Notes:
Holy mother of god. This is the mega chapter. Topping in at just over 10k words, I spent a little over 3 days writing this. I literally didn't do anything else but eat, sleep, and write.
All my hard work paid off I think, because this is my favorite chapter.
I'm surprised my dinky little Chromebook didn't have a stroke when I wrote all of this.
Thank you so much for getting this far :) Enjoy "The Piggyback."
Max sighed as she entered the old house. The massacre that took place here years ago haunted the house. She got shivers just entering it.
There was a fifty/fifty chance this would even work. And if it didn't…
She couldn't think about that. Not now. She needed to survive. For Lucas. For the party. For everyone. Even… even if she didn't want to. Pushing the thought out other head, Max tried to deny the truth at hand. The fact that consumed her.
They were ready to put their plan into action. It was time. Max was a bit scared. How could she not be? Still, she had to put on a brave face. They'd already devised a plan; she couldn't go back on it now.
Max used her pen to write, 'I'll do the attic, ' in the notebook she carried.
Erica and Lucas nodded.
'I'll do the second floor, ' Lucas scribbled.
Erica shrugged. ' First floor for me. '
Max couldn't fathom how an eleven-year-old could be so brave, how she'd be willing to face the threat of the upside-down.
Putting on her headphones, Max nodded at them to say, ' Good luck. ' She hoped it would work, even if it wasn't phase one.
Max and the others took their shoes off, leaving only their socks on. It would make less noise. The less noise, the better.
She clicked the music on, and Kate Bush sang in her ear as she and Lucas wandered up the stairs.
'It doesn't hurt me.
Do you wanna feel how it feels?'
The floor creaked as she carefully maneuvered the second floor to and into the attic stairs. Max turned and gave Lucas one last nod to say, 'Don't do anything stupid, Stalker.'
God, she already missed him. Why? Why did she miss him? Deep down, she did know. But saying it, thinking about it … it only made things more difficult for her to bare.
Max stepped up into the attic, nearly tripping on the steep stairs, and held her blue lantern in front of her. Technically, it was a bug zapper, but it worked all the same, if not better—screw technicality. Praise the bug zappers.
'Do you want to know
That it doesn't hurt me?'
'Yeah, yeah.'
'Do you want to hear about the deal that I'm making?'
The creepy dollhouse stared at Max from the corner of the room. It was merely a reminder of the little girl who was slaughtered by Henry. Max stretched her memory to remember the young girl's name. Alice?
Something like that.
Max had seen what Henry could do to people. She'd seen Chrissy and Fred's mutilated bodies. So broken. So useless. So… dead.
Max shivered. If things went wrong, she could end up like them. But… would she care? Lucas and her friends would. She knew it.
Seeing him at the graveyard… she understood how much he needed her.
Her socks brushed over the dead leaves that had fallen through the cracks of the ceiling. The house had rotted so much that Max was afraid the floorboards would give out at any moment.
Max watched as the lantern lit up some wooden boxes. Resting on top of them was various dusty items. Two jars were full of spiders, candles, and an unidentified box.
That's not creepy at all…
She figured it must've been Henry's. Steve had mentioned how he found a group of spiders the last time they had explored the house.
Max flashed back to Henry's mindscape. She'd stepped on an egg of baby spiders.
Maybe Henry had a thing for spiders?
He was already a creepy person. It wouldn't be a shocker.
Max had never understood the people that kept siders as pets. It was just so… weird.
She'd have a panic attack if she woke up every morning to see a tarantula in a glass case. Specifically in her room.
At the side of the room resided a rocking chair. It looked like it'd been used quite often. The paint was chipping off, revealing the wooden structure.
Was it Victor's or something? It'd be a pretty nice thing to relax on.
Max turned her head to Lucas and Erica at the top of the stairs. She nearly screamed, but she managed to bite her tongue. Jesus, did they have to jumpscare her like that?
'Found Vecna,' Erica's note read.
About time.
Max quietly snuck downstairs with them. The lantern cast eerie shadows across the walls. This house could fit into a horror movie perfectly.
' You don't want to hurt me.
But see how deep the bullet lies. '
Heading into the first floor, Erica took them into the study. Max shoved cobwebs out of her face so that she could see the light. Sure enough, the younger girl's lantern shone brightly as she approached a small coffee table.
Max stepped forward, fixating her eyes on it. Even if she couldn't see him, Max knew Henry was there. Ready to attack his final victim.
Coming closer, Max's light began to swell. Weird… She spun around.
Erica wrote something on her paper.
Max noted how Erica's face didn't express her usual sarcastic demeanor. Instead, it reflected someone much more mature than her age.
'Phase One? '
Lucas nodded, and Erica sprinted out the front door.
Now what?
They had to be dead silent so Henry wouldn't find them; therefore, small talk couldn't work.
Max and Lucas opted to sit across from each other on a couch and chair. She stared into his deep brown eyes.
' Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
Be running up that building.
And if I only could, oh….'
Max glanced back down. This was painfully awkward.
She got an idea.
She grabbed her pen and paper. ' Hi. ' Max smiled.
Lucas grabbed his. ' Hi :) '.
Max couldn't help but blush. She again jotted down, ' I'm glad you're here.'
It was true. He was the only thing holding Max together from breaking down.
' Me too! '
Max nearly laughed before remembering that she wasn't allowed to. Not if she wanted to be tranced earlier than they planned.
Lucas wrote again. ' Movie Friday? '
Drawing a picture, she removed it from Lucas's view. It took a few seconds to create.
Finally, Max showed it off. It was a picture of her and him sitting at the movies, popcorn in hand.
Lucas's face glowed brighter than the lantern. Brighter than the sun, even.
Max's heart soared. She wanted him to hold her, just like in old times.
She'd missed him so terribly. Max wanted him back.
Max wanted to kiss him…
Suddenly, flashing came out the window.
They quickly stood up and hurried toward the window to see what was happening. Lucas grabbed his flashlight.
Erica.
Lucas flashed his light back.
Phase Two.
Max and Lucas glanced at each other. It was time. Her heart pounded. Was she ready? Was she ever prepared?
Heading to the bottom of the stairs, Max tied her shoelace. Got to always be ready, right?
Henry still wasn't following them. What a dick.
