𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

iv. love of my life.

THE TWO girls and three boys stood together now, ready to listen to Eddie explain everything. While Eddie began, James heard a loud chime in his head that bothered him. "James." Max whispered to her and he looked at her. "Your nose." She says, interrupting Eddie who immediately looked at them. "Sorry. Go on." James whispers, walking away towards a workbench. He spots a box of tissues, bringing one up to his nose to wipe it. He also felt a big headache coming.

He turned to look at them and sighed, returning to carefully sit down near Eddie who continued. "Her body just, like, lifted in the air and uh... she just, like, hung there." He explains as James looks at him, sniffling softly. "In the air. And her bones, uh, she... her bones started to snap." He said and James looks down.

"Her eyes, man. It... it was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling. I--I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away. I left her there." He said, staring in one spot before scoffing, looking up. "You all think I'm crazy, right?" He asked before glancing at James to his left who slowly looked up.

"No. We don't think you're crazy." Dustin says so Eddie looks at him right away. "Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds." He says, sounding upset. "We believe you." James spoke up making Eddie look at him.

It was either the fact that they were both misfits or use to attend high school together, both James and Eddie were unsure why but they both felt a connection towards one another. "Dustin," Steve whispers to him, as if to tell him to intervene which Dustin does so, waving a hand at Steve while glancing between James and Eddie. "Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little... difficult to take." Dustin finally spoke up which broke the longing gaze shared between the two older males.

"Okay." Eddie says quietly. "You know how people say Hawkins is... cursed?" Dustin asked and James glanced at Eddie who's carefully listening to him. "They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden underneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." Dustin said as James felt eyes boring into his skull so he glanced up to see it was Steve. He stared back for a moment. "Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie asked as Steve and James prolonged their eye contact before Steve glanced away. "There are somethings worse than ghosts."

"These monsters from this other world... we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. And that's why we needed to find you." Dustin explained to him. "If they're back, we need to know." Max added as James fidgets with his hands, staring at the floor.

"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asked him next. "Dark particles, maybe?" Max spoke up next as James looks up. "It would look swirling dust, almost." He explains. "No, James, there was nothing you could see, or, uh... or touch. You know, I tried to wake her." He looks at James who listens intently.

Eddie seemed like he really needed someone at the moment, like he had survivor's guilt in a way. "It was like she... she was in a trance or something." He said and James' brows furrow together slightly. "Or under a spell." Dustin said making both men look to him.

"A curse." Eddie says so James glanced between him and Dustin. "Vecna's curse." Dustin says. "Who's Vecna?" Steve asked, confused. "An undead creature of great power." James says making both Eddie and Dustin look at him with surprised. "I dabbled in some D&D in the past two months because I was bored, sue me..." He says, raising his hands and Dustin smiles faintly. "He's a spell caster." James says as he looked up at Steve now.

"A dark wizard."

James pats his jacket pocket, fishing out his cigarette pack and lighter, sighing as he took one out. "Disgusting." Robin scolded but just left rather than doing anything. "Well, we--we'll come back in the morning." Dustin said as he got up to leave with Max following Robin and Eddie looks to James. "Can you pass me one?" He asked and the Hopper doesn't mind as he held one out. Steve is still here.