Loss - Lucas Sinclair

Dig Dug (Part 2)

"And that was the last we ever saw of them," Lucas finished the story. He looked down at the ground with a heavy heart, bringing all the memories back up reminded him of all the pain they went through. "After that, they were just gone. I can't believe it's been that long. Feels like yesterday."

"Yeah," Max sighed. "I mean, I bet. Wow."

"It's crazy," Lucas sighed also. "I know."

"It's crazy, but I really liked it."

Lucas snapped her head towards her, confused. "Liked it?"

Max nodded her head. "Yeah. Well, I mean, I had a few issues."

"Issues?" Lucas asked.

"I felt it was a little derivative in parts."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just wish it had a little more originality. That's all."

Lucas felt his heart drop to his stomach. He had to relive that part of his life for her not to believe him. "You don't believe me?"

"Lucas," Max laughed, "come on, seriously? How gullible do you think I am?"

"Why would I make this up?" Lucas snapped.

"I don't know. To impress me or something? Or you're just, like, insane."

"Okay, first of all," Lucas said standing up, "I'm not trying to impress you and I'm not insane. And second, I tell you all of this. I mean, top-secret stuff. Risking mine and the party's lives. And this is how you react?"

Max scoffed. "Risking your life?"

"Oh, so this is funny to you?"

"Yeah. I mean, kind of funny," Max shrugged, gathering her belongings. "Stupid, but funny."

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked as he watched her head to the door.

"Story time's over, isn't it?"

He followed her out of the room to one of the arcade games. "What's wrong with you? I gave you what you wanted."

"I wanted to be a part of the group, not a part of some joke."

"It's not a joke," Lucas tried to tell her once again, but he know she wouldn't believe him.

"You did a good job, okay? You can go tell the others I believed your lies if it gets you experience points or whatever."

She tried to storm away but Lucas was hot on her trail.

He grabbed her arm. "We have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is, "friends don't lie". Never ever. No matter what."

"Is that right?" Max questioned before pulling off a paper that said "out of order" off of Dig Dug. "Then how do you explain this?"

She stuck it on him as he sighed. "I had to do that. To protect you."

"To protect me from who, exactly?" Max asked, getting fed up with everything. "The big bad government baddies from Hawkins Lab?"

"Lower your voice," Lucas said looking around the arcade to see if anyone was listening.

"Maybe it was to protect me from the Demogorgon from another dimension?"

"Max," Lucas warned, "I'm serious, shut up!"

"Oh, no, no!" Max said jumping up. "You know what it was? It was Eleven and Nine. The gir-"

She was cutting off by Lucas clamping his hand over her mouth.

"Stop talking," Lucas said quietly. He looked over her shoulder to see if anyone heard. "You're going to get us killed. Do you understand?"

Max removed his hand from over her mouth, looking more serious than a few seconds before.

"You're serious?" Max asked.

"I really wish I wasn't," Lucas admitted.

"Prove it," Max said after glaring at him for a while.

Lucas racked his brain trying to figure out a way to prove it.

The Demogorgon is dead. We do not need to be near the lab and even then she still might not believe me. Nikki and El are...somewhere.

"I can't," he sighed.

"So what? I'm supposed to trust you?"

"Yes."

Their conversation was interrupted by a car engine revving and tires screeching outside.

Max walked to the door to see her brother waiting to pick her up.

"Shit. I gotta go. Um..." she turned back to Lucas. "Don't follow me out. Okay?"

"Do you believe me?" Lucas asked as her watched her leave the building. He watch as she got in the car and talk to her brother for a little bit. Finally, after a few seconds they left.

Did she believe me?

***

"So," Ivory said, now standing in the middle of the woods that was behind her house, "show me what you can do."

"How?" Nikki asked, looking around at the wooded area.

Ivory glanced in a direction toward a tree not too far away. She nodded her head toward it. "You see that tree over there."

"Yeah," Nikki replied, her eyes settling on the tree.

"Try to hit off a branch," Ivory said with her focus staying on the tree.

"Okay," Nikki said, starting to form a blue orb in her hand.

She let it grow into the size of a baseball before she threw it aiming for a tree branch. Once the branch and the orb collided, the branch broke off while simultaneously disintegrating into ash.

"Wow!" Ivory said looking toward the missing tree branch. "Nice shot!"

"Thanks," Nikki shrugged.

"You're really powerful," Ivory stated, pointing towards the tree, "but nothing that's uncontrollable. You ready to begin?"

"Yes."

"All right," Ivory said clapping her hands. "Let's get to work!"

Authors note
Another short chapter but don't worry the next one is longer! I already have it written out, I just want to post once a day.

Love ya!!❤️❤️❤️