INTO HELL [e. munson]

ten.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ dear billy ·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

LILA FRANTICALLY SHOOK MAX'S SHOULDER. Max had suddenly come to her senses, glancing around as if she feared someone was watching her. Nancy and Robin burst through the door as Max said, "Come on. There was a grandfather clock."

Max tugged Lila's arm as she followed the girl through the hallways of Hawkins High, only to stare at a dead end. "It was right here," she said with a slight shake in her voice. Their flashlights lit nothing more than the white brick walls.

"A grandfather clock?" Nancy questioned.

"It was so real. And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just... I woke up."

"It was like she was in a trance or something. Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy," Dustin explained.

"Don't imply something like that," Lila narrowed her eyes at Dustin, before meeting Max's.

"That's not even the bad part," Max said. They followed her back through the hallway to the counseling office once more as she stood over Chrissy and Fred's files. "Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Miss. Kelley for help. Uh, they both were having headaches, bad headaches that just wouldn't go away. And then... then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things. Bad things from their pasts. These visions, they just... they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually... everything ended."

"Vecna's curse," Robin named it.

"Chrissy's headache started a week ago. Fred's, six days ago. I've been having them for five days. I don't know how long I have. All I know is that Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock, so... looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow."

Lila tried to muster up the courage to say something, but she couldn't. It was as if a buzzing began in her ears from her brain trying to process what Max was saying. Max was going to die. Anything anyone could've said was cut short by the clang heard in the distance.

"Stay here," Steve ordered. He grabbed a lamp before exiting the room, and everyone followed after him. Around the corner came Lucas, which caused everyone to scream.

"It's me!" Lucas screamed with his hands outstretched, hoping to stop Steve from hitting him with a lamp.

"Jesus, what's wrong with you?" Steve yelled at him.

"I'm sorry."

"I could've taken you out with this lamp!"

"Sorry, guys. Sorry." Lucas was out of breath, panting as he talked. "I was biking for eight miles. Give me a second. Shit. We've got a code red."