𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚

001

"Couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?" Robin asked as we walked through the forest. The thunder continued to boom and flash red. "I think we're getting close. We're almost out of her. Don't worry." Nancy replied. Steve removed his arm from around my shoulder and motioned for me to go to Robin and Nancy. I nodded and skipped over to them, linking arms with Robin.

STEVE'S POV:
"Eddie. Eddie. Hey, man. Uh..." I whispered loudly to him. He stopped and turned around, walking in sync with me. "Listen, I just, uh... I just want to say thanks.. For saving my ass back there." I nodded. I never thought I'd be talking to Eddie Munson. "Shit. You saved your own ass, man. I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there." He replied. "Ozzy?" I asked. "When you took a bite out of that bat." He looked at me and I shrugged. "Ozzy Osbourne?" He repeated. "Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off onstage." He continued. "I don't- No." I shook my head. "Doesn't matter. It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. I thanked him and we walked in silence for a bit. "Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact." Eddie shrugged.
S: "Mini Henderson said that?"
EM: "Oh yeah. Shit. Kid worrrships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest. I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe and my own person Munson doctrine. Still super jealous as hell, by the way. Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh... normal circumstances. Nope. Outside of DnD, I am no hero. I see danger and I just turn heel and run. Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week."
S: "Give yourself a break, man."
EM: "See? The only reason I came in her was 'cause those ladies came in straight after you. Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But older Henderson right there, she didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but if I were you, I would get her back. 'Cause that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen. If you don't want here... I'll have her."
There was a sudden loud rumble, once again, knocking us over.

EVELYN'S POV:
"Second on my list of least favourite things, earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is." Robin scoffed. I held onto a tree, trying to keep myself up. Steve and Eddie had been talking for a long time so I was a bit nervous. Eddie could have said anything about those eight months. Let's hope he hasn't... Nancy suddenly walked off, making sure not to trip. "Nancy! Where are you going?" Robin shouted. I quickly followed after her before she suddenly stopped. I redirected my view to what she was looking at. "Nancy!" Robin yelled, running up next to us. Eddie and Steve followed as well. We could see Nancy's house in the distance and I sighed of relief. "Come on." She ordered. I nodded and followed after her.

Nancy opened the door and we all slowly came in behind her. I looked around to the house I had been so familiar with, which was now so... unfamiliar. Vines were crowding the walls and floor and everything was dirty. "Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler." Robin joked. "Come on. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to." She shook her head, heading towards the stairs. We followed after her, running straight to her room. She opened her closet and grabbed a box from the top shelf, placing it on her desk and opening it. Inside were a pair of white, dirty heels. I looked at her confused. "Nice guns?" I told her. "These heels are pointy, but I was hoping for a deadly projectile." Robin added. "I don't understand." Nancy furrowed her eyebrows. "Maybe you left them somewhere else." Eddie looked around for any place they could be. "There's a six year old in the house. I know where I keep my guns. And also, I threw these away years ago." She shook her head and rummaged through the desk, picking up some cards. "I get that grades are important to you, but perhaps studying can wait til we get out?" Robin sighed, taking the cards out of her hands and placing them down. "These are from sophomore chemistry. And this... this wallpaper, this is old wallpaper. And this mirror, this went to a yard sale. And you... you're not supposed to be here. No, I gave to Cousin Joanna two years ago." Nancy paced around her room, pointing and picking things up. She went over to her diary and looked through it before pausing. "What is it?" Eddie asked. "Nancy? You're freaking me out." Robin laughed, awkwardly. "I think the reason that my guns aren't here is because they don't exist yet.." She said with a shaky voice. We all looked at each other, not comprehending it. "They don't exist yet?" I repeated. She turned around and held up the diary. "This diary should be full of entries. It's not. The last entry is November 6th, 1983. The day Will went missing. The day the gate opened. We're in the past." She croaked. The air was silent before we heard Steve screaming Dustin's name. We ran downstairs to make sure he was okay. He circled the living room, looking around with his flashlight. "Dustin? Hello? Hel... Hello?" He yelled. "Maybe he really does have rabies." Robin whispered. I nodded, sticking my thumbs up. "Steve! What are you doing?" I asked. He spun around, shining the light in our eyes. "He's here. Mini Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like... He's in the walls or something. Just listen. Dustin. Dustin! Dustin!" He shouted once again, roaming around the living room. I listened close and he was right. I could hear him. "Dustin!" I shouted, also looking around. "All right, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag." Steve groaned. I nodded slowly, looking up at the light. "Will found a way. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights." I whispered, shining my light at the particles surrounding it. I slowly stepped closing and went to touch it before Steve grabbed my arm. "It could be dangerous. Let me go first." He nodded, reaching out and touching it. We all crowded around and stuck our fingers in as well. It felt strange... Almost tingly. I started doing the signal for S.O.S. and Eddie joined in. The other three looked at us confused. "Copy us. It's a signal for S.O.S." I told them. They shook their heads and I rolled my eyes, hopelessly.