mary. [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

lii. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

~The Bite~

     The screech from outside the house made Mary pick her head up in alarm. She folded up the note again, then wiped the tears from her eyes quickly. She walked out of the room to see everyone boarding up the windows and the door. Nancy as loading up a shotgun while Jonathan held an ax.

     "The Mind Flayer is coming, and so is that thing," Max informed her, getting in the circle. Mary walked to Hopper's room, opening up the closet and reaching for the top shelf. She pulled down another shot gun, then grabbed the ammo that was up there, too. She loaded it quickly, then walked out to the circle. Everyone stood in ready stances, the cabin completely quiet. A light began to shake back and forth, then the counter began to shake.

     "It's close," Will said. Some leaves rustled outside and saw dust fell from the boards in the ceiling. A wall shook and one of the mugs fell to the ground and shattered to pieces. Then nothing happened and it all stopped.

     "Where'd it go?" Max asked uneasily. They all waited a moment until one of the fleshy arms came through the wall. They all screamed, backing up different ways. It went for Eleven, but Jonathan hit the fleshy hand with the ax. He hit it again, Eleven standing there with wide eyes. He tried to hit it a third time, but the hand hit him back, the ax dropping to the ground. It went to get Jonathan, but Nancy shot it. The hand turned to her, Nancy shooting two more times before the gun jammed. Right as the hand was about to grab Nancy's face, it stopped in mid-air. Eleven was stood behind it, and she pulled it away from Nancy. She ripped it off, the rest of the arm retreating from the hole in the wall.

     It didn't stop there. Another arm came in, and Eleven stopped it with one hand. Then another, and she stopped it with her other hand. Eleven yelled, moving her arms down and ripping the hands off. She breathed heavily, that is until the creature opened a hole in the ceiling and grabbed Eleven by the ankle. She screamed, Mike grabbing onto her first. Jonathan stood and grabbed her, along with Max and Will. Mary pumped the shotgun in her hand, and she aimed for it. She shot once, the creature barely moving. She shot again, the creature just screeching.

     "Come on, Lucas!" Max yelled as Eleven was still screaming. Mary shot the creature again, Nancy joining with her. Lucas grabbed the ax from the ground, and swung at the arm. He hit it again with a yell as Mary and Nancy shot at the creature. Lucas finally got the arm off of the body, and they all went crashing to the ground. Mike sat up quickly, and ripped the claws out of Eleven's leg. She screamed in pain, Mike throwing the arm somewhere else. They all looked up to the creature, Eleven standing up and facing it. She extended two arm, screaming it it while the creature roared. She split its head in half, maiming it for the time being.

    "Go! Go! Go!" Jonathan shouted, ushering everyone out the door. They all ran to Nancy and Mary's car, and they all began to speed away from the cabin.

~*~

     The cars both screeched to a halt in front of the grocery store, and everyone got out. Mary picked up a rock from the ground, then threw it at the window. She walked forward, going through through the glass. She began to go through the aisles to get what she would need to help Eleven's wound, grabbing a wash cloth that Max had previously requested. She went to another aisle and grabbed a bowl, then heard Mike yelling.

     "Dustin! Dustin!" Mike yelled. She dropped the bowl, sprinting to the aisle that Mike was in. "Dustin!"

     "What's going on?" Mary asked, walking to him quickly. They all then moved Eleven to the freezer's, and opened all of them to give her a still noise. She had a blindfold over her eyes, and everyone was gathered around her. Lucas suddenly opened a New Coke, everyone looking to him.