𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE TWENTY SIX. stars within her eyes

"couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?" robin spoke as the five slowly traced back through the woods. the three girls walking in the front, the two boys a little behind.

"i think we're getting close, we're almost out of here. don't worry.'' nancy told the girl in an attempt to comfort her. yet piper walked alone. wondering what they would do if vecna showed up. would he try and possess her? they didn't have any music, she had left her headphones back on the boat. they were trapped. there was no denying it.

"eddie. hey man. listen, i just wanted to say thanks. for saving my ass back there.'' steve spoke, rushing forward to talk to eddie who walked somewhere behind piper.

"shit. you saved your ass, man. i mean that was a real ozzy move you pulled back there.'' eddie told him, looking up at harrington. the branches crunching lightly under their feet, he hoped it didn't attract creatures. he had enough of this now.

"ozzy?" steve questioned as the boy jumped over a dead tree lying on the ground.

"when you took a bite out of that bat. ozzy osborne? black sabbath? he bit a bat's head onstage.'' eddie explained.

"i don't-"

"you know, it doesn't matter. it was very metal, what you did. that's all i'm saying." he added, remembering that not everyone had similar taste to him. like piper, she was as far as metal as could get. she was a cheerleader, with pom poms and a pretty smile. not everyone was like him.

"thanks."

"henderson told me you were a badass. insisted on the matter, in fact." eddie spoke, he had no clue why he was even bringing it up but at least it would feel silent.

"wait, henderson said that?"

"oh yeah, shit. kid worships you dude. like you have no idea. it's kinda annoying, to be honest. i don't even know why i care about that little shrimp thinks. but i uh, guess i got a little jealous steve.'' eddie laughed lightly, glancing at the path to make sure they were still following the girls. nancy was trying to remember the normal walk to her house. hoping the upside down wasn't flipped or anything.

"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? now way man, no way. that's, like flies in the face of all the laws in the universe." he spoke again, looking over to steve who was listening to his every word. eddie would have never have guessed that he'd actually be talking to steve harrington and the boy would actually acknowledge him.

"still super jealous as hell, b the way.'' eddie mumbled again looking forward to the group of girls. his eyes handed on parker. she had tied her hair up now, revealing her pretty face wrinkled in worry.

"which is why i would have never jumped in that lake to save your ass. not under any normal circumstances. outside of dnd i am no hero. i see danger and i just turn heel and run. or that's what i have learnt about myself this week."

"give yourself a break, man."

"no, no. the only reason i came through was because i followed her. she came in right after you. parker, she was the first. mere seconds after you went. she didn't waste a second. she dived right in. and she is afraid of water, steve." and steve looked over to her, watching her lean down to tie the boots that nearly got caught in a vine as she tried to step over it.

"now i don't know what happened between you two, simply because dustin refuses to say anything about your relationship with her. but if i were you, i would get her back. because that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen." eddie told the boy and he looked back over to the girl in robin's shirt. she was walking alone, arms wrapped around herself and glancing into the woods. waiting for something almost. evidently the woods cleared and empty streets planned out before them. where was everything? she wondered if her house was on this side? if nancy hoped hers would be. would the parker household be on map? or is it like they only show up after something on this side happened in that spot. stepping into the upside down wheeler household, it would exactly what you think a house would look like this way down. vines covered anything, cold, barren. lifeless, well lifeless of human existence. everything stops still. frozen in place.

"it might be time to get a maid, wheeler." robin spoke as piper wandered towards the kitchen, steve following slowly behind.

"come on, i don't want to stay here any longer than we have to." the group nodded as she ran for the stairs, all following but piper, she found herself standing at the bottom. ears burning as steve turned to her.

"you alright?" he questioned, quickly running down. and she merely nodded, staring off at the island in the kitchen. she was hearing voices, this was never a good sign. when steve perks up. dustin's voice barely reached his ears as he looked around. she wasn't going insane, he had heard it too.

"what about piper? she better be okay.'' the familiar voice of lucas spoke and she followed the voice as steve ran for the noise. you really can hear through the other side. it was strange, but could they hear her?

"max?" she questioned into the unknown as she found an open door. the ginger shivering as she could have sworn she heard a name. her name. before returning to the officers questioning her.

"dustin! dustin!'' steve screamed, swinging the flashlight around almost as if he were trying to communicate to the other side but piper stood still. she stood behind where dustin was in real life. she reached out, her hand touching a shoulder yet it merely showed thick air. dustin shivering as a cold touch passed through his body from a cold breeze on his shoulder. what was going on?

she had zoned out, on spot thinking about how she really was trapped here. when she noticed nancy climbing to the light. her hand dancing in the specks.

"what are you doing?'' piper questioned rushing over to the group, standing beside eddie who was quick to wrap his arm around piper's shoulder.

"trying to communicate." nancy replied, reaching for the light, her hand touching the flecks and she smiled. she had no idea if it was working but it felt nice. piper followed in suit. cold hands touching the warm sparkles. she hadn't expected to feel anything. it was like running her hand in her mother's sparkle lamp. the flecks feeling almost like glitter. the rest follow suit. maybe she should try speaking again.

"it tickles." eddie mumbled.

"it kinda feels good.'' robin added. steve caught piper's eyes. if he thought she was beautiful before, her right now was a picture he wanted to see forever. her eyes lit up like a sky full of stars. reflecting the glitter dust. her smile was bright, she looked warmed. she met steve's gaze. a smile raising onto her face, and a pinkish tint raised to her cheeks.

"max. look up." a voice whispered. but max hadn't heard her, a girl sat on the table listening to dustin rant about vecna had instead. she looked up and found nothing, till she noticed the slight flicker of the chandelier.

"you said you followed vecna through lights right?" erica called as she stood, staring up into the lights. but how had she heard a voice, or had she imagined it to stop listening to dustin. it had sounded like that girl she had met in scoops ahoy, but the confusion was stronger then her wit at the moment. eddie was the one who was sending the signal, yet piper wished for it to be here. only so she could feel the lightness once more.

"hey, uh, remember when i said they wouldn't be stupid enough to go through watergate?'' dustin spoke as he carefully watched the flickers. noticing a familiar pattern he had seen before. s. o. s. sos. distress signal.

"yeah?" lucas questioned joining them. also looking up to the lights.

"i overestimated them."