Blondie | Steve Harrington

X

Eloise

Slamming a hard-covered book on the table Dustin leaned over and began to explain the new theory about the Upside Down and what it's done to his friend and how it's all connected. Each one of us stood around the table listening to the boy who had every word and thought down to the max when explaining the rules of a game he and his friends play regularly.

"The Mind Flayer." Dustin pointed to the black and white photograph of the squid-like-looking creature written down in the book wearing a cloak as skulls surround his frame. "What the hell is that?" Hopper asked leaning over and taking a look at the book. "It's a monster from an unknown dimension. This thing is so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home." No one said a word as the boy spoke "Okay, it enslaves races of those from other dimensions by taking over their brains using their highly-devoted psionic powers."

I looked over toward Steve making sure I was not the only one confused by this conversation. I lean over a whisper "Are you understanding any of this?" He shakes his head running a hand through his hair "Not a single word."

Thank goodness.

"Oh, my God, none of this shit is real," Hopper sighed "It's all just a kid's game."

Feeling defences Dustin took a step back and cleared his throat staring at the chief pointing down to the book "No, it's a manual. And this isn't just for kids. And unless you want to talk and tell us you know something that none of us done, this thing is the best metaphor-"

Lucas rephrases "Analogy."

"Analogy?" Dustin questioned Lucas who only was trying to help out "That's what you're worried about?" He scoffed "Fine! An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is."

Jeez, this kid has a short temper.

Taken back Nancy stepped in "Okay, this mind flamer thing... what does it want?" Dustin corrected his discovery "Flayer."

Nancy rolled her eyes and looked to the boy waiting for an answer "To conquer us, it is believed to be the master race." Snapping his fingers Steve leaned over my shoulder "Like the Germans?" I looked up to him "Uh, the Nazis?" Corrected Dustin which lead Steve to look around the room before agreeing "Sorry, yeah, the Nazis."

Wow, A head full of hair but little brain.

"If the Nazis were from another dimension." Dustin carried on all while the chief looked annoyed and unamused by what he was telling us all. "It views other races," he read off the book "like us, as inferior to itself." he rambled off before Mike cut in "So it wants to cut in, spread, take over other dimensions."

"So we're talking about-" Cutting me off Lucas pipes in "The end of our worlds as we know it." My face dropped with the sudden fear rising in my stomach as this thing could do as much as end our world or more specifically destroy and demolish. "That's great." Steve pushed himself off the table "That's great. That's great. Jesus!" Making us all flinch at his outburst while he walked away. Calm down I mouthed to him as he walked back over, hands on his hips. "If this thing is like a brain that is controlling everything, then if we kill it?" Nancy picked up the book walking over to her brother "Then that means we kill everything it can control."

"Great." Hopper comes over taking the book out of Nancy's hands and examining the pages trying to find a solution to the end of the mind flayer and its tricks. "Do we kill it with fireballs or something?" he asked. Dustin gives a small chuckle looking up at the tall man "No. No, no fireballs. You see when you summon an undead army it's like uh... it's like zombies since you know, they don't have brains and the mind flayer it... it... it likes brains." he shakes his head at himself continuing with the small chuckles while Hopper shuts the book closed. "It's just a game." he smiled but soon flinched when the weighted book slammed down on the table "Then what the hell are we doing here?" he walked away into the living space looking at the kid who lay unconscious on the couch, "You said we have to wait for your military backup." Dustin raised his voice making him turn around "We are!" he yelled.