#eleven with tears running down her face: you think i'm a monster you never tell me you love me you can't even WRITE it mike

[bylertruther]

do y'all kno that "i don't even drink ciroc" text meme? is it or is it not mike when he argues with eleven 🫣 lmaooo

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

COSMIC - S1:E5; Chapter Five, The Flea and The Acrobat - [Pt. 4 - FINAL]

A Will Byers x Male!Reader Series

𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘔����. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

|| 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||

With Dustin in the lead, we found ourselves stopped atop a hill, at what I assume is a scrapyard. Old vehicles like abandoned cars and buses scattered around the area.

Dustin came to a stop and looked around.

"Oh, no." He muttered.

"'Oh, no'? What's, 'Oh, no'?" Lucas asked in a panicked tone.

Dustin turned around to look at us.

"We're headed back home."

"What?" Even Mike seemed to be frustrated.

"Dustin, are you sure?" I ask, irritation and exhaustion creeping up on me.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Setting sun, right there." He pointed past us in the direction of the sky. "We looped right back around."

I sighed, shifting on my feet as I run a hand down my face.

"And you're just realizing this now?" Lucas snapped.

"Why is this all on me?"

"Because you're the compass genius!"

"What do yours say?"

We all checked our compasses, mine was wobbly but nevertheless, pointing North.

Lucas, Mike and I all spoke at once.

"North."

We all sighed, and Dustin began slowly pacing, looking off into the distance deep in thought.

"Makes no damn sense."

"Maybe the gate moved," Mike offered.

"No, I don't think it's the gate." Dustin began looking all around us. "I think it's something else screwing with the compasses."

"Maybe it's something here?"

As Mike spoke, I didn't fail to notice the look that crossed Lucas's face as he slowly turned to face El.

"No, it has to be like a super magnet." Dustin replied.

Lucas rose his hand and began pointing at El accusingly. "It's not a magnet. She's been acting weirder than normal. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass."

El stood rooted in place, a look of guilt and fear in her eyes.

"Why would she do that?" Mike snapped.

"Because she's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor!"

As much as I hated to admit it to myself, it was the only logical explanation we had. It could be all too easy for her to screw with our compasses after what she showed herself capable of.

I shook my head, ridding myself of the conclusions my brain wanted to jump to.

"Lucas, come on. Think about what you're saying. Why would-" I rested a gentle hand on Lucas's shoulder to try and calm him down, only for him to rip his arm from my touch.

"Enough, Y/n! I'm so sick of you defending her! You of all people should be more worried for Will."

"I am!" I snapped, feeling the anger, fear and confusion of all I've been carrying the past few days shoot up to the surface unexpectedly.

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Just... Please. Hear her out."

Lucas never met my eye and only stomped towards the poor girl intimidatingly.

"Lucas, what are you doing?" Mike asked, following behind Lucas worriedly.

"You did it, didn't you? You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will." Lucas was in her face by now, and it as if the poor girl was on the verge of tears.

Dustin and I were toe in toe with the others and I walked up to Lucas, ready in case he decided to something rash.

Mike seemed to have the same idea.

"Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone!"

"Admit it." Lucas spit.

"No." El muttered.

"Admit it!" We all jumped when Lucas began screaming.

He grabbed her right arm and examined her sleeve. There was a streak of shiny dark crimson on her sleeve.

Lucas swatted away her arm in disgust and frustration at the sight.

"Fresh blood. I knew it."

Dustin and I watched speechless as the boys began fighting.

"Lucas, come on!"

"I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers!"

"Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?"

We all whipped our heads to El, waiting for her response.

At this point, she was fighting back tears, and her breath hitched.

"Right, El?" Mike asked again, less confident.

She began sobbing as she choked out her words.

"It's... not... it's not safe."

My stomach plunged as Dustin and I shared a look of worry and shock.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"What did I tell you? She's been playing us from the beginning!"

Lucas and Mike seemed to be having it out now and they wouldn't stop despite the many protests from either Dustin or I. My body seemed to have shut down, staring helplessly as my two best friends fight, at a complete loss for words from shock and knowing my words will make no difference.

"That's not true. She helped us find Will!"

"Find Will? Find Will? Where is he, then? Huh? I don't see him."

"Yeah, you know what I mean,"

"No, I actually don't. Just think about it, Mike. She could have just told us where the Upside Down was right away, but she didn't. She just made us run around like headless chickens."

With every word my body was feeling more and more on edge, my anxiety set in as I felt uncomfortable in my own skin at my friend's tearing each other apart. I started shifting back and forth, my hands rubbing the back of my neck.

Either Dustin noticed this, or he was sick of the fighting as well - or both for that matter - he stomped towards the boys and intervened.

"All right, calm down!"

"No! She used us, all of us! She helped just enough so she could get what she wants. Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog."

"Screw you, Lucas!"

"No! Screw you, Mike. You're blind... blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you. But wake up, man! Wake the hell up! She knows where Will is, and now she's just letting him die in the Upside Down."

"Shut up!"

"For all we know, it's her fault."

"Shut up."

"We're looking for some stupid monster... but did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?"

'I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that El is the monster. I don't want my best friend to be missing, I don't want my friends to fight all the time. But at the same time, I can't afford to dismiss the possibility that maybe Lucas had a point. Not about her being a monster. No, that I refuse to believe, but her having something to do with everything that's been going on.'

What came next was a blur.

Mike couldn't take it anymore and lunged at Lucas, the boys toppled to the ground and began wrestling in the dirt. Dustin, El and I screaming at the top of our lungs for them to stop.

I looked to Dustin and El and back at the fighting boys. I ran to them attempting to pry Lucas off of Mike in a panic, knowing there was a big chance I'd get hit. But I didn't care and I couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Enough! Please, stop! Just-"

I closed my eyes as I saw the blur of Lucas's hand strike me accidentally as he swung his arm back, ready to punch Mike. I felt the back of his fist collide with my nose and I fell back with a painful yelp.

I heard a shrill shriek and opened my eyes in time to see Lucas fly backward in the air about five feet and slide into an abandoned car door, lying unconscious.

I looked to Lucas in horror and ran to him, not caring about my gushing nose.

I dive in front of Lucas, trying to shake him awake.

The boys were right behind me.

"Lucas! Lucas, wake up! Lucas."

Nothing. I checked his head for injuries, my hand never leaving him as I look over my shoulder at El, horrified.

"What did you do?"

El stood rooted to the ground, sobs wracking her body as blood dripped down her nose. I could tell the guilty look in her eyes was genuine but I didn't have time to feel bad for her right now.

Lucas was my main priority. I turned my attention back to my friend.

Dustin and Mike were just as panicked as I was.

"Come on, wake up. Come on!" Dustin yelled.

"Come on, man. Lucas?" Mike muttered worriedly.

"Lucas? Lucas, come on!" I sniffled, weakly shaking him.

To my tremendous relief, Lucas slowly came to with a groan and his eyes fluttered open.

The three of us chuckled and laughed in relief. The weight in my lungs and heart were lifted at the sight

"Lucas." Mike let out in a shaky breath.

Lucas slowly sat up and blinked a few times, processing what just happened.

"Lucas, you okay?" Mike asked.

There was no response from our friend.

Dustin spoke up shakily as he held up three fingers.

"Lucas... Lucas, how many fingers am I holding up? Lucas, how many fingers?"

Mike began reaching forward towards Lucas's head, already one step ahead of me.

"Let me see your head." He offered gently, he was cut short went Lucas angrily shoved Mike's hand away.

"Get off of me!" He grunted, struggling to stand up.

"Lucas, come on, you could be hurt. Let us help." I try, my voice soft reaching for his shoulder.

He pushed my arm away in anger as he stood up, storming past me.

"I said, get off of me!" I detected a hint of fear in his voice this time and less anger, making me more sympathetic than angry at him.

Mike began to chase after him but Dustin and I seem to have the same thought as we both caught each of his arms

"Let him go."

I watched sorrowfully as my friend left without us.

"Man, let him go."

We all shared a somber silence when suddenly Mike spoke up.

"Where is El?"

I looked to where she had been standing previously only to find no one else in sight.

Mike's breathing increased and he began shouting for her.

"El! El!"

"Eleven!" Dustin had joined in.

I stood frozen, my voice failing me. I looked around me as hopelessness sunk in and solidified into guilt. The icy wind whipped my collar as the desperate voices of my friends was lost to the wind.

She was gone.

[astro-rain]

delicate; b.barnes

chapter eleven - “there’s a reason behind everything”

delicate masterlist

word count: 2k

synopsis: bucky and y/n endure an event of stressful affliction, followed by something... entrancing.

pairings: bucky barnes x fem!reader

It had been a few days. There hadn't been any more headaches or vomiting. He was glad that Y/N faced no more impediments after that. However, he can't say the same for himself.

The thrashing was violent, his limbs wrenching, muscles tensing. The sheet beneath him was damp from cold sweat. He hadn't had a nightmare this bad in a while.

Ghastly memories assaulted him, ripping him from reality and forcing him back into agony, torture, and trauma. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, but he wasn't sure if that was in the nightmare or real life. The lines of reality and dreamscape faded. He couldn't tell if he was awake, and panic metastasized throughout his body.

His arms were strapped down - yes, two of them. He couldn't tell if the other was metal or not; the only thing he could register was that he had zero control. He was exposed and helpless and right back where he was before. He had never gotten out. Hydra still had their chains around his neck, choking the humanity out of him, and violating his autonomy to make a monster out of a man.

He felt like a caged animal. All there existed was terror; he needed to get out and he didn't care if he had to cut off a body part to do it. He jerked his body and pulled his arms as hard as he could. He thrashed and thrashed, desperately trying to somehow find a way out of this hell. He tried to scream but his lungs were frozen, cracked and collapsed from the ice that they defiled him with.

Every nerve in his body was ignited, screeching to try to escape. The only coherent thought in his head was "get out." Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get—

The top of his head suddenly burned, pain radiating out in beats, like a heart rate. It was then when he realized he was awake. It was then when he realized he had flung himself up, causing his head to collide with the wooden slats of the top bunk. It was also at this point when he heard her voice.

"Bucky!" her voice shook intensely, worry bubbling from the back of her throat. "Oh my god."

Faintly, the fear in her voice registered somewhere in the back of Bucky's brain, but this had no effect on his entirely overstimulated nervous system. His reaction was visceral; he flinched hard, jolting away from Y/N and falling off the side of the bed. The floor was cold; he could feel it in his hand and knees as he knelt on all fours (all threes?) trying to catch his breath.

Y/N hurried around the bed and immediately dropped to the floor in front of him. Her hands were quivering in front of her, completely unsure of how he would react to being touched.

His eyes were glued to the floor beneath him, but in his peripheral he could see Y/N's legs. Suddenly, she knelt on her hands, trying to be as non-threatening as she could.

"Buck," she whispered. "It was a nightmare. It was just a nightmare. You're here, and you're just fine."

"Fuck," he whispered. His body was on fire; he wished it'd just calm down.

"Your hand's on the floor. What does the floor feel like?" she asked, in an attempt to detour his attention.

"Cold," he strained.

"Cold, yeah," she said. "Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"It's because it's made of stone. Stone has a high thermal conductivity, which means it allows heat to flow through it quickly. The heat from your skin goes right into it and flows through really fast."

He pivoted his wrist slightly, smoothing the skin on his hand over the stone, feeling the cold, and thinking about what Y/N said.

She smiled slightly. "There's a reason behind everything, you know. An explanation."

"Even for this?" he asked, referencing the panic.

"Especially for this. What are you feeling right now?"

"Can't breathe."

"Yep. Okay, that's normal, too. That's your nervous system. It's really riled up right now because you're stressed. See, your body has a natural response to stress called the fight or flight response. It's supposed to be used in the wild to run from a predator or something, and you can imagine how engaging and intense that would be on your body," her voice was calm and steady. "The only thing is, your body is going through those same functions and feelings when you're not out running from a lion or something, trying to fight for your life. Instead, you're here. You're sitting on the floor and you're here with me. You're not in any immediate danger. We're fine."

He nodded, still looking down, still trying to compose himself. He couldn't look her in the eyes once he realized his face was wet from tears. He was acutely embarrassed. Be that as it may, she was helping. What she said made sense. It helped to understand just what his body was doing rather than simply trying to survive through it.

Suddenly, directly where his eyes were cast, a drop of crimson appeared on the floor; it dripped down from him. It was then when he registered the sharp ache in his nose and the warm, wet feeling around it. Blood.

"Bucky, there's- blood, are you okay?" The calm in her voice was muffled by worry.

"Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm fine. It's just my nose..."

"What can I do?"

"Can you just... keep talking?"

"Yes," she breathed, the calm returning with infinite softness. "So, there are a few divisions of the nervous system. First, you have the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. Then, from the peripheral, you have the somatic and autonomic systems. And then from autonomic, you have the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Those are what you're feelin' right now. Your sympathetic is what gets you ramped up - you know, increases in heart rate, breathing, sweating. And then your parasympathetic is what calms you down, so slowing your heart rate and breathing and so on. Your sympathetic activated the fight or flight response, and your parasympathetic is trying to rein you back in... I hope that makes sense."

"It does."

"You know the hormone that gets released during all this?"

"Adrenaline's the only one I can think of."

"There you go!" she smiled. "It comes from the adrenal glands."

"Can I get those removed, then?"

"Unfortunately not. Do you still have your tonsils?"

"Nah, got those taken out forever ago."

"Appendix?"

"I think I still have that one?"

She laughed. "Well that's good. The appendix is sorta kinda part of the lymphatic system."

"The what?"

"Er- immune system I mean."

"Never knew that," he commented.

"There's a reason behind everything, you know," she quoted herself endearingly.

"An explanation," he said, completing the sentiment and finally looking up.

Upon seeing his face, Y/N  tried to hide her shock and concern, but he noticed. The apprehension was clear. He didn't want to be pitied; he wished he would've just suffered through this alone in a hole or something.

"There you are," she whispered.

Her voice was so gentle that his chest almost cramped, and then his entire body softened. Never mind. He'd much rather stay.

"Here I am."

She reached forward, ever so delicately, and smoothed the pads of her thumbs along his cheeks, effectively wiping away the tears. Effectively removing the physical aftermath of his pain.

She gave a strained smile. Why did he feel bad?

"Stay here," she instructed before getting up.

He'd do nothing but comply.

She came back with a damp white cloth, returning to her kneeling position in front of him.

"Here," she breathed, putting the cloth up to his nose.

He reached up to grab it, but her hand pulled away.

"I got it," she reassured.

He wasn't about to allow her to clean up his mess. This was pathetic enough as it was; he was pathetic enough as he was. She didn't need to tend to him out of obligation.

He insisted. "No, it's okay. I can do it."

"Bucky, let me help. Please."

"You don't have to. Seriously, it's fine."

"I know I don't have to - I want to. I want to help. Please just let me help."

He found he wasn't very good at saying no to her. He nodded silently, closed his eyes, and leaned his head forward. She got to work, gently dabbing the cloth to his blood stained skin, blotting the red, erasing the damage.

"You know," she said, a slight inflection in her voice as a result of her concentration. "I think you accidentally hit yourself in your sleep. I think that's why you're bleeding. 'Cause your head hit the top bunk, not your face."

"I'm really that talented, huh?"

She snickered. "Very. I don't know if I could manage such a feat."

"No, if you had nightmares, you'd probably just know exactly what each one meant and adjust your subconscious so you weren't afraid anymore."

She leaned back, an amused but shocked expression on her face, eyebrows raised, head tilted. Then she laughed.

"Look at you. Came for my neck with that one."

"I was just joking-"

"I know," she chuckled, leaning back in to continue her diligent work, "don't worry. I thought it was funny... even though it was wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Bucky, I wish I had that much control. I know the brain, but I can't work with mine that well. I'm only good at working with other people's."

He smirked. "Nah, I still think you could."

"Well, you have too much faith in me."

He couldn't think of a response to that. He had become decently distracted by the warmth radiating from her. She was so close. He thought back to what she said about heat conductivity, and briefly wondered how fast her warmth might transfer to him. What would happen if he just... opened his eyes-

Big mistake. He nearly drowned in the color, the depth all consuming. He hadn't noticed her movements stopped. She held the cloth at her chest, waiting. There were mere inches between them.

