Rhiannon // Max Mayfield

14: Strength in numbers

Alex stepped into the tunnel, having already done it once in the past twenty four hours. She took a deep breath and placed her left foot though the vines, letting her weight drop and not struggling against the vines.

"Holy shit," Steve mutters, watching his sister pass through the plants as if it was nothing. It was like a miracle, now someone had passed through, the vines retreated, leaving a gap big enough for the rest of the group to fit though. Steve dropped his rope down to Alex, tracing it back to the car and securing it tight.

then they descended, Most climbed the rope down but Lucas and Max followed Alex's example and just jumped down, landing on the sticky ground on both feet.

They all looked around the upside down in wonder.

"This place is huge," Max states, shining her flashlight around. Alex sighed and grabbed her hand again, the tunnels giving her that same feeling as before, like they were closing in on her.

"It's dangerous," she said to everyone, "We need to stay together, strength in numbers and all that crap, alright?"

"I'm pretty sure we need to got his way," Mike says, looking from the map in his hand to the tunnels. Starting to walk, just assuming the rest of them would follow.

"You're pretty sure, or are you certain?" Dustin asks, staying in his spot like everyone else had.

"I'm 100% sure," Mike says, Alex tugs on Max's hand, dragging her over to Mike. She agreed with Mike, recalling where the found Hopper and it was down there.

"C'mon guys, its down there, i remember from earlier," Alex says to them, using her minimal knowledge of the tunnels to persuade the other two and Max who only agreed with Mike by extension.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hey, I don't think so," Steve says, stopping Mike, causing Max and Alex to stop as well. 

"What?" Mike asks, glaring at Steve.

"Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it dipshit? I promised your sister to babysit. So, from here on out, I'm leading the way," Steve declares, stealing the map from Mike, "Come on, let's go. Come on. Hey a little hustle!"

~~

"God," Lucas mumbled as they walk.

"What is this place?" Max asks, still holding hands with Alex as they walked down the tunnels.

"Its like some sort of backwards Hawkins just without people and just a shit tonne of monsters from what i understand," Alex explained as they fell behind.

"Guys! Come on, keep moving," Steve orders everyone. Alex took a deep breath as they passed the spot she freed Hopper from, the dead vines still on the floor beside the man shaped indent in it's wall.

Alex felt it again, the closing in feeling but it was worse this time, like the walls actually were moving closer, inching forward every time she breathed. She heard the wailing of the demodogs again, the cry they made on pain while convulsing as Alex killed them. 

Murderer.

 The word echoed around her head.

Max noticed the girl had gone still and shaky and panicked, dropping her hand in favour of her shoulders, "Hey, hey, Alex!" Max shouts, shaking her shoulders, the blonde turned to look at the red head, her eyes bloodshot in fear. "Focus on me, focus on me," she said, recognising the girl was having a panic attack.