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⎯⎯a brush with death!
"Nancy!"
Footsteps pounded against the ground, leaves crushing under worn shoes.
"Nancy!"
Morgan blinked and found herself in the woods.
"Where are you?!"
Morgan tilted her head, glancing around. "Jonathan?" she murmured, frowning at the place she found herself in. All the trees around her was dead, black goop growing like mold along the bark. Slimy vines littered the ground and, with every step took, goop sunk around the soles of Morgan's shoes.
"Jonathan!" Nancy's voice screamed, clearer than Jonathan's. "Jonathan!"
Morgan held out her hand as ash fluttered from the sky, falling into her palm. She wrinkled her nose. "Where the hell am I?"
It was cold.
Dark.
She recognized these woods.
Home but not home.
Dread rose in her throat, panic beginning to tug at her stomach.
Cold. Dark. Home but not home.
Will's words came to mind.
Oh my god, she thought hysterically, turning in a circle to stare around.
"The Upside Down," Morgan murmured, eyes widening.
"Jonathan, I'm right here!" Nancy's voice yelled again.
"Nancy," Morgan choked out.
She broke into a sprint, racing across the woods to where the voice was coming from, chest heaving and throat hurting with every breath because of the cold. Nancy continued to scream, Jonathan's voice replying in a panic.
"Nancy!" Morgan shouted, barreling forward. "Nancy!"
She turned, only to stumble backwards as someone almost ran into her.
"Morgan?!"
Morgan stared at Nancy, mouth dropping open. Nancy's hair was wild, strands untucked from her ponytail, sweat and muck smeared along her face, mascara dripping from her lashes. Gone were the cute dresses and neat hair and perfect smile. Instead, fearful eyes and a dirty jacket and pants with a hole in the knee made up Nancy Wheeler.
"Morgan, what—" Nancy started, choking on her voice. "What are you doing here? How did you even get here?"
Morgan shrugged. "I woke up here."
Nancy's brow furrowed, lips quirking down in what seemed to be concern.
"Listen, you need to get out of here," Morgan hissed. "It's not safe. This place—"