"Hi," she whispered, the ends of her mouth turning up ever so slightly.

He didn't think his body had ever been so still. He returned the smile all the same.

"Hi."

"What are you thinkin'?"

He could see every detail on her face. It made him equal amounts nervous and giddy. He never really thought about the number of eyelashes an average person had, but he became suddenly interested in counting each one of hers.

"I don't... I don't know..."

"You don't know? Well, it looks like there's at least a couple of hefty thoughts swirlin' around in there."

He did have a thought. Well, more of a question. What would happen if he glanced at her lips? What would happen if he just leaned in?

"Yeah... yeah, there may be a few."

When she didn't respond, her eyes bore into him, and dear lord, he felt bare. Eye contact is a dangerous, dangerous thing. But lovely. Oh, so lovely. And then that thing started to happen again: when time got lazy and the world felt slow. The room was without a sound. The only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat and maybe some of hers, too. It's as if they were in a trance.

Then, that thought returned. What would happen if he just leaned in?  Rationally, he knew he shouldn't try to find the answer to that question. Nonetheless, curiosity beckoned him. Had the space between them become smaller? He couldn't tell. Not even an inch of their skin was touching the other, but every sensation and perception was so overwhelming, he thought his brain might fizzle out.

She was just so, so close. He was frozen, and never wanted to move again. She was so close, until suddenly she wasn't. Until suddenly, the trance stopped, time caught up, and the world began to move once more. Until suddenly, Y/N's serene smile disappeared, and she leaned back, awkwardly clearing her throat.

"Does your nose hurt? I can see if I can come up with a makeshift icepack or something."

"Uh, no. No, it's fine. I don't even feel it..."

He wondered which feeling he was denying.

delicate taglist: @bakugouswh0r3 @thefridgeismybestie

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 7 : I'm Loving You

“I didn’t think it was anything at first. I mean, I think I just didn’t want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead.” Will started explaining, petting my hair softly. “Power went out that night, too.” Mike exclaimed. “And then I felt it again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day. Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers.” he continued, making me bite my lip. “What does it feel like?” Max questioned, curious. “It’s almost like You know when you drop on a roller coaster? It’s like everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but this is worse. Your body it goes cold and and you can’t breathe. I’ve felt it before, whenever he was close.” Will continued, looking at me worriedly. “Whenever who was close?” Max pressed, making me shake my head. “The Mind Flayer.” Will answered, making me sob softly hearing that again. “I closed the gate.” El explained, shocked. “I know, but what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us? This is him. All of him. But, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me. My mom got it out of me and Eleven closed the gate.But the part that was still in me, what if it’s still in our world? In Hawkins.” Will drew a sketch of the Mind Flayer, explaining everything. “I don’t understand. The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies.” Max refuted, but I shook my head. “I can’t take any chances…W-We can’t take any chances…We gotta assume the worst…A-And if that fucker is back…Th-Then…Then…Billy…” I put my hands in my hair in desperation, pulling at it. “He’d need new me. A new host. And it’s possible that Fox found the host.” Will muttered, hugging me. “How can you tell if someone is a host?” El asked softly, looking at us. “Lets go to the pool. It’s Billy’s shift now.” I offered, driving them to the pool and getting out the binoculars, spying at him.

He was staying in the life guard chair, with a long-sleeved sweater, a towel over his legs and an ice cold drink in his hand, sweating like crazy, which made me hit my head on the car.

“That’s it…He’s the host…He likes it cold, remember? The Sun is hurting him…And…And Billy doesn’t wear long sleeved sweaters…He kept saying they’re for nerds and he’d rather die than wear any.” I choked out in a very depressed voice. “Yeah, but he’s lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever.” Max tried to reason, but Will shook his head.  “Not necessarily. The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It’s like like you’re dormant. And then, when he needs you, you’re activated.” Will told us, ready for a fight.  “Okay, so we just wait until he gets activated.” the girl asked in confusion, looking at each of us.  “No. What if he hurts someone?” Mike asked, incredulous.  “Or kills someone. We can’t take that chance. We need to find out if he’s the host” Will said, hurrying to the pool with the other 2. “Where are you going?” Max yelled after them, but they paid us no mind. “I have an idea. Boys only. Just trust me on this one.” Mike yelled back, not looking back. “This is gonna end up so badly…” I muttered, sneaking inside the pool with El, while Max stayed behind to watch over her brother.

Inside, we started making our plan to work and we lay in wait for Billy to finish his shift, at night. Before anything, however, I looked at Mike and gripped his shoulders tightly.

“Mike. I think you’re the most physically strong from the party. Look, I-I…I know how I can be…Wh-When we do our plan…C-Can you please make sure I stay back? I…I’m afraid I might do something to destroy the plan when I’ll see him in pain…So if anything happens, can I trust you to stop me?” I asked, looking hopeful at him, my heart breaking at the idea. “Sure, Fox. We’ll all make sure everything will be okay. We promise.” he reassured me, and I could only smile and sit down, scratching at my legs, waiting.

After what felt like a million years, the pool closed and Billy went to take a shower, and after he was done, we started our plan. I and El messed around a bit with the doors and lockers, making noise, while Mike put the dummy in the sauna room and duct taped the walkie to its waist, and called out Billy’s name, making him follow the noises, until he went berserk and got in the sauna, where he confused the dummy with a human and threatened him. But then, Mike told him to look behind, and El used her powers to slam him to the wall behind, making me cringe at the impact, feeling his pain, and the rest secured the door locked.

Billy then pressed his face to the door window and glared at us, pounding on the door, which made me flinch, Mike and Will holding my hands.

“Kat…Kat, let me out…They’re holding you back, ain’t they?…You kids! You think this is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh? You little shits think this is funny? What is this? Open the door. Open the door! OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE GODAMN DOOR!!” he yelled again, but somehow slid down the door with a grunt, and that was the last straw and I ran to the door, planting my hands on the door and looking through the window at the collapsed boy. “Billy! Billy, are you okay? Baby, talk to me, please!” I raised my voice, trying to make him hear me. “It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault, Kat. I promise you, it’s not my fault.” he cried on the floor, pleading and praying at me to forgive him. “What’s not your fault, honey? It’s okay, you can tell me! I’m right here!” I reassured him in a sweet voice, despite my heart ripping itself in pieces. “I’ve done things, Kat. Really bad things. I didn’t mean to. He made me do it.” he implored, looking at me and sobbing. “Who made you do it, sugar? I’m here, baby, it’s gonna be okay, I promise! I’m here to protect you!” I put my forehead to the window, looking at him. “I don’t know, it’s like a shadow. Like a giant shadow. Please, Kitten, please forgive me!” he begged and begged, rocking back and forth on the ground, making me sob and rake my fingers on the door. “What did he make you do, sweetheart? I promise I’m not mad, so please, tell me what happened.” I tried to persuade him to tell me, “It’s not my fault, okay? Kitten, please. Please, believe me, Kitten, it’s not my fault. I tried to stop him, okay? I did. Please believe me, Kat. Please believe me!” he slid down on the ground, barely hanging up, holding the bench, which made my legs tremble. “Baby, it’s gonna be okay! I promise you, you’ll be alright, honey! I will save you, no matter what!” I cried, cursing myself for not being able to just break down the door and hold him.  “Kitten, please…” he chocked, sobbing, looking as helpless as never before. “It’s gonna be okay, sweety, I swear! We want to help you, we WILL help you, I promise! I swear on my life! We will to help you, just have to talk to us, okay? You have to talk to us, sweetheart! I know it’s not your fault, love, I know, I believe you! You are a good person, I know that. You let me see your good side, and you’re such a lovely and sweet person who deserves the world…We’ll figure it out together, okay? I promised I will always be there for you, and I will! Please, baby, I need you to trust me. Please…Please-” tears wouldn’t stop falling down my face so hard that I didn’t realise he wasn’t Billy anymore just like that, nor that the kids were talking, warning me to step back.

It was too late when I realised, as I was barely able to side step the glass shards from the window as he broke it, glaring, cursing and threatening me. “Let me out, you fucking bitch! Let me out or I’ll fucking gut you! LET ME OUT!” he kept repeating, and I swear I never felt my heart hurt so much than now, seeing him in so much pain. “Fox, get away from there!” Lucas yelled before hitting him with…Something. Something strong enough to make him fall back…And let the monster take over him.

Billy roared in pain as the monster took over him, and while I felt vulnerable as hell, I stood in front of the kids, wiping away my tears and standing my ground as he started pounding on the door like a mad bull, until he destroyed it.

“Billy…? I know you’re in there. Please…It’s me…Your Kitten…Please, baby, look at me and remember. You’re strong, baby, you’re strong, so fight that monster possessing you and come back to me, I beg of you!” I cried out to him, but it had no effect at all, his eyes remained unwavering…With the only exception of a stray tear falling down his face as he lunged towards me.

“I’m so sorry, baby…” I choked out, as I made the weights levitate and hit him, pinning him on the wall. “GET OUT OF HERE, ALL OF YOU! I’LL KEEP HIM BUSY!” I screamed at them, concentrating as hard as I could on pinning him but it wasn’t that easy, for the monster overpowered me and made him throw the weights back at me, hitting me in the stomach, kicking out the air from my lungs, and in turn, falling over El. I was barely able to take off the weights, that he took me by the hair and snapped my head back to look at him…But he wouldn’t look at me, but at the kids, as he slammed his hand on my throat and raised me high into the air, choking me.

“B-Billy…! P-Please, h-hon-ney…P-Ple-ase…”

I managed to choke out between gasps of air. My vision became blurry and I didn’t realise that El used her powers to hit Billy with the weights again, making him drop me to the ground like a rag doll, until I stood up when he strutted towards them, and I levitated him in the air, this time the strain an infinite times worse, for some reason that I suspect would be the Mind Flayer’s influence on his body. 

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HIM, YOU MONSTER!!” I shriek in a shrill and desperate voice as I slammed his body so hard on the wall that he went through, running away, making me collapse on the floor, sobbing from the effort and seeing the love of my life in such a state.

“Fox! Fox, are you okay? Fox, look at me!”

Will shook me desperately, screaming my name, and I could only throw my arms around his frail body wailing in pain, emotionally, for my body felt numb.

“WHY HIM?! WHY?! WHY DID THE FUCKING MONSTER HAVE TO TAKE HIM?! FUCKING HELL, WHY?!”

I screamed my lungs out, letting out all my frustrations.

“It’s okay, Fox, it’s okay, I promise you we will save him. I promised you and I won’t back down on my words, okay?”

he held my face in his hands, looking into my eyes, and I could only nod and say a barely audible

“Okay”

, before they helped me on my feet and we got out of there.

We went back to Mike’s house where El and Max went to the bathroom to clean El up from the blood, while I just stood on the ground, looking at the ceiling, my mind completely blank, not being able to think of feel anything. I couldn’t hear what anyone around me was saying, arguing or doing, it was just me and my own world, thinking, overthinking, my head spinning and mixing like it was gonna snap and remain unfixable.

That is, until a sweet voice and a shook woke me up to reality, and I saw Nancy’s gorgeous eyes looking concerned at me.

“When did you get here…?” I asked in a shushed voice, tilting my head slightly. “We just got here. What happened with you…? Here, let me clean you up.” she helped me get on the couch and took some watered tissues and cleaned my face. “Billy happened. He’s been possessed by the Mind Flayer. Fox tried her best to get to Billy’s mind, but the Mind Flayer was stronger and it made Billy attack us…And her, especially.” Will explained, licking his lips, afraid he might trigger another panic attack for me. “It’s fine, Will…I’ll be okay…I am okay…He is not…As long as he’s okay, I am okay…” I said in a very robotic voice, my vision still not focused on everything and I felt like rolling around in a limbo state. “Your neck…Does it still hurt?” she asked, touching it gingerly. “A bit. More when I talk…No big deal, no worries.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Look at the body temperatures.” Nancy said, showing us a paper with the victim’s weirdly cold body temperature.  “He likes it cold." I muttered, glaring softly at the paper.  "Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer. What time was this attack?” Mike asked, a bit frustrated. “Last night. Around 9:00.” Nancy answered, making Jonathan look at her.  “You waited all night to call?” he asked, a bit shocked. “I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests.” she explained, looking down. “You weren’t there?” Will asked, making his brother shake his head.  “Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” he tried to defend himself, but Nancy was annoyed and dramatically exclaimed "Hallelujah!“, making Lucas go "Ooh.” and me to facepalm at how badly and awkwardly they were handling everything.  “Um, so, what time was your sauna test?” Nancy asked, making us all answer in unison "Around 9:00.“ "Well, that proves it. That proves my theory.” the girl clapped her hands together, nodding at us in victory. “She’s flayed, just like Billy.” Mike informed, making Jonathan look weird at him. “Flayed?” he asked in confusion. “The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their mind. Once they do that, they basically become him. If there are two flayed, we have to assume there are more.” Will explained to them the matter. “Heather Holloway. I’m sure she’s been flayed. I’ve known about both of them since I saw them at her house.” I muttered, biting my lip in annoyance. “Then let’s go to her house and see if we can find any clues!” Nancy exclaimed, rushing us to the car.

We drove back to Heather’s house, which was a complete mess, and we found a mix of chemicals on the counter and the scene of the crime, where we realised that Heather struck her father with the wine bottle, then Billy tied them up and dragged them to a place where the Mind Flayer wouldn’t want us to see, so now we have to unveil that secret.

Great!

And at the end…We went to visit the old lady that got Flayed, hoping that she’ll be able to guide us to the place where it all started and we can save every-…Fuck that.

I don’t care about everyone.

I’m not gonna lie anymore, fuck it.

I just want to save Billy and keep him safe.

Fuck the old lady.

Fuck Heather.

Fuck Heather’s parents.

Fuck everyone else that isn’t Billy Hargrove.

—

Back at home, El was in the other room, trying to locate Heather or someone so we could find out where the source is. I’ve been trying to make her let me do it in her stead, since I’m practically running on a thousand miles per hour with worry and I can’t stay still no matter what…So I just started pacing everywhere in the room, until she got back here and told us that she has to try another way to locate them.

“I am doing it. I’m done letting you do everything. I physically canNOT stay still any longer and I swear to fucking God that if I have to take another breath instead of looking for him, I will explode. So give me that scarf, forgive me for being such a bitch, and let me do this.” I panted, gripping her shoulders and peering so deep into her eyes that I could practically see her soul. “Are you sure, Kat? It could be dangerous. You’ve never done this before, right?” she blinked at me, worriedly, but I only shook my head. “Please, El, I beg of you. Let me do this. It’s killing me and I don’t know if I can take much more of this. He’s all alone out there and he needs me. It’s…It’s gonna be 4th of July, El. He promised he’d take me on a trip to the mountains, just us two…Just us, alone, with the forest, camping fire, the lake and or favourite rock songs that sing to me while playing the piano…He’s scared, and El, my heart can’t take thinking of him crying and hurting anymore. Please, let me do it. Please.” I fell to my knees, hugging her tightly and sobbing in her shirt, begging her to let me do something so I won’t feel as useless. “Okay, Kat…But please be okay. Be careful.” she sighed, petting my hair and giving me the scarf. “Okay…Okay…So…I just stay here, TV open…And you guys shut up while I try to focus…And I do my thing…Kinda like how I did with Will, right? That should be it…I hope…” I hyped myself, sitting on the floor as I tied the scarf around my eyes and took a deep breath.

It didn’t take long before the dizzying from searching vanished and I found myself in a dark place, walking on water, and there, in front of me, stood Billy on a bed. I rushed to him, taking in the cried face and the wound on his face, and my heart was so overwhelmed with emotions that I kneeled in front of him, taking one of his hands in both of mine, holding it on my face, calling out to him.

“Billy…? Baby? Can you hear me, sweetheart? …Honey, can you hear my voice…?" 

