𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛, 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨

→ 𝙞𝙞𝙞.

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"ANYTHING?" DUSTIN ASKED LUCAS AS THEY MET IN THE WHEELER'S KITCHEN, THE SINCLAIR SHAKING HIS HEAD. "Nothing." He sighed, Dustin staring ahead. "You don't think they went through...?" Lucas urged, Dustin looking to him. "Through Watergate?" He asked, strongly disagreeing with the suggestion. "Without us? Without a plan? Without weapons?" Dustin asked, Lucas tilting his head slightly. "They have Seb-" "They wouldn't be that stupid." Dustin interrupted, not wanting to hear anyone call his best friend a weapon. "Yeah." Lucas hummed, Dustin shrugging. "They must be laying low 'cause the law got us." Dustin summarised, Erica scoffing. "'The law'? What is this, Gunsmoke?" She mocked, juice box in hand as she approached her brother and her friend.

"The stupid and the Ugly?" Lucas glared at Erica as she leaned on the kitchen island opposite him, Dustin looking between them both. "Should I round up the posse? Saddle the horses?-" "Erica. Please, just go away." Lucas got fed up with the girl, her ignoring him. "Here's the deal. Either you tell me what's happening, or," The girl glanced to Dustin. "I tell Dustin what I found under your bed." She challenged, this making Lucas straighten up more, Dustin's gaze whipping to Lucas. "Please, no." The boy begged his sister, the girl leaning forward. "Spill your guts, cowpuncher." She huffed, Dustin grinning. "What'd she find under your bed?" He asked quickly, Lucas huffing. "Nothing." He tried to defend himself, Dustin looking to Erica. "Is it gross?" He asked, realising she'll happily tell him. The girl nodded, Dustin intrigued.

"Scale of one to ten." He demanded, Erica not even putting in a thought before she said, "A hundred." This made Dustin look to Lucas, him mortified. "A hundred?" He asked, Lucas huffing. "The serial killer is a dark wizard from the Upside Down and the 'demon boy' is Sebastian." Lucas summed up, not wanting anyone else to know what's under his bed. "And we've been looking for the dark wizard, but he's in the Upside Down, which we can't reach. At least we thought we couldn't," Both Dustin and Erica stared at Lucas, him panicking as he ranted. "until we found a gate at Lover's Lake. That was the reason why we were there, but these stupid cops grabbed us." Dustin tried to quiet Lucas, him not having any of it. "And if you tell anyone about this, that's including Mom, and Dad," Lucas ranted on, mimicking the names as Erica slurped her juice.

"and Tina..." He stared at his sister, scowling. "especially Tina, I will smother you in your sleep. Do you understand?" Lucas asked somewhat breathlessly, Erica 'thinking'. "Erica..." Dustin watched Lucas meet his sister face to face. "Do... you... copy?" He asked, Erica standing up straight. "The smothering in my sleep part, but not much else. Why would they open up a gate at Lover's Lake?" She asked, Dustin and Lucas confused. "What?" The latter spoke, Erica shrugging. "The commies-" "The commies didn't do this." Lucas huffed, Erica doing the same. "Then who did? Sebastian-" "Nobody." Dustin thought as Lucas and Erica went back and forth, the girl confused. "So it just opened up for fun?" She asked, Lucas sighing. "Erica, you have no idea what you're talking about." He spoke, Dustin looking to his friend. "No, she doesn't, yet she raises an essential question. How did Watergate open up? Only two gates have opened, as far as we know."