m so sorry!”

Ryan: Max, yes. Say that. All of that.

Max: …

Ryan: Look, think of a good time to break the ice. Create a system for yourself. Maybe use your journal to write reminders about reaching out. That way, you will have to see it every day and you will eventually do it.

Max: Oh, I know. I’ll put sticky notes in my new journal. A reminder to call Chloe. Chloe’s birthday, which is March 11. Gotta remember to buy her a gift. I have five years to make up for. Maybe it’ll be five gifts for each year.

Ryan: That’s perfect, Max. And Arcadia Bay isn’t that big of a town. If Joyce still works at the diner, that might be a good place to meet.

Max: Or I could be bold and just knock on her front door. “Hey, Chloe. Remember me?”

Ryan: Or that.

Max: Probably not that. Maybe a phone call?

Ryan: Either way, Sweetheart.

Max: Thanks, Dad. I’m excited to go to Blackwell. It will be surreal having Mark Jefferson as my teacher. His photography is to die for. I can’t wait!

Ryan: There you go! Positivity. That’s what I like to hear.

Fuck Mark Jefferson!

Max backed away from the door. She pushed her memories of Jefferson from her mind.

Only Chloe. Nothing else matters. Fuck all the other distractions.

Before she apparently fell asleep, Max was racking her brain trying to figure out her next move. She still wasn’t sure what to do, but listening to her previous conversation with her dad, she realized something. She knew, in her heart, that she could be bold.

Maybe I’m overthinking everything.

Just then, a new thought crossed her mind.

That’s it!

The man shifted uneasily as he stood in front of another individual that he was not sure if he could trust. He took a deep breath and puffed his chest in feigned confidence, as he knew he was well beyond turning back. His vulcanized eyes told a story of better days, yet a passion for something else burned from within him, deep down at his core.

In life, the man loved his wife and daughter. He cared about his family with his entire heart. They meant everything to him. Now, he only wanted to save his little girl, and only one person had the power to do so. He was unable to move on until his unfinished business was handled. The man was on tenterhooks, anxious for what would come next– as it was now out of his control.

“I hate seeing her like that, Voodoo Man. I’m not so sure all of this is necessary.”

“Do you think it will be different this time, William?” The bokor’s voice had a hopeful bounce to it. “It surely feels like it.”

“It definitely seems different.” William ran trembling fingers through his strawberry blonde hair. “She’s so much closer than any time before. She’ll figure it out. She has to.”

“Yes, this is your last shot,” he agreed. “She has never made it this far. What is this, the hundredth time?”

William nodded.  “Something like that; I lost count. I just know she was compelled to let the storm pass through until Chloe pretty much changed her mind on the cliff. Whatever Max does, it will have to be more persuasive than Chloe asking to be sacrificed to save everyone else. Despite everything, I’m proud of Chloe for thinking about others before herself. She’s very brave.”

The Voodoo Man shot the other man a crooked grin.

“We know Max is in love with her,” William added. “She needs to choose love. That’s what it boils down to. The head or the heart. Showing her that perfect life on the beach and having that dance with her has to be enough.”

“They walk together, William. You’ve known that since they were little girls. Maybe not to the extent you did once you died, but you always knew their bond was special, yeah?”

“I probably knew back then, if I think about it. Who could have really known how deep their bond went at that time?”

The men stood in silence for a couple of moments.

“My work is almost done, William,” the bokor finally spoke. “This will all end soon, one way or another. She’s in between realities now, and she will be brought back when she figures it out.”

“Come on, Max,” the strawberry blonde man pleaded with his hands together in front of his chest as if praying. “We believe in you.”

“There’s one more thing, William.” The bokor sulked. “My… skills do not include rejoining her consciousness with her prime version.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m sorry to have kept this from you until now. With Max so close to the goal, it needed to be said. As I told you when you came to me before, I don’t remember much about my life. I know my village was destroyed and my family murdered. My spirit was trapped in that totem for a very long time until you came along. Freeing me is the only reason I’m helping you. So please, spare me any complaints about what I’m doing.”

William shook his head. “You told me she would have a shot at fixing everything. That should include her being safe in the end, Voodoo Man.”

“Her prime version will be fine if she can pull it all off. I’m not the bad guy here; I don’t practice dark voodoo magic.”

“It does feel strange to continue calling you Voodoo Man. You said it was the persona you would take on to help guide Max. Something about needing to seem genuine so she could make her own choices. I mean, should I call you by your real name now?”

“It doesn’t matter, William. Though I do prefer Tobanga, this is the last time we will meet. I have one last task, then I’m crossing over to be with my family. Thank you for freeing me, but my time is up.”

William nodded. “I understand.”

Tobanga vanished and William was alone again. In life, he was unable to protect his little girl from supernatural forces. In death, he hoped he could save her. But now, it was fully up to his daughter’s soulmate. If she was unable to figure out what to do, then all would be lost. William had faith in Max, however, and prayed she would be able to find the path that would bring his daughter home.