I called out to him again and again, letting a few stray tears fall down my cheeks, until his eyes, no longer fixed in one point, averted to mine. At first, I could see a flicker of guilt, fright and recognision…But it all faded away as soon as it came and with the other hand, he gripped my neck tightly again, making me choke and gasp for air, and without realising, I used my powers to push myself from his grasp, and I fell -

And I fell -

And I kept falling and falling, and it felt like I was in slow motion, like sleep paralysis all over again, as flashbacks coming from Billy’s mind, the car-crash, the fights, the victims, how he tried to escape the monster…Everything.

That is, until I found myself splattered on a beach, the waves wetting my clothes, making me get up…

I was scared, my head was spinning, the flying and croaking seagulls were making me feel sick and the sound of the water, trying to find a place to focus and stop the growing anxiety attack…

"Fox?! Fox, are you okay?!” I could somehow hear from outside this place. “Yeah…I’m fine now…” I managed to mumble, not sure if my voice was heard. “Can you see anything?” Will asked, trying to keep me grounded. “I’m at the beach…California…” I sighed, moving on.

Looking around, I could see a little boy with a surf board, running happily to his mother, a gorgeous woman in a white dress, wearing a hat.

That was Billy.

“What can you see?” he questioned, his voice firm, but still gentle. “I…I can see Billy…He’s so young…And he’s so happy…He’s…He’s smiling…And he’s talking to his mum…He’s going back to surf…” I informed them, before they both vanished as soon as I looked ahead and saw a huge storm with red lights. “I think I see the source.” I said sternly, making a run for it.

Running was never my strong point, but now, I couldn’t care less about my aching muscles or burning lungs. On my way there, I passed by that shithead Neil, yelling, insulting and reprimanding Billy, which made me try to push him away, but my hands when through the smoke-like figure, and it pissed me off to no end, continuing to run.

I couldn’t bear looking at the imagine of a kid Billy beating out a kid and calling him the same names his poor excuse of a father called him.

The storm kept getting harder and harder to pass through, the more his heart ached at those memories, including those where his father hit his mother, when she finally left them and he kept begging her to return over the phone, when his father remarried and showed him Max…And then…The car crash, how he got to that place…And that place had the monster take him.

I screamed out after him, but before I could process anything, that memory vanished and I was in the eye of the storm. I passed his broken Camaro…And got to this dubious building, with must have been the source.

“Brimborn Steelworks.” I told the kids as I looked at the huge letters on the building. “Okay, Fox, great job, now get out of there!” Will called out, making me try to get back, focusing on leaving.

This made my head spin like crazy, and the feeling of falling from earlier felt even worse, as it was reversed, and I could see everything that happened to him, from the car crash, how we went to the phone, how he got dragged inside the building…How he turned Heather and her parents into one of them…How he attacked me…How he screamed in pain…Everything.

By the time I was able to take out the scarf and finally breathe again, I found myself all alone in the house, which made me panic even harder.

“Will?! MAX?! NANCY?! HELLO?! GUYS, WHERE ARE YOU?!” I screamed as hard as my lungs kept me, crying and pacing around in circles, until I heard a sort-of demonic voice called out from another room. “They can’t hear you.” it said, as Billy came into the room, looking as robotic as ever. “You shouldn’t have come look for me.” he declared, approaching me. “Because now I can see you. We all can see you.” he pressed on, walking towards me in a very intimidating and threatening manner, making me back away as fast as I could, all while looking at the tears that kept trying to escape and flow down his face. “Leave him alone! Get away from him!” I barely managed to choke out as he smirked. “YOU let us in and now YOU are going to let us stay. We’ve been building it for you. All that work, all that pain all of it for you. And now it’s time. Time to end it.” he grinned manically, trying to get closer to me. “NO! SHUT UP! GO AWAY! LEAVE HIM ALONE! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!” I screamed as hard as I could, sobbing, crying, wailing like a cat in distress, but he didn’t seem to disappear no matter how hard I tried to focus on making him disappear. “And we are going to end you.” I kept shaking my head, screaming at the top of my lungs for him to get out, but to no avail. “And when you are gone, we are going to end your friends.” he said in an even darker voice, frightening me like never before. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!” I shrieked, falling to my knees, gripping my head in desperation. “And then we are going to end everyone.” he ended with a satisfied deadpan comment, making me let out a high pitched shrill scream, “GET OUT!!!”, making my vision start to twist, as I somehow made Billy fly and slam into the wall behind him, but just as my whole vision went black, I could hear a very faint “I’m sorry, Kitten.” making me scream in agony and somehow, fall to the ground in the real world, coughing blood and crying.

“Get back…Please…Please get back…” I managed to cry out barely audible, curling down on the carpet and wallowing in self pity. “Kat…? Kat, what happened?” Nancy asked, kneeling in front of me and helping me stand, hugging me. “You were yelling for something to get out of your head…Did the Mind Flayer get to you?” she peered on, making me nod. “Controlling Billy…He…He said that…They were gonna kill me…Me and El… And then all my friends…And then everyone…But…But at the end…I-I-I could h-hear h-his voice…Billy’s…The real Billy…A-And…H-He said…He said ‘I’m sorry, Kitten.’ a-and I knew he was still there…And I want him back…I want him back, Nancy, please, I want him back…” I cried in her chest as she tried to calm me down by saying reassuring words that I doubt she believed anyways. “Did he tell you anything else?” Will asked softly, trying not to scare me. “He…He knows we are here…We were right here…In this place…A-And he said he can see us…And…I think they might be coming over…What do we do…?” I questioned them, my mind completely out of it. “Also…He’s building an army…To kill me and El…So…I think I should leave this place before I put you in more danger…” I muttered, trying to get up, but Nancy held me tight. “You’re not going anywhere. We stand and fight someway. We need a plan.” she reprimanded me like a mum would, making me sit still and sigh. “Nancy…I-I think…I hear something from outside…Can you…?” I asked softly, looking up at her. “…I do. Do you guys hear that…?” she asked in a hushed tone as she got closer to the window.

She dragged me outside, to see the fireworks, but the bad thing was that we could see the monster hitting trees and getting towards us, making me let out a shaky laugh and mutter “We’re fucked.”

We ran back in the cabin and closed all possible entrances, giving everyone weapons as everything started shaking and the lights kept flickering.

All of a sudden, a huge tentacle came through the window, aiming at Nancy, but Jonathan managed to hit it. Instead, the tentacle got mad and slapped Jonathan into the wall, which got Nancy to shoot all the Shotgun bullets at it, which made her the monster’s trajectory. She backed into the wall, but I got in between her and the monster and used my powers to stop the tentacle and make it back away, before another show out and attacked me. I held both tentacles with my hands, but another came through the roof, biting my leg and I sure as hell wasn’t expecting that.

I kept screaming out to them to help me, and it took all of them to hold me back and El to use her powers to get the monster to back off, not before she got her arm scratched as well. But even after Lucas and El managed to sever that tentacle, making me fall to the ground, the teeth and head were still attached to my leg like a leech, making Nancy pull away at it, throwing it away, and me screaming in agony. How the hell do I still have a voice after everything going on…

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM US, YOU, FUCKASS!” I screamed at the monster as it returned even after that, which made me royally pissed, and pulling myself up by tugging at Will’s clothes, I use as much of my power as I can hitting the monster’s head on the roof, getting help from El to then split its head in two, and making it get the hell away from us…Well, more like drawing back for a few seconds as it roared in pain.

I collapsed on the floor, clutching my leg in pain and cursing away life as it is, before Jonathan helped me up and we all got to the car, somehow fitting all of us and driving the hell away to the nearest market, where the kids got some freaky fireworks and I asked Nancy and Max to give me some stuff to nurse away my wound, despite my vision being blurry as hell from the pain.

I’m a doctor in training, who cares if I can’t see, it’s just a bite, it shouldn’t be too bad, right?

As Max and I cleaned and disinfected my wound, El and the rest tried to see where the hell Dustin was, and in the end, we ended up driving to Starcourt, where El used her powers to knock over some Russians that were threatening Steve, Robin, Dustin and Lucas’ little sister.

Yes, the reunion was lovely, everyone was trying to explain and fill in each puzzle piece, but I couldn’t hear anything but a ringing, my leg hurt so much that it send shocks all over my body and I felt like throwing up worse than from those Vodka-days. The state of vertigo was so bad that I collapsed to the floor, barely able to call out for Nancy. The ceiling was rotating, maybe even I was, I couldn’t tell anymore. I gripped my head and started crying, my heart hurt in fear from this circling around, but my leg….My leg was killing me.

“Nancy…M-My l-leg…H-Help…” I managed to choke out, and the reactions they had as they revealed the wound was enough to scare me and not want to see it. “There’s something inside it. We have to take it out.” one of them said, making me scream and cry in pain. “M-Monster…I think…Out…” I tried to explain that I thought a bit of that monster was in my wound, but I don’t know what they understood.

The girl instructed Jonathan to get a pair of gloves, a knife and some wood and as they got there, I panted a bit, coughing a bit of blood, before scowling.

“Two hold me down…One cut fast…I take out…” I managed to say between sobs, and that’s just how it went down.

Robin and Steve held me down as I shrieked, biting on that wood piece, Nancy and Will were the emotional support while Jonathan managed to cut the swollen wound, shocking everyone.

“Me…Now…Off…” I panted after taking out that wood, trying to regain my courage. “Come on, Kat, you’re a strong girl! You can do it!” Robin encouraged me, hugging my side, and I could only nod absent-mindedly, screaming in agony as I used my powers to get that moving monster residue out of my wound and I collapsed again on the floor, sobbing. “My only fear in life for so long…Has been pain…So why…Do I have to endure this…? Why…?…I just want Billy back…I just wanna go to California with him…And be happy.” I tried to calm myself, closing my eyes, imagining my ideal life, away from all this mess. “It’s gonna be over soon.” a voice I haven’t heard in a long while called out, making me raise up my torso and see Hopper, with Joyce and another man, making me cry in shock and happiness. “Jim…? Why are you here…?” I asked, smiling through my tears. “Rescuing you, of course.” he let out an amused breath, getting me and El to sit on the bench, holding us both as everyone started explaining what the hell was going on here.

Frankly, I’m not sure that we actually know for sure what the hell is going on here, not even with the proper information, but even so, we had to do SOMETHING.

“I can help…” I found myself saying randomly, despite not even knowing what they were talking about. My mind was still hazy and I was trying with much difficulty to put back together my sanity…For Billy…And for everyone here. “No, missy, you’re staying right here and that’s an order. Both of you. We have a plan and we all gotta stick to it, roger?” he asked in a mock military voice, getting me to giggle. “Roger that, Captain Hopper…Please return to me safely. Please. I don’t want to live in a world without Captain Hopper, okay? There’d be nobody to visit me, call me regularly to make sure I’m okay and nobody to bring me food and water, 'cause I’m a forgetful klutz who forgets to breathe sometimes.” I laughed weakly, making him chuckle in return. “Don’t worry, kid, I don’t plan on letting the Russians get me…But…Here, take this. Don’t open it until you’re home, okay? Promise.” he made me promise like we always did…A pinky promise, and I nodded my head and grinned, my heart aching at the thought of letting him go again, but I hooked my pinky to his nonetheless. “And you please promise to take care of yourself and Joyce. Please.” I looked at him in the eyes, and despite his sorrowful look, he nodded and got up.

We were in 3 groups…Again.

Jonathan and Nancy told us to get in the car so we could drive to a safer place, but on a closer inspection, Jonathan realised that the ignition cable was taken away and…Billy was in his Chevrolet, about to bust into us, so we ran back inside and looked for weapons and ways to keep ourselves safe.

I noticed El trying to move the car or make a soda pop burst open, and she couldn’t, which panicked me a bit and I tried as well…

But I could do it.

Okay, okay, better reserve my energy for when the monster arrives-

Which is now…Through the roof…

A G A I N

“TAKE COVER!” I yelled at them, making Jonathan, Nancy, Lucas and Will hide behind a car, while I, Max, El and Mike behind a counter, trying not to breathe too loudly as the monster kept prowling around and Dustin was screaming into a Walkie talkie.

We distracted the monster so we’d go through the Gap, but we walked on glass shards which made loud noises, getting the monster onto our backs. We got saved by Lucas’ amazing ranger skills since he popped a balloon and we could run away.

We all ran outside, and somehow Steve and Robin managed to run into Billy’s car, making him stop following us, and got the monster to follow them, but at the same time, I and the other 3 had to get back in the mall because Billy was trying to attack us, and while sure, Max closed the gate, Billy was much stronger than all of us put together, and inside, he knocked all of us out and picked me up and offered me as some sort of sacrifice to the Mind Flayer.

“Billy! Baby! Honey! Sugar! Billy, love, can you hear me?! Please, don’t let him kill me! Please!” I tried to call out to him, crawling away, but as the monster tried attacking me, the kids used those gunpowder fireworks to distract the monster.

The fireworks seemed to hurt Billy as well, since he fell to his knees, screaming away in pain while I tried to crawl away from there, but I suddenly felt a strong grip on my wound and I shrieked in pain, clawing at the ground to get away, until I got thrown to the ground and Billy put both hands on my neck, squeezing, dragging me up and down and I panted for hair and screamed in pain and fright.

But then he stopped.

And he looked in my eyes.

And I knew this was the opportunity I was looking for.

“Remember California, baby? Remember the waves? The seagulls? The sand? The sun? The water…Was 7 feet, you said…You were surfing, remember? And…And your mum was there…So beautiful…Long blond hair, a long white dress, a nice straw hat, her sandals in her hands…She looked like a princess…I guess that’s why you are so beautiful, honey…You take after her…” I choked out, reliving those memories of his at the same time as him, as I put my hands on his face, wiping away the tears forming. “Baby, you were so happy back then…Happier than I could ever make you…And I’m so sorry I couldn’t make you as happy as you deserve, because you deserve the world, sugar. I promised I’d keep you safe, that I would protect you, but instead, I let that monster take over you…And I’m so sorry, Billy, it’s all my fault.” I cried, realising that all parts of the monsters were gone by now, but he was too stunned to say anything at all. “Remember "Christmas, sweety? Remember our first kiss? Remember when we first slept together? Remember how flustered I was when you first called me Your Kitten? Remember how happy we were when we got our scholarships? We said we’d move to Cali together…Have fun and be happy…Together…Just us…Baby, today is the 4th of July, do you remember? We said we’d be going on a trip to the mountains…Just us two, together, in love, happy, nobody and nothing to bother us…My love, do you remember these necklaces? I am yours, and you are mine and everybody knew it…” I choked on my words, my heart hurting so much from everything going on, until I realised that the kids were out of fireworks and I had to do something, or we’d get attacked. “I’m sorry, Kitten…” Billy managed to say, barely above a whisper, making me sob and throw my arms around his neck, holding him closer to me just for a few more seconds…I finally had my Billy back with me…And I was his Kitten once again. “Baby…I love you so much, Billy. I love you with all my heart and please, please, never forget me. I love you to the Moon and back.” I said between sobs as I pulled him in a deep kiss, before using one hand to push him away from me, while with the other I stopped one of the monster’s tentacles that was threatening us.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM AND MY KIDS! YOU HURT ME, THAT’S ALRIGHT, YOU’VE DONE YOUR SHARE, OKAY! BUT IF YOU TOUCH MY BILLY OR MY KIDS AGAIN, YOU’RE GONNA FUCKING WISH YOU DIDN’T EXIST, YOU PIECE OF SHIET!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, letting out all frustrations, all feelings, all the pent up rage that residued my heart as it threw another tentacle at me, now stopping them both with my hands.

“FUCK OFF! GO BACK TO YOUR STUPID DIMENSION AND LEAVE US ALONE! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID! YOU HURT HIM! YOU FUCKING HURT HIM!! DIDN’T HE GO THROUGH ENOUGH?! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!” I shrieked, holding it off as best as I could, not even caring that my face was smeared with blood from my nose and eyes.

“YOU MADE ME HURT HIM! HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME FUCKING HURT HIM?! AND WORSE, HOW COULD YOU FORCE HIM TO BREAK HIS PROMISE AND HURT ME AND THE KIDS?! AND HIS SISTER?! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU FUCKING ABOMINATION!!” I had no idea if my words came out coherent anymore, for a 3rd tentacle circled around me and shot me through my right shoulder, making me writhe in pain, but I still stood my ground, crying.

