Hi! Sorry it's been so long. This chapter has been done for ages but it needed some major editing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chaotic mess of a story!
Hopper immediately shot up, grabbing the rifle next to him.
"Stay," he commanded the group, holding his hand up, as he slowly began to inch towards the door. The group held their breaths, tensing up immediately. The pounding on the door continued, getting more and more desperate.
"Hey!"Hopper yelled. "Identify yourself!"
"Hopper?!" Steve's relieved voice called out.
"Yeah, opening the door would be really helpful, Hopper!", Dustin's sarcastic voice shouted. "Superman over here's about to collapse because he can't handle a girl leaning on his shoulders for 15 minutes."
"Ok, for your information, it was more like 30, alright? And uh, you try walking through the woods where there are numerous hazards, such as tree roots that could possibly be stumbled over, with a 120 pound band kid full of attitude leaning on you", Steve shot back.
"Hey helloooo? Yeah, that 120 pound band kid is in a great deal of pain, SO IF YOU COULD OPEN THE FREAKING DOOR!" Robin pounded on the door. On the other side, Hopper, relieved, told those at the table that it was just Steve's group. They all immediately relaxed, relieved that there was no threat on the other side of the door. Hopper flung the door open, only to be met with a battered looking group. Steve's shirt was ripped in some places, and he looked like he had rolled in a lake of mud. His usually fabulous hair was now hanging limply over his sweat-covered forehead. (not Mama Steve's fabulous hair! RIP)1 Dustin was practically breathless, his green cap nearly falling off his hair. Rafe's clothes were spotless, only a few splatters of mud on his legs and backside, and he was scowling like always, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Hopper didn't recognize the two girls, one who looked older and was leaning on Steve, the other who looked younger and seemed to be the least worn out of the group. Her bright green eyes glinted with energy, and she immediately started inhaling big breaths of air, which Hopper found strange. Hopper immediately ushered them in, closing the door immediately. Joyce rushed over, noticing Robin's limp leg.
"Here sweetie, come sit over here. We'll get you guys nice and settled in," Joyce smiled warmly, taking Robin from Steve. "I'm Joyce, by the way".
"I'm-AGH- Robin", she said, wincing slightly as she lay down on the couch.
Joyce immediately set to putting ice packs on her leg to help relieve the pain, and attempted to wrap Robin's lower leg with gauze wrap, making sure it was tight enough. Pope got up from the table, walking over to Autumn, noting how she was gazing at the sandwiches on the table.
"Hey. My name's Pope. There's uh- plenty of sandwiches… so uh… help yourself. None of us bite-"
'But I do' Autumn thought to herself sadly.
"So, yeah. Over there's John B", he said pointing to a sandy-haired teenage boy sitting at the table next to a very pretty teenage girl. "There's JJ, Sarah, Mike, Will, Lucas, Max, Eleven, and Grace," he continued, pointing to various people seated around the table. Autumn gasped when she saw Will. There was the boy. The boy who haunted her dreams, the one who had made her ashamed and scared of what she was.
She had seen him once before, about four years ago. Of course she had heard of him, what with him being presumed dead and the whole town holding a funeral for him a few years back. But before he had gone missing, she had seen him in the woods. It had been a hot, summer day, and Autumn was hunting in the woods when her ultra-sensitive ears picked up the sound of a human nearby. Instinctively, she stalked towards the human. Hidden behind a tree, she got her first good glimpse at him. Small and skinny, but he would do for the time being. His back turned to her, he lifted the covering off a fort made out of sticks. Autumn's desire and hunger was growing too strong, she was getting ready to pounce. She heard the twig snap beneath her feet, and realized she might have just lost her prey. But the boy turned around, and Autumn saw the fear and terror in his eyes. He was alone, with nothing but a stick to defend himself. His eyes scanned the trees, looking for the source of the sound. Autumn just couldn't do it. She ran farther that day than she ever had before, trying to escape the horrible realization that she was about to harm a boy not much younger than her. Since that day, she had become ashamed of what she was, and she was nowhere close to escaping that little voice in her head that constantly reminded her that she was a monster and nothing more. And now here was the boy. Will, apparently, was his name. He looked nearly the same, with the same bowl cut, just older and more mature. Pope looked at her in surprise.
