GIVE EM' HELL - eddie munson [DISCONTINUED]

CHAPTER 20 - FINALE

"IT'S BEEN less than 48 hours since a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the quaint town of Hawkins, 80 miles outside of Indianapolis, in an event that seismologists are calling 'a natural disaster of a near-unprecedented scale.'

The death toll now stands at 22. But with hundreds more filling Roane County hospitals and many more still missing, officials expect those numbers to rise.

This is only the latest tragedy to befall this once-safe town. Most recently, a string of high school students were killed in a series of ritualistic murders, which have been linked to a local satanic cult known as "Hellfire." 

Eddie Munson, the leader of this cult and prime suspects in the murders, has been in a coma since the earthquake, and it is said that his injuries are severe. Eddie is now in a hospital room that is being closely watched by police. 

But this offers little comfort to the people of Hawkins, who are scared, angry, and searching for answers. Why their town? What have they done to deserve so much suffering? 

A growing chorus believes the two recent tragedies are linked, claiming the Munson murders opened a doorway between worlds. A doorway, they say, into hell itself."

Astoria shakily exhales, gripping her crutches tightly as the protest that are ringing throughout the air become louder as she walks (or rather, limps) closer towards the hospital door. "Pull the plug! Pull the plug!"

When she gets inside, checks in, and was inside the elevator, she allows herself to digest the protest.

She knows whose plug they want pulled. 

Eddie's. 

It makes her stomach sink even further downwards. He had saved them, all of them. But there was no way to prove that. And even if they did prove that he didn't murder anyone, or cause the earthquake, they would still hate him and want him dead. 

Eddie isn't in a white-picket fence family, people had wanted him in prison since he was practically a new-born. Even in Elementary School, Astoria remembers her dad's words when she mentioned the boy for the first time, her father's heavy country accent filling her brain:

 "Stay away from that kid, Astoria," he said. "Whole family is bad news." Looking back, it was weird for a 42 year-old to judge a little kid so easily when they hadn't even had a chance to prove what kind of a person they were.

By the time the elevator got to Eddie's floor, she could already see the blue Police uniform from around the corner. It stuck out like diamond in dirt. Adjusting her hands, she began her strut to Eddie's room, a strut that was abruptly stopped by a uniformed arm swiping in front of her.

She stopped walking, looking up to a bearded man with glasses. Glancing down to his nametag, she read: "Officer Callahan." The man ignores her, stating blankly, "You can't go in here, little girl." Astoria tilts her head, flicking her visiting pass into view. "Funny... this says I can, old man."