Sadie coughs, trying to drag in air through lungs that do not want to function, the pressure of—whatever it is—above her, pushing down on her smaller frame nearly rooting her to the spot. Its grip tightens on her sides, digging in until she can feel the sharpness that had only been a nuisance before, piercing her skin. Dimly, she is aware of the sounds of another struggle nearby, a distant reminder that she is not alone.
Vincent. He's with her.
She isn't alone…
Somehow, that realization gives her enough strength to squeeze her eyes shut, willing the tingling sensation to come back to her palms almost without conscious thought. She can feel the creature's mouth coming closer. Warm breath flares against the skin of her face, and something sticky falls against her shoulder.
If she wants to live—if she wants to survive this—she needs to act now.
Sadie pushes the tingling sensation in her palms outward with her eyes still squeezed shut, and a grating shriek presses against her eardrums in response, while the weight that has been hovering above her chest lifts away. She pushes up to sitting and tries to drag in a breath, but her lungs still aren't fully cooperative, even with the removal of the pressure resting above them.
Coughs wrack her frame, and Sadie scrambles to get onto her knees, a low whine escaping as the act pulls at her sides.
A hand drifts up to rest against where the pain seems to be throbbing the hardest, and a hiss escapes from between clenched teeth, the fabric of her shirt damp with blood. Her blood.
She forces herself to ignore the feeling, for now, her attention instead turning outward. Squinting as she looks at her surroundings, trying to find Vincent. The thing that had been on top of her. Something.
What she gets is a split second to scramble to her feet before a dark form is hurtling towards her once again, her lips thinning as she bites back another scream.
She watches the thing carefully, fighting to keep her breaths even, despite the rapid pounding of her heart against her ribs, and Sadie is terrified. She sees the glinting of the seemingly endless rows of teeth, and pictures them digging into her skin. It fuels her panic. Sends her blood singing through her veins.
Sadie suddenly feels the distinct sensation of overheating, as though white-hot flames are licking against her skin, and just as the creature gets close enough to lift an arm, long claws hurtling towards her neck, she reacts. For a moment, it feels as though the entire world has gone very still, her would-be attacker freezing while a dull ringing starts in her ears.
She stares, perplexed, at the glowing pinprick of red light hovering just in front of her, but then nearly staggers backward with the force of its sudden explosion, her eyes squeezing shut against the blinding color that flickers for a moment, before slamming the creature backward into the trunk of a nearby tree with an echoing crash.
Opening her eyes again, Sadie shakes her head in an attempt to clear the ringing in her ears, her feet stumbling as she tries to remain upright. Something of whatever she had just done lingers, forming a barrier similar to the one she had inadvertently created in the clearing what feels like ages ago.
Sadie lifts a hand to her nose to wipe away the blood there on instinct, only to find her vision narrowing to pinpricks while she staggers backwards, once again, only stopping when a firm hand circles around her arm.
"Breathe, Sadie. Breathe."
Doing as the voice instructs, Sadie drags in one breath, and then another, and another, some of the pressure easing inside of her chest while the heat that had been close to unbearable in her veins dissipates, bit by bit. Her gaze is still riveted on the tree ahead, while the creature that had attacked remains motionless at its base…
"Can—will it—"
"Wake? Most likely. Can you keep going?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Vincent shakes his head, and Sadie manages a grim smile, preparing to allow him to continue leading them on their way. But she realizes almost immediately that he isn't moving. Not yet, her expression turning skeptical as she wipes absently at the blood coming from her nose, and he gestures to the flickering red barrier she is preparing to leave behind.
"It may be prudent to—get rid of that before we go on."
Sadie turns back to the barrier, frowning as she tries to recall what she had done in the clearing, and comes up blank. Then, it had only disappeared because Vincent's arrival distracted her. Caught her off guard. But Vincent is standing right beside her, now. The only thing that can sneak up on her is something she doesn't want to face.
"Relax. Will it away, just like you willed it into being to begin with."
"I–I don't think I can."
"Stop thinking at all," Vincent orders, aware of Sadie's almost immediate move to protest, and placing a hand upon her shoulder, startling her enough that she can do nothing but glance down at the point of contact in awe, "Let it be instinctive. Just like everything you've done before."
"Shouldn't there be—I don't know—more—finesse?"
"We can work on your finesse later. When we have more time."
Nodding, Sadie turns back to the barrier, biting her lip because she knows the more time she wastes now, the more likely it will be that the creature that had attacked her will be after blood again. It flickers in time with the erratic beats of her heart, and she squeezes her eyes shut, forcing her body to relax, and trying to use that ease to nudge at the glimmering redness until it no longer exists.
"There."
Sadie cracks one eye open and exhales a sigh of relief as soon as she realizes the barrier is, in fact, gone, her shoulders sagging and somehow knocking her off balance in the process. Once again, Vincent's hand snaps out to steady her, his brow furrowing in concern. And Sadie tries to shrug him off. She really does.
"You're bleeding."
"I'm fine," Sadie insists, somehow finding the strength to brush past Vincent and resume their trek of the path ahead, "We need to—keep moving, right?"
"We do."
"Okay then. Let's go."
