𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

ix. the woods.

    

     JAMES WALKED out into the livingroom, sighing and setting down the hairspray. He looked to the others and saw them moving discreetly. "It's gone!" He exclaimed and Jonathan sighed, turning to Nancy who just looked all around. James looked over at Steve who was mumbling to himself, "this is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy!" His voice raised and James sighed.

"This is crazy! This is crazy!" When he grabbed the phone and started dialing, James ran over to him. He slams it back down onto where it had been hanging on the wall. "Dude, are you insane?! We have to—" "It's going to come back! So you need to leave. Right now, Harrington." He says and Steve did leave, rushing out the door.

The flickering started again and they stood in a circle once more, backs facing each other. "Where is it?" Nancy asked. "Come on. Come on, you son of a bitch." Jonathan said and James sighed, clutching the hairspray can in his hand. "You see it?" James looked at Nancy. "No, where—" "come on!" Jonathan said again as James groans.

"Where are you? Come on!" He exclaimed and then the lights all turned off. Then it appeared behind them, behind Jonathan. "Jonathan!" Nancy yelled as James backed away, holding Nancy's arm and pulling her with him. The bat rolled away as the monster fell on top of Jonathan, "Jonathan!" Nancy shouted again as James still held her arm. The monster's face slowly opened up and James pulled his hand away, in awe as he watched the monster but then Nancy starts shooting.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!" She kept shooting and it just stood up and turned around to face her and James, she slowly backed away as he still stood his ground, holding up his lighter and hairspray can. "Hey, fugly motherfucker." He grinned and light the lighter but then he felt one of the monster's arms hit his hand, the lighter being thrown to the side. He backed away as well, Nancy shooting again. "N-Nancy?" He said when he heard the gun clicking, she ran out of bullets.

Someone jumped out, hitting the monster with the baseball bat with nails on it. "Harrington." James backed away and gave more space as he turned to Nancy who put a hand to his shoulder. Steve leads the creature directly into the hallway, continuing to swing the bat at it as James went over to Jonathan and pulled him up to his feet.

"He's in the trap!" Steve yelled and James quickly rushed over, picking up his lighter on the way. "He's stuck!" Steve said and they looked down the hall. "Jonathan, now!" James looked to him and Jonathan ignites the lighter before throwing it, the gasoline catching on fire and all they saw were flames, the monster screeching.

"Get back!" Jonathan yelled and used the fire extinguisher to take the fire out. The fire was taken out and they were all coughing as Jonathan panted, the lights turning on as they covered their mouths. James walked over to the trap, "where'd it go?" Nancy asked. "It has to be dead. It has to be." Jonathan said, out of breath and James got closer to examine the closed bear trap.

All there was was the bear trap and a bit of flesh on it that had bubbles all over it like it was burning. He turns around to face them, "I-I need a cigarette." He whispered then he saw the lights lighting up one by one. They back away, Steve in front of Jonathan, James and Nancy this time with the bath. "I-I-It's not the monster..." James said and slowly walked past Steve who grabs his arm.

"Hey, it-it could be." He said and James simply shook his head, following the lights. "It's my dad... with your mom." He looked at Jonathan who stared back at him before looking at the lights, his brows furrowing. "Mom. Is that you?" He whispers softly and the lights kept lighting up until they stopped, the one at the door being the last one. James walked over and opened the door.

He follows Jonathan outside, the four teens all standing on the front porch as the street light flickered then stopped. "Where is it going?" Nancy asked as they stared at it. "It's not the monster... James was right." Jonathan says.

It was over. Everything was over. James was sat between Steve and his dad in the waiting room at the hospital, Will was in one of the rooms, getting treated after they found him. James glanced around the room and frowned when he realized Eleven wasn't even there, glancing down.

He looked at his dad and leaned closer, "what happened with... th-the girl?" He whispered and Jim looks at him. "Uh, they..." Jim cleared her throat, "they couldn't find her, Mike, Dustin, Lucas," he said and James just nods softly.

James looks at Steve and the boy looked back awkwardly only for him to look away quickly. Steve furrows his brows and looked away as Jonathan appeared at the door. "Guys! Guys! Will's up!" Mike shook his two friends awake before the three boys ran out of the room and left.

A month later, James was standing alone in the police station when his dad put on his jacket. James pulled on his as well and walked over to him. "We're going now?" He asked and Jim nodded, James taking out a cigarette as he went to wait in the doorway, Jim going to grab food.

He opened the container and put some cookies into it, "you leaving already, chief?" Powell asked him as James lit up his cigarette. "Oh, come on, you think I actually wanted to come to this thing? James dragged me here and I was just hungry." He said and James just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, that's the spirit." Callahan said, "well, your wife doesn't have time to cook for me, you know what I'm saying?" Jim said as he now walked over to James who snickered. Flo took the cigarette from Jim's mouth and even James', the sixteen year old boy frowning at her. "Merry Christmas, Hoppers." She smiled and James sighed. "Merry Christmas, Flo." He replied to her.

In the car, Jim drove and then pulled over. James grabbed the container as Jim opened his flashlight before the two walk into the woods. James finally reached it, the box, he wiped the snow off the top of it and opened it. He sets the container into it and held up his hand, Jim setting Eggos in saran wrap into it. He set them ontop of it and closed the lid before looking up at his dad.

   

   

  

  

  

  

  

   

  

  

   

  

authors note Will Byers is babie