“YOU THINK THIS IS GONNA STOP ME?! THEY’RE CLOSING THE FUCKING GATE RIGHT NOW! AND YOU’LL FUCKING DIE! YOU WILL BE GONE! NOBODY WILL REMEMBER YOU! DEAD! THAT’S WHAT YOU’LL BE! NOTHING BUT ASHES!” I raged at it, trying to stop my trembling legs as I coughed blood like never before.

“Guys…My vision’s becoming blurry…Warn me if there’s a new vine or whatevs shooting…” I mumbled, not sure if they heard me, until I heard a shrill “LOOK OUT!” and I felt my stomach get hit, making me vomit blood and choke for air, but still not breaking focus for one second.

“You fucktard…Really…Don’t want me…To be happy…Do you? You can’t…Let me…Enjoy my life…With the love of my life…And my friends…You disgusting piece of shit.” I cursed it, as one another vine shot my already damaged leg, making me fall on one knee, screaming in concentration and anger.

“ARE YOU FUCKING HAPPY NOW?! I CAN’T FUCKING SEE! BLANK! ALL BLACK! NOTHING! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED?! FOR ME TO OVERUSE MY POWERS SO YOU CAN KILL ME?! WELL, THINK AGAIN! I CAN GO BLIND AND DEAF AND MUTE AND I WON’T BUDGE FROM HERE! YOU’RE NOT HURTING ANYONE AGAIN!” I shrieked, not even bothering to feel fear from being completely blind and unaware of my surrounding, just trying to hold that thing off as long as possible.

“Kitten, you’re doing so well! It will be alright! You…We will be alright! Just hang in there a bit longer, and this fuckass will die! We’re gonna have our revenge, baby!” I could hear Billy’s voice called out from in front of me, confusing me slightly 'cause I knew he was behind me, but my mind wasn’t rational anymore.

“CLOSE THE FUCKING GATE ALREADY! I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG I CAN KEEP THIS UP ANYMORE! COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!” I raged on, even more motivated and angrier than before, but thankfully, it didn’t last long before all sounds stopped around me and there was no more pressure.

I was confused…Did I die, or did we win? Did they close the gate?

I found myself slowly turning behind me, licking my lips a bit, not sure how I was still standing anymore.

“Hey…Did we win…?” I asked, barely audible. “Yeah, Fox, we won! The Mind Flayer is dead! We won the Campaign! Fox, you’re the best Party Leader ever!” I could hear the kids screaming in genuine joy, making me laugh, but it felt more like coughing more blood. “Are you all okay? Hurt, anyone? Billy?” I questioned, feeling my legs give out. “We’re all fine, thanks to you. You saved us, Kitten. You saved us.” Billy’s soft and gentle voice echoed from behind me, which made me sob of happiness and collapse to the ground, finally feeling all the pain surge through my veins as adrenaline vanished and relief took over me. “I’m…So happy…So, so happy…That you’re finally okay…” I cried out, burying my face into his chest, as he caught me and lowered me to the ground, holding me tightly, just before I hit the ground. “We’re finally together, baby. We’ll move back to Cali together and there’s no more Hawkins or monsters or anything. And Imma take you on that mountains trip very soon, I promised. So baby, smile at me. It’s the only thing that kept me alive all this time.” he kissed my forehead gently, make me giggle painfully, finally feeling safe. “I missed you so much, Billy. Every day, every second, every time I’d blink or breathe, my heart ached so much for you…I was so afraid I wouldn’t be able to save you…But now you’re here, with me, and it’s all that matters. I can die happy now…I can be happy for once…” I cried softly, not knowing if it was water or blood anymore and nor did I care. “No, baby, no, you’re not dying on me, I’m not letting you die. The ambulance is on the way, you’ll be okay, I swear to you. I promise, so please, hang on, listen to my voice and don’t fall asleep.” his voice became shaky and I could feel his tears falling on my face, mixing with mine. “Please, don’t forget me, baby. Be happy, live your dreams, enjoy life…But don’t forget me. I’m scared of being alone.” my bottom lip quivered, barely able to speak. “What are you even saying, you’re not dying! I’m not letting go of you no matter what! Kat, stay with me!” Billy called out desperately, trying to make sure I stay awake. “I just…I wish I could see you one last time…Stupid powers…Blinding me like this…How stupid…And I just wanted to see your beautiful face once again…” I sighed, biting my lip in resignation. “You will see me again, baby, I promise. This isn’t the end, I promise you. I swear on my life.” he kept reassuring me over and over again, until he stopped dead in his tracks. “Time, it needs time to win back your love again…I will be there, I will be there” I began, straining my voice to sing the lyrics that brought us so many emotions throughout the year. “No, no, no, don’t you dare sing that song…” he took in a sharp breath, desperate for my life. “Love, only love can bring back your love someday…I will be there, I will be there” I kept panting for air as I put my hands on his face, smiling at him softly. “Don’t do this to me, Kitten, please, I beg of you, don’t do this to me.” he kept shaking his head, tears falling down his face like a river. “Fight, babe, I’ll fight to win back your love again…I will be there, I will be there” I gently wiped away his tears. “You already fought a whole war just to save me…So please…Don’t leave me now…” he kept sobbing, holding me close to his chest. “Love, only love can bring down the wall someday…I will be there, I will be there” I raked my fingers through his messy hair, trying to make him look at me. “You are the only one who saw me for who I was…Kat…Kitten…Honey, please…Don’t break my heart, please…” he sobbed in my chest, gripping my clothes as tight as he could, afraid to let go, as if I was going to disappear. “If we go again all the way from the start…I would try to change the things that killed our love” I sang in a softer voice, both out of energy, and only for him to hear. “You already killed all the monsters, that’s enough! Kat, keep your energy, stop singing! Stop this, you’re hurting me!” he cried out, letting go a bit, to look at my smiling face. “Is there really no chance to start once again…?” I managed to breathe out, clinging on his neck with dear life.

“I’m loving you” 

we both confessed in the most broken yet full of emotion voice that we manage to produce, before outright crying like two kids who scrapped their knees.

And that’s when everything began to spin around in my mind, and seeing nothing apparently made it worse than anything. Anxiety shot through me and I could fear the grip on conscience, on hearing, on my senses lose it’s strength, and I felt myself falling into a limbo…

Falling and Falling and Falling, with no way to reach the ground.

Just an endless abyss of darkness and fright and no way to get out of here, just like being shackled inside a cage.

My mind went blank.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 8

@klassickb

[fanwarriorfictions]

One-

A Stranger Things 2 Fanfic

Chapter Nine- Part Five

Steve is the last one to lower himself into the tunnel, falling the last few feet to the ground as he does. He straightens back up and looks around him at the strange world.

"Holy shit," he whispers.

   Phina and Mike look at a little map he had drawn and Mike yells, "yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way."

Phina shines her light in the direction they wanted to go and the rest of the group makes their way towards the two of them, shining their lights that way as well.

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain," Dustin asks.

"I'm 100% sure," Mike yells, "just follow me and you'll know!"

Mike turns to start walking but Steve speaks up, "whoa, whoa, whoah. Hey, hey, hey. I don't think so."

Mike turns to look at Steve, "what?"

"Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame," Steve says and then shines his light on Phina, "and a fireball up the ass from your dear sister here. Got it, dipshit?"

Phina grins at him and Steve turns to the group, "from here on out, Phina and I are leading the way! Come on, let's go!"

Phina hands off her light to Mike, grabbing the map in her right hand and bringing up her left hand, orange fire encasing it to light their way more. She and Steve start walking, the kids following behind them quickly, Dustin bringing up the rear.

"Come on," Steve yells back at them, "hey, a little hustle!"

Phina gives the map to Steve so she can focus on the kids, turning to look at them every time they round a corner. She counts them off in her head, Mike, Lucas, Max, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max, Dustin.

They come into one of the wider openings like the one Phina and Hopper had gone into before everything had gone to shit. Her flames burn a little hotter as she counts the kids as they enter.

"God," Lucas breathes as he looks around.

"What is this place," Max asks.

Phina sighs, "not good, let's keep moving."

"Guys, come on," Steve says as he checks the map and goes the direction they needed to go, "Phina's right, keep moving."

They go forward, and Phina looks back to count, Mike, Lucas, Max, Dustin? Where was Dustin?

He screams, "shit!"

Phina turns around quickly and bolts towards his high pitched screams.

"Shit! Help! Help! Help," he screams.

"Dustin," Phina yells, running back into the opening.

He falls at her feet as she gets there, screaming. She falls to her knees in front of him and he grabs her.

"Dustin," she yells, "are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"It's in my mouth! Some got on my mouth," he screams, "shit!"

He starts to violently cough and Phina grabs his shoulder to keep him from tipping over. He spits, leaning back to look up at the group around him, his mouth open and breathing heavily.

"I'm okay," he says.

"You serious," Max asks in disbelief.

"Very funny, man," Steve grumbles, "nice. Very nice."

Phina helps him up from the ground as Max says, "Jesus, what an idiot."

Phina glares at them, "that shit is what made Hopper pass out last time I was in here, he had the right to be scared."

That humbles everyone up quickly. Dustin stands up and gives Phina a nod, both thanking her and telling her he was alright. Phina nods back, walking back to the front of the group with Steve and continues on their way. They walk for a few minutes before rounding another corner, walking down into a large opening, the hub. Steve and Phina stop as soon as their in, waiting for the kids to catch up.

"All right, little Wheeler," Steve says, "I think we found your hub."

They all look around, shining their lights around them to examine the hub. Vines cover everything and tunnels lead into the area from every single direction.

"Let's drench it," Mike says.

And they get to work. They cover every surface of the hub in gas. Lucas even had a hose that was usually used for weed killer to get the ceiling with the gas. They worked their way from the center out, none of them talking to each other until every bit of gas had been used up.

They all grouped back up in the entrance to the tunnel they had come out of.

"You guys ready," Steve asks.

"Yeah."

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Light her up," Dustin says.

Phina nods, gathering a ball of fire to throw to the farthest side of the hub. She sighs and sends the fire off, the room combusting into hot flames within a second, the vines screeching in pain. Everyone shields their faces from the heat.

"Go, go, go," Steve yells.

He grabs Phina's hand and runs. They quickly get to the front of the group of kids, Phina counts them off as they pass.

"Let's go, let's go," Steve yells.

"Oh, my god. Oh, my god," Dustin yells.

The screeching makes them run faster than they ever have in their lives. Phina keeps her powers at the ready to keep them safe if anything happens and Steve holds her hand to make sure he doesn't lose her.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god! oh, my god," Dustin yells.

"Hey, this way," Steve yells when they come to a fork in the tunnels.

"Help! Help! Help! Help," Mike scream

Phina rips her hand from Steve's and runs back as soon as her brothers screams reach her ears. The boys got there first, grabbing his arms and yelling. Phina runs over and grabs the vine in her blistering hot hand. The vine screeches in pain as it unravels around Mike's leg. It goes to grab her but Steve slams his bat down on it, hitting it three times before it stops moving.

The boys pick Mike up while Steve grabs Phina's hand again, trying not to wince at the heat, "guys, we gotta go!"

A screech sends them all towards the wall as Dustin pushes forward. It's Dart, the Demodog that Dustin had raised as a pet. It growls at them and Steve grabs Dustin, ready to pull him back.

"Dart," Dustin says, the creature grumbles but doesn't move to attack them.

Dustin slowly walks forward and everyone tries to stop him but he raises his hand to silence them, "shh, stop. Trust me, please."

Dart stalks forward and Dustin pulls his mask down and kneels down, "hey. It's me, it's me. It's your friend, it's Dustin, all right?"

Dart continues forward slowly and Dustin doesn't move, "you remember me? Will you let us pass?"

Dart roars at him and Phina jumps forward, stopping when Dustin talks again, "okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do." He reaches back to take his bag off. "You hungry? Yeah? I've got our favorite. See? Nougat."

Dustin holds up the candy and Dart grumbles as Dustin puts a piece in front of him, "look at that. Yummy. Here, all right? Eat up, buddy." Dart does just that and Dustin waves the group forward. "Come on. Come on."

Phina leads the group and they pass Dart one by one. Dustin lays out the rest of the candy and gets up, walking around the distracted Dart.

He looks back at him, "goodbye, buddy."

"Let's go," Steve whispers, "let's go."

They start to run again, following Phina and Steve back to the way they came.

"Come on, let's go, let's go," Steve yells once they're far enough away from Dart.

Suddenly, the ground starts to shake and they all stumble. Steve wraps his arms around Phina as they fall to the ground. The kids yell and scream in confusion but it stops as fast as it started.

"What was that," Max asks.

They all stand up and turn towards the sound of roaring coming from behind them, multiple roars sounding out.

"They're coming," Mike says, "run! Run!"

They do just that, bolting towards the exit, even faster than before.

"Let's go, let's go," Lucas yells.

"Come on, Mike," Dustin yells, "move, Mike!"

They round a corner and Lucas yells, "there, there!"

"Come on! Let's go," Mike screams.

Phina and Steve get to the rope first and Steve yells, "go up and help the kids out."

Before she can even argue, he's lifting her up and she grabs the edge of the hole, pulling herself out as she listens to the kids and Steve yelling. She turns around and grabs Max as her hands grab the edge of the hole. She heaves her out as quickly as she can.

"Come on," Phina yells down the hole.

Lucas comes up next and Max yells, "Lucas, come on. Reach for my hand."

They pull the boy out together and he helps them pull Mike up. The roars grow louder as they lift Dustin out of the hole.

"Shit," Steve, yells, turning towards the roaring.

"Steve," Phina screams, "Steve, come on, get out of there!"

He holds up his bat as the ground trembles under the running monsters. Phina feels her heart leap in her chest as they round the corner.

"Steve," she cries, thinking she had lost him, that the monsters would kill him, "Steve!"

The monsters reach him, but they continue past. They run around him as if he isn't even there, roaring and screeching. They all run past him and round another corner, their roars becoming distant.

"Eleven," Mike whispers from behind her but she can hardly hear him over the blood rushing in her ears, over her heart stuttering in her chest. The kids pull Steve up from the hole and she can feel every single emotion that she had tried to hide over the past year flood over her as she sees him, alive, breathing. She had almost lost him before she even had the chance to admit to herself what he meant to her, before she had the chance to know what he felt for her.

He's hardly had the chance to stand up before she's tackling him to the ground, hugging him around his waist and crying into his chest. He groans as they hit the ground but wraps his arms around her anyway, holding her to him.

"I thought I lost you," she cries, "I thought you were gone."

"Hey, hey, hey," he whispers, "I'm okay, I'm here."

Her cries go silent but the tears still come, "thank god."

His heart hammers in his chest and she can hear it, whether it beat because of what just happened or because of her, she didn't know, but he did, and he knew it was because of her. He didn't say that though, just breathed in her, burying his face in her hair that smelled of sweet roses, he never wanted to move.

"Hey, guys," Dustin yells, "get up here!"

Phina slowly pushes away from him, her face heating up in embarrassment as she stood up from the ground, pulling Steve up as well. They crawled out of the hole to find the lights of Billy's car starting to shine brighter and brighter. It blinds them a little and Phina covers her face to hide from the light. It stays like that for a moment before it goes back down to the regular light. Phina lowers her hands and looks at the confused faces around her.

"What happened," Lucas asks.

Somewhere inside of her, Phina knows, "she did it."

-1927 words-

   Whew! Finally Phina is getting there ;) ;) Two more parts left to go, are you ready!?!?

-Morgan

[imlikepadfoot]

Furry little Problem

Remus had always felt like a monster, hiding his deepest secret as hard as he could, because one mistake could make his whole world crumble into pieces.

3000+ words little story about the most mischievous first-year Hogwarts had ever seen, did Remus even think he could hide something from them?

Hope you gonna enjoy this, guys!

Song by Skillet   - Monster -

The secret side of me, I never let you see. I keep it caged but I can't control it.

-Are those new scars? Asked an eleven-years-old Sirius, as he was trying to pull away Remus's collar to see the fresh new scar that had appeared on Remus' neck. It was a large one this time, starting on his cheek, blood still pearling but he hadn't covered it with a bandage this time.

