The Maxx

Gone:
This primitive plane that you call Australia and I call Pangea is all that is real. The other world is a dream, where we're trapped, playing out our deepest fantasies. When Julie Winters was hurt, never mind how, she created a fantasy world for herself. You've got to go back there, to the city. Find her and protect her. Keep her from knowing too much of the truth all at once. For the truth will destroy her.

Maxx:
(to himself) At least that's what the villain told me. But who can believe a villain? Still, as I talked to Julie, I can't help remembering his words. He never told me anything straight out, only in riddles. But he implied a lot. He hinted that maybe she was in danger, maybe from herself.

Maxx:
Are we ready for nail clipping in this stage in our relationship?

Julie:
Ho ho, funny boy. Here, let me do it. You're too careful.

Maxx:
(to himself) She seems a lot quieter since her encounter with Mr. Gone. More...pensive. Gone told me how three years ago, a young architectural student was beaten and raped and left for dead.

Maxx:
Julie, are you going to be okay? You know, being kidnapped and all?

Julie:
Hey, Gone tried his tricks on me, but I got the best of him. So it's history.

Maxx:
(to himself) When she got out of the hospital, she used all her tuition money to set up a new life as a freelance social worker, trying to help other victims of the urban nightmare.

Julie:
I hate whining, and I hate professional victims. All day long I hear sob stories from idiots who can't cope, so they always pick something to blame. "I was robbed, I was raped, nobody loved me!" Time-OUT!

Maxx:
(to himself) This woman used her position to build a wall around herself.

Julie:
Everybody's gotta take responsibility for their own life, you know.

Maxx:
(to himself) She helped people by controlling them, hoping to smother her own pain...something like that. And somewhere in the wild land, in the land of dreams, in Pangea, her inner self was imprisoned by her own self-loathing.

Maxx:
I don't know, it seems like if somebody's raped, it's not like a test you failed or a job where you got fired, it's somebody else's guilt for once. You get to have your own anger and-

Julie:
Hey Maxx, save the liberal feminist garbage for someone who cares, alright?

Maxx:
(to himself) At least that's what Gone told me. I don't know if I believe anything he said, least of all about Julie.

Julie:
...sorry. I know you're just trying to watch out for me, like you always do. But it's over now. I cut the bastard's head free, you chased him back to God knows where. It's over.

Maxx:
In fact, I was already starting to forget the details of what he said. It was like a dream...

Julie:
And I'm gonna be...just fine.

Maxx:
...a really bad dream.