Stranger Things: Strange Encounters - The Final Fight

Epilogue: The Life Within

~Beth POV~

Two days had passed since the worst day of my existence. I had stayed at Nancy's for the last two days because my mom nor El were back and I didn't want to be alone after losing Eddie. Max and Lucas explained what happened to Imogen. Vecna was in the process of taking her but something stopped him which must of also been connected to the vines releasing us at the house. Max said Imogen died in her arms, legally, for over a minute but somehow, her heart began to beat again and that's when the ambulance came. Steve hadn't left Imogen's side at the hospital the whole time. She was alive but she was completely unresponsive and left in a coma. Dustin was completely destroyed inside over Imogen's state and also the death of Eddie. He was extremely strong and kept things together.
The town was in jeopardy as peoples homes had been destroyed due to the 'earthquake' as the news were calling it. People were having to take refuge in the hospitals and also at the school. Nancy, Robin, Dustin, Max, Lucas and I had decided we were going to donate a load of old stuff to the families that were in need. But first, I had decided it was time to face and return Eddie's van to his uncle, Wayne Munson. Dustin was kind enough to offer to go with me because I honestly didn't think I could face him by myself.

I had never properly drove a van before, let alone a car, but I knew the gist of the controls from me watching Eddie and sometimes him letting me park. Dustin hopped into the front seat next to me. He looked over at me a sighed.
"Okay?" I asked him, looking at his necklace. He was wearing the guitar pic necklace that Eddie always wore.
"Hanging in there. You?" Dustin replied, looking down at my ring.
"Hanging in there." I replied with a weak smile.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Dustin asked me.
"Uh, I've watched Eddie drive before and he's let me park it before so I should be okay if I drive slow."
"No, I meant facing his uncle?"
"Oh...yeah...I mean...we have to, right?" I asked. Dustin gave a quick, small smile and nodded his head. I nodded back before turning the key in the ignition.

We made it to the trailer park after a very slow and careful drive. There was no way for drivers to zoom around town anyway with so much destruction. Straight ahead of us was Eddie's trailed and there, outside on a bench, I spotted Wayne Munson, having a cigarette and putting his boots on. He looked up spotted the van. I took a deep inhale and exhale and then exited the van with Dustin.
"Beth?" questioned Wayne.
"Hi, Mr Munson." I said, feeling extremely nervous and fighting the urge to cry.
"What you doing with Eddie's van? Where's Eddie?" he asked. I spotted a pile of missing person posters he had on the bench next to him. It seemed he was about to head to town to put these up which made my heart shatter. I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out, so Dustin stepped in for me.
"Hi, Mr Munson, I'm Dustin. Dustin Henderson." he started.
"Hello, listen I'm glad you kids are okay but if you're not with Eddie then I need to go find him." Wayne said.
"I was with him!" Dustin blurted out before Wayne could move. "I was with him when the earthquake hit." Wayne stood there for a minute and studied the expressions on our faces.
"And where is Eddie now?" he asked. The question broke me as I felt a tear fall from my eye and Dustin's lip began to quiver. From our reactions, Wayne already knew. Dustin reached around his neck and took off Eddie's guitar pic necklace and handed it to Wayne. Wayne took a hold of it and sat his weight down on the bench and began to sob, knowing he had lost his nephew.
"I'm so sorry, Mr Munson." Dustin said. I went over and took a seat next to Wayne and comforted him as I also began to sob.
"I loved him very much, Mr Munson. He was a hero." I said to him.
"Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie." joined Dustin as he sat the other side of Wayne, tears also showing. Wayne cradled the pic in his hands as he listened to our words and cried. "He fought and he died for a town that...hated him, so much. He's a hero, Mr Munson. A true hero."
"I'm so sorry." I said quietly. Wayne glanced over at my hand which was on his arm in comfort.
"Is that...is that an engagement ring?" he sniffled.
"Oh...y-yes." I replied.
"He did it then. My boy, he did it." he said, looking up at me. I just looked at him with teary eyes and nodded my head. All three of us sat there and felt for the next while, mourning our loss.