"Hey, you alright?", he asked gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm sure it's a lot to take in. If you need anything, just let me know. So, are you hungry?", he smiled at her. Autumn recovered from her small shock, and nodded excitedly. She followed Pope to the table, where he pulled a chair out for her. The blonde-haired teenage boy slid the platter to her.
"Take as much as you'd like. We've got plenty", he smiled kindly.
"Thank you", Autumn murmured as she began to place a few sandwiches on her plate. The chatter continued around the table, the group trying to involve Autumn in their conversation, asking her questions like how old she was, and if she thinks that Eggos with ketchup, sour cream, and cream cheese is a good combination. Steve and Dustin came down to eat, having changed into clean clothes and looking less beat up than they had earlier. Steve glanced around the room.
"Guys, where's Rafe?" he asked, not seeing him anywhere.
"I passed him in the hallway, he was muttering something about 'Dad going to kill him if he didn't bring Sarah back'," Dustin offered helpfully.
"Crazy bastard, can't even thank us for going out of our way to track him down", Steve grumbled, shoving a sandwich in his mouth. "I mean, like seriously, what's his problem?"
Sarah spoke up, "My brother is a psycho, Steve, that's what. He's kind of always been… different, always wanting to be alone, never talking to us really. Had a real drug problem a while ago. It's mostly due to my freaking jerk of a dad. All Rafe ever wanted was for dad to be proud of him, to love him, but he never did. Rafe has even asked him for help multiple times, I mean, we've all known there was something wrong with him, but dad only ever told him to 'man up.'" Steve ran his hands through his hair, and sighed. He was beginning to be interested in cracking the code of this brooding maniac staying under the roof of his house.
"How was the sandwich, Autumn?" the girl named Grace asked her. Autumn looked over at the end of the table and gave her a small grin. The girl had kind eyes and a warm smile that gave Autumn the feeling she was someone she would want to be friends with. Autumn noticed JJ stealing glances at Grace and she inwardly rolled her eyes. Oh gag. Romance in the middle of an apocalypse? That's so clich-
Pope suddenly walked over to her, carrying a blanket and a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. "Hey, this is for you when you're done eating. They might be a little big on you, but the clothes look approximately your size". Autumn got the feeling he was kind of a dork, but she liked it.
"Thank you", she said for what felt like the hundredth time that night. These people were so nice and welcoming, and if there was any group of people you wanted to be stuck with in an apocalypse, she knew it was this group. Although she knew that if they discovered what she was, their kindness would quickly change to fear and hatred. She got up from the table, having gotten done eating, and was shown where the bathroom was by Sarah.
Hopper came inside from having been out smoking a cigarette, trying to clear his thoughts.
"Hey, have any of you heard from Nancy's group?" He had suddenly realized her group was the only group not yet back. They all looked at each other and shook their heads. "Well", he sighed. "That's just great". He sank down onto the couch, running his hands over his head. Joyce looked up from where she was helping Robin get comfortable.
"Hop, we should send a search party out if they're not back by midnight. My son is out there somewhere, and I know he's an adult, but these are different circumstances. I think we need to go look for them. It's going to get colder, and they only left with some flashlights, jackets, and that's about it," she said, her voice tense and full of worry.
Hopper stroked his beard, thinking. "Alright, I'll go look for them. They can't be too far from here. Any of you hear or see anything, you use this, alright?" He placed a large walkie-talkie in the middle on the dining table. He had one of his own in his pocket. "It can reach surprisingly long distances, and in the case of an emergency, you should be able to reach me. Joyce is in charge, so you all listen to her. I'll be back soon, and then uhhhhh we can all go back to being one big happy family", Hopper joked.
