𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐊 , eddie munson . ✓

18 || THE GATE

PUNK
"Hey, is now a bad time to say I don't like boats?"
—

IT WAS NOW DARK OUT, and the group were currently running through the woods as they followed Dustin and his dodgy compass.
Eddie and Fi had yet to stop holding hands as they continued chasing after the boy.

"Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?" Eddie yelled after the boy, slightly picking up his paste as the Henderson boy ran even faster.

"I think we're getting close." Dustin yelled back, turning around as he did so. "I wasn't cut out for this." Fiona breathed out through heavy breaths, thankful that it was cold out otherwise she would have been drenched in sweat.

"Watch your step, big guy." Eddie told the curly-headed boy as he grabbed him from the back of his shirt, stopping him from going into the lake which they had finally reached.

"Oh, man." Steve groaned, shining his flashlight onto the lake in front. "You gotta be shitting me." Steve groaned once again.

"Yeah, I thought these woods were familiar." Eddie informed the group, using his other hand to scratch his neck still not letting go of Fi's.

"Lover's Lake." Robin said, looking into the distance of the lake from behind the Harrington girl.

"This is confounding." Dustin spoke with a sigh. "There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max asked confusingly.

"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way." Nancy told the group causing Fi to slightly sigh. "So, we're going to have to go in the water?" She asked.

"Only one way to find out." Steve told the girl making her sigh yet again.

The group had moved their way over to a boat which sat on the edge of the water. Eddie ripped the cover off of the boat making the whole group look at each other.

Eddie let go of the girl's hand which he had completely forgotten that he was still holding, and moved towards the boat with Steve. The two grabbed a hold of the boat making Steve look over at him.

"Easy, alright?" Steve said earning a nod from the Munson boy as they began pushing it into the lake.

"Easy. I said easy, man." Steve told the boy as the boat had splashed into the water. "Sorry, dude." Eddie apologised.

Robin moved forwards and grabbed a hold of the two boy's heads and walked onto the boat. "Thank you."

"Yeah that works too." Eddie mumbled, putting his hand out for Fi to take.

"You coming?" He asked, the girl nodded before taking his hand and slowly walking onto the boat.

Eddie was next onto the boat and turned around to help the Wheeler girl on next, "Wheeler."

"Thanks." She said with a smile, sitting between Fiona and Robin.

Dustin then walked towards the boat with the four on and put one foot on before getting slightly pushed back. "Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?" Eddie asked making the Henderson boy look at him dumbfounded.

"This thing holds four people tops, okay?" Eddie told the boy making him gape. "Yeah, sorry Dustin." Fiona apologised with a small smile.