MATILDA, eddie munson.

057.

MARCH 27TH, 1986
📍the upside down - forest hills trailer park
00:00 AM

frantically, tillie ran through the trailer park, her eyes scanning for any sign of eddie.

"eddie! dustin!" she hollered.

"till, they're probably back in hawkins," steve told her, walking behind her casually. "you're worrying over nothing."

before tillie could respond, she heard the saddened cries of dustin calling for her in the distance. "tillie? we're over here. come quick!"

the blonde followed the boy's voice, around the corner of a trailer and spotted them, making her audibly gasp.

eddie was laid out on the floor and dustin kneeled beside him, clinging to his body. circling them was several dead bats and tillie could instantly tell what had happened.

"no," she shook her head, beginning to sprint towards them.

"tillie!" dustin screamed. "hurry!"

she picked up her pace, darting straight towards them and throwing herself on the floor beside them.

the first thing she noticed was eddie's shirt, torn apart and completely drenched with crimson, which made her fear the worst.

"hey, princess," eddie mumbled through jagged breaths, as the other older teens joined them.

she sighed in relief, realizing he was still alive. "you promised me, you little shithead. you promised me!"

eddie let out a light chuckle, before hissing in pain.

tillie tried to see from his shirt where the bleeding was coming from, but couldn't locate the exact spot. huffing, she put her hands on his collar, tugging at the shirt to rip it down the middle. she saw the extent of his injuries, and gulped. it was a miracle he wasn't dead yet.

the bats had taken a large chunk out of his left side, as well as his right collarbone and shoulder. scattered all over his chest were small bite marks, and there was a strangulation bruise all around his neck from where one of the creatures had choked him with their tail.

she saw his eyes beginning to flutter shut. "hey? hey? stay awake, okay? just hold on for me."

she began ripping at her own shirt, to make makeshift bandages to wrap around his wounds.

eddie noticed the cut on tillie's forehead and the blood matted into her hair. "you're hurt," he mumbled.

"i'm hurt?" she asked with a smile. "look at you." she dressed the wound on his side, before reaching up to rip her clothes more to make another for his shoulder.

"uh, tillie," robin spoke. "not to bother you right now, but i think you should know that you've ripped your shirt so much that your bra is showing now."

"mattie.." eddie muttered, feeling himself slipping out of consciousness as he tried to grab onto her hand. "princess, i need you to know.."

"honestly, robin," the blonde started, not realizing eddie was talking as she tightened the bandage around his shoulder and looked up at her. "i don't really care right now."

"okay," robin responded quietly. "just thought i'd let you know.."

tillie looked back down at eddie, noticing his eyes were shut. "eddie?" she said, tapping his chin. "eddie? eddie, love, you have to wake up."

no response.

"eddie?" she continued, slapping his cheek. "eddie munson, stop playing with me. open your goddamn eyes, right now, or, i swear to god-"

"tillie.. tillie! tillie, listen to me!" nancy said sternly, making the blonde turn to look at her. "he's not going to open his eyes. i'm so sorry.."

"what do you mean? yes, he is," tillie replied, her eyebrows softly furrowed. "he's going to open them, and he'll be fine."

"till," steve said gently, and the girl averted her gaze to him. the boy shook his head.

"what do you..?" she heard crying, and turned her head to see dustin with tears streaming down her cheeks. finally, she realized what they were implying. "no.."

she quickly looked down at eddie, placing her hand on his chest, feeling no heartbeat. just as swiftly, she moved her hand to his neck, feeling no pulse there either.

tears began to form in her eyes, as she shook her head firmly. "no. no.. this isn't.. no.."

"i'm so sorry, tillie.." nancy said, as steve embraced dustin, who was now sobbing.

"this isn't.. he can't be.. no.." tillie said, her voice cracking as she started breaking down, staring at his emotionless face. "he's all i have left. i can't.. he's not dying on me-"

"tillie.." robin whispered.

"he's not dying on me," tillie repeated, a look of determination on her face. she adjusted herself so she was straddling his hips.

eddie tried his hardest to save her, and now she would do the same.

taking a deep, shaky breath, she placed the heel of her hand in the center of his chest and placed the palm of her other hand on top, interlocking her fingers. using her entire body weight, she began pressing straight down.

she released the compression, before pushing down again. she repeated the steps, pressing on his chest forcefully.

"come on," she pleaded, leaning over and pinching his nose as she blew air into his mouth. "come on, eddie."

the others watched her sadly, as she desperately tried to bring the man she loved back.

"eddie munson," she hissed, tears still rolling down her cheeks as she pressed his chest harshly. "wake up. you have to wake up for me. you have no idea how much i need you," she cried.

"tillie, come on.." robin said gently.

firmly shaking her head in response, the blonde continued with the chest compressions. "eddie, please," she begged. "please. i don't know how to do this without you.." she began growing desperate, sobbing as she pressed her lips to his and blew into his mouth.

"tillie, you need to stop," steve told her, wrapping his arms around her to try and pull her off the boy. "he is gone."

"no," she screamed, pushing steve off her as she wailed hysterically. she began using all her strength she could, hitting his chest so forcefully she was close to breaking a rib. "eddie munson, we had a plan! you can't leave me. i can't run away by myself. that's so lame, remember? you can't.. you can't do this to me. we haven't started our life together yet.. please. please!"

she was growing tired, hopeless. all she wanted was eddie. when they first met, she felt as though a piece of her was missing, and he filled that hole in her heart, in a way no one else could replace. she needed him. nothing else mattered if she had him.

"please," she mumbled again, slamming her hands one last time into his chest harshly, her body shaking in desolation.

and suddenly, a small gasp was heard as eddie's mouth opened and reached for air. he remained unconscious, but his heart began to beat again.

beating for her. his princess. his mattie.

- 📻🪐🏹 -

i listened to an 'eddie munson dies in your arms' playlist as i wrote this, and let me tell you I WAS SOBBING

however, i apologize for putting you through that emotional stress 😍

I FELT VERY PRESSURED TO MAKE YOU GUYS HAPPY
a lot of people wanted him to die and a lot of you didn't do i met you half way
everyone say thank you to me right now xo

WORD COUNT - 1226.