"Dad", El piped up. "I can go, I can help you."
Hopper glanced up at her and shook his head gently. "No, El. Stay here, everything will be alright. I want you to be safe, and the best way that's going to happen is if you stay here."
"Bu-"
"I said no, Eleven." His voice came out a bit rougher than he intended, but his face softened as he walked over to her. He leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder. "I need you to stay here, ok? I'll be back soon, and in the morning I promise I'll make it up to you with…" he briefly paused, a grin spreading across his face. "An Eggo Extravaganza! How about that, yeah?" El smiled softly and gave him a nod. She gave him a tight hug.
"I love you Dad", she whispered.
"I love you too El", he whispered, gently stroking her hair. His eyes were shut, soaking in every moment. In times like these, it was never guaranteed when one would or could come back. He straightened up, grabbing his rifle, and nodding his goodbye to the group. The Pogues and Grace, who had been at the table talking quietly, spoke up.
"Hopper, we want to help search for them." Hopper was about to protest when he realized these were teenagers. They weren't going to listen even if he said no. Hopper nodded his head in agreement while the Pogues went and put on jackets.
"I'll come with you guys too", Steve mumbled through a mouthful of leftover KFC. ("It's fingerlickin good") Rafe suddenly walked into the living room, eyes bleary with sleep.
"Wha-what's going on?" he mumbled. "I heard voices, and when you're trying to take a nap, it's not easy when so many people are being so loud, y'know, like, respect, you guys feel me?" he drawled.
Steve rolled his eyes. "You're coming with us."
"Coming where?" Rafe asked.
"We're going out to look for the rest of the group. It's a search party."
Rafe gave a slight groan. "But I already helped you look for those two blond chicks."
"Yes, and you're going to help us look for three brunette chicks as well."
"But Jonathan's a dude?" El said quietly to herself, confused.
Those staying behind all wished the group luck, making sure to give them each a hug before they headed to the front door. Joyce met Hopper in the hallway before he left.
"Thank you Hop", she whispered, touching his arm in gratitude.
"We'll find them Joyce, I know we will. They're smart kids, they'd know what to do if they were in danger." Joyce nodded silently, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Just…. stay safe, Hop, ok?" And with that she gently kissed him on the cheek and walked back towards the living room. Hopper smiled to himself, placed his hat firmly on his head, and with one last look at the warm light filtering from the living room, stepped outside into the dangerous night with the rest of the search party.
After Hopper had left, the rest of group began to clean up the living room and dining area. Will, Lucas, and Max soon headed upstairs, drained from the events of the long day. Those who remained quietly chatted amongst themselves. Robin was given a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup, leg propped up and wrapped in a makeshift cast made out of tightly-wrapped gauze. Mike and El pulled out CandyLand, quietly playing in the middle of the living room. Dustin sat on the couch, flipping through a magazine covering topics on how to ask your crush out to 'how to style your gorgeous curly locks'. Joyce began to wash the dishes in the kitchen, occasionally checking on how Robin was doing. Autumn emerged from the restroom 10 minutes after the group had left. She had been examining her new fangs that were growing in. She knew that it was only a matter of time before it would begin to be harder to conceal the unmistakable fangs of a werewolf. She had immediately pushed the thought away, determined to replace her mind with happy thoughts. She wasn't in the mood to let the negative voice in her mind take full control of her.
She smiled to herself as she put on the T-shirt given to her by Pope, remembering his hospitality and kind smile. She was glad they had been discovered by Dustin and Steve, and had not ended up becoming Demodog chow. She stepped into the living room and glanced around. Everybody was doing their own thing. She plopped down on the carpet next to where Robin lay.
"Hey kid", Robin grinned at her younger sister. "How you holding up?"
Autumn laughed. "I should be asking you that", pointing to Robin's leg.