Max and Lucas headed back into the study, and she dared to hold his hand. She looked at her date nervously. Here goes nothing.
Removing her headphones and clicking the tapedeck off, Max yelled, "Hey! Asshole! I'm here. No more music. No more games."
The light didn't move away. They were left in stillness. Silence.
"Do you hear me? What are you waiting for, huh? Come on! Do you want me or not?" Max screamed. She was heavily annoyed. Why wasn't this working?
The lantern buzzed, and then… it faded. Suddenly, Max's lit up.
Yes! He was on the move.
Trailing after it, she and Lucas cautiously climbed the staircase. Up they went.
They were ascending the next flight of stairs; Max glanced at Lucas. He looked terrified for her. Still, Lucas bobbed his head as if to say, "Keep going."
Swallowing, she continued.
He didn't stop having an expression of pure fear.
She knew he loved her, no matter everything they've been through. Through hell and back, he loved her. And she…
Nevermind.
As the light halted in front of the boxes, Max closed her eyes, and suddenly, it died out.
What? What was he playing at?
"What are you waiting for, asshole? Hmm? I'm right here. I'm right here!" Max shouted. Her voice still shook though. Henry would probably be able to tell that she was nervous.
She sighed. "I know you can hear me. I know you can read my thoughts. Even the worst ones. Maybe mostly the worst ones."
Billy dying.
Moving away from California.
Distancing herself from Lucas.
All the shame that bubbled within her gut.
Max placed the lantern and walkman on the boxes and settled her body on the floor. She needed to be honest if he were to confront her. Max was sure of it.
This wasn't going to be easy…
"I thought about what you said. About how I wanted my brother to die. I thought you were just trying to upset me. To anger me." She paused. "But you weren't, were you? You were just telling the truth."
Max's voice was rattling. "Billy, he made my life living hell. Every chance he got. So, sometimes… when I would lie in bed at night, I would… I would pray…" she sniffled, "…I would pray that something would happen to him. Something awful. I knew that he drove too fast, so I would imagine him crashing. Dying in that stupid car."
That stupid car. The car he attempted to run her friends over with. The one that nearly killed them.
He was always so proud of it. So happy he'd gotten it. In her opinion, Billy thought it made him hot or something, but it just made him look like more of an asshole.
Max wanted to cry so badly. Admitting this was… hard. So very hard. And with Lucas watching her, she prayed he wouldn't judge her and that he'd understand. Maybe he would. Maybe he wouldn't. She hoped for the best.
He cared about her.
"I just… I wanted him out of my life. Forever. I wanted him to disappear. The day that he died… I think that's why I just stood there. Watched. Not because I was scared or… weak. But because… I didn't know if he deserved to be saved." Tears had started to pour out of Max's eyes. She didn't care if Lucas saw them. She could be vulnerable, just this once. If she died today, she might as well get all the truth once and for all.
"And I've tried to forgive myself. I've tried, but… I can't. I can't…." she bawled.
Max paused for a second, attempting to recollect herself. It was proving to be rather tricky. "So now…now, when I lie in bed at night… I pray that something will happen to me. That something terrible will happen to me. So that's why I'm here. Because… I just want you to take me away. And I want you… to make me disappear."
All the hope she'd felt at the graveyard- was fading. It was slipping away. Guilt was eating Max and swallowing her whole.
"Is that all true?" Lucas asked. "You wanted Billy to die."
She stared in confusion. What was he doing?! This wasn't a part of the plan!
"Why are you talking?" Max said, panicked. He wasn't supposed to speak.
"You ever have thoughts like that about me?" he whispered. Max's heart panged.
Max stumbled to her feet. "What? No, Lucas, never."
"Normal people don't fantasize about killing other people, Max," Lucas said. "You realize that, right?"
Tears welled in her eyes. He was right, wasn't he? Max should've never talked about Billy.
"Lucas, please," she tried to plead.
"I thought you were getting better. But you're not, are you? You're sick," he told her cooly. "Maybe it is good he takes you. Maybe it's for the best. In fact… I'm glad it's going to be you."
Max saw Lucas's eyes become frosted and full of tears, and it suddenly clicked. Henry.
"You will be the chosen one," Lucas said, his voice distorted. Her heart thumped. "The fourth. The final sacrifice."
Lucas's and Vecna's voices began to overlap. "It's going to be you that breaks the world."
Shit, shit, shit.
Max was tranced. Now it begins.
Lucas suddenly noticed Max's words fade. Crouching in front of her, he noticed that her eyes had rolled to the back of her head.
"Max, can you hear me?!" Lucas cried, waving his hand in front of her face. "Max?!"
Even though this was all a part of the plan, it was still shocking. It was still nerve-wracking.
She couldn't hear him at all, not even slightly, and Vecna was currently showing Max her very own worst fears.
Running to grab the flashlight, he used the signal. Please work, please work…
Erica returned it.
Phase Three.
Max backed away. Oh shit…
She looked around for any sort of weapon and saw a vase.
It'll do.
"Max. Where are you going? Don't be scared."
"Stay away from me," she warned. Max was ready.
"Max, I thought you said you were ready. Ready to disappear!"
Yeah, well, not anymore. Max remembered why all over again. She still couldn't give up on her friends, on Lucas. No matter her pain. No matter her suffering. Max still had that date, remember?
"I said, stay away!" Max screamed.
Swinging a vase over his head, it shattered everywhere.
Max ran for her life down the staircase, fleeing.
Damnit, damnit, damnit! Oh, she was in such deep shit.
Sprinting down the second floor, Max opened the rose-stained glass door. To her dismay, however, it was tightly boarded up by wooden planks. Are you kidding?
A voice rose from the staircase. She spun around.
"Where are you going, Maxine?"
Max watched Vecna stand at the top of the grand second-floor staircase, glaring at her. At that moment, Max realized two things.
One, Vecna was a better name for him considering what he looked like. Absolutely terrifying.
Two, she was screwed if her plan doesn't work. Like, royally screwed.
Dashing into the dining room, Max nearly cursed when the door, too, was trapped. She tried everything she could to pull it apart, but nothing seemed to work. Max grunted in annoyance.
When could she just be given a break for once? Seriously, nothing good ever came to her.
The next place she ran to was to the back door.
God, please work!
This time she did actually curse when it was the same boarded door. "Shit shit shit!"
