𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖆 𝖐𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊 𝖎𝖘 {Eddie Munson x OC}

Thirty Two

I woke up on a beach. I could smell the air of the beach and hear the water in the distance.

I immediately knew where I was.

Lake Michigan. 

The month before Billy died. 

My happiest memory.

I sat up and saw I was sitting on a pale green beach towel with a duck pattern.

No one was around as far as I knew.

I did hear music playing.

Angeleyes by Abba.

I got up and looked around even more. The sky looked like a permanent sunset, blue fading into pink. It was warm out and the sun gave my surroundings a nice glow.

I followed the music to a car, Billy's car. It was blue and still shining in the glowing sunset light.

As I got near, I saw him. He was leaning against the side of the car, looking out at the water.

Billy turned his head as I walked closer, a small smile on his lips and wind tugging at his wavy hair.

"Billy?" I whispered. My voice was clear now, and it sounded young again.

"Charlie?" He asked me. "What are you doing here? You should be alive." He looked heartbroken and yet relieved at the same time.

I stared at him. We were only a foot apart now. He was wearing a tan tank top and some shorts. His hair was clean and he had sunglasses resting on top of his head.

He pulled me into a hug and I couldn't help but feel like this was a crazy dream

"Am I dead?" I asked. "Like really dead?" I let go of him but his hand lingered on mine.

He only nodded and gave me a tight lipped smile. Billy looked out at the water then back at me. "Sit down with me."

He gestured to a picnic table that I didn't notice before and gently pulled me to it. We both sat down. I was facing him.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Billy asked.

"Yes, it sure is," I replied.

"You know why you're here then, right?" He looked at me inquisitively. 

"Of course I know why. We were running from the bats. I was protecting Dustin. I basically got eaten alive." I paused, then looked Billy straight in the eyes. "I didn't want to die though. I need to go back. I have to go back. Max needs me. They'll all die if I don't go back."

"Charlie, you need to understand that death is just another part of your existence. I've been here for a while now and I've accepted it. This is nothing like a California beach but it is still an existence. But the view, oh the view reminds me of home," Billy sighed.

"So I'll be stuck here with you forever?" I asked.

"Does that really sound so bad?" Billy smirked.

"No, not really," I rolled my eyes. "I just feel awful now. What about my parents? And Nancy and Mike and Holly? And Eddie? Oh my god, Eddie."

I put my head in my hands and felt tears come to my eyes but they never fell. 

"Oh yeah. I hear it's been a whirlwind of a romance," Billy commented.

"What would you know? You're in a timeless moment in the afterlife."

"I have my ways. I watch you all, especially Max. She's still my baby sister. And you're still both my girls. I need to make sure you're safe."

"Safe enough anyway," I mumbled, looking back up at him. I looked at my hands and saw one of Eddie's rings catch my eye. It was like it had just appeared, reminding me of what I left behind.

Then there was a loud noise, a piercing shriek and a sudden crack of lightning over the water.

"What was that?" I asked, standing up from the picnic table.

"Someone's fighting death," Billy said, looking at me and standing up as well.

Down on the beach by the water, a body flickered in and out of the afterlife realm. I didn't hesitate to run towards it.

I could tell Billy followed by the sound of footsteps behind me.

Running on sand is not easy but I made it work.

I got to the water and the body finally flickered to a stop. I dropped to the sand in front of it.

Max.

She was dead too.

Our girl was gone.

And it was my fault.

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(a/n: save up the tissues for the next chapter. end of story coming soon :)