To Heal All Wounds

Two Years After the War

When Dustin woke up it was like any other normal day. His alarm went off, he got up, he went to the kitchen. April awoke with him, bringing with it the rosy sunrise of yet another school day. Junior year. Halfway through it and he was already over everything. Already over teachers and his classmates and everyone who wasn't in Hellfire.

Hellfire.

It had been two years since Vecna's defeat. Two years since things started to go back to normal. Dustin still had all of the scars and marks from war, but it had been two years. He still woke up from nightmares of war and loss but it had been two years.

He still dreamed of Eddie, bleeding and dying in his arms.

But it had been two years.

"Dusty, what did I tell you about drinking from the carton?"

Dustin nearly choked on the milk in his mouth, not having heard his mother sneaking up on him.

"Yeah," he sputtered, "sorry about that mom. I'm just in a hurry. Party meeting before school today."

Dustin's mother screwed up her face almost on instinct and Dustin tried to ignore it. Even two years later. Even when Vecna laughed in all of their faces for turning on each other. Even after he murdered five more people in the exact same way. Some people still blamed Eddie for those murders. He tried not to be angry with his mother. She meant well. But it was hard.

"We have a game after school too, so I'll be late coming home." She noticed his clipped tones, Dustin's mother said nothing about it. She did, however, smile apologetically. He kissed her cheek in answer and she relaxed.

"Just be safe out there, Dusty," his mother called after him as he shouldered his bag and left for school.

And that was when things stopped feeling normal.

As soon as he stepped outside, Duston felt something against the back of his neck. Like a hand hovering behind him. He turned once, knowing fully well that nothing would be there. So what was it that he felt? Something about the air? Or was it the chill in the early spring wind? Did he smell rain? His brain felt like it was sitting on a bed of needles or like he had to be ready to run for some reason. Panic followed hot on his heels as he pulled into Hawkins High School and ran onto the auditorium stage.

"You feel it too," Mike noted as soon as Dustin arrived.

"Will," Dustin gasped as soon as he could catch his breath.

"I feel fine... " his friend reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not... Upside Down stuff."

Dustin breathed a little easier, but he could still feel the panic right behind him.

"Did we..." there had to be something Dustin wasn't seeing. Some event or... promise... something they were all missing, "forget a test?"

"It doesn't feel that simple," Lucas answered. Dustin was inclined to agree, but he would be lying if he said he hadn't been hoping that was the reason.

"Two tests," Mike asked, earning nothing but a dirty look from Dustin. He was party leader. "The Heart of the Group" Will had called him. And technically he was right, Mike did step up when he was needed, but god damned if he wasn't annoying when he wasn't in the right head space. Mike only shrugged like he had done nothing wrong. Behind him, El laughed but stifled it behind her hand.

"So it's big but not... Upside Down," Max ventured, "so... what is it? And why do we all feel it?"

The party was silent, considering all possibilities and still coming up with nothing.

"How did Nancy feel this morning," Lucas asked, but Mike only shrugged.

"I don't know. Normal? I didn't see her, she moved out after winter break. With Johnathan?"