She tried one last door, silently praying that it would work. And… it kind of did.
Instead of a boarded-up wall, Max was met with a memory, a bad memory. A memory that still haunted her.
But a memory, nonetheless.
Last summer, she and her friends had trapped Billy in the sauna when he was possessed. They were attempting to pull the mindflayer out of him, but… well, it definitely didn't work.
Like, it miserably failed. Instead, not only had he broken through, but he had nearly killed Eleven in the process. If it weren't for Mike, El would be dead.
"Max!" Billy screamed. "Let me out of here!"
Max tried to run, to escape. She so desperately needed to leave. But as she turned around, she found the door was open.
Goddamnit! Why did it always have to be boarded up?!
Max would be forced to watch Billy, wouldn't she? That'd surely be the next memory that played.
Suddenly, the glass shattered, and Billy's hand reached out the broken window. Billy yelled at the top of his lungs.
Bellowing, Billy attempted to break the door with his entire body. The chain and pipe that held the door from opening rattled.
"Max! Let me out!
"Max! Max!"
Max abruptly remembered the plan she'd made. How could she forget?
Max closed her eyes.
Her mind wandered back to the snowball and how she'd danced with Lucas. The way max had kissed him. How amazing she felt as her heart pounded. The confetti on the floor. Her black dress with colorful stripes. The balloons that scattered the ground. One of her favorite songs that played.
And as Billy finally crashed through the door, Max opened her eyes.
There she was.
At the snowball dance. Though she was alone, Max smiled, pleasantly surprised by how well her idea had worked.
She'd actually done it; she'd outsmarted Vecna. She'd outsmarted him .
Max spun around, observing the decorations. It was exactly how she remembered it. Minus the people, of course.
"Holy shit," Max breathed. She chuckled. Max loved this place. Only good memories were associated here.
Just like she wanted.
Max wandered around the gym, nostalgic. The giant sign over the booth read, ' Snowball Dance. '
The lighting was white and blue, two beautiful colors for winter. Whoever chose it has good taste.
Max swore; she hated the red and green Christmas decorations.
Sitting at one of the round tables, Max fumbled with her hands as " Every Breath You Take. " echoed around the room.
If Max had to pick a second favorite song other than " Running Up That Hill ," she'd choose this one. The Police were a magical band, she must admit.
The disco light created sparkles on her face, and Max remembered how it shone off Lucas's too back in 8th grade. Then, both of them looked beautiful. Spectacular.
Max checked her watch.
Would Lucas show up? Or would she sit alone in this memory?
Max nearly jumped out of her skin when a balloon popped behind her. Blood shot out of its rubber, splashing all over the table and ground.
The hell?!
She quickly shot up and backed away. It was kind of like the book 'It', one of her all time favorites. Max couldn't deny it; Stephan King was incredible.
But blood balloons in real life? Eh… not so much.
Suddenly, another one exploded behind her, and Max squeaked. She hated it when balloons popped.
And then two more. Then another, and another, and another.
Max spun around as the music changed. "Every Breath You Take" became "Dream A Little Dream Of Me. " It was so… distorted. So eerie.
…do love you
Dream a little dream of me.
Say nighty-night and kiss me.
Just hold me tight And tell me you'll miss me.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me.
Max's heart skipped a beat as the decorations began to rot. What was going on?
Oh, how I do linger on
Still craving your kiss
How you crave my kiss
Now I'm longing…
Max walked around, examining the newly gross room. She'd never been in the upside-down, but this wasn't how anyone had described it.
Not until it turned cold, did blue and white flakes fell from above. Only then did it fit the description. Vecna.
Lucas watched as Max's breathing hitched. Her skin was so pale. Worry flooded over him. He wasn't sure what was happening to her, but whatever it was, it was clear Max was panicking. Something was wrong.
"Oh, shit…"
Running back to the boarded window, Lucas attempted the flashlight again. Nothing. His breathing became rapid. Max was in danger. Where the hell was Erica?
Suddenly, Lucas heard the floorboards creak behind him. Somewhere in him, he already knew he was screwed, whoever it was.
What was going on surely didn't seem great.
So, when he slowly turned around, his heart dropped to his stomach. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
"Shit…" he muttered under his breath. This was the person he wanted to see the least out of everyone.
Jason… It was Jason.
Goddamnit.
"Jason?" Lucas said. "You can't be here right now, man." Of course, he knew Jason wouldn't care, but it was worth a try, right?
Jason stared at Max's body, which sat frozen in place. Then he looked at Lucas. Then back at Max. This lasted for a few seconds.
"The hell have you done?" he uttered. Jason crouched next to Max.
"Jason. You need to leave," Lucas pleaded.
Jason shook his head. "Is this what you did to Chrissy?" he asked accusingly; Jason was turning angry.
"Just listen, Jason-"
Jason crouched in front of Max, examining her. He looked terrified for her. "Hey-"
Lucas tried to get through to him, "You need to go, man-"
"Hi. Can… Can you hear me?" Jason asked, putting a hand on her back.
"Jason, don't touch her," Lucas begged. "I'm not messing around. Please, just-"
"Hear me?" Jason asked softly.
"Jason!" Lucas screamed, trying to get his former friends' attention.
Lucas jumped as Jason pulled a gun on him.
Holy. Shit.
"Hey, back up! Back up!"
Lucas did as he was told. He really didn't want to die.
He wasn't in the mood, he supposed.
Lucas put his hands in the air.
"Not another step."
"Wa… Wait. We… We don't have to do this," Lucas whispered. "We don't have to do this."
"I hope you're right," Jason growled.
"Wait."
"Is there anyone else in the house?" Jason demanded.
Lucas shook his head. "No. No."
"Turn around."
"-What?"
"Turn around!" He screamed.
"Okay, okay. Relax, relax." Lucas slowly spun around to face his back to Jason. Lucas's heart was going 100mph.
"And put down your flashlight."
Placing it on the floor, he raised his arms once more.
"And empty your pockets. Empty your pockets!"
"Okay. Okay. Okay," Lucas said, pulling everything out of his pockets. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to go down this way. He wouldn't go down this way.
"Okay. Now, this is what's gonna happen. I'm gonna back away to the top of the stairs there. Then I'll watch as you wake her up from whatever the hell this is."
