THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT ｡ STRANGER THINGS

19 - MONSTER HUNTING

In the dead of night two Hawkins teenagers cursed the misfortune of the nighttime while their lungs burned and their limbs cried out from sheer movement. Screams fell from their dry lips, hair looking wild behind them as they raced far away from the monster that loomed at their tails. The ugly cries from the Demogorgon chilled their bones but they didn't have time to stop running.

It had been impossible to backtrack towards the Fields' house and since Daisy Lonsdale and Dottie Fields had been huddled at the oak tree, digging for answers left in a metal box, they were closer to the Byers' house if anything. While the wailing of the monster with no face called out from behind them, Daisy tried her best to sprint while hurling the locked box in her arms. Dottie was a few paces in front, her legs longer. Although, she had loathed gym class and always noted she never ran, tonight she moved like her life depended on it and honestly, it really did.

"Shit."

The curse was like a gunshot in the dry and silent air. Daisy was sucking in deep breaths as the metal box slipped from her hands and crashed towards the dirt and grass. Panicked and slightly terrified, she bent down to collect the box full of clues that Marigold had left behind for her. Dottie turned around with the sound and swore herself. "Daisy, leave the stupid box."

Daisy sneered. "Like hell."

Without a doubt, Dottie knew it was a stupid idea since a monster that wanted to drag their bodies to the Upside Down and chew on their flesh was somewhere behind them in the trees, but she hurried towards her best friend. "Let me carry it." Dottie assured her, heaving the heavy thing into her arms and glancing around them in the darkness. Besides their both shaky breathing, the sounds of the night died around them. "Wait, do you hear anything?"

"No." Daisy whispered, her eyes scanning the trees.

Dottie was almost hopeful. "Maybe it's gone—"

A spine curling ripple of painful cries sounded again and without thinking, Dottie was slipping her hand within Daisy's and pulling her along. In the near distance, she spotted the Byers' wooden porch while lights flickered in the windows. Two cars sat in the dirt driveway and her heart flared. The wood creaked under their weight and the only time she let go of Daisy's hand was to pound on the door. "Jonathan? Anybody?"

Daisy glanced over her shoulder, trying to make out the monster behind them but, there was nothing but darkness and a familiar car. "Is that Steve's car?" she asked aloud when the front door was yanked open and the girls stared across at Nancy Wheeler, who should have been at the school looking after the younger kids.

"Nance, hey." Dottie blurted out, her voice shaking just a little bit. "We've got a problem."

Over Nancy's thin shoulder, stood two teenage boys, both slightly freaking out too. Jonathan Byers, who really didn't want the Demogorgon coming back for round two and Steve Harrington, who had stumbled into something far bigger and crazier than he had assumed. Nancy nodded her head though, all too familiar with the word problem. She hurried the girls inside, Daisy taking note of the gun rested in her hand. "We were out back by the oak tree and heard it. We didn't really have time to think and just started running...wait, what's that smell? Why aren't you both at the school with Micky and the others?" Questions poured from Dottie's mouth.

It was quiet for a second, Daisy swinging her attention towards the older boy. "Steve? What in the world are you doing here?"

Steve shrugged, dried blood stuck to his skin still. "I took your advice. Shitty advice, by the way. Now, I'm stuck in whatever this...weird shit is."

Nancy Wheeler still carried the gun, which she had pointed across at her boyfriend only moment ago in an attempt to shut him up and get him out of the house before the nightmare showed up. But that was before two girls banged on the door and dragged more trouble into the house. "Look, we don't have time for this, okay? Steve, you need to leave. Dottie, Daisy, maybe it's best if you grab a weapon or something. We really could use some help."