There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

SEVENTY TWO

The Nina Project

Catherine held up her ball of light as she walked into the room at the back of the house. So far, the trip to Creel House was feeling like a massive dead-end. She had seen no sign of any clues towards freeing Max of Vecna's curse or anything that might have had something to do with the night her father had supposedly died. A groan escaped her lips as she considered going to find the others upstairs, wanting to give up on her own personal treasure hunt. It was then that something laying on the floor caught her eye. 

Cat knelt closer to it, recoiling suddenly and pulling a face of disgust when she realised what it was- dried blood. "Oh, God." She whispered, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she stood up.

"You gonna follow it?" A voice asked. Cat let out another groan at the voice, refusing to open her eyes so she didn't have to see who was talking. "It might lead to you a clue about your dad."

"Go away." Cat mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. Why'd she have to imagine the damn rabbit now?

There was quiet for a moment before the creature spoke again. "Or, it might lead to finding a proper way to free your friend of her curse."

Cat sighed, biting the inside of her lip. She considered leaving and going to find Steve, there was no way in hell she was going to trust a word out of the rabbit's mouth. But if the trail led to finding a cure for Max, or even finding something that would give her more insight on her father's 'death' then she had to know. "If I follow the trail, will you finally leave me alone?" She asked, finally looking down at the rabbit. He looked even more deranged than the last time she saw him.

Hugo looked up at her, an unusual smile on his face. "You'll just have to find out for yourself."

Cat huffed, rolling her eyes at the vagueness of the rabbit. "Fuck it." She mumbled, walking slowly in the direction of the blood trail. "I still don't trust you, you know." Cat told Hugo as she entered further into the room. "Like, at all." She made it halfway into the room before she felt her body freeze.

There on the floor, was her father. His body was all bloody and bruised, just lying there unmoving on the floor. "Dad!" Cat screamed out, rushing towards her father. It didn't cross her mind that it had been five years, and that her father couldn't have possibly survived that long in the state he was in. "Oh my God, Dad!" Cat cried, falling to her knees. A loud cry escaped her lips and she screamed in fear when her eyes landed on his face. Blood covered the area around his eyes, and where his eyes should be was a gaping black hole. Cat scrambled backwards, absolutely terrified by what she was seeing. Had Vecna taken him? Is that what had truly happened to him that fateful night?

"This is your fault." James spoke, his head turning slowly to stare at his daughter. His voice was hoarse, unrecognisable to how she remembered it used to be. "Your. Fault." He repeated, spitting the words out harshly.