Lucas shook his head. "I can't. Jason. If I wake her too soon, we all die," Lucas warned.
"No. You don't wake her up right now, you die, Sinclair." Jason clicked the safety on his gun. "Just you."
Max brainstormed her options but decided on one. The best one. And really, the only one.
Grabbing a shit of chairs, Max quickly barricaded the door. She would drag one or two at a time, throwing them on the stack of chairs.
Max wasn't going to put up with this bullshit.
This 'Vecna' bitch wasn't just about to kill her.
As she listened to the music in the background, Max turned around to add another, but her heart sank. All her progress had disappeared and was replaced with the stupid ass rose-stained door.
Max felt like screaming. She was furious. All that work for nothing?
Still, another emotion held her back; terror.
And as the door slowly opened, Max was convinced she was over with. This was it. Unless Lucas could wake her up, she was a goner.
"You can't hide from me, Max," Vecna's voice boomed. Oh, god.
Max panicked a little before remembering the trick she used to end up in this memory. She might as well try it again.
Closing her eyes, Max thought back to the memory of her first sleepover with Eleven. How they giggled about Mike, how they fangirled over Ralph Macchio.
"You think I don't see what you're doing?" Vecna growled.
Max ignored him. Just focus.
"You think I don't see everything?" He mocked her as she tried to concentrate. "Please. You thought you could trick me? You thought your friends could stop me? I see them. I see your friends. Just as clearly as I…." Vecna grunted, "…see you. I can feel them. I can feel them dying."
Dying? What did he mean by dying?
Max opened her eyes. To her disappointment, her location hadn't changed. She was still stuck at the upside-down SnowBall.
"It's time, Max."
Max's heart pounded as the distorted music played louder in the background.
Dream a little dream of me
Say nighty-night…
Spinning around, Max attempted to locate Vecna.
Where the hell was he?
And then…
"It's time."
He was behind her the whole time.
Max nearly tripped as her body snapped toward his voice.
There he stood three feet away. She gasped.
Suddenly, Vecna threw his hand out, and she soared through the air. Max screamed at the top of her lungs, caught completely off guard.
As Max's back hit the gym wall, she cried out in pain. Electrifying might be the closest word to describe how badly her back felt. Her muscles ached and burned.
Whimpering, Max's eyes watered as she saw Vecna making his way toward her.
She was going to die…
"You remember how Will Byers went missing in the woods all those years ago, right?" Lucas asked.
Jason nodded. "The boy from your grade, right?"
Lucas nodded.
"Well, he's my friend. He didn't get lost. A monster took him. But there's another monster right now—a more powerful one. We call him Vecna. He lives in another dimension. That's why you can't see him," Lucas explained. He prayed that his words would come through to Jason.
"And Eddie Munson and his… his Hellfire acolytes, what, you all summoned this Vecna?"
Lucas desperately shook his head. "No, no, you're not listening. Just listen. There… There's no cult. There never was."
"-You expect me to believe that?" Jason questioned.
"It's the truth!"
Jason glared at him. "Then why was Chrissy at Eddie's trailer?"
"She was buying drugs-"
"Liar!" Jason screamed. He looked furious. Lucas flinched.
Jason clicked the safety on his gun.
"Okay. Okay," Lucas panted. "Chrissy… She was seeing things. Terrible things. Things Vecna forced her to see. She just was scared."
"No…"
"She just needed help."
"You see, that's how I know you're lying. If Chrissy was scared, if… if Chrissy wanted help, she would've come to me!" Jason cried. "Not Eddie! Not that freak! Never!"
"You're wrong about Eddie."
"No. But I was wrong about you. I never should've let you in the door."
"And I never should have knocked," Lucas retorted. "I thought I wanted to be like you. Popular. Normal. But it turns out, normal's just a raging psychopath."
Jason's eyes turned to slits. "You have five seconds to wake her up." He started the countdown. "Four." He grunted. "Three."
Suddenly, Lucas lowered his body and slammed Jason across a pillar. Jason tried to shoot, but he completely missed. The gun flew into the air and slammed onto the ground.
Lucas was no match, though. Like, no match.
Throwing the younger boy off of him, Jason grabbed Lucas's shirt and began to beat the shit out of him.
Each hit hurt more than the less, and Lucas groaned in pain.
Down the stairs, Lucas could hear Erica desperately knocking on the door.
"Lucas! Lucas!"
Slamming him over one of the boxes, Lucas watched helplessly on the ground as Jason crushed the walkman under the foot. Lucas's heart skipped a beat.
"No! No!"
Jason kicked Lucas in the chest, winding him. Then, quickly pushing Lucas backward, Jason delivered multiple blows to Lucas's face when suddenly Lucas got one good hit in.
Keyword; one.
Jason landed punch after punch to Lucas's stomach, each a shock of pain.
Was he going to die? It sure as hell felt like it.
Pinned against the wall by Vecna's powers, Max gritted her teeth. She was shaking so violently. Max was so scared.
She was no match against him.
A flash of red light rumbled from the ceiling. This must've been the red lighting Steve had described about the upside-down.
Vecna finally reached her body, and Max felt like sobbing. Where was Lucas? What if she died?
The grotesque monster stood a foot away from her face. Max wrinkled her nose at his horrific smell. She whimpered. She didn't want this to be the end.
"You are brave, Maxine. Much braver than your brother," Vecna told her. "But in the end… you are weak, and fragile, just like him. Like all the rest of them. And you will break."
Max nearly passed out from fear as he raised his claw above her head.
She was going to die, wasn't she?
Max couldn't just leave Lucas. She couldn't leave him without a date. She couldn't leave him without confessing….
Max sucked in a breath as his claw rested directly above her head. Her eyes strained to see it.
And then suddenly…
Max was thrown to the floor like a rag doll. It felt like a magnet, the same feeling she'd gotten when Eleven pushed her off her skateboard.
She was nearly knocked out from the impact, but Max stayed in it.
Raising her head, Max got the shock of her life.
Vecna was levitating so still in the air, clearly frozen in place. But by who?
Max got her answer.
From the other side of the gym stood Eleven.
Max couldn't be more relieved to see her friend.
Eleven used her powers, and Max had no clue how they had returned. Then, spinning Vecna to face her, he growled.
"You," he growled.
"Hi."