-It's nothing; I'm fine. Remus replied briskly, pulling himself away from Sirius's grasp, as an unconvinced James was peering at his bandaged hand. -It looks worst than it really is. He adds, trying to sound like if it was nothing at all. -I just... tripped over when I arrived home, I'm not a big fan of the Floo Powder.

-Yeah, Floo Powder is a crazy thing. Peter said, shaking his head. -I mean, once I had to go to my grand-mom and it expelled me so hard I flew through the glass window. He said, shrugging his shoulders.

-Yeah. Said Remus, uncomfortably scratching his nose, feeling cold sweat running on his neck as he was trying to ignore the disbelieving looks on Sirius and James' faces as they were waiting for him to say something else, waiting for him to say something more convincing.

But he had nothing else to say, what could he ever say to them? Remus thought painfully. How could he ever tell them about that, let them know what he really was inside? He couldn't, he didn't want to tell them, they were nice, they were his friends, would they still be after learning the truth? How could they ever continue to stay and care for the monster he really was.

They would abandon him, and he didn't want them to leave him. It was selfish, Remus knew it, but he had friends, real friends this time and they were good and kind people and for once in his life, he didn't want to push them away because they were making him feel normal for once.

So stay away from me, the beast is ugly. I feel the rage and I just can't hold it.

-How clumsy can you be Rem', really? James sighs, patting Remus' shoulder. -Or maybe you need a bigger fireplace, mate.

-Not everyone lives in big-ass palaces James's, you prick. Sirius instantly replied, throwing him a pillow. -The one at Grimmauld's Place was rather small, yet mom manages to stuff both Reg' and me inside without us even touching the ground.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders at the odd looks the others gave him before smirking. -Hey, don't give me those pity looks, I never said I didn't take revenge, you know, muggles bathroom are a great invention but oh so easy to flood.

Everyone burst out laughing, and Remus was relief that the attention was taken away from him and his scars. Another month had passed and he could only hope that the next one would be quieter.

It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls, it comes awake and I can't control it

-I'm fine, Sirius just stop it already! Screamed a very tired and pale Remus as he was trying to run away from a very insisting Sirius who had been harassing him all day with his unceasing questions. -No, you are not fine Rem' stop giving me that fucking crap I have enough of this! Sirius yelled back, catching him by the wrist as they had entered the Gryffindor's common room. 

Without asking his permission, Sirius drags him along with him and pushed him inside their dormitory. He was rather strong for his age, and Remus was still small and frail for a twelve-year-old. -Stop it you're hurting me you stupid hit! Growled Remus, pushing Sirius away from him, rubbing his wrist, his skin red where he had held him. -Sorry mate, but you wouldn't have followed me on your own, didn't think I had hurt you tho. Sirius said uncomfortably. -Let me see. He asked gently, but Remus stepped back a bit more and glared angrily at him. -We need to talk Remus, this can't go on like this forever. James said as he had waited there for Sirius to bring Remus with him.

-And since you won't talk to us, well we'll do the talks. Peter added, sitting on his bed, not looking into Remus' eyes as he had spoken. Remus' heart starts rasing in his chest as he turned around, looking at his three friends who were looking back at him with gravity. They were all there, staring at him like he was some kind of frightened animal. And he was. He was frightened and he was an animal, maybe they had found out? How? He had taken every possible precaution and his mother was indeed sick so, him visiting her every month wasn't so special, was it?

Or maybe, maybe they didn't know, they hadn't seen him at the Hospital wing, and they surely hadn't followed him outside with Madam Pomfrey on the full moon. So how? Or maybe they were about to talk to him about some insignificant thing? Maybe Sirius was angry because he took his favorite sweater the last day?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun, I must confess that I feel like a monster

-You had some impressive new scars on your arms this time Rem' James said, raising an eyebrow as cold sweats were running on Remus’ temples. -You okay, mate? We thought maybe you should talk to Pompom about that fever that never leaves. - How many times will I have to tell you that I'm fine! Remus said sharply, feeling the sweat dripping on his face like it was boiling water.

-It's over Rem' we had enough of this. Sirius said in a cold voice, turning around Remus, examining him, pushing away a lock of his already wet hair away front his forehead. -No more lies, no more excuses we aren't as stupid as you think we are, okay. Cut the crap; game over now, you tell us the truth.

I, I feel like a monster, I feel like a monster, My secret side I keep hid under lock and key I keep it caged but I can't control it, 'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down, Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

-Fuck off, Sirius. Remus hissed, pushing him away a second time. The full moon was tonight, and he always had had difficulty controlling his temper in those times. The fever had taken his body already and he was more and more uncomfortable, like if his skin had shrunk on him, oppressing him, choking him. -I am... I'm sorry, Sirius... Remus adds with grin teeth after a while, ruffling his hair with a shaky hand.-I'm... I'm not feeling very well, I didn't want to yell at you.

-Why didn't you tell us earlier? Said James with a soft voice, coming forward to help his friend sit on his bed. -You don't have to do that Rem'. -I'm sick, I'm gonna be okay, like all the other times, don't bother yourselves for a little cold. He sighs, trying to stop his hand from shaking, feeling his bones cracking every time he was moving his fingers. -A little cold huh, said James, shaking his head before looking at Sirius. -He does think that we're that stupid.

-I think this like the grieving process you know, now he's in the denial phase even if the most obvious shit is in front of him. Sirius said to James, shrugging his shoulders before looking at Remus. -You don't feel so good, I'll tell Professor McGonagall you can't come to Transfiguration, I'm guessing she'll understand why. Remus shook his head. -No, I'm fine, I'm gonna be fine... I'll leave tonight to see my mom and I need to attend all my classes since I'm not gonna be here for the whole day tomorrow.

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster, I, I feel like a monster I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster, I, I feel like a monster

-We know you ain't going home tonight to see your mother, Rem'. Sirius told him. -This seems worst then the other months, why? Is it because we can already see the moon in the sky? James asked, looking through the window at the tiny and pale globe that was suspended In the deep blue sky.

Remus froze as soon as James's word came out of his lips, feeling like if someone had thrown a bucket of icy water at him. They knew. They knew his secret. He shook his head letting out a sad laugh. Of course, they knew how could it be otherwise? Those boys were genius, of course, they had figure out what was going on. He was away every freaking month at the full moon.

It was a miracle that he had managed to hide it from them for so long, but it was good the time it has lasted. Almost a full year of being normal, of having friends and learning stuff. How of an idiot was he? How could he have thought this happiness could last? Would he be sent home? Well of course... of course he was going to be sent home, no one would want to share their dormitory with someone who could rip their throat open in the night. They would reject him, maybe they would tell the others what was his true nature, how horrible and disgusting he was in reality and how he had deceived them, lied to them pretending to be human.

He clenched his teeth, feeling waves of nausea taking him as he tried to get on his feet. -Don't worry. He said, trying to control the lump in his throat. -I swear I can't harm you guys, I'll just... gather my stuff and be gone... he said with a broken voice.

-Be gone where exactly? Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow at him. -You ain't in no shape to go anywhere mate, stop being so stupid. He gently pushed him back on his bed, sitting next to him.

-Wh.. what? Remus said with a shaky voice, his eyes wide open and filled with tears, looking at both James and Sirius as Peter sat next to him. -You.. you don't want me to leave? But...

-Why would we want you to leave? James asked like he had said something extremely stupid.

It's hiding in the dark, its teeth are razor sharp There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster

-Because I.. I'm... I have.. the words wouldn't come out of Remus's mouth, because saying it out loud would be too much for him to bear at this very moment. The lump was still in his throat, and he couldn't control his voice nor his hands of shaking. He was a monster, and monsters didn't deserve to be loved or accepted.

-You have a furry little problem. James said, making Sirius burst out laughing. -Nothing we can't handle. He adds, winking at Remus. -It's like having a really bad behaving rabbit if you think about it.

-Is there a cure? Asked Peter, looking at them. -I know this kind of shit must be expensive but it's not like you didn't have money. He said toward James.

-There is no cure. Remus answered gloomily. -Believe me, if there would be one I would have taken it a long time ago, no matter how expensive it would be.

-I would have it right here if there were one. James said shaking his head. -But it doesn't exist, because people are too stupid for that.

 -Maybe we can invent one, then? Sirius suggests.

-I know I love when there is some risk but we ain't gambling with Remus' life, this is too dangerous, maybe in a few years it would be possible. James said. -We need to get up with something efficient that would help him, right now.  -Maybe we could come off with something to ease his pain, don't you think? Peter said. -Man, this is so much bullshit, this is horrible, why didn't you tell us, we could have helped you so much earlier! Said Sirius, slowly and gently rubbing Remus arm, holding his other hand.

-Let's not waste any more minute guys, tonight we'll go to the restricted section. No one will ever see us under the invisibility cloak. I won't rest until I find something, there is no way we can't do anything, failure isn't an option. Are you in Rem'? Is it okay with you?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun, I must confess that I feel like a monster.

Remus nods, tears flooding his cheeks as he buried his face in his hands, not believing what was happening, not believing they still wanted to be his friends. He didn't know what to say to them. What could he say?  He had never felt this accepted in his entire life. Instead of pushing him away, they were looking for a way to help him, to ease his pain, wanting to walk with him through this nightmare so he wouldn't feel alone. They were beside him still, not looking afraid and without doubts in their eyes.

Were he thought they would have called him a beast, yelling at him to get away they had told him to stay put, that he was in no condition to get up, they were no pity in their eyes, only determination and love he thought he didn't deserve because of what he was.  -Maybe it would take some time, but we'll figure out something, don't you worry. Sirius said softly.

-How long... since how long did you know? Asked Remus after a while, whipping the tears away with his sleeve, his fingers curled into an odd way as they were hurting him. -Well, a while now mate. James said, messing up his hair with embarrassment. -We thought you would open up to us first, but seeing you know being so afraid I understand why you didn't. I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin, I must confess that I feel like a monster I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun, I must confess that I feel like a monster

Nodding again, whipping some other tears, Remus smiled at them, not knowing what to say, wanting to hug them, wanting to scream to the world how warm he felt right now, how happy he was. This was incredible, how could it be?

He let out a laugh and immediately regrets it, the bones in his cheeks were on the edge of breaking, the sweat mixing up with the tears as his organs painfully twisted inside of him.

-You're going to be sick, come. James said, bringing Remus to the bathroom, getting out to close the door behind him, slipping against it, closing his eyes. -This is awful. Worst of it is we can't do anything to help him right now. 

-Some months are harder than others, I think. Sirius whispered to James, Peter frowning with disgust as all they could heard was poor Remus vomiting everything he seems to have eaten.  -We need to figure out something, if only we could stay with him a bit longer, maybe we could understand a thing or two. How's that shit working? Sighs Sirius with annoyment -If he bites or scratched us, we are doom, but what's our range? Is it already dangerous or only if he's in full form?

-Does the moon had to be clear in the sky or is he gonna transform even if it's hiding? Sirius added, grabbing his hair with his two hands. -Think... think you stupid git, how good it is to be a fucking genius if it's only for pranks and stupid school stuff!

-Maybe we could sneak into, wherever they kept him on those nights and watch? We ain't gonna learn anything useful in books since people are too afraid of them to pay attention.

-Honestly, guys, this is the worst idea you could possibly have come up with. Squicked Peter. -I love Remus, and you know it, but I don't really want to end up in tartar. He said, frowning a bit more. -Or ended up... spending every month with him, like him, like a … like an …

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin I must confess that I feel like a monster I've gotta lose control, here's something radical I must confess that I feel like a monster

-Animal... James whispered, briskly raising his head, almost knocking away his glasses. -This is it! Pet' you are awesome!! He screamed, jumping up on his feet to an intrigued Sirius. Getting out of the bathroom with a wet towel around his neck Remus was so pale his skin looks like a thin sheet of paper, his fingers still curled into an odd shape, looking like claws. He let out a scream of surprise mixed with pain when James took him by the shoulder, grinning ear to ear.

-I know how we're gonna do it, but you'll have to be patient a bit longer Rem'. He said to him.

-What? He asked still shocked, looking around at his other two friends who didn't seem to understand a word of what James was saying. -This is the best thing we can do! I know that even if we get bitting or scratch it would not affect us, because they can't infect other animals! James continued. -It would be hard, probably the most dangerous things we would ever do, but it worth it a billion times. Sirius suddenly open wide eyes, not believing what James was actually suggesting. 

-Animagi. He then says as James yelled a loud and triumphing ''yes'''. -We are going to become Animagi. James this is brilliant! Remus would never ever have to be alone again on full moons! 

Shocked with the news, still shocked about everything that happened in the last hour, Remus could only stare at them without blinking, his golden eyes going from a scared Peter to an over-enthusiastic James and a grinning Sirius.

Maybe, he wasn't the monster he thought he was after all.

I, I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster I, I feel like a monster

[zoraclover777]

Halfway Happy

[ Part 8 ]

[ Part 1 ] // [ Part 2 ] // [ Part 3 ] // [ Part 4 ] // [ Part 5 ] // [ Part 6 ] // [ Part 7 ]

AN: Let's get back to this, shall we? (P. S. I do not own the GIF of Steve spinning the bat!!!!)

—————

“You're thinking of what? Are you fucking stupid? You could get yourself killed!” Billy yelled at her, watching as she rolled up the sleeves of the new shirt she changed into.

“Now, you can see why I have to go. Jane, Jane could die if I'm not there. Hopper too, hell, maybe Will's mom. I'm not letting that happen.” Y/N spoke with a stern voice, eyes meeting his. “So, piss off. It's not like you give a shit anyway, Hargrove.”

“Listen, fuck, just listen to me, okay—”

“Didn't I say piss off?”

“You're not going.” A voice agreed from behind her, making Y/N chuckle and turn around. “You're not going to die, risking your life for us. Jane can do this.”

“For once, we fucking agree on something, Harrington.”

She bit her tongue, turning back away before placing her hands on the table. That's when Y/N’s brain processed everything. She got mad, no, she got pissed.

She wasn't going to be able to go. She wasn't going to be able to save her sister, or Hopper, or even Joyce—hell, she'd barely known Joyce and she already cared for her—and Will, Will's going to blame it all on her. She was furious. Slamming her hands on the table multiple times, she screamed.

Billy and Steve had clenched their bodies, waiting for the force of Y/N’s mind to throw them around.

But, it never came.

“No.” She whispered. Falling to her knees, tears fell instantly. “No, no, no. No, fuck, no, this can't be happening.”

—————

They didn't know what to do when Y/N had finally gotten up after crying and walked to the front door. Billy looked at Steve, and Steve looked at Billy, but their eyes came back to her.

“We're going. End of discussion.” She said, opening the door.

“Hey, you don't have your fucking powers any more, doll. You don't just get to push us around anymore.” Hargrove spoke up as he walked up to the girl, his fingertips lightly touching the front door. “So go sit the fuck down, and wait for everyone to get back.” With that, he pushed the door closed.

“Don't fucking tell me what to do.” Y/N uttered, eyes filled with anger. She would break his fucking neck if she could.

“Listen, princess—”

“Call me another name like that, and I'll knock you the fuck out, Hargrove.”

“I would really like to see you try.”

“Okay.”

Before Steve could comprehend what was happening, her fist smacked right into Billy's face—well, his nose and face, she'd punched him, twice. His head made a sharp left turn before he fell to the ground, unconscious and blood left pouring out of his nose. Her eyes caught Steve's and she sighed.

“Well, I mean, you did tell him.”

—————

“What happened to my brother?” Max pointed out the figure lying out cold on the floor, blood slightly dried now.

“I told him I’d knock him out—”

“He didn't believe her.” Steve finished.

“Well, okay then.”

“Thanks for the friendly chat and catching up while we've been in the basement or an hour or so, guys, but, uh, we have trouble.” Dustin spoke, pointing out the window. A small demogorgon was creeping up to the house, hissing and growling as it smelt blood.

And life.

“What do we do?” Mike asked, biting his lip slightly as he looked at everyone.

“Y/N could use her mi—” Lucas started but was interrupted when he saw Steve using his hand to motion it back and forth in front of his throat. “Wha?”

