Distortion [S. Harrington]

chapter 10

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Once all three of them got into the car, Nancy started to fill Jonathan in on the events that happened inside the tree. She told him about them running and Lucy saving her, but she couldn't begin to understand what happened to Lucy after she had exited the tree. Not wanting to hear the story she lived, Lucy curled up into a ball in the backseat and drifted off to sleep.

In the small time she had to dream between the trip from the woods to her house, Lucy had a nightmare. The monster from the woods already haunted her dreams and would soon reign more terror on her life.

In this nightmare, Lucy was running again. She was in the same woods, being chased by the same monster, under the deep redness of the sky. She heard the terrified screams of Nancy also running from this creature and the scattered, distant cries of Jonathan calling out to her. All the noise echoed in her head as she tried to run and find Nancy, or anyone, to help her.

Lucy was slow. It was like she was running in quicksand. She saw the beast looming over her own helpless body in third person, but there was nothing she could do. She tried to scream but her mouth made no sounds. She grabbed at her throat, hoping to hear something other than the in and out droning of the screams in her head, but there was nothing. Suddenly it was quiet...

From behind her there was a slight crunch of leaves. Turning to see what made the noise, the beast jumped at her and as soon as it made contact she was torn from her nightmare.

Lucy gasped for air and sat straight up in the backseat of Jonathan's car. Immediately wincing at the pain she had just created on the gashes at her side. It felt like flames thrashed against her stomach, but she ignored it for the time being.

Nancy and Jonathan took a worried glance at each other before saying anything. The only sound was the calming noise of the car's engine humming and the radio music playing quietly in the background.

Nancy offered a stay at her house, but Lucy declined. They were already in Lucy's driveway and all she wanted to do was go home.

Lucy pulled herself out of the car and slung her bag over her shoulder before slamming the door closed. She waved goodbye to the other two but Nancy hopped out of the car to say one last thing.

She gave her a quick hug before saying, "I want you to call me if you need anything, okay? And I'm being completely serious. I know you don't want anyone to worry about you but I'm already worried so call if you need me. Even if it's not for help and just for a talk."

Lucy nodded and said goodbye again before turning and walking off.

"Hey!" Nancy called out from the passenger window. "Thanks by the way. You know, for not letting me get eaten by that thing."

"No problem," Lucy replied while smiling, even though you couldn't really tell from the dimness of her porch light.

After the final goodbyes, Nancy and Jonathan drove off and left Lucy alone at her house. Her dad wasn't even home. No cars in the driveway but her own.

She unlocked the door with the key under the mat and let herself in. She didn't care that he wasn't home. It was actually better this way. Now he didn't have to see her all beat up like she was.

As soon as she got into her room, she broke down and started crying. The tears that were building up inside finally poured out and spilled down the disgusting coat she was still wearing and onto the freshly vacuumed carpet on her floor. She felt like her whole life was just some sort of horrible nightmare, and that she was just as weak as when her sister died. She thought she was tougher now and that she could handle anything, but she just felt pathetic and stupid.

She was disgusted by the monster goo that was still all over her so she harshly wiped the tears off her face and went to the bathroom. She threw all her dirty clothes into a pile on the floor and turned on the hot water, letting all the steam rise up and fill the room. Taking the soapy washcloth in her hands, she scrubbed at her skin until it became extremely red and burned her to even be touched by water.

After the shower, she looked at herself in the mirror and desperately wanted to feel clean but she still didn't. She still felt dirty and disgusting. She tried to wash it all away but she could still feel the tube-like tongue stuck down her throat, slowly choking the life from her body.

Pulling the towel to the side, she looked at her side in the bathroom mirror. The marks on her stomach were still red and sore, but they weren't bleeding anymore so she was thankful. They would probably never go away. No matter how hard she tried to get rid of them, they'd still haunt her for the rest of her life.

Suddenly there was a tightness in her throat, almost choking her with this dry type of feeling. Lucy coughed. Her lungs aching as she coughed harder, trying to get this feeling out of her throat. A big piece of goop flew out of her mouth and into the sink. It looked like it came straight from the Upside Down.

Wiping her mouth, Lucy stared at the green goo in the sink, wondering what it could be. She reached out a finger, poking it. It felt almost like jelly against her skin. Not wanting to look at it any longer, she turned on the sink and washed it down the drain with hot water.

She went back into her room wrapped in a towel, physically cleaner than before. After changing, she laid down in her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, just thinking. About the demogorgon, Nancy, Jonathan, and anything else that popped into her head for the next couple of hours before she fell asleep.

When her dad got home he came in to check on her, as he did some night when he was out really late. He found her sound asleep in her bed, not moving a muscle. Not knowing the horrors she's seen, he slowly closed the door and left her alone.

Maybe an hour later there was a soft knock on her bedroom window. Unfortunately for the person outside the window, Lucy was fast asleep by now.

They knocked again, harder this time and peeked through the small crack in the curtain. Now knowing that Lucille was not awake they got back into their car and left.

"What, girl number two doesn't want you either?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Feisty!"