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

Thirty Three

Billy fell next to me.

Max was wearing something similar to me, a brightly colored tank top and some jean shorts. Her hair was in two braids.

Then it hit me. She was wearing the outfit from the day Billy died.

"Oh my god," Billy cried out.

Max opened her eyes. She looked confused at first but then she saw me.

"Charlie? Billy? Is this a dream?" She sat up, gingerly touching her arms and face.

"Oh honey, I honestly wish this was," I replied.

"Is this hell?" She asked, looking at Billy, then at me.

"Max!" I scolded.

"Oh my god. Am I dead?" She started to panic, tears in her eyes.

Billy just pulled her into a hug. "You're okay now."

Max looked a bit bewildered.

"Welcome to Lake Michigan. Not good for surfing, but it is good for paddle boarding or kayaking," Billy smiled.

"Why are we here?" Max asked.

"Well, you both aren't dead. But you're not alive either. Your hearts have stopped but your mind is still alive. You have a few minutes until you're truly gone," Billy explained. "There is a way out though. A way back. I suspect you know what it is."

I looked at Billy, then back at Max. The lake water began to recede but all three of us were soaked now.

"Charlie, it is exactly what you are thinking," Billy smiled. "Every time this monster you call Vecna takes a victim tries to, at least, a part of him is stuck in them. That's why your friend Will could feel it. That's why El knew I was being controlled. Every time someone is attacked, they get a part of his powers. You have become him. And that's why he resorted to killing. Because now he knows that keeping them alive will only weaken him, but killing makes him stronger," Billy explained.

"You're saying we are like El now?" Max asked. "How do you even know this? Why should we believe you?"

"Hey, I may be dead, but I'm not stupid," Billy rolled his eyes. "I know things. I can still see the living. I can still comprehend what goes on. Anyone who has been attacked and survived has gained a part of Vecna's strength and power. As far as I know, if you wake back up now, you can defeat him."

"Wait, so when you mean everyone who's been attacked, you mean my sister as well?" I asked, thinking about Nancy, who was in a trance with me.

"Correcto! As long as the gate doesn't open, you can stop him," Billy replied.

"How long has it been since I died?" I asked Billy.

"Well, you've been here for an hour, but in the living world, it's only been probably a few seconds or so," He responded. "Time just passes differently."

"Oh my god, if I'm the fourth chime, then the gate will open in a few minutes," Max began to panic once more. "But how can we stop Vecna if my bones are literally snapped in half? Oh, and I'm blind????"

"Relax Max. Charlie can just snap them back into place for you," Billy grinned.

I immediately felt nauseous. "You want me to what?"

"It'll be a bit painful and you might faint but, at least it's better than being in a full body cast, right?" Billy composed himself a bit. "Okay, I'm thinking that once Charlie wakes up, you can just make a portal to Max and take her to Vecna in the reverse dimension. Nancy is already there. You just need to explode him or something and it'll all be over. No biggie."

"How long have you been thinking about this?" I asked Billy.

"Only since I found out who Vecna really was and what his plan was going to be. It's really hard to talk to the living when, you know, you're dead as dirt."

I rolled my eyes at his poor attempt at a joke. "How do we get back?"

"You need to hold hands and start chanting in ancient Latin backwards," Billy said with a straight face.

I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Max looked like she wanted to deck him.

"I'm joking. You just need to focus on it with your mind. Bring your heart back to life," Billy replied.

I started to close my eyes and began to think.

"Wait, Billy. Can you come with us? You know, since you're like us?" Max asked, a pleading look in her eye.

"Oh, um. Max, this is really hard to say. God, I wish I could be with you again. Restart everything and try to be a better person and regrown this family. But aside from my physical body literally being buried for like eight months, I was also stabbed directly in the chest and lost eighty percent of my blood," Billy's eyes welled with tears. "I love you Max. And I'll always be with you. In here." He taps on her chest, right where her heart is.

Max was crying, but she closed her eyes and tried to smile. "I love you too. Goodbye big brother."

"Take care of her for me Charlie. I love you too," Billy kissed my forehead.

I nodded, tears also rolling down my face. "Thank you for being my friend William Hargrove."

I closed my eyes once more and grabbed Max's hand.

"You'll be alright," Billy said, his voice beginning to fade.

Everything went dark once more.

But this time, I was alive.

And I was going to make everything right.

----

authors note: so, how's this for redemption? We got to see billy, max and charlie give their proper goodbyes. also, i felt like billy was a bit out of character but i also feel like being dead can give you good time to reflect on your life and your choices. 

just remember that this story will have a happy ending and there will be some gay relationships in the end. was anyone expecting my plot twist? probably not. did i expect my own plot twist? no. I decided to write this because of a tumblr post theory for season 5.

please feel free to cry to this.

also, for the next chapter, just imagine "running up that hill" instrumental is playing but with synth chords because i feel like it just fits the scene that is going to happen

okay, have a great day/night! xoxo kayden