“Remember when I left to use the bathroom?” Max blurted out, eyes staring at the floor.

“Yeah?” Will questioned, voice fading at the end.

“I saw it, Steve.” She said, looking at the teen in his eyes and then at Y/N. “I saw you having your seizure. And it scared the hell out of me.” Max whispered, turning back to her friends. “That's why I came back to the basement, looking sick.”

“So that means—?” Lucas questioned, still not understanding.

“It means she doesn't have them, now. Or they're blocked.” Steve said, standing up and walking to the kitchen. When he reappeared—after stepping over Billy's body—he had his bat.

“Are those—?”

“Yeah.”

“And you—?”

“Kill those things with this, yes.” Steve said, twisting the bat in his hands. “Maybe we should move him. It would suck if he were to get eaten, or something. Keep that door closed?” He questioned Y/N, and watched her nod.

He placed the bat on the ground and helped the kids drag Billy's body to the next room with ease.

Y/N’s body jerked forward as the monster outside slammed into the door, trying to make its entrance. Steve had placed him down without a care, and his ears immediately caught Y/N’s voice from the other room.

“Steve!” She yelled, attempting to press even more weight against the door. “Steve! I can't—”

—————

His eyes snapped open and he stared at the ceiling for a good moment, it was twenty minutes, but in his mind, it was hours, before he heard a scream of ‘Steve!’ coming from a room, he definitely wasn't in. Standing up in one quick motion, the teen rubbed his nose and made a confused face before pulling his hand away.

“Steve! I can't—”

The dried blood on his fingertip made him come to a realization and he clenched his teeth together.

She fucking did knock me out.

Did he have time to actually think about it? No.

So he ran out of the room he was in and into the living room, his eyes widening at the sight before him. Y/N was pressed up against the door, attempting to keep, whatever the fuck, it was out of the house.

“Doll, what the hell are you doing out here by yourself?” He questioned, still attempting to rub the blood off from under his nose.

“Billy, Billy, listen, leave—” She attempted to warn him, but it was too late. The demogorgon had finally broken its way through the door, throwing Y/N on the ground in a swift motion.

“Y/N!”

“Not today, asshole.” Steve's voice blurted out, bat in hand. “Come on.” He whistled to the monster, backing away slowly as he does so.

It definitely took the bait, as it followed Harrington, hissing and spitting. Suddenly, it lunged. It didn't get far though, not before Steve smacked the shit out of it with the nail-ridden bat. It fell to the floor before picking its body up and turning to the male. It's face opened up before running at Harrington.

Smack.

Squelch.

Thump.

Steve held onto the bat, looking down at the creature with a disgusted look on his face. His eyes turned to Y/N, realising she wasn't by the front door—there wasn't even a door there, anymore—and looked around. His eyes shifted to movement on the other side of the room and there she was.

Eyes filled with worry, lip smeared with blood, but still confident, and Steve, Steve had never seen someone more beautiful in his entire life. “Hey.” He said to her, smile gracing his face.

“Hey.” Y/N breathed out, wiping the blood off her lip and hissing when she realized there was a cut. “Fuck, that hurt.”

“Was, was that the fucking creature you were talking about?” Hargrove suddenly sputtered out of his mouth, body still frozen in place.

“Yeah, and good morning. Get used to it, he—” she pointed to the dead monster on the ground, “brought friends. Hope you can fight.” The words came out easy and she licked the cut on her lip before getting in stance. “I didn't sign up for this.”

—————

He could. Billy Hargrove could fight, and she was shocked, to say the least. She wasn't shocked about him fighting, no, she was shocked how easy he took this whole—Hawkins had made a lab, which created El and you, and the Upside Down. Which, in returned, haunted you all forever.

“Did you know that this is fucking bullshit?” Billy spoke, throwing the shovel down on the ground. “Maxine and I moved here, to get away from this shit—”

“Wait, it's happening in California, too?” She questioned, turning to the male. “This is happening in California, and you just ran away?!” Y/N was pissed as she punched him in the chest as hard as she could, but he had ended up holding her wrists and pulling her to him.

“What if they're all connected?” Mike said, brain filled with ideas. The kids started making a plan, all of them butting in.

“All we'd have to do—” Max.

“Is go down to the tunnels—” Lucas

“And set that shit on fire!” Dustin.

“Hey, hey, hey, that is not happening.” Before he even knew what happened, a voice chimed in.

“It's closed. The kids are right, we have to burn the tunnels. Hargrove, we'll be having a conversation, later.” Hopper said, taking off his jacket before sitting on the couch. Eleven followed, wiping her nose multiple times before she ran to Y/N, hugging tightly.

“You're back.” Jane said, hugging tightly.

“Wha—” your eyes widened as you looked over and tilted your head to the side slightly, Mike's backpack falling off the table. Smiling widely, you threw your head back and laughed.

“Yes, Jane. I'm back.”

—————

AN: do not fret, i am here with another part to Halfway Happy and there's still so much to transfer over here.

[ghost1643]

Hogwash-idea

(So since JK Rowling is asking like a trash again, I figured I’d posted the Hogwarts story idea I wrote when I was in middle school baed off of a tumblr idea about a few ideas a read on tumblr, mainly one about a Muslim student at Hogwarts, which happens to be Alma but, I never learned enough about the religion to feel like I could write it even remotely correctly.)

And pleas let me say that I also had plans to add two gay couples (one was two boys, one from Spanish boy from Slithern named Cole and one was from Raven claw, was an African American named Jack) (other couple was to girls, one named Oliva and was from raven claw and one was Abbigail who comes uo later in this rant part) a bisexual boy named Eric from hufflepuff puff ti the group and a trans griffindor girl, name Abbigal, who was supposed to have freckles and always wear pink just b/c she likes it.)

Year one, day zero

It was a normal day at platform 9 3/4. Wizard and muggle parents were hugging their children goodbye before they left. One family had a young eleven year old who was trying to escape his mother's grip.

Graham's mother was hugging him to death while giving him kisses. Each time she would kiss his blushing cheeks red lip stick stain in her lips place. Meanwhile behind his mother, his father was holding back a stiff laugh while his little sister hugged his legs tightly. Meanwhile his grandfather just watched from a distance with a look of disgust on his face as he saw muggles walk by. Each one of these family members had bright blond hair so, it was easy to tell who was related.

"Ma, stop it. You're embarrassing me!" Graham complained. His mother kept hugging him to death. Like always her long blond hair flew in the wind with ever move she took. As for her black dress, it went to the floor, covered her arms completely and had a red belt to it. She also had a grey cape over her back.

Meanwhile his little sister Tulip whipped her running nose on his black pant leg. She was wearing the same perfect red puff dress as always. Her hair was always in perfect curls too. The young six year old girl always found a way to look as cute as possible. Even while crying her eyes out.

"Melissa, we have to let him go. Even his owl is getting impatient." His father chuckled. Graham's mother let another snuffle escape her mouth as she let go of her baby boy. Tulip copied her mother but, ended up hugging her mom's legs instead.

"I know but, I can't help it. It feels like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms and now he's off to Hogwarts." Melissa sobbed looking at her young son. Her dark brown eyes were filled with almost as much tears that were in her daughter's brown eyes. She pushed her hands through her son's blond hair with a sad smile. Graham reached up  and held his mothers hand.

"Mom, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be just fine." Graham smiled. His mother gave him another sad smile before she walked over to her husband. She some how had escaped her daughter's grip. Which was probably why she was back to hugging his legs while crying.

"Tulip, I gotta go." Graham smiled as he messed with his sister's perfect hair. She looked up with big tears in her eyes.

"Don't forget about me." She begged as she finally let go.

"How can I forget my favourite flower?" Graham asked as he put his left hand back on his suit cases. Meanwhile the snowy owl that had been walking back in forth on it's cage was now trying to find a way out. The cage began rocking back and forth while sitting on top of his suit cases.

Graham just sighed as he began to walk into a large train that had just pulled up to the station. Meanwhile his crying mother and sister were hugging his father to death. Yet, his grandfather raced over and pulled him into a hug. Graham froze before hugged him back. His grandfather usually was never like this. Not even at his great uncles funeral.

"Stay away from mudbloods. They don't deserve to be with us today." His grandfather whispered in his ear. Graham sighed. Wizards born by normal non magic users were known as his grandfather's worst enemy. In fact, there were rumours going around his home that he killed two muggle children at a beach and was never charged.

Graham preyed that those weren't true. Yet, he knew there was a chance that this happened. After all his grandfather talked about being a death eater at house parties at their place. Were they true? Only his grandfather knew.

"I will." Graham lied. His grandfather pulled away with a Saturn smile on his face.

"Good." His grandfather stated as a loud whistle rung out from the train behind them. Quickly he turned his back and hurried into the train. A few more children ran in after him. You could hear them laughing an stalking with each other. Then everyone ran to the windows as the train began moving.

Graham hung out an opened window. His little sister, mother and father were waving goodbye from where they stood. That is until his sister as well as his mother chased the train with tear running down their faces. He waved goodbye whole yelling,

"See you all this Christmas!"

The he turned around to see six children staring at him. Quickly they all turned around but, he knew why they were staring.

(Sorry text is stuck like this for some reason now)

He was apparently related to a death eater. It was like a sort of disease at this school. Everyone hated them. They did kill a lot of people though. Like thousands of non-magic users and magic users. Thousands of families were ripped apart before the dark lords defeat in 1999. Yet, it was 2017 and no was one was over it. No one would ever be over it. There were even rumours of the dark lords child being around. So, every child was ready to turn on a slitherin or others if needed.

Graham quickly ran down a hallway looking for an open compartment. The first one he saw was full of ravenclaw second years. As for the second one, it was full of fifth slitherins. Now the third was full of fourth year griffindors. Then as you could guess, the fifth was full of third year hufflepuffs. After that when ever he would look in a compartment  someone would close the door quickly. That is until, he entered a compartment with a brown haired girl in current world muggle clothing.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked. The young girl's bright brown eyes drifted from the window to him. Looking in them made him think of the best hot chocolate ever. Her eyes also made his heart speed up a bit.

"Nope. It probably won't be either unless you sit in it." She stated. Her voice was high pitched but, had a sort of tone that made it sound like she was singing a beautiful medley. It also lacked the same accent that everyone around him spoke. This some how made her more unique in his eye.

Graham sat down next to the strange girl. She was wearing a weird hoodie that was rainbow coloured with a symbols that read "nike". Graham assumed that 'Nike' was some sort of secret muggle club. She also appeared to be wearing long blue pants with rips in them. Which also look a little weird to him. There was also a golden heart necklace around her neck.

"I'm Graham by the way." He smiled as he extended his hand. A tiny cute smile spread across her large pink lips.

"I'm Melody. And if you don't mind me asking, what the fresh heck are you wearing?" She asked looking at his outfit. Graham was wearing a green fancy robe that had a black gem stone right under his neck. He kinda looked like he was a vampire or something. Or at least to Melody it did. Maybe she should stop watching monster movies with her family.

"It's a robe. A very fancy expensive one. Plus, I wanted to know what are you wearing?" He asked.

"This is common non-mag, I mean muggle clothes. What? Never seen a muggle born before?" Melody asked with a smirk. Wait, this girl was a muggle born? He had never seen one this up close before. Especially one who knew about the wizarding world.

"Your a muggle born? What's life like for you? No wait, is it true you have some sort of machine to wash dishes for you that can't use magic? Is it also true you have a machine to wash clothes? Is it true that ghost can talk to muggle too? What's your house like? I bet it's tiny! Oh do you have a pet? Not like a magic pet but, a normal pet that cane be handled by muggles. Is it true that you can adopt a large dog and have it be a hard dog for you? What's this LGBTQ I heard about?" Graham asked over 21 questions after these. Melody just felt her face heat up a bit until he stopped talking. After words a tiny bit of laughter filled the room. It was one of the prettiest things Graham had ever heard.

"You've never meet a muggle or muggle born before have you?" She asked. Graham shook his head no. With a smile she began to explain all of these things as the train continued down the track.

Eventually the two twelve year olds bought candies. Oka, Graham went to guy the candies then heard Melody stomach rumble. Then he found out she didn't have any money, just a couple sandwiches. Which she searched for and couldn't find. So he bought candies for them to split. What kinds? Well he got chocolate frogs, jelly slugs, Bertie Bott's every flavour jelly beans, acid pops, ice mice and fizzing whizbees. All of which Melody loved.

The two began joking around while, eating wizard candy until Graham put a single yellow jelly in his mouth. Then he had a look of disgust fell across his face. Quickly he stuck his younger out and tried to look for a place to spit it out. He raced around their art until a laughing Melody opened a window. He spit that out the window before she could say anything.

"W-what flavour was that?" Melody asked through a lot of laughter. Graham whipped his tongue on his hand once. Then he realized that the taste was still there. So he did it again. And again. And again. He ended up doing this 15 times before the taste was gone. While he did this Melody continued to laugh her butt off.

"Vomit. It was vomit flavoured." Graham stated. Melody laughed before saying one thing.

"This is going to be the best school ever."

~time skip~

The large sorting hat was placed on top of Melody's long brown hair. She looked as nervous as everyone else did. Yet, she didn't whisper which house she wanted to be in or not be in like everyone else now a days. Nope. She just kept whispering,

"Please let me have friends where ever I go for once."

She just kept repeating it over again and again. That is until five seconds later when everyone heard it say something. Which was...

"Hufflepuff."

Graham felt his face fall from where he was sitting. He had kinds hoped that Melody got sorted into Slytherin with him. Not so she could be the fist muggle born in there. Nope. So he could be friends with a non rich kid. Yet, this didn't mean they still couldn't talk.

Soon Graham found him self sleepily walking to the dungeon to the Slytherin dorm room. He rubbed the sleep out of his blue eyes as the people around him were laughing and talking. They had tried to avoid him. These kids seemed to hate him too. Who knows why!

