𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑| Max Mayfield [COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON FIVE]

xv. the sauna test

Cassidy gasps, the sensation of water in her lungs shocking her into consciousness. As she coughs up water, she finds herself standing, disoriented, in the eerie realm of the Upside Down. Her last memory is checking on Heather. Cassidy looks around and sees her house engulfed in gooey darkness.

"Max? El?" Cassidy's desperate yell echoes through the unsettling surroundings. Tears stream down her face as she grapples with the confusion. "Why am I here..." she mumbles to herself, a whimper escaping her lips. Determined, Cassidy walks through the twisted streets of the Upside Down, only to halt when an unfamiliar noise reaches her ears.

A fireball spontaneously appears in Cassidy's hand, casting an ominous glow in the shadowy environment. Simultaneously, blood trickles down her nose, signaling an unexplained connection to the supernatural forces at play in this disorienting alternate reality.

"Who is there?" Cassidy's voice reverberates through the eerie stillness, and she sharply turns toward the sound of a moving bush. To her surprise and unease, Billy emerges. "Billy?" Cassidy mutters, her uncertainty evident. Billy, in a mocking tone, replies, "Cassidy Sinclair," causing Cassidy to instinctively take a few steps back.

"Why are you here?" Cassidy questions, dispelling the fireball in her hand. Billy, visibly rattled, stammers, "How—How the hell did you do that!" He notices the fireball that had been in Cassidy's hands. "Fuck," Cassidy mumbles, a mix of frustration and realization dawning on her as the unexpected display of supernatural abilities becomes apparent in the unsettling Upside Down. The encounter with Billy raises more questions than answers, leaving Cassidy on edge in this nightmarish alternate reality.

"First off, where are we? Second off, you're explaining to me how the hell you did that, Sinclair!" Billy demanded, his voice laced with impatience. Cassidy let out a sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. "We are in the Upside Down," she explained calmly, her steps purposeful as she started walking away, with Billy hot on her heels.

"The Upside What?" Billy retorted with a glare. Cassidy turned around, halting abruptly, and shot a glare back at him. "Why did I have to get stuck in here with you," she scoffed, the tension between them palpable. Cassidy added, "I have a lot to explain, and Max is involved," as she turned back around and continued walking. Billy persisted, "Well, explain, Sinclair."

Cassidy sighed, feeling the gravity of the situation, and began to unfold the bizarre reality of the Upside Down. She recounted every detail, from the otherworldly dimension itself to the involvement of Eleven, Theodore, and the events that led them to their current predicament. "Okay, you have to be shitting me. That all happened?" Billy retorted incredulously. "Yes! I'm guessing the Mind Flayer is back and took over our bodies. So, now we are stuck here," Cassidy explained, the weight of their dire circumstances evident in her words.