Legendary | s. harrington (18+)

chapter twenty one

THERE was, in fact, a hole where Hopper must have entered the tunnels. The kids had been right; Evelyn wasn't happy about this though on any feasible level. Yet she was here regardless, knowing she'd never leave them in any sort of trouble. When Evelyn followed Steve and jumped towards the ground below, his hands reached out to help her. It was painfully obvious that this had ruined her landing though, as his touch threw her so off her guard that she stumbled backwards out his grip and nearly fell towards the floor. Looking into his yellow goggles, Evelyn made an embarrassed noise and could feel her face raging pink. Suddenly hot, she looked away as fast as she could and she swore under her breath. Steve blinked twice and turned his attention to the murky walls around them. He couldn't place why he'd needed so desperately to help her. He cleared his throat and forgot the feeling of her waist beneath his fingertips.

The tunnels were a deep purple that turned almost black, matching the bruises Steve and Evelyn shared on their faces. There were what Evelyn deducted to be white spores in the air - truthfully she had no idea what she was surrounded by, but it was all she could compare them too. She scowled and curiously followed the light that was being emitted by her flashlight.

"What in the world...?"

"Holy shit." Steve was muttering, his words muffled by the bandana tied around his face as they looked around. Mike held the only map they had, a piece of the vine drawing stolen from the living room wall.

"I'm pretty sure it's this way!" He was calling, waving his hands in the air so the whole group could see him.

"You're pretty sure or you're sure?" Dustin shouted back from beneath his scarf.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure, just follow me and you'll know!"

"Wow-Hey, hey hey! I don't think so." Steve called above him, shining his torch in Mike's face as he looked back. He ventured over the uneven ground beneath them and passed in front of Mike and though his face was completely covered, everyone could tell he was frowning.

"Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame."

"What about Eve?" Steve thought of Evelyn's straight A's and how he couldn't think of one person who disliked her. He scoffed.

"Little Miss Perfect would get away with it. I'm not getting in trouble because of any of you getting eaten."

"Hey!" Evelyn called from the back of the pack, but she was smiling and only half listening as she looked at the purple oozing walls around her that she could have sworn were moving.

"Got it Dipshit?" Steve turned back towards the rest of the group. "I'm leading the way." He shouted out, "Come on, let's go!"

As they were walking, they reached what seemed to be small clearings within the tunnels. Evelyn thought this because of the white mist that covered the floors and more vines offered them pathways. As they walked through one of them, Dustin stopped and the others had continued ahead. Eve hadn't noticed because she was lifting her foot from the squelching and unknown substance she had stepped in. She grimaced and pulled her shoe away from what was sticking to it. "Ew.."

It was then he screamed and Evelyn jumped, running forward to grab hold of him.

"Dustin! Dustin! What's wrong?" He was rolling on the ground coughing and Steve and the others returned frantic as Steve looked at a just-as-clueless Evelyn and Dustin Henderson.

"Shit!" His voice was high and breaking and when he leant back resting on his knees and his breath shaking his shoulders he said, "I'm okay." And everyone let out a loud sigh of relief. Steve's was more frustration.

"Very funny, man. Nice." Steve seemed to blame Evelyn almost. He looked at her before he turned away and shook his head. Eve frowned and placed an arm around Dustin as he got back to his feet.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Dustin was saying brushing at his coat, "Weird plant thing exploded in my face." Evelyn turned her head to look behind them and saw a ball on the wall and presumed that's what he meant. Worried again, Evelyn scanned his face quickly but then guided him towards the others, so they didn't loose them.

"You don't feel dizzy or sick or anything?" Evelyn had no idea what this place - or it's plants - could do.

"No, I'm good." Evelyn nodded, lifting her flashlight in front of them, blocked by Max's figure.

"Good." Evelyn took a mental note to make sure he still felt okay later, but then the group had come to a stop.

"Alright, Wheeler. I think we found your hub." It was then Evelyn and Dustin moved their way around the group of bodies to catch sight of what they'd walked here for. Evelyn sighed, feeling no better than when they'd jumped down here. There were more tunnels than she'd seen so far added together around them. They must have been in the centre, where all the tunnels met. There were carcasses and strange plants along the floor and vines that had joined into something almost looking like a table.

"Right." Mike said, "let's trench it." Max passed Eve a can of gasoline and she began pouring it around the area like she was instructed. With the cans empty and the group back at the tunnel they arrived through, they watched Steve as he pulled his lighter from his pocket.

"Ready?"

"Light her up." And Steve flicked the lighter lid with a shake of his head.

"I am in such deep shit."

Having succeeded in their job, the group headed back the way they came but Evelyn's heart jumped out her throat when she heard Mike yell. She ran faster than the rest of them, beating Steve to his side. One of the small, snakelike veins were wrapped around his leg, tightening around the skin.

"It's alright, Mike!" Evelyn looped her arms around Mike's and pulled him with all her strength. She groaned with the struggle. Her face gleamed in Steve's torchlight from the sweat coating it. Her hairs were stuck against her face and her panicked eyes snapped to him. She pulled at Mike again but she was unable to pull him free of the creature's grip. She made a stressed noise and tried again.

"Get back!" He said to the rest of the children who were creeping forwards and hit the vine with his bat until it squealed and withered away.

"We've got to hurry." Evelyn said with her arms still tightly around Mike Wheeler, her stomach upside down with worry. Her opportunity to say anything else was stolen by the unexpected but familiar growl of demodog behind them. More specifically, behind Evelyn. She closed her eyes briefly and whimpered.