"This year the password is mudblood." The perfect let out a crew smiled. Graham felt his face fall. He wasn't going to say that word daily just to go in his room. Nope! He would rather sleep in the hallway. So would two other Slytherin. Which they would end up doing in exact two days.

~~~~~~~…~💜~~~~~

Year one, day one

Character based on this head canon.

Graham could feel his eyes bulge out of his head as he saw a fimilar brunette race across the room to the ravenclaw dining table. Students were supposed to sit with their houses while eating. Not other houses. Yet, he soon realized she was talking to a girl with olive skin wearing a blue scarf over her head. The young girl she was talking to was sitting all alone at the end of the table. Which was probably why Melody was able to get to that seat quickly.

The two girl's laughed a bit as the scarf girl ate vegetables. Which seemed to be the only thing on her plate. The scarf girl's brown eyes seemed to be filled with as much joy as ever as she seemed to tell a joke. He only assumed it was a joke since it made Melody laugh so hard she snorted.

Then they seemed to talk about something else. Something Melody said made the scarf girl look that way. Her dark brown eyes were confused before she turned to Melody. Graham's face heated up as he saw this scarf girl saying something to her while pointing her long olive fingers at him. Melody's brown eyes flew over to him. A large smile spread across her face as she waved him over. Meanwhile scarf girl giggled a bit.

Graham looked to his left. Then his right. Afterwords the large table where the teachers ate. Luckily the teachers were all to gust talking to notice the hufflepuff sitting with a ravenclaw. Then there was also the fact that no one at this table would ever listen to him. He was really bored at this table anyways.

So he made a mad dash over to that table. Somehow he got over to the seat in front of the two girl's without being seen. Both girl's giggled a bit seeing the look of fear on his face. Plus his hair was a mess. Quickly he ran his hand through his hair before smiling back. Hopefully it was back to normal.

"Hi. I'm Graham." He smiled. The scarf girl giggled the same time Melody laughed. They both had large smiles on their face.

"Graham this is my friend, Almas." Melody smiled. Graham smiled as he extended a hand to her.

"It's nice to meet you Graham. Melody talks about you a lot." Alma smiled. She had a accent he had heard before. It was a nice accent. A beautiful one but, not as beautiful as Melody's voice all together.

"Nice go meet you Almas." Graham smiled. Almas looked at him for a moment before a large smile spread across her face.

"You know, you are unlike any other Slytherin I meet here so far." Almas stated as she ate a fork of vegetables. Graham sighed. That would make sense. Other Slitherns weren't exactly the make friends kind of people. They preferred to stay together like a wolf pack so that no one would judge them. It seemed to be the only thing anyone did any more.

"I know, I am the most handsome boy in the house." Graham smiled leaning back in his seat and holding his leg in the air in a bit. All while making something called 'duck lips' that Melody said models in the muggle world used. Both girl's giggled while looking at each other.

"I don't know about that." Almas smiled. Graham sat up straight before putting on a a fake pouting look on his face. This just made both girl's giggle again. Which in Graham's defence was his plan.

"but, you're the only one who has actually talked to me in your house and mine." Almas sighed. Graham could feel his face scrunch up. No one had talked to her? Why? She looked like any other kid here. So, why had no one talked to her yet?

"Like I said Almas, if you want I could always make them talk to you." Melody stated looking at her. Almas sighed.

"I know you can but, I still I just want one person in this house to talk to me on their own will. Not because they're forced to be my potions partner." Almas stated again.

"How many times do I have to tell you, that's not the reasons I talked to you for." Melody sighed. Graham looked at Almas again. Why would no one talk to her?

"If it helps, Melody talks to everyone. She likes everyone." Graham explained. Almas's eyes lit up as a tiny smile spread across her face. Meanwhile Graham was now frowning. Did she really think Melody didn't like her?

"I would never have suspected that." Almas smirked as she ate another bite of her supper. Melody rolled her eyes.

"I told you. Now, let's get back to the topic we were talking about before hand. Graham?" Melody asked. Graham jumped a bit hearing Melody say his name. Almas now had a larger smile on her face. Almost as if she knew something was there. Something that Melody wouldn't admit was ever there.

"Yeah?" Graham asked.

"Would you tell Almas that anime isn't all blood and guts! She's only heard of one and now she think all anime are bloody!" Melody complained throwing her hands up in the air. Graham stared at her for a moment.

"What the bloody hell is anime?" Graham asked. Melody's jaw dropped.

"You both have much to learn my apprentices. So much to learn." Melody explained.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

COSMIC - S1:E5; Chapter Five, The Flea and The Acrobat - [Pt. 4 - FINAL]

A Will Byers x Gender Neutral!Reader Series

𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘔𝘳. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

||𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

With Dustin in the lead, we found ourselves stopped atop a hill, at what I assume is a scrapyard. Old vehicles like abandoned cars and buses scattered around the area.

Dustin came to a stop and looked around.

"Oh, no." He muttered.

"'Oh, no'? What's, 'Oh, no'?" Lucas asked in a panicked tone.

Dustin turned around to look at us.

"We're headed back home."

"What?" Even Mike seemed to be frustrated.

"Dustin, are you sure?" I ask, irritation and exhaustion creeping up on me.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Setting sun, right there." He pointed past us in the direction of the sky. "We looped right back around."

I sighed, shifting on my feet as I run a hand down my face.

"And you're just realizing this now?" Lucas snapped.

"Why is this all on me?"

"Because you're the compass genius!"

"What do yours say?"

We all checked our compasses, mine was wobbly but nevertheless, pointing North.

Lucas, Mike and I all spoke at once.

"North."

We all sighed, and Dustin began slowly pacing, looking off into the distance deep in thought.

"Makes no damn sense."

"Maybe the gate moved," Mike offered.

"No, I don't think it's the gate." Dustin began looking all around us. "I think it's something else screwing with the compasses."

"Maybe it's something here?"

As Mike spoke, I didn't fail to notice the look that crossed Lucas's face as he slowly turned to face El.

"No, it has to be like a super magnet." Dustin replied.

Lucas rose his hand and began pointing at El accusingly. "It's not a magnet. She's been acting weirder than normal. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass."

El stood rooted in place, a look of guilt and fear in her eyes.

"Why would she do that?" Mike snapped.

"Because she's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor!"

As much as I hated to admit it to myself, it was the only logical explanation we had. It could be all too easy for her to screw with our compasses after what she showed herself capable of.

I shook my head, ridding myself of the conclusions my brain wanted to jump to.

"Lucas, come on. Think about what you're saying. Why would-" I rested a gentle hand on Lucas's shoulder to try and calm him down, only for him to rip his arm from my touch.

"Enough, Y/n! I'm so sick of you defending her! You of all people should be more worried for Will."

"I am!" I snapped, feeling the anger, fear and confusion of all I've been carrying the past few days shoot up to the surface unexpectedly.

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Just... Please. Hear her out."

Lucas never met my eye and only stomped towards the poor girl intimidatingly.

"Lucas, what are you doing?" Mike asked, following behind Lucas worriedly.

"You did it, didn't you? You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will." Lucas was in her face by now, and it as if the poor girl was on the verge of tears.

Dustin and I were toe in toe with the others and I walked up to Lucas, ready in case he decided to something rash.

Mike seemed to have the same idea.

"Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone!"

"Admit it." Lucas spit.

"No." El muttered.

"Admit it!" We all jumped when Lucas began screaming.

He grabbed her right arm and examined her sleeve. There was a streak of shiny dark crimson on her sleeve.

Lucas swatted away her arm in disgust and frustration at the sight.

"Fresh blood. I knew it."

Dustin and I watched speechless as the boys began fighting.

"Lucas, come on!"

"I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers!"

"Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?"

We all whipped our heads to El, waiting for her response.

At this point, she was fighting back tears, and her breath hitched.

"Right, El?" Mike asked again, less confident.

She began sobbing as she choked out her words.

"It's... not... it's not safe."

My stomach plunged as Dustin and I shared a look of worry and shock.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"What did I tell you? She's been playing us from the beginning!"

Lucas and Mike seemed to be having it out now and they wouldn't stop despite the many protests from either Dustin or I. My body seemed to have shut down, staring helplessly as my two best friends fight, at a complete loss for words from shock and knowing my words will make no difference.

"That's not true. She helped us find Will!"

"Find Will? Find Will? Where is he, then? Huh? I don't see him."

"Yeah, you know what I mean,"

"No, I actually don't. Just think about it, Mike. She could have just told us where the Upside Down was right away, but she didn't. She just made us run around like headless chickens."

With every word my body was feeling more and more on edge, my anxiety set in as I felt uncomfortable in my own skin at my friend's tearing each other apart. I started shifting back and forth, my hands rubbing the back of my neck.

Either Dustin noticed this, or he was sick of the fighting as well - or both for that matter - he stomped towards the boys and intervened.

"All right, calm down!"

"No! She used us, all of us! She helped just enough so she could get what she wants. Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog."

"Screw you, Lucas!"

"No! Screw you, Mike. You're blind... blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you. But wake up, man! Wake the hell up! She knows where Will is, and now she's just letting him die in the Upside Down."

"Shut up!"

"For all we know, it's her fault."

"Shut up."

"We're looking for some stupid monster... but did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?"

'I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that El is the monster. I don't want my best friend to be missing, I don't want my friends to fight all the time. But at the same time, I can't afford to dismiss the possibility that maybe Lucas had a point. Not about her being a monster. No, that I refuse to believe, but her having something to do with everything that's been going on.'

What came next was a blur.

Mike couldn't take it anymore and lunged at Lucas, the boys toppled to the ground and began wrestling in the dirt. Dustin, El and I screaming at the top of our lungs for them to stop.

I looked to Dustin and El and back at the fighting boys. I ran to them attempting to pry Lucas off of Mike in a panic, knowing there was a big chance I'd get hit. But I didn't care and I couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Enough! Please, stop! Just-"

I closed my eyes as I saw the blur of Lucas's hand strike me accidentally as he swung his arm back, ready to punch Mike. I felt the back of his fist collide with my nose and I fell back with a painful yelp.

I heard a shrill shriek and opened my eyes in time to see Lucas fly backward in the air about five feet and slide into an abandoned car door, lying unconscious.

I looked to Lucas in horror and ran to him, not caring about my gushing nose.

I dive in front of Lucas, trying to shake him awake.

The boys were right behind me.

"Lucas! Lucas, wake up! Lucas."

Nothing. I checked his head for injuries, my hand never leaving him as I look over my shoulder at El, horrified.

"What did you do?"

El stood rooted to the ground, sobs wracking her body as blood dripped down her nose. I could tell the guilty look in her eyes was genuine but I didn't have time to feel bad for her right now.

Lucas was my main priority. I turned my attention back to my friend.

Dustin and Mike were just as panicked as I was.

"Come on, wake up. Come on!" Dustin yelled.

"Come on, man. Lucas?" Mike muttered worriedly.

"Lucas? Lucas, come on!" I sniffled, weakly shaking him.

To my tremendous relief, Lucas slowly came to with a groan and his eyes fluttered open.

The three of us chuckled and laughed in relief. The weight in my lungs and heart were lifted at the sight

"Lucas." Mike let out in a shaky breath.

Lucas slowly sat up and blinked a few times, processing what just happened.

"Lucas, you okay?" Mike asked.

There was no response from our friend.

Dustin spoke up shakily as he held up three fingers.

"Lucas... Lucas, how many fingers am I holding up? Lucas, how many fingers?"

Mike began reaching forward towards Lucas's head, already one step ahead of me.

"Let me see your head." He offered gently, he was cut short went Lucas angrily shoved Mike's hand away.

"Get off of me!" He grunted, struggling to stand up.

"Lucas, come on, you could be hurt. Let us help." I try, my voice soft reaching for his shoulder.

He pushed my arm away in anger as he stood up, storming past me.

"I said, get off of me!" I detected a hint of fear in his voice this time and less anger, making me more sympathetic than angry at him.

Mike began to chase after him but Dustin and I seem to have the same thought as we both caught each of his arms

"Let him go."

I watched sorrowfully as my friend left without us.

"Man, let him go."

We all shared a somber silence when suddenly Mike spoke up.

"Where is El?"

I looked to where she had been standing previously only to find no one else in sight.

Mike's breathing increased and he began shouting for her.

"El! El!"

"Eleven!" Dustin had joined in.

I stood frozen, my voice failing me. I looked around me as hopelessness sunk in and solidified into guilt. The icy wind whipped my collar as the desperate voices of my friends was lost to the wind.

She was gone.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

S.T. REWRITE - S2:E1; Chapter One, MADMAX - [Pt. 3]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

As the town preps for Halloween, a high-scoring rival shakes things up at the arcade. Will begins seeing strange visions as the anniversary of his disappearance creeps up.

Warnings: an instance of self harm TECHNICALLY. I don't know if I can even call it self harm but it is not out of depression, but it is for demonstration. Regardless I felt the need to warn you guys in case this might be a trigger to some of you. If you are concerned it might be, i will put a signal [▪▪▪] at the beginning and the end of the instance if that makes sense? Sorry if it's weird i just have never dealt with this issue before and i don't want to trigger anybody. Also, unedited and most likely filled with grammatical errors

[FLASHBACK]

"Come on!" The giggles of the girl were softly carried through the trees.

Will Byers and Y/N Henderson were lightly jogging through the woods to the infamous Castle Byers hand in hand.

"Okay, okay" Will laughed, trying to catch up with the girl ahead of him. It had been a few weeks since coming home from the hospital after his disappearance, and Y/N Henderson had yet to share her secret with him.

She insisted that she wait until they could talk in private, so Will had suggested Castle Byers, even though he was still uneasy about the woods since the incident.

Here they were, rushing through the trees to the makeshift fortress in the woods.

He had never stopped trying to pry any sort of information from her prior to this, but she wouldn't break.

Sure enough, the familiar flag and sign of Castle Byers came into view and the two ducked inside.

Will fought the shutter that creeped up when he took a look around. The last time he had been here was in the Upside Down.

When it got him.

But when he looked at Y/N, it was different. He was still spooked but he felt grounded with her here with him.

They both took a seat, her in her normal spot. Her having been over so many times, Castle Byers had become their thing, their hideaway and she had her own corner with some of her comic books and other things of hers.

"So what is it? Is everything okay?"

She chuckled weakly and looked down, her nerves began to stir. "Yeah, everything's fine, but uh, it's weird. I'm not gonna lie, it's very weird."

Will's brows furrowed but his curiousity was peaked. Silently, he urged her to go on.

She took a deep breath and began.

"So, do you remember all that stuff we told you about that girl who helped us, El? And how she had... abilities?"

He considered this and then nodded his head. Ordinarily, he would have difficulty believing it but after the whole ordeal he went through, anything seemed possible at that point.

"Well, I think - I think it might be better if I show you."

[▪▪▪]

Before Will could ask what she meant, she took a steep breath and exhaled pulling out a small pocket knife. She awkwardly opened it and hesitantly brought it up to her palm.

Will's eyes bulged and his face went pale and he frantically reached to stop her, sputtering desperately trying to find the words to tell her to stop. But it was too late. With a sharp hiss she dragged the blade across her palm drawing out a thick stream of blood.

"Crap, Y/N, what the hell was that? Are you okay?"

[▪▪▪]

Will began to look around frantically for something to stop the blood and settled on a discarded piece of cloth that tore from the ratty sheet that was used for the entrance the fort.

He quickly pressed the cloth to her palm and she hissed once more, glancing up at him, smiling and thanking him. She gently took the cloth and applied pressure for a few more seconds and then wiped the remaining blood away and set the cloth aside.

She shifts nervously taking a long inhale through her nose and closing her eyes.

She clenched her bleeding fist and Will watched with bewilderment as her brows furrowed slightly and body tensed for a brief moment.

Though only moments passed, Will took the opportunity to gaze at the girl before him. And although her face held a stern look of concentration, it had sense of emotional vulnerability.

It took everything in him to pry his eyes from her face and to focus on her hand and while nothing seemed to present itself as unusual he knew nothing would be the same somehow.

His heart began to pound against his chest, and then it happened.

Her fingers slowly unfurled and Will gaped at what he saw. Blood still stained her fingertips and palm but the cut itself was gone. Like it had never existed.

"Wh- I- How did-?"

"I know, even I still can't believe it. And no, I don't know for sure how I got it, technically, but, there's more,"

Will clung to her every word as she retold the story of her encounter with the bad men, only this time including every detail. All the way up to what the white haired man said to her as they tried to take her away.

It fell quiet for a moment and Will spoke up.

"So, do you think, do you think that place, is where you come from?"

She bit her lip nervously and met his eye, nodding her head.

"I mean, it's gotta be right? I can't think of any other possible explanation for it. And what's even more terrifying to think about is, if that really is the case, would I have grown up like Eleven? I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must have been,"