Eleven shoved him into the bleachers with such force it created a hole.
Holy shit.
Lucas and Jason fought head to head, trying to gain the upper ground. For a split second, Lucas managed to throw Jason around.
He was fast to send Lucas tumbling to the ground, but Lucas managed to elbow him in the stomach before punching his jaw.
Suddenly, Jason smashed a glass vase over Lucas's head, sending him down. Lucas was dizzy from the impact that he was unable to get back up.
Lucas tried to back away on a couch, panting, reaching out his hand for Jason to stop.
Jason wouldn't.
Max wearily got to her feet, stumbling a bit so she wouldn't fall back down. God her back hurt. El was there for her though.
Helping her stand, Eleven grabbed onto Max's arms.
"Max, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Huh?" Max responded, still a bit confused.
"Are you okay?"
Max nodded. "Yeah." The first thing Max noticed was El's shaved head. She'd never seen it shaved, but the boys had described it to her about a million times. "Are you… Are you real? Di… Did I make you?"
Eleven grasped her hand and stared directly into her eyes.
"I'm real."
"How?" Max questioned.
"I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer."
Max just stared at her.
"What?"
The girls spun around as wood creaked from where Vecna had been thrown. Sure enough, he was climbing out of the hole, in pain, but relatively ok. He cracked his neck.
Vecna began to stalk towards them.
"Stay back," Eleven ordered.
Walking ever so slowly toward Vecna, El stopped as the two superpower beings came face-to-face. Eleven's glare could kill 100 warriors.
"If you touch her again, I will kill you again," she whispered sharply.
He scoffed. "Is that what you did? Hmm? Did you kill me?" Vecna questioned her. "I am so glad you are here, Eleven. This… is going to be beautiful."
Max's breathing began to pick up as Vecna lifted the spikes of wood off the ground.
"So beautiful," he repeated. "And it's all thanks to you."
Sending the flying at El, she quickly guided them out of the way and to the side.
Damn, she was powerful as hell.
As the wooden spikes hit the bleachers with loud thumps, Vecna lifted El into the air and blasted her backward, and she landed on a table.
Max watched on with anxiety as Vecna threw her around again and into a different table.
How long would this go on for?
As El was tossed into another decoration set, Max realized she couldn't just stay here and watch. She needed to do something.
Grabbing one of the wooden spikes, Max screamed as she ran from behind, barreling toward him.
Maybe not the best idea to scream. It kind of alerted him.
Max yelped as her entire body was lifted into the air and was flung to the ground and her head hit the edge of a bleacher.
Last was the last thing she remembered for a bit of time.
Max wasn't sure how long it had been, but she became vaguely aware of her body being lifted off the ground at some point.
Max couldn't open her eyes; she could barely understand what was happening. Still, she could identify her limp form being dragged up against something by vines.
They latched onto her wrist and legs, and she could feel the weight of her head as it dangled by her shoulders.
She felt so weak.
She couldn't hear very well, at least, not at first. But as time went on, she became more and more conscious of the sounds around her.
"Papa is dead," somebody said. "I know what he did to you," they cried. "You were different. Like me. And he hurt you. He made you… into this. He is the monster, Henry."
So the person is talking to Vecna… it must be Eleven…
Still, Max wasn't very able to tell much apart. She didn't even know how she made that connection. She wasn't even fully comprehending what they were saying. But with each passing minute, her awareness returned.
"Not you," El sobbed. "Not you."
"You're right. You and I, we are different. And Papa did hurt me. But he was no monster," Vecna growled. "He was just a man. An ordinary, mediocre man. That is why he sought greatness in others. In you. And me. Hmm. But in the end… he could not control us. He could not shape us. He could not change us. Do you not see, Eleven?" he asked. "He did not make me into this. You did."
Vecna paused, and Max almost fell back asleep when… "At first, I believed you had sent me to my death. To purgatory. But I was wrong. I was somewhere new. I became an explorer. An explorer of a realm unspoiled by mankind. I saw so many things. And one day, I found the most extraordinary thing of all. Something that would change everything."
Max was finally beginning the understand things as she listened to his backstory. While she felt too weak to open her eyes, she could still keep consciousness steady.
"I saw a means to realize my potential. To transcend my human form. To become the predator I was always born to be."
Did this mean he was… did this mean he was the mindflayer all along? Vecna, Henry, was the mastermind? Max remembered Billy's death. It'd been Vecna all along… Anger flowed through her. He killed Billy. Not the mindflayer. No, the mindflayer was just a part of his army. Vecna was behind everything.
"It was…" Eleven whispered, "It was you. Always you."
"All I needed was someone to open the door. And you did that for me. Without even realizing it," Vecna's voice rumbled. "Didn't you? And when you did realize, you chose to resist. So I sought a means to open my own doors. I sought… your power. So, don't you see? Once again, you have freed me."
"No," Eleven said, her voice cracking. "You don't have to do this. You can still stop this."
"It is over, Eleven. Your friends have lost. There is nothing… nothing you can do to stop this now," Vecna uttered. "Hawkins will burn and fall. And the rest of this senseless, broken world. And I will be there. I will be there to pick up the pieces when it does. And remake it into something… beautiful. There was a time," he paused, "when I had hoped to have you by my side. But now I just want you to watch."
Using all her energy, Max squinted her eyes open only to see Vecna stalking toward her.
Fuck. This was it. This is how she died. Max began to sob. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to go!
Vecna ran a slimy claw down her face, causing Max to wince.
"Don't be afraid," he murmured. "Try and stay very still."
"No," she cried. Tears ran across her cheeks.
"It will all be over soon."
Placing his claws directly above her head, she heard Eleven call out her name.
But it wouldn't do anything for Max. Nothing would change. It was over. She'd lost.
Max wasn't ready. She wasn't prepared for death.
It felt like an eternity before he struck.
But once he did, Max wished she had never been born.
Max's eyes widened, and her mouth hung open.
Max couldn't ever be able to describe the pain. The sheer agony of the nails pressing into her forehead.
The closest way she could describe it is as if you're entire body had been lit on fire.
Her arms, legs, and chin had this extreme pressure. Her eyes felt as if they were being squeezed. First, it was the left arm that felt as if an ax had struck them. Then the left leg. Right arm. Right leg. She expected the chin to be next, but… it never came.