"Oh, this?" Robin lifted her head up to look at her propped up leg. "Yeah, she's a real beaut, isn't she? Just wait until it starts to turn all purple and blue, and green stuff starts oozing out of it-"
Autumn gagged. "You're disgusting".
Robin chuckled, enjoying her sister's reaction. Autumn gazed at her older sister, admiring how she could look so content and happy even with a broken leg.
"You look so much like Mom", she murmured. Robin turned her head, meeting Autumn's eyes.
"She would have been proud of us, for sure. 'My girls you're so brave' she would say, if she could see us now. Then she'd launch into how proud of us she is and somehow every single time, she would end with telling us we needed to clean our rooms", Robin laughed softly. Autumn chuckled, tears gathering in her eyes, remembering their dear mother who had sacrificed herself because of a Demodog that had been pursuing them a few months ago.
"RUN!" their mother had screamed. Robin had been dragging Autumn with her. "Come on, come on, we gotta go! Run, Autumn, run!" Robin had shrieked at her.
Autumn would never forget her mother's last words to her. She looked back, just in time to see their mother falling. It was as if time was moving in slow-motion. Her mother's eyes were full of terror and fear. She locked eyes with Autumn, and mouthed the words 'I love you'. And with that, she fell, never to get up again. Autumn had turned and ran far, far away, the shrieks of the hungry Demodogs ringing through her ears. She was suddenly back in the living room, sitting next to Robin, tears streaming down her face. She hadn't visited that memory in months, having pushed it as far back into her brain as possible. She noticed not only were her eyes stinging, but her nose was tingling, as if picking up a scent, one she hadn't yet registered. Mike suddenly plopped down on Autumn's other side, taking a small break from CandyLand while El shuffled the cards. He glanced up at Robin.
"Hey, how's that leg of yours?"
"It's fine." she snapped, though there was a small amused smile on her face. She loved messing with the kids.
He held his hands up in defense. "Woah woah, ok, chill, I was just curious".
"Curiosity killed the cat, Wheeler."
"Mhmm… alrighty, sleep well Robin.", he grinned patting her shoulder. "Though I don't know if any amount of sleep will fix that attitude of yours." Robin silently glared up at him, but didn't make a snarky remark which, Steve thought, was quite the improvement. "Oh hey, that's Nancy's shirt." Mike noticed looking at Autumn.
"You'd better change out of it before she gets back, my sister is so particular about her clothes, I mean one time, I tried to wear her hoodie to school, right? She threatened to cut off my nose, can you imagine? Like c'mon it's just a hoodi-"
"Wait… did you just say this is Nancy's shirt?" Autumn asked hesitantly.
"Yeah…. why, what's up?"
Autumn's heart rate increased. Hadn't Hopper said Nancy's group was the only one not back yet? Autumn's tingling in her nose grew stronger, until it locked. She smelled Nancy. She had Nancy's scent. And she wasn't too far from the house. Autumn could find her and the others with her in no time.
"I want to go out with the search party," she said quietly.
"Autumn, no absolutely not. It is way too dangerous out there for you, and I can't risk losing- just…. just no, ok?" Robin said quietly but firmly. But Autumn had made up her mind already. She was going to find Nancy and bring the group back safely.
She sighed in fake defeat and whispered 'goodnight' to Robin, and headed upstairs. She quietly tiptoed to one of the empty rooms and walked over to the window. She hesitated for a brief second, never having gone against her older sister's word before. She pushed all her fears and worries to the back of her brain, and slowly lifted the window up. Much to her relief, it slid up easily without any noise. She gingerly lifted one leg over the windowsill and gently pulled the window down once more when she was on the other side. She tiptoed to the edge of the roof and was relieved to find it wasn't much of a drop to the ground. She sniffed the air, Nancy's scent now locked into her nose. Autumn glanced back at the house, took a deep breath, and gracefully leapt off the roof onto the ground.
