Sending My Love (From the Other Side)

Sending My Love

Two weeks. It's been two weeks since the long, terrifying battle with Vecna. Two weeks since the world was nearly torn apart. Two weeks since Eddie Munson died. Steve could still hear the screams of the monsters, the pain he felt when the bats tore into his side, Dustin's sobbing when he told the rest of the party he found Eddie's body. The kid was too young to see death, especially someone he considered as an older brother. The rest of the party was torn up when they heard of Eddie's passing, but it hit Steve hard, surprising most of them, considering he was unwilling to help the man in the beginning. But hearing it, knowing Dustin wouldn't lie about a death, Steve felt his heart hurt. Now he was at his house, sitting on his bed, in the morning, tired from not being able to sleep from yet another nightmare. He's been having them for years, but every one is still as terrifying as the first.

Steve sighed, looking over at the desk, noticing the denim vest hanging up on the back of the chair. "I never got a chance to give it back to him," he said to himself, tone sad. He stood and walked to it, picking it up and holding it carefully in his hands. The scent of Eddie's cologne and weed were fading, being overpowered by the stench of the acrid air it was exposed to from being worn in the Upside Down. He took one of the pins between his fingers, inspecting it. He wasn't able to get a good look when Eddie first threw it at him, immediately putting it on as he was told to. "For my modesty," he said softly, laughing quietly at the memory, "This didn't help shit, Munson."

A sudden spark captured his gaze, a power surge making his lamp brighter, and he turned to look, before he heard his stereo turn on by itself. "What the hell?" he whispered.

The music was unfamiliar to him, nothing like the pop music he usually listened to.

"That was the latest from Black Sabbath. What a great voice," the announcer on the radio said, "That Ozzy is already a metal legend in my books."

"Ozzy?" That name reminded him of his and Eddie's conversation in the woods, being equated the man, who, according to the metalhead, bit the head off of a bat? He couldn't really remember. No, he was more focused on the man's big doe eyes. Not sure why, but he remembered Eddie's facial features more than the conversation. Eddie was just really pretty, Steve thought, way prettier than he originally thought. But then again, Steve never really gave the man much thought before. He really only knew what others told him, as well as the flash of memories from when they were in school together. He thought Eddie was beautiful, though. Big brown eyes and that sweet, cocky smile? Steve was nearly swooning. He always knew he wasn't straight, not since Billy Hargrove walked onto the scene and put the nail in that coffin. The man was hot. A dick, but hot. Steve couldn't deny that.

"Next up is Master of Puppets, by Metallica."

The song started to play, and Steve felt a shiver run up his spine. He knew this song. This was the one Eddie played as a distraction for the demobats. He sat back on the bed, holding the vest to his chest as he listened to the song. His mind went back to the night of the battle, remembering how he felt during it. Emotions ran through his body as he closed his eyes, picturing it. His neck hurt as he imagined the bats choking him, his chest tightening when he was caught in the vines in the Creel house. The solo started, and he imagined Eddie playing it, wild curls all over the place as he headbanged, his nimble, ringed fingers jumping up and down the fretboard of the guitar as he played each note. He wished he was there to see it happen. It would have been the last time he saw him alive. But no, the last time they saw each other left so many thoughts in his head, so many words left unspoken, hiding behind his teeth.

"Steve..." The radio said.

Steve opened his eyes, head snapping to the radio. He had to have imagined that, right?

It was odd. The radio announcer sounded like his sentences were cut and pasted, as if the radio was skipping different songs and using certain words to give Steve a message.