Instead, Max gasped as she felt her body fall onto the muddy ground into a heap. Her mind almost instantly went black.
Lucas thought he was about to die. He really thought so. As Jason choked him to death, his head felt like it was about to pop. Lucas was so incredibly dizzy and weak.
The pain from his injuries prevented him from fighting back properly.
That was until he saw Max begin to lift in the air.
Adrenaline pumped through his body, and he found the energy to grab Jason's head and smash it into a window. Lucas delivered four mighty blows, enough to knock Jason out clean.
Turning around, Lucas's worst fears came true. His heart stopped.
"Max!"
At first, it was her left arm. Then her left leg. After that was the right arm… then the right leg.
Blood oozed out of Max's eyes.
Lucas thought he would be sick as he watched her body snap like a twig.
He cried her name over and over when suddenly…
Max fell.
Lucas managed to sprint forward in time to catch her broken body, and they both dropped onto the wooden floor together. Holding her in his arms, Lucas was too shocked to know what to do.
He shook her shoulder.
"Max, wake up! Please wake up!" he said tearfully. "Please, Max, please!"
Her heart was still beating, and she was still breathing, so Max wasn't dead.
That was a start. Brushing Max's hair from her, Lucas wined as he saw blood creating a tear-stain effect.
"Max, I need you to wake up! Please!"
Lucas jumped as her eyes shot open, and a giant gasp came out of her mouth.
Max gasped. Her eyes shot open, and she shrieked, unable to see anything.
Not only that, but her entire body was numb. So very numb.
"Max! Max! Max!" Lucas cried out.
"Lucas?" she croaked. "Lucas, what's happening."
"You're okay. You're alright," he whispered.
Max felt… wrong. Something was horribly wrong.
Sobs bubbled out her mouth. She was terrified. The last thing she remembered was agony, and now…
Now she felt nothing.
And although she was numb, she still could feel her soul.
It was hanging on a thread.
Max was hanging on a thread. Life was leaving her behind.
Suddenly, there was stomping on the staircase.
"Lucas!" Erica screamed.
"We need a doctor! Call an ambulance! Hurry! Call an ambulance!"
Erica ran away.
"Lucas…" Max whispered, her voice quivering. Her body was wildly shaking.
"Yes, yes, I'm here. I'm here," he said, holding her close.
"I… I can't feel or…." Max gasped, "…see anything."
Her life was slipping away; Max could feel it falling off the cliff.
"We're gonna get you help, okay?" Lucas responded, cries racking his voice. "Just… Just hold on."
She wouldn't ever see the movie with him. She'd never hug him again. She'd never kiss him again.
Max would never joke with El about boys again. Never tease Dustin. Never argue with Mike. Never have Steve babysit her again. Never have Robin help her pick on Steve. Never have Nancy give her sisterly advice. Never have Erica make fun of her and Lucas. Never see Will's paintings. Never watch Jonathan take pictures.
She wouldn't see the day when her mother smiled again.
She'd never grow old with Lucas and watch her kids have their kids.
Max was going to lose all of it.
And she knew then, right then, that deep down, she did want to live. Not just for others but for herself too. Praying that something terrible would happen to her seemed to have worked. But, religious reasons or coincidence, Max regretted every part of it.
"Lucas, I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm so scared."
Max was terrified. Horrified. Everything felt so weak. She felt so helpless. She felt so tired.
"I know. I know. I know," he replied tearfully.
"I don't wanna die! I'm not ready!" Max's sobs came out in separate breaths. She honestly didn't want to die. She wasn't ready. It wasn't time.
"You're not gonna die. Hang on."
Max tiredly shook her head. Her heart was slowing. "I don't wanna go! I'm not ready."
"You're not gonna die!" Lucas told her. "Just… Just hang on!"
Max could barely hear him anymore. Everything felt so slow. So very slow. She struggled to breathe, and her body's shaking began to end.
She wasn't even sure what she was dying from, but whatever it was, it wasn't painful. If Max was going to die, at least it didn't hurt. At least she wouldn't feel the agony.
"Max. Max! Max!"
That was the last thing she registered.
Max couldn't see Lucas's lips, but she would regret not kissing them one last time.
"No, no, no, Max. Stay with me," Lucas called. "Stay with me! Don't go, Max. Max, stay with me! Just look at me, Max. Max, look."
But Max wasn't looking at him. She was dying and staring at nothing.
"No. Stay with me, Max. Hang on. Just hang on."
Lucas screamed, "Erica, help!"
Suddenly, he felt her go slack. Max's eyes slowly began to close.
"Max?" Lucas asked quietly. "Max? Max? Max?" he said, this time a bit louder. "Max, stay with me."
Please don't die! Please, god, don't die! He couldn't lose her.
"Max, stay with me. Max, stay with me."
And then…
Her breathing stopped.
"No! No! Max! Max! Please, stay with me!"
Max's eyes shut close, and Lucas knew. He knew the love of his life was gone.
"No!" he wailed. Lucas let out an anguished cry, cradling Max's dead body in his arms.
She was gone.
She was actually gone.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling, and Lucas saw a large crack begin to spread across the floorboards. The red light shone out of it, vines sneaking into the real world.
He instinctively dragged Max's body out of the way as it tore apart the house in two. Lucas watched Jason's body split in two as he was caught in the crossfire, and Lucas gasped.
There wasn't anything he could do about it, though. Jason was dead.
The shaking lasted about twenty seconds or so, but it eventually ended.
Lucas didn't even care about the giant gate to the upside-down that consumed the house.
He could care less.
Holding Max, he whispered 'I'm sorry ' into her ginger hair. Tears stained his clothing as he stared at Max's limp body. He'd failed her. He'd failed Max.
Suddenly, once forty more seconds passed… something happened.
Max started to breathe. Slow, shallow, but there.
"Max!" he screamed.
She was alive. Her heart was beating.
"Max, Max, can you hear me?! Max, wake up!"
She didn't wake, though. She didn't stir.
Lucas was hysterical. He wasn't sure if Erica was okay; Max's body was broken all over, she'd nearly died, and their plan had failed.
He was basically screaming. Max wasn't out of the clear yet. She was still fighting for her life.
Lucas's body felt as if it were on fire from all his injuries, but he didn't even notice. None of his injuries were terrible compared to Max's.
