𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xi. me, you, eddie.

    

     THE GROUP of seven now stood together in the dining room, watching the chandelier light above the table flickering. "It's like the Christmas lights." Nancy whispers so James glanced over at the girl on the opposite side of Robin. "The Christmas lights?" Robin asked, glancing at Nancy then over at James.

"Yeah, when Will was in the Upside Down, the lights... came to life." The taller explained and Robin glanced back at the lights. "Vecna's here. In this house." Lucas spoke up so James looked over at him. "Just on the other side." The green eyed older male said making Lucas glanced back at him. The lights dim down.

"I think he just left the room." Robin stated aloud. "Did he hear us?" Max asked, looking at Steve to the other side of her then at James. "Can he see us?" The Harrington asked as he also looked at his ex-boyfriend. "Headphones." Lucas said so Max grabs them, about to slip them on over her ears to play the tape.

"Wait, wait. Everyone, turn off your flashlights and spread out." Nancy tells them and everyone just nodded, "we're not gonna be able to see if we turn off our flash..." Steve trailed off when all of them listened, switching off the lights and leaving the room quickly as James did as well, but looked at Steve who still had his light on. "Oh, come on. I'll protect you from big, bad, scary Vecna." He took his hand.

Steve grumbled out some incoherent words but grasped onto James' hand right back, following behind him. He doesn't complain any further because while James is roaming around the house, looking for where the next flickering light would be, Steve is staring down at their hands with a small smile on his face.

He glanced up and looked at the back of James' head when the boy came to a stop. "Are you okay?" He asked as it seemed like Steve has been dragging his feet. "Yeah, no, I'm good. Great even." He nodded quickly and James nods. "Okay." He lets go of Steve's hand pretty quickly, walking off. "Wait, I didn't know that was what you meant." Steve quickly followed after the taller, sticking beside him.

"Oh, sorry."

Just as Steve was gonna take his hand again, Robin shouted, "I got him!" Out loud. "Let's go." James rushed past Steve who was quick to follow anyway. "I got him!" They rush into the room Robin is standing in but then the light turned off. "I had him." She now says, turning to look at the other six in the room.

"Oh, woah." Steve says when his light turned on. "I think he's moving." He said as he walks with the flashlight. "He's moving. He's moving." He clarified, walking with where the light was going, which was up the staircase, James walking right behind him with Robin. "I lost him." He says when the light turned off again.

"No, you didn't." Max said as she brushed past between Robin and James then Steve, walking towards the door leading to the attic. James goes in after Max instantly, "hold on, guys, what if he's leading us to a trap?" Dustin asked but everyone ignored him, continuing to follow Max and James walking up into the attic.

"Guys. Guys." They continue to ignore Dustin which lead to him following after him. In the center of the attic, the single light bulb in the middle pulses with energy as it lights up. "Flashlights." Dustin said and they all raised their lights, circling around the lightbulb. "Okay, what's happening?" Steve asked aloud as they all just stood there, raising their flashlights that are also flickering and pulsing.

On the other side in the Upside Down, Vecna was levitating in the air, taking another victim, a basketball player at Lover's Lake, right in front of Jason and Eddie. The lights then grow brighter before shattering making them all scream and turn their faces away from the lightbulb in the air and flashlights in their hands.

James turns to Max, "are you okay? You didn't get any in your eyes or anything?" He asked her worriedly and she shook her head quickly, brushing off the pieces of glass from her arm. "Is everyone okay?" James now glanced around the group and everyone either mumble a yes or nod their heads in response.