Number Unknown | S. Harrington

00

"Nancy." I said, gaining her attention as the man, Victor Creel, was arrested for a murder he didn't commit. She looked away from the scene with wide eyes.

"Dani?" She asked, confusion and fear clouding her expression.

The scene around us then changed. The young boy, Henry, was sitting on a chair. He had a grimace on his face as a man tattooed his arm. I knew that man. I knew this room. I'd seen it before, I've been here before. My chest raised and fell rapidly as anxiety twisted at my heart. My fingers trailed down to my wrist where the two numbers were.

The man placed the familiar tattoo gun on the table beside him before he cleaned the tattoo he had just made. 001.

"All done. Not so bad, was it? See? There's nothing to be afraid of. Is there, Daniele?" The doctor turned his head to look at me. I felt frozen with fear. "Why don't you take a seat?" The man's voice overlapped with Vecna's.

The image in front of me changed. I was suddenly looking at myself. 6 year old me sat in that exact chair, her hands strapped down to the arm of the seat as tears ran down her face. I felt frozen to the spot as I stared into my own eyes. I hadn't made it up. It wasn't a false memory. This is how it happened.

"I want to go home." Daniele Parker whimpered through her tears

"You are home." The doctor said, his voice sounding eerily similar to Vecnas as he stared at me.

A hand suddenly grasped my wrist, breaking me from my staring contest with myself and the doctor. I hardly had the time to think as Nancy dragged me over to the door, she pulled it open and dragged me with her as she began to race down the hallway.

The sight in front of us was horrible. Dead bodies and blood littered the white hallway. I averted my eyes, focusing on where I was running. But we came to a stop when we reached a door at the end of the hallway that was boarded up with wood. Nancy pried a piece of wood off of the door. I went to help her, but an ominous voice caused me to stop in my tracks.

"Nancy. What are you doing? It's not time for you to leave." Vecna was strolling down the corridor behind us. His feet squelching against the shiny floor.

I quickly put myself in front of her. "Stay away from us." I tried my best to sound tough, my voice shook.

"So brave for such a scared little girl." His voice taunted me

"Let us go." I said firmly, raising my hand in front of me. I used my power, and pushed against him, causing him to topple backwards.

Everything suddenly turned black. There was a moment of darkness, and my entire body was flooded with fear. Every nerve in my body was on edge. The lights turned back on, and I was back in that room. Only this time, I was strapped down to the chair. Black vines were wrapped around me, keeping me down.

Vecna was standing right in front of me. The sight of him made me sick. I glanced around the room and realized that Nancy wasn't with us.

"Where's Nancy? Where is she?" I asked him, worry and anger prevalent in my tone

"I only need one of you. Tell Eleven everything." He said lowly as he stood right in front of me. He raised his long fingers and held them in front of my face.

Images suddenly began to flash before me. Hawkins being destroyed, massive gates opening in the ground, taking every part of the town. "No!" I cried out, watching as my home town was destroyed. I then saw my parents, dead, my friends, dead. Steve, dead. I cried out at the sight. Monsters roamed the streets I grew up in, and there was nothing anyone could do.

"Tell her everything you saw." Vecna said lowly. "And know, you will fail."

Suddenly, I was no longer strapped down to a chair. I was back in my body again. My legs gave out from under me and I fell to the floor. A pair of arms wrapped around me, slowing my fall so I wouldn't get hurt.