[Nancy's Group]
As soon as Kie began to walk away from Steve's house with Nancy and Jonathan, she began to wonder why she hadn't placed herself with the Pogues. Her Pogues. With a jolt she realized that it was because of Pope. Ever since their strange, little romantic fling (in which Kie's heart was never really into) things had been tense and awkward between them. She didn't want to be in the same group as him because she knew she couldn't handle being confronted over whether she really did have feelings for him. And she knew Pope well enough to know that in the middle of an apocalypse would be the time he chose to deal with his love life. She knew she was just prolonging the confrontation by choosing to not be in the same group as him, but she tried not to dwell on it too much.
"Sooooo… it's Kie, right?" Nancy sidled up to her.
"Huh? Oh. Oh yeah, I'm Kie. Nancy, right?" Nancy nodded, her brown curls glinting in the sun. She was very pretty, Kie noted. "He must think so too,'' she thought to herself, as she saw the way the brown-haired young man was gazing at her. She racked her brain trying to remember his name. "Jonathan… did you bring it?" Nancy asked hesitantly. 'Jonathan. So that was his name', Kie thought to herself.
"Bring wha- ohhhh. Yeah, yeah I got it", Jonathan nodded his head nervously. Kie looked between the two, not understanding. "Wait. Bring what?", she asked them, confused. Jonathan pulled out a pistol from his backpack.
"Dude, what the hell? Do the others know you have that?" Kie gawked at them.
"Uhhhh- yeah yeah. JJ gave it to me. Slipped it to me before we headed out", Jonathan replied.
Kie rolled her eyes. "Of course he did", she said in disbelief.
"Well, I mean yeah. We needed something to protect ourselves with, we've only got these pathetic flashlights that I bet…." Nancy clicked on the flashlight. It didn't turn on. "Don't even work," she finished, sighing in exasperation. Kie grimaced, slightly regretting her choice to join this group. At least they had a pistol though, and from none other than JJ. They walked around the woods of Hawkins for nearly the whole afternoon, searching for clues or literally anything that they thought might be valuable information. They found practically nothing. After a few hours, Kie spoke up.
"Um, so just kinda curious. What exactly are we supposed to be doing?" she asked, glancing from Nancy to Jonathan. Jonathan stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged slightly. "I guess just… looking for any clues or signs that can help us get a better understanding of these Demodogs. I was thinking we can go to some of the streets where some of the victims were attacked, see if we can find any clues nearby. Here, I got a list." Jonathan pulled a small notepad out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Kie. He had written down some of the names of victims and the streets on which they were attacked. "Don't you think that the cops would have removed all evidence from the scenes, though?" Kie asked him.
"Aha. Some of the cases were labeled as 'closed', but not all of them. 'Closed' meant that the scenes were investigated by cops, while the ones that weren't labeled as closed meant that not much investigation went into those cases. There could still be some clues in the surrounding areas of the cases that weren't investigated."
"That's so smart dude", she breathed in amazement.
"Yeah. Great job Jonathan", Nancy smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder. Jonathan smiled shyly and began to blush.
"Ummmm, ok so I was thinking we could visit Morris Drive next. It's not too far from here." Kie and Nancy nodded in agreement. Jonathan led the way, while Nancy and Kie trailed behind, making small conversation. After some time, they arrived at Morris Drive, a street lined with classic suburban style homes.
"So which house are we investigating for clues, Sherlock?" Kie said jokingly in a British accent. Jonathan pulled his notepad out of his pocket, scanning the list he had made.
"Ummmm… 153 Morris drive, which is-" he scanned the addresses, "right over here." He ran over to the largest house on the street, and snapped a quick picture of the house before he began searching around the surrounding area of the house. Nancy and Kie joined him, the three of them searching for clues. "Anything?" Jonathan called to the girls from the other side of the house.
"Unless you want to count someone's dirty sock as something, then no!" Nancy shouted back from the backyard of the house. Her and Kie weren't having much luck finding any clues. There was a pool in the middle of the backyard, covered by a tarp. Kie walked over to the edge of the pool and lightly lifted a corner of the tarp. Nancy was searching underneath some pool chairs on the opposite side of the pool.