If Erica had succeeded in calling the ambulance, it wouldn't be hard for them to find him. Not with all the shrieking he was making.
Lucas remembered the way she'd cried to him. How she didn't want to die. How terrified she was. It had broken a piece of his heart.
Permanently.
He'd never forget as she pleaded to live as if he could do anything about it.
Lucas wished he could've saved Max, but he was hopeless. The headphones were broken. There was no more he could've done.
He wanted to pass out from grief and relief. But, either way, he was sobbing like a maniac.
Lucas was breaking just like her bones had. He was melting down.
The ambulance ride was a blur. Lucas had been sobbing on Erica's shoulder while he held Max's cold hand. She still looked dead, even if she wasn't. The illusion was still there.
His sister had never been one to reach out to comfort him, but she was giving him her all right now. Although Lucas had to admit, she was pretty amazing at it. Speaking in a low voice, she reassured him that Max would live, that she'd be strong enough. For Lucas, that was all he needed to hear.
Max was rushed to the ER, and they were forced into the waiting room. They'd been lucky to get there before chaos ensued because Lucas could call his parents. Something he was extremely nervous about doing.
Somehow, someway, the phones were still up and running. So it was some blessing.
So, as he dialed the number, he listened to the classic ringing. His anxiety grew. His parents were going to be so pissed but… but Max was in trouble. Serious trouble.
Finally, " Sinclair Residents, who is this? "
"Mom…" Lucas cried.
"Lucas?! Charles, come here!" his mom called before turning her attention back to him. " Where have you been? Is Erica with you? "
"I… yes. We're- we're at the hospital…. Max is hurt, mom; she's hurt."
His mom didn't even ask any questions. "We're coming, baby; just hold on." The phone hung up.
Lucas sat crying next to Erica as the ER became crowded with people needing medical attention. They were calling the event an 'earthquake.' Only the gang knew better.
Lucas's parents arrived within fifteen minutes. When they saw the two kids, Mrs. and Mr. Sinclair ran to embrace them.
"Oh my god," his mom was whispering. 'What happened to your face?"
He ignored her question. Lucas could barely get out a sentence. He'd turned into a mess. "Max… she died… I was holding her… but she started breathing again…." Lucas sobbed.
His parents stared at him in horror as he gasped for air.
Quickly escorting him out of the building, his mother sat him on the curb.
"Breathe," she said, holding him. "Get some air, alright?"
"Where is she now?" his dad asked.
"In surgery, I think," Erica cut in. "She broke her bones… really badly," she sniffled.
"She's alive, alright? She's going to be okay," Mrs. Sinclair said reassuringly.
Lucas nodded. "She was dead for over a minute…."
All his mother could do was hug him.
They eventually headed back inside, standing in the middle of the room. All the seats had been taken.
After an hour, they finally heard, "Family of Max Mayfield."
Lucas sprinted to the nurse, his parents and sister quickly following.
"We're her caretakers," Mrs. Sinclair lied. Well, it wasn't wrong, but they just were legally her caretakers.
"Follow me," the nurse said. They were shown into a room with a female doctor sitting at her desk. The lighting was incredibly dim, especially once the door closed.
"Please, have a seat," she directed. The entire family quietly sat.
"I'll get straight to the point. Maxine has slipped into a coma. There was a lot of internal bleeding that we were lucky enough to fix before it got too out of control. She's blind in both eyes and suffered multiple bone breaks in her legs, arms, and a part of her neck. There's also no brain activity," she said softly.
Lucas started to cry again.
The doctor looked at him sympathetically. "There is some silver lining. Maxine got very lucky. It's a miracle she managed to survive this. There's still a chance she'll be able to survive this."
A flicker of hope lit up in Lucas's chest. Max could survive this. That's all he needed to know. All he needed to hear.
There was a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. He'd just have to reach there first.
The morning after the earthquake, Mrs. Mayfield was still nowhere to be found. The gang had caught wind that Max was in the hospital. Few details were given, however. So, after taking much-needed showers, it was socially acceptable to be within a public place, they sped off to Hawkins General.
Lucas was holding Max's hand when they rushed inside. He was the only one there, his parents and Erica at home resting.
Lucas instantly stood up, struggling to see them through his swollen eye.
"Max," Steve whispered, rushing to her bedside.
"What happened to her," Dustin asked, his voice hoarse.
Lucas shook his head. He'd gotten to the point where he'd explained it enough that he wouldn't cry. "Vecna… he got to her," Lucas whispered. "He snapped her bones… made me watch the whole thing. But suddenly, Max just- fell. I caught her and waited for her to wake up. Blood oozed out of her eyes, and her eyes were clouded when she woke. She's permanently blind…."
The room was deadly quiet before Robin spoke. "How long has she been sleeping for…?"
Lucas looked at the floor. "Ever since she died."
"What?" Nancy asked. "She… she died?"
"For a little over a minute. Her heart stopped and everything. I was holding her dead body for a solid minute. And then she just… came back. Started breathing again. Started living again. We're not sure how. But, Max… she's in a coma. They're not sure if she'll wake."
Steve stroked her hair back while Nancy rested her hand on Max's shoulder. Robin and Dustin stood at the end of Max's bed.
"Eddie," Dustin said suddenly, causing everyone to look at him. "Eddie's dead."
Lucas would've cried if it weren't for the numbness that knawed on him. All he could do was embrace Dustin in a hug.
"I'm sorry," Lucas whispered.
"Me too."
Pulling apart, Lucas sat back in his chair to grab her hand again.
Lucas knew that Max really loved Stephan King. It'd been two days since she slipped into a coma, and he'd decided to start reading to her. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to hear him.
He'd picked "The Talisman," one of his favorite books. Hopefully, she'd like it if she understood what was happening.
"He opened his eyes, and further words died in his throat. He forgot about the need to sick up that horrible parody of wine. He forgot about his mother, and Uncle Morgan, and his father, and almost everything else," Lucas read aloud. Erica sat in the corner, listening along with him. "Speedy was gone. The graceful arcs of the roller coaster against the sky were gone. He could feel the hair stirring on the nape of his neck, could feel a goofed-up grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. 'Speedy! I'm here, my God! I'm here in the territories!'"
Suddenly, the door opened.