Y/N grew quiet and Will hung his head, sparing a glance at the girl.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up,"

"No, no," she laughed weakly.

"No, it's okay. This is huge, it's hard not to want to ask questions. And I'm sorry you couldn't find out until now, but I couldn't risk anyone else overhearing or finding out or anything. And I made the others promise not to tell you. I figured it should come from me,"

"No, I'm glad it did." He smiled. "So, how much did they freak out?"

Y/N laughed as she recalled the memory, explaining how after everything calmed down they bombarded her with questions and wouldn't let it go all as she wore a fond smile on her face. It soon fell as their laughter died down and she grew more serious.

"Will,"

"Yeah?"

Will felt his heart break for her.

"Will, you faced a monster that week. Spent every moment running and hiding. But in a way, we did too. Those men were," she paused, caution even in her next few breaths."Will, they terrified me. He terrified me. The bad men. I just... I can't get the way he looked at me out of my head. Or... what he called me.

And, I knew that if they got ahold of me - if he got ahold me - he could make me disappear forever. I mean, Jesus, they made and dumped a fake you in the quarry, Will. We buried you. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if things turned out any different than it did,"

Everything she had said was true. They all faced their own horrors that week, and it left scars that even she couldn't heal. Wanting desperately to console her, he reached out and took her hand in comfort.

"The point is," she wiped away the remaining tears and looked at him. "Will, you need to promise me that you aren't going to tell anyone. Especially my mom. The others know, obviously, can't risk anyone who isn't already involved to know, it puts them in danger."

"Don't worry, Y/N. You're secret is safe with me."

She smiled thankfully at him and the two of them shared a brief moment of peace which quickly turned to silence that needed to be filled.

"So, can you do it on command? You know, the wave thing?"

She smiled shyly and shook her head.

"No, it's rare, and pretty much happens on it's own in really bad situations"

He smiled at her and she chuckled.

"What?"

"I bet you could."

"Could what?"

"Learn to control it. I mean, look what you did with your hand! Imagine what you could do with your other powers,"

"You know, this might sound weird, but then again, all of this is weird," the two chuckled and she continued.

"But, I think all this might connect to my bizarre luck with plants. Like, who knows? I could be the next Poison Ivy," she joked.

Will breathed out a light laugh and nodded head. "Totally,"

The two smiled at each other and butterflies stirred between the two.

They both held each other's gaze and then Will speaks up.

"You should try. Practice your powers, I mean. You could do great things,"

"Yeah, I could, couldn't I?" Y/N giggled, a confident smile on her face.

She laughed and rubbed her hands together before reaching her hand out and gently placed her palm on the dirt ground and closed her eyes.

It was at that moment Will could have sworn he saw the smallest bit of movement-

[END OF FLASHBACK]

||Will's POV||

"Will?"

"Huh?"

It took a moment to come back to reality.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry." I mumbled halfheartedly.

"Hey. What did we talk about, huh? You've got to stop it with the sorries."

"Sorry." I quickly realize what I said. "I mean, yeah, I know"

"And listen, you know, there's nothing to he nervous about, you know."

"Just tell 'em what you felt last night and what you saw. Hey, I'm gonna be there the whole time. So it's gonna be okay. Okay?"

I couldn't help but think of Y/N, and what they would do if they knew about her.

And I didn't even want to think about the possibility of them knowing about her and the fact that they could take her away at any time.

I shook my head subtly, trying to rid myself of the awful thought.

The anxiety was creeping up on me again and I rested my head on the side of the window, looking out at the open road ready to let my mind wander.

+ + +

"Sir Will, how are you? Mom? Pop? Let's take a look, see what's going on here," Dr. Owens entered the room. He greeted me, my mom and Hopper who always came along to support us.

Dr. Owen's sat down next to me and begins looking through my file, stirring up conversation as usual. "I see you shaved off a pound since we saw you last. Must be making room for all that Halloween candy. What's your favorite candy?"

I lightly shrugged, clamming up a bit not used to the sudden spotlight.

"Desert island candy, if you had to pick on?"

"I don't know."

"Come on, life or death situation, what would you pick?"

"I guess..."

Mom mouthed Reese's Pieces.

"Reese's Pieces."

"Good call. Good call. I'm more of a Mounds guy, but I gotta say, peanut butter and chocolate, come on, hard to beat that. All right, so tell me what's going on with you. Tell me about this episode you had."

There it was.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and I felt a chill run down my spine at the recollection.

"Well, my friends were there and then they just weren't, and I was back there again."

"In the Upside Down?"

I nodded my head.

"All right, so what happened next?"

"I heard this noise, and so I went outside, and it was worse."

"How was it worse?"

"There was this storm"

I could still see the flashes as clear as day.

"Okay. So how did you feel when you saw the storm?"

"I felt... frozen."

《• • •》

I trembled as I stared at the monster in the sky. I could hear the faint echo of her voice.

"Will?"

It's staring at me. The shadow.

《• • •》

"Heart racing?"

"Just frozen."

"Frozen, cold frozen? Frozen to the touch?"

"No. Like how you feel when you're scared, and you can't breathe or talk or do anything. I felt... I felt this evil, like it was looking at me."

"It was evil?"

"Well... What do you think the evil wanted?"

"To kill."

"To kill you?"

"Not me." For the first time since he questioned me, I looked him in the eye.

"Everyone else."

My heart was pounding against my rib cage, and my palms were sweating.

I felt mom squeeze my hand.

"Do you want to tell him what you told me, baby?" She whispered.

I frowned for a second as I looked to her before I knew what she was talking about. It was a small detail I didn't even realize had happened until I was telling her about my episode.

"I remember hearing, very faintly," I took a breath, hoping to subtly stop my quickening heartbeat. "I heard this voice. My friend. She was the only one I could kind of hear."

"So your friend was with you when you had this episode?"

"Yeah," I mumbled avoiding eye contact once more.

"Is this regular for you? Can you normally hear others outside of an episode?"

"Never. And I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I could but I was too scared."

"What were you afraid would happen, Will?"

"It saw her," I could feel the color drain from my face.

My heartbeat quickened. I didn't want them to know about her. But if what I am about to admit out loud really is true, that means she could be facing an even greater danger.

"Was she there with you?"

I shook my head. "No, but I could barely hear her. Like she was calling to me from a distance. And I wanted to follow that. I thought maybe, if I did, the episode would stop but-" my eyes were beginning to burn, I hadn't realized I was fighting back tears.

"It's okay, take your time," Dr. Owen's said.

I took another deep breath and managed to swallow the lump in my throat.

"But I couldn't let myself,"

"And why not?"

"It saw her," I looked the man, unable to hide the growing fear in my eyes. "It saw her as a threat."

Tag List: @dickkwad @aimee-lucass @iblesstherainsdown-in-africa @miscellaneoustoasts

DM me if you want to be added!

[fanwarriorfictions]

One-

A Stranger Things Fanfic

Chapter Seven- Part Two

   Phina and Hopper pulled up to the Junkyard. They instantly noticed the black cars of the "bad men,"

   "Shit," Phina whispers.

   Hopper hid the car and they got out, "you stay here, I'll handle this."

   "No chance in hell," Phina spits, "remember, those are my kids, and I'm going to go get them."

   Hopper glances at the girl, her fiery eyes telling him that he was not going to win in an argument, "ok, just stay close."

   The kept low, sneaking up behind one of them, who was about to get on the bus that the kids were hiding on. The man opens the door, but Hopper hits him in the head, knocking him into the door and knocking him out instantly.

   Another man runs around the bus, hearing the noise, "hey!"

   Phina turns and swings her fist right into his temple. The man shouts in pain. Phina grabs his head and brings it down, and her knee up, knocking him out.

   Hopper knocks out the other agent and gets into the bus, holding his gun, ready to defend the kids at any cost.

   "Alright lets go," he says, the kids all just stare at him, "let's, go!"

   They rush out of of the bus, seeing Phina take the gun of the man she fought, and putting it into the waistband of her jeans.

   "Phina," Mike shouts.

   She turns to her brother and rushes to pull him into a hug, "don't you ever make me worry like that again!"

   She then turns to the rest of the group, "that applies to all of you to!"

   They follow after Hopper, Phina inspecting each of them for injuries. Dustin complained about it, but she was to relieved to have her kids back, safe and sound.

-

   They pulled up to the Byers' house, Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy rushing out to meet them. Nancy rushes out and pulls Mike into a hug.

   "Oh my god, I was so worried about you," she shouts.

   "Yeah, uh," Mike says awkwardly, "me too."

   Nancy looks over at the rest of the group, at El specifically, "is that my dress."

   El looks up at Phina, who just shrugs, "she needed something to wear."

   They all went inside, sitting down to hear what the kids have found out about this whole thing. Mike was explaining to them about where Will and Barb were, a place they called the upside down.

   "So in this example, you're the acrobat," he points to the little stick figure, "Will and Barbra, and that monster, they're this flea. And this is the upside down, where Will is hiding. Mr Clark said that the only way to get there is through a rip in time and space."

   "A gate," Dustin adds.

   "That we tracked to Hawkins Lab," Lucas says.

   "With our compasses," Dustin says, earnings a confused look from them, "ok, so the gate has a really strong electro magnetic field."

   "Which would change the direction of a compass needle," Phina nods, getting a big smile from Dustin.

   "Is this gate under ground," Hopper asks.

   "Yes," El answers.

   "Near a large water tank," he inquires.

   El nods, "yes."

   "H-how'd you know all of that," Dustin stutters.

   "He's seen it," Mike answers.

   Joyce leans forward to El, "is there anyway you could reach Will, and you could talk to him in this..."

   "The upside down," El interrupts.

   "Down, yeah," Joyce whispers.

   El nods.

   "And my friend Barbra, can you find her too," Nancy asks.

   El gives a short nod and they start to set up whatever Mike tells them they need. They go to the table and turn on the CB radio on to static, and Nancy puts the photo of Barb next to it.

   They all surround El as she concentrates, her eyes closed. The light above the table starts to flicker and Phina looks at it. When it comes back on, El opens her eyes and looks at Joyce.

   "I'm sorry," she whispers.

   Joyce get a little frantic, "what's wrong. What happened."

   El looks upset, "I can't find them."

   Everyone looks a little disappointed, but Phina gives El a comforting smile. El leaves to go to the bathroom, clearly upset about not being able to find them, about letting everyone down. Phina stands up after a moment and follows the girl. She knocks on the bathroom door, hearing the water of the sink running.

   "El, it's Phina, can I come in," she asks.

   The door opens and Phina walks in, closing it again. El was crying, Phina noticed the tears right away.

   "Hey hey hey," Phina whispers, "it's ok, El. It's not your fault."

   El turns to her, "I couldn't help them."

   "I know sweety, I know. But you can't help that, your drained hun, you need to time to regain your strength before you can do anything else," Phina says, bringing the girl into a hug.

   El wraps her arms around Phina, burying her head in her shoulder, crying softly. Phina rubs small circles in her back, sushing her softly.

   She pulls away and grabs El's hands, "you've done so much for all of us already El, you saved my brother, you protected all of them, you don't have to keep being so selfless," Phina tells her sternly.

   El looks down at their entwined hands, her eyes instantly going to the little black tattoo on Phina's wrist. Her eyes shoot open wide and she looks up at Phina.

   "Like me," El asks, wide eyed, shocked.

   El pulls her hand from Phina's and turns Phina's wrist upwards, placing her own next to it. On El's sat the number 011 and on Phina's, was 001. Phina stared at their wrists, and sighed.

   "Yeah, like you. Like you but different," Phina tells her.

   "How?"

   Phina gently pulls her hands from El's, "that's not important right now."

   El gives her a look, which earns her a look as well. El sighs, giving up. She looks back at the mirror, and her eyes go to the bathtub, she turns to it.

   "What's wrong," Phina asks.

   "The bath," she says, "I can find them."

   Phina looks at her, confused, but she doesn't question it. El opens the door, grabbing Phina and pulling her along.

   They hear the group talking about El, about how she's drained.

   "The bath," El interrupts them.

   They all turn to them, "I can find them, in the bath."

-

   Dustin calls their science teacher, Mr Clark, "Mr Clark, it's Dustin.... yeah yeah, I just, I-I have a science question..... do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks, specifically how to build one......... fun..... you always say we should never stop being curious, to always open any curiosity door we find... why are you keeping this curiosity door locked!"

   Phina chuckles at Dustin's guilt trip. Mr Clark finally relents and Dustin starts to write down whatever he says, mumbling from time to time. During the whole process, El doesn't let go of Phina, who had her arm wrapped around the girls shoulder. Everyone takes curious glances at the two, but don't say anything.

   Dustin hangs up and looks at Joyce, "do you still have that kiddy pool we bobbed for apples in?"

   "Uh, I think we do," Joyce says looking at Jonathan.

   "You do, it's in the shed," Phina answers.

   "Good, then we just need salt," Dustin says, "lots of it."

   "How much is lots," Hopper asks.

   Dustin looks down at his paper, then back up, "uh 15 hundred pounds."

   "Well where are we gonna get that much salt," Nancy asks.

   "I know," Hopper says.

   With that, they're all off, half of them in Hopper's jeep, the other in Joyce's car, going to the middle school. El still wouldn't leave Phina's side, and everyone grew more curious about them. The two had hardly even talked, but were already connected at the hip.

   They all split up into little groups, Hopper and Jonathan went to get salt, Nancy and Mike went to find hoses, Lucas and Dustin set up the pool, and Joyce, Phina, and El went to get El something to block the light so she could focus.

   The three girls went to a science room, Joyce finding some goggles and duct tape. They all sat down, facing each other as Joyce duct taped the goggles.

   "This will keep it dark for you," Joyce tells Eleven, "just like in your bathtub."

   Joyce looks up at El, who stays silent, holding tightly to Phina's hand, "you're a very brave girl, you know that don't you? Everything you're doing for my boy, for Will, for my family. Thank you."

   Joyce's eyes start to tear up, she leans over to grab El's free hand, "listen, I am going to be with you, the whole time. And if it ever gets to scary, in that place, you just let me know, ok?"

   "We'll both be there El," Phina whispers to the girl, "are you ready?"

   El looks at the two women, calmly, but her fingers grips their hands desperately, "yes."

   "Ready."

-

   They had just finished preparing the deprivation tank when the girls walked into the gym. Phina walked El over to the tank, only letting go over her hand when she reached down to take her socks off, and Mike's watch which she hands to him.

   Joyce hands her the goggles which she puts on after Phina gives her a nod. Her hand flies out and Phina grabs it.

   "I'm right here El, you're ok," Phina whispers.

   Phina and Joyce help El get into the pool, letting go of her hands hesitantly. El walks forward a few steps and sits down in the pool, before letting herself float on her back.

   Almost instantly, the lights in the gym flicker off. Everyone watches El, Phina and Joyce ready to grab her if she gets to scared.

   "Barbra," El suddens says.

   Nancy leans forward and watches El closely. The lights flicker again and El breathes a little heavier.

   "What's going on," Nancy asks.

   "I don't know," Mike answers.

   "Is Barb ok," Nancy ask El, "is she ok!"

   El starts to whimper, "gone, gone, gone."

   She then starts to cry out, "gone, gone, gone!"

   Phina leans forward to comfort the girl, "it's ok El, you're ok, we're right here. I'm right here El, you're ok."

   Joyce comforts her too, "it's ok sweety."

   Phina grabs her hand, the arm that has her tattoo, "don't be afraid El, I'll protect you. Don't be afraid."

   El starts to calm down, Joyce and Phina whispering to her.

   "Castle Byers," El says.

   It's quiet for a moment, then, "Will?"

   Joyce gasps, "you tell him, tell him I'm coming. Mom is coming."

   Will's voice echoes through the CB, "hurry."

   "Ok, you tell him to stay where he is. We're coming, ok, we're coming honey."

   Whimpering noise come through the radio and Phina gets scared.

   "El, El are you ok, El come on," she grabs the girls arm again.

   El sits up, scaring everyone. Phina pulls the girl into her, hugging her tightly. El puts arm arm on Phina's, gripping her arm like a life line.

   "You're ok El, I'm here, you're ok," Phina coos the crying girl.

   "Come on, let's get you out of the water," Phina says.

   She helps El up, "Dustin, grab the towel."

   Dustin scrambles to bring her the towel and Phina grabs it from his hands. She turns to El and wraps it around her shoulders, helping her out of the pool. She brings the kids all over to bleachers, El laying her head on Mike's shoulders.

   Suddenly Hopper storms out, Jonathan and Joyce following. Phina glances at them but looks back at the kids.

   Phina had grabbed a second towel and she wrapped it around El, "there, that should warm you up."

   The doors to the gym slam open and Phina turns to see her sister leave. She sighs through her nose, looks like I got babysit all of them.

   "You guys stay here, I'll be back," she tells them.

   Phina walks out of the gym and finds Nancy and Jonathan sitting on the floor. She walks over and sits next to Nancy, the three teens sitting in silence.

   "We have to go back to the station," Nancy says.

   Jonathan and Phina look at each other, and then at Nancy.

   "Why," Jonathan whispers.

   "Your mom and Hopper, are just, walking in there like bait," Nancy explains, "that thing, is still in there. We can't just sit here and let it get them too. We can't."

   They go silent, Phina reaching out to grab her sister's hand. Nancy squeezes her hand gratefully.

   "You still want to try it out," Jonathan says.

   "I want to finish what we started," Nancy answers, "I want to kill it."

  "What about the kids," Phina asks, "we can't leave them."

   "They'll be fine, they've got Eleven," Jonathan says.

   Nancy notices the look that arises on Phina's face, "and she's got them, they won't let anything happen to her."

   Phina nods slowly, convincing herself that they'll be okay, "ok, let's go kick some Demagorgan ass."

-2175 words-