"Kie!"Nancy hissed. Kie dropped the tarp, but she didn't stand up.
"What if we put our feet in, for just like a second? We gotta have at least a little fun in the mix of all this, girl." Kie grinned. Nancy rolled her eyes, not sure whether it was a good idea or not. "Pleaseeeeeee?" Kie made puppy-dog eyes, and clasped her hands together, making a sad face. Nancy laughed, a mischievous glint lighting up her eyes, and Kie grinned even wider.
"Ok, you get that end, I got this end", Kie commanded. Nancy knelt down by the edge of the pool on her side, and they both lifted the tarp.
"What the hell?" Kie muttered, staggering backwards. Nancy gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth. Jonathan suddenly turned the corner of the house, finding the two girls staring in shock at the middle of the pool.
"Oh my god," he muttered, running over. The body of a young teenage girl was floating face-up in the water. Her neck was bloody, and her eyes were wide open, the look of terror still frozen on her face. The water around her was dark red, spreading through the entire pool. Kie turned away from the pool, blinking back tears. It hadn't fully hit her just how intense of a situation they were in until now. Seeing the young girl dead like that made Kie think of all the people she loved, who were alive, but it wasn't guaranteed in this situation for how long. She made up her mind to talk to sweet, dorky Pope and admit her honest feelings towards him as soon as she got back to Steve's, and to tell him that she still cared for him. To give her Pogues a hug and to let them know just how much she loved each one of them.
Kie walked over to a group of wildflowers, plucking a handful. She walked back to the pool, and lightly tossed them in the water so that they floated around the body. A small memorial for the young girl who had met a tragic ending. Kie blinked back tears, and grabbed a corner of the tarp. Nancy understood and grabbed the other corner. Together, they gently laid the tarp back over the water. Nobody spoke as they trudged back to the woods. The silence spoke for them all. Just as they were about to walk into the woods, a high-pitched scream pierced the air. It was the scream of someone in immense pain. Nancy, Jonathan, and Kie raced back to Morris Drive, trying to pin-point which house the screaming was coming from.
"Which house, which house?!" Kie's voice trembled.
"It's coming from the same house", Nancy's voice was tense.
"Somebody, please! A nail! It's-it's in my foot! Please somebody, help me!" the sound of a young girl cried out. Nancy, Kie, and Jonathan rushed to the front door, and found it was locked.
"The back! There's a back door!"Jonathan raced around the side of the house, Nancy and Kie following. The back door was unlocked and swung open with ease.
"Hello? We're here to help you! We won't hurt you, you just need to tell us where you are, alright? Can you tell us where you are?" Jonathan's voice echoed throughout the house, which he found strange. The house was also extremely freezing, which he found even stranger considering it wasn't even winter yet.
'He likes it cold!' Jonathan remembered Will's words when the Mind Flayer had possessed him.
The young girl's sobbing just got louder, but she no longer cried out for help.
"We need to get out, now", Jonathan turned around and grabbed Kie's arm, trying to pull her out the door.
"Jonathan, upstairs! She's upstairs!" Nancy tried to walk to the staircase, but Jonathan whirled around and placed an arm in her way. He grabbed her firmly by the arm and shook his head.
"Wait, Nancy. How can we be sure it isn't a trap?"
Nancy scoffed.
"Jonathan, there is a young girl who is hurt, and you want to say it's a trap? She could be severely injured for all we know! This isn't a tra-" the sobbing of the young girl abruptly stopped. Kie and Nancy stiffened, breathing heavily. Jonathan, pistol at the ready, pushed the girls behind him, and stiffened.
"Are you ok?" he yelled. Silence.
"Mmm yeah, great idea. Let the trap know that we're here", Kie muttered.
