Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[69] Steve's Close Call

A/N Chapter 69? Lol, nice. 
Sorry I have the sense of humor of a middle schooler. ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!!! SORRY FOR THE EMOTIONAL DAMAGE IT MAY CAUSE!!! SEND ME UR THERAPY BILLS AND I'LL PAY 'EM

{The Massacre at Hawkins Lab, III / Papa, I}

Alice couldn't stop thinking about the rabbits as they entered the Upside Down's version of the Wheeler's house.

The brown hare had looked at Alice like she was the bad omen. Why? Alice wracked her brain about what that could mean. What the Lab would have to do with Vecna's plans.

What are his plans, anyway? Alice thought, following Eddie up the stairs toward Nancy's room. Vecna wants my power...he said something about gates at some point...but why?

"Al!" Steve hissed from a few steps below her.

Alice paused on the steps and turned. Steve shone his flashlight toward the living room.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. He flew down the steps, Alice on his heels.

Alice strained to listen. The only sound she could hear was her own racing heartbeat and Steve's breathing.

"I don't hear anything," she said.

"C'mon!" Steve said, a desperate whine in his voice. "You're telling me you don't hear your brother?!"

"Dustin?" she said. "You're hearing Dustin, right now?"

"Shhh!" Steve said. He stepped to the center of the room and motioned for Alice to follow. She did, cautiously. "Just listen closer. Okay? I swear, I hear him. Just listen!"

Alice had an intrusive thought about the potential rabies Robin had yammered about earlier that day. She forced it out of her mind and closed her eyes, shutting out any and all distractions.

For a moment, just a moment, she heard the familiar voice.

"Holy shit," Alice said, eyes popping open. "I heard him! I couldn't make out what he's saying, though."

"Doesn't matter!" Steve said. "If we can talk to him, he can help us get out of here! DUSTIN! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Steve and Alice yelled for Dustin, praying he'd be able to hear them across time and space. The commotion caused the others to rejoin them downstairs.

"Steve!" Nancy said. "Alice! What are you doing?"

"He's here!" Steve said. "Henderson, he's here! He's like...in the walls or something. Just listen. Dustin! Can you hear me!"

"DUSTIN!" Alice shouted. "HEY, IT'S US!"

"Wait!" Robin said. "I hear him, too! Dustin!"

"Hey, Dustin!" Nancy yelled. The five of them continued calling for him. Eddie even looked behind the curtains, as if Dustin was hiding there to surprise them.

"Either the kid can't hear us," Steve said, "or he's being a total douchebag."

"Will found a way," Nancy muttered.

"What?"

"Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights."

She tried to turn on the lamp, with no luck. Steve's flashlight illuminated the chandelier in the kitchen—which was encased in a shimmering, ethereal glow.

"Whoa," Alice said, mesmerized by the light source. "It's like...pixie dust."

"First bunnies, like Alice in Wonderland," Robin said, "and now pixie dust, like Peter Pan. If the way out of here is to wish really hard in red ruby slippers, I'll shit myself."