Lucas was shocked to see Mike, Eleven, Will, and Jonathan walked through. Nancy was with them too.
Putting the book down, Lucas stood up, walking to his friends. "Oh my God. We've been calling you guys like crazy."
He hugged Mike and Will together.
Mike nodded, "I know. We came as soon as we heard."
They pulled away.
He and Eleven embraced. A hoodie covered her head... She was crying, her breath shaking. "I'm sorry."
As she moved away, everyone stared at Max. Eleven removed her hoodie. She… she was bald. Again.
Creeping closer and placing her head on Mike's shoulder, El asked, "Do they know… when she will wake?"
Lucas sadly shook his head. "No. They say she might not. Her heart stopped." Lucas sighed, "Her heart stopped. For over a minute. She died." His last word came as a whisper. "I… I mean, clinically, but… then she came back."
Turning his head, Lucas took a breath. "The doctors don't know how. They say it's a miracle."
Lucas gazed at Eleven as she went to sit on Max's bed.
"I'm here, Max," she muttered.
Everyone stayed silent as she closed her eyes.
She was trying to find Max.
Lucas prayed that she would get through to her. That there would be some communication.
They waited for a painful amount of time before Eleven opened her eyes. Her eyes were full of tears.
She shook her head.
Lucas's heart dropped. Max wasn't there. She wasn't there…
His eyes were sicky as he sobbed. His friends could only hold him as the tears streamed down his bruised cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Lucas," Eleven wailed. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I fought Henry," she said.
Lucas paused. "What?"
Eleven sat back on the bed. "I fought against Henry. I tried to protect Max. But it did not work," she cried. "We… we were at the snowball. Henry had her pinned against the wall, but I threw him off. I was winning for a while but could not hold him off. I failed her. I was not able to hold him off. He, too, both of us into the mindscape, and he started to choke me. I couldn't save her in time. I could only save her a little bit after finding my way to hurt him. If I had not, Max would be dead…." Eleven shakily sighed.
There was something she wasn't telling Lucas, but he wouldn't press her. She'd save Max from completely dying.
"You saved her life. You gave her a chance. Thank you," he whispered. The two hugged again.
Once they left, Lucas had asked if Erica could leave so he and Max could be alone. She obliged.
The atmosphere was grim. Lucas hated the fluorescent lighting from above. He hated the stupid machines that beeped and groaned all through the night. He hated how Mrs. Mayfield still wasn't here Maybe she'd died in the 'earthquake,' or maybe she was just hiding from the fact that her daughter was in a coma. Either way, it made him angry.
Max couldn't hear him. She couldn't see him. Even if she was awake.
She was just a shell of a person. No more brain activity. No more words to make fun of him with. No more quips.
Just silence.
Emptiness.
Grief.
Raw grief.
Max may be gone forever, who knows?
Suddenly, Lucas remembered something she'd given him.
Grabbing his backpack, he reached deep down into one of its pockets. Inside was an envelope. A brown envelope. An envelope with his name written on the back of it.
And inside, was a letter from Max.
From the day she thought she was going to die.
If only she'd known that she'd still have three more days to spare.
Maybe she'd have more time to talk….
Max wasn't dead but, in case she would be, he should read it.
He may never have a time to sit in front of her again.
Carefully unfolding the envelope, he pulled the paper out and unwrapped it.
Taking a breath, he started to read it.
Dear Lucas,
If you're reading this, I'm most likely dead. Or on my deathbed. Either way, I have so much to say and so little time. So I guess it's time to tell you the important stuff.
I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for abandoning you.
And I know how selfish I sound. I know how stupid all of this is.
But if I die at the hands of Vecna, I wanted you to know something.
I love you. I love you so much.
I remember the first day I met you. I remember how fascinated you and the others were when I stepped into Mr. Clark's classroom.
I remember how you earned your nickname. You wouldn't stop watching me. So I rightfully called you Stalker.
I remember how you didn't understand what the word 'presumptuous' meant. The look on your face when you found out the meaning weeks later was priceless.
I remember when we were on the bus, watching for demodogs. You wouldn't stop making me smile. You wouldn't stop making me laugh.
I remember how petty I was over the stupid shit. How I'd break up with you if you so much as commented on my outfit. God, that seems so stupid now.
I've got much larger issues to worry about.
But through everything, I remember how you always stuck by my side, no matter what.
I was scared. Scared I'd somehow lose you like I lost Billy. Scared of myself and the pain I'd cause you if I disappeared. Therefore, I distanced myself in case the worst happened. Neither you nor I could go through that grief. Neither of us could lose that type of love.
I didn't admit my love ever since last summer. I didn't want it to remain true. But it never changed. My feelings were never left behind.
I want to tell you so badly. I'm so sorry I won't by the time I die. I'm a coward. I know I am. But at least, after death, I can finally admit the truth. I hope you can understand why I didn't tell you.
Know that deep down, whenever I see you, I get butterflies in my stomach. Know that I love staring into lose huge dark brown eyes of yours. Know that I love listening to you say 'Totally Tublar' as if it's the funniest thing in the world. Know that I adore you.
So, if this is it, I want to thank you for giving me the love that I'm not sure I deserve.
I'll see you someday.
I love you, Stalker.
-Max
By the time he finished, Lucas was sobbing. His hands trembled as he held the note, and a sad smile formed on his face.
He recounted the nickname he'd given her. How much he hated it at first. Now he longed for it. Longed for any words at all.
Crying into his hands, he felt a powerful connection between them.
Lucas and Max had been through hell and back together. She was right, he was always right there for her. And even if she didn't want his help, he'd make her know he was by her side.
He knew how pissed she would get, but he never got angry at her. Max was going through things he had no knowledge about.
And if she died, he'd only be able to relate then. But as long as she was alive with her grief, his was a lot less worse. And that fact hurt him.
Her favorite song was Running Up That Hill. He'd heard it out blasting through her headphones so many times that he'd practically memorized it.
And if I only could,
I'd make a deal with god,
And I'd get him to swap our places…
Not any words could describe how true this held to him. He wanted so badly to take her pain away; let her start over. But he couldn't. There was no magic in the world that could solve that.
So, at the end of the day, he sat by her bedside, holding her hand. Hoping that one day, he would see her again.
"I love you too, MadMax."
Lucas planted a kiss on her forehead.