"Jonathan, please!" Nancy begged. "We need to save her! I am not going to let you stand here and tell me it is a trap when we could be saving her! I know that this is not a tra-"
Suddenly, the upstairs floor came crashing down, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling above. Dust and plaster rained down, creating a sort of haze around the room. A low growl echoed from the middle of the haze. The dust and plaster lifted, and in the middle of the wreck stood a Demodog, snarling. "ReEeEeEeEeEeEeE" its face opened up as it shrieked.
"RUN!" Jonathan yelled.
"SHIT!" Kie flung the door open and they ran for their lives. Jonathan was the last one out and he slammed the door shut behind them, buying them some time. They raced around the side of the house and were almost about to enter the woods, when they heard the sound of glass breaking. The Demodog had thrown itself from the top window of the house.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Nancy muttered. "The gun Jonathan! Shoot the damn gun!" With shaking hands, Jonathan aimed at the monster, firing multiple times. The bullets ricocheted off its body, and it reared its ugly head, shrieking.
"RUN! JUST RUN!" Jonathan yelled. They began to rocket through the woods of Hawkins, the Demodog following close behind. They ran for what felt like hours, the Demodog still hot on their tail, shrieking all the while. Kie suddenly stumbled, having tripped over a tree root.
"AGHHHHHHH!" she yelled out in pain.
"I got you, I got you!" Nancy rushes over and pulls her up by the arm. Kie tried to keep running, but her ankle twisted and she stumbled once more. She whipped her head around, the Demodog nowhere to be seen.
"Shit, where'd it go?" Kie whispered, voice trembling. Jonathan rushed over and raised Kie's arm so it rested around his shoulder. Nancy did the same to Kie's other arm, and together they kept running… or trying to run. The sun was slowly sinking into the horizon, and darkness was setting in. They suddenly burst through a clearing, finding a log. The trio rushed over, breathing heavily. They all sat down, inhaling large gulps of air.
"I-think-we-lost-it", Nancy huffed in between breaths. Jonathan and Kie were panting heavily, Kie gripping her side. "I'm-agh-fine… just-a-little-pain-in-my-side". Her ankle was throbbing painfully, shooting waves of pain up her leg, but she grit her teeth and tried to hide the pain. Nancy rubbed her arm soothingly, and pulled her into a side hug. "We made it", she breathed, tears shining in her eyes. It was dark now, the moonlight filtering through the trees, providing the only light. Jonathan wrapped his arms around the girls, hugging them tight, thankful they all made it out alive.
"We need to get back to Steve's house. Do y'all even know where we are?" Kie asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I remember coming this way before. If we head straight in that direction" Jonathan points to his left, "we can be at Steve's house in 5 minutes, tops".
"Oh thank god", Kie breathed gratefully. Nancy sighed in relief. Nancy looked down at Kie's leg and gasped.
"What?" Kie asked, confused.
"Kie…. your knee", Nancy said hesitantly. Kie looked down to see blood dripping down her leg from her kneecap. 'Nonononono' Kie thought to herself.
"ReEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeE" the shriek of the Demodog rang throughout the woods. It was close, very close. It had smelled blood, and it was now racing towards the scent. Kie.
"The tree!" Jonathan and Nancy quickly grabbed Kie, and dragged her over to a large tree. Together, they managed to scramble up it. Nancy and Kie clamped their hands over their mouths, trembling. They knew it was coming, and they had absolutely no form of protection. The pistol had done nothing. If the Demodog found them, and it was able to climb trees, they were screwed. Jonathan trembled as he pulled out a first-aid kit from his backpack. He cleaned Kie's knee scape, and quickly put a band-aid over it, hoping it would block out the scent of her blood. She whispered 'thank you' to him and squeezed his hand gratefully. Her ankle wasn't any better, and her foot was twisted in an unnatural position, but she clamped her mouth shut, afraid of screaming out in pain. Nancy gripped her hand, squeezing it every few seconds, as if to let Kie know that she was right there with her. Suddenly, they saw the form of a person running through the shadows.