Vincent frowns, but does not argue, his attention shifting back to the darkening of Sadie's shirt as he follows along at her side. He knows there is absolutely no chance of talking her out of this. Of getting her to sit on the sidelines, rather than protecting Max.
He stays close to her side as they continue toward the version of his home that exists in this world, ready to catch her if she stumbles again. And, for the first time in what feels like a very long time, he finds himself feeling genuine concern for someone other than himself.
Vincent knows better than most how dangerous that feeling is. How destructive it can be. And not for the first time, he realizes that he is hoping he can get Sadie out of this alive.
He hopes he can get the small glimmer of another shot at any connection with his family out alive.
…
Max sits beside the lantern, staring at it so fiercely she can practically feel it burning her eyes, but even then, she can't seem to look away. She can feel Lucas' tension behind her. His eyes drilling into the back of her head. The number of times he opens his mouth to say something, and then snaps it shut again seconds later.
He doesn't say anything, though, even after all those times of trying, and so Max releases a heavy sigh, her gaze drifting from the light to where her hands are clasped in her lap, her jaw working in irritation as she wonders what is taking so long.
Why hasn't Vecna found her, yet?
Did he go after Sadie instead?
Biting down on her lower lip, Max tries not to think about that. Tries not to acknowledge the twist of guilt in her gut over what might happen if her worst fears come true. Because Billy was one thing. She still hates herself for spending even a second wishing for his death, but something about the idea of Sadie dying is entirely different. Heart-wrenching.
Max doesn't want to think about Vecna going after Sadie. About how they almost lost her once, already.
She doesn't want to think about how Sadie has been more like a sister than Billy ever was a brother. How, if Sadie died, it would be because of her…
And Max doesn't know how many more losses she can take.
"C'mon, you asshole. I'm right here."
"Max—"
"Don't," Max hisses, not bothering to turn to look Lucas in the eye, her fingers curling into fists so hard she can feel her nails digging into the skin of her palms. He doesn't say anything more, and Max almost feels remorse, but for the fact that keeping Lucas at a distance seems to be the best course of action.
If she can do that, it's easier to accept her own fate. The reality that she may not come out of this.
And having nothing to tie her down is the only way Max can face this and stay sane.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Max tries to remember how it felt the first time. How she had been sitting at Billy's grave. How, after reading the letter, emotion had faded away. Faded away to nothing. She tries to find that nothingness again. To get into the same mindset she had been in when Vecna found her. When he nearly killed her.
She wants to get back to that feeling so badly she can feel her heart squeezing inside her chest, because if this fails? If she is the reason the plan to take down Vecna cannot proceed?
Max will never be able to look any of her friends in the eye again.
The sudden flare of the lantern beside her jolts Max out of her own thoughts rather quickly, her attention zeroing in on it as the light fades, flares to life, and fades once again. She can feel Lucas moving closer behind her, but she keeps her attention on the light, standing and grabbing onto it in one smooth motion.
She can't exactly explain it. How she knows Vecna is moving. But she follows along as best she can, paying close attention to the intermittent pulsing of the light as a guide.
She follows it, with Lucas behind her every step of the way, until they end up in the attic of the Creel's home, and Max would be a liar to pretend she doesn't feel the sudden chill that races down her spine, while goosebumps prickle down the skin of her arms.
"He's here."
Lucas places a hand on Max's shoulder, and delivers a small squeeze before Max is moving away, padding towards the center of the attic floor while the lantern in her hand glows bright enough to be blinding. She sits again, cross-legged, with the lantern beside her, and Lucas has to fight the urge to sit beside her with everything he has.
Especially when her next words echo out into the otherwise silent room.
"Come and get me, you son of a bitch."
…
"So—how'd it go?"
"Henderson, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh come on," Dustin gripes, clambering down the ladder after covering the last of the trailer's windows as best he can, aware of how Eddie is feigning a sudden interest in the bit of fencing he had recently curved around the trailer's porch, "You went into the trailer with Sadie. You were alone. The two of you walked out behind Vincent looking like you'd just been caught doing something? Is any of this ringing a bell?"
"Why? You jealous or something?"
"Already have a girlfriend, dude."
"That doesn't stop some people," Eddie says, risking a look at Dustin, and realizing the younger boy doesn't appear to be accepting his attempt at diversion at all, "What, are you keeping tabs on Sadie and I, or something?"
"Let's call it being a concerned third party."
"Seriously?"
"You like her. She likes you. What's the problem?" Dustin questions, stepping back a bit to admire their handiwork, his shoulder bumping against Eddie's in the process.
"It's not that simple, man."
"Why not?"
"Kinda don't think this is the right time to be talking about our love lives," Eddie quips, hoping Dustin would see the sense in the comment, though he should have known the little twerp wouldn't give up so easily, if the sudden smirk he wears is any indication at all.
"You kissed her, didn't you?"
"Jesus, Henderson—"
"Didn't you?" Dustin persists, humor edging into his tone as Eddie looks away, clearly trying to come up with a way out of this conversation, and failing completely, "Ha! I knew it."
"Fine. I kissed her."
"And?"
"And what?" Eddie probes, trying to pretend there is nothing more to the admission than what's already been said, despite realizing Dustin isn't going to let the matter go. He's not upset with the kid for being curious. Not really, no matter how it might seem on the surface.
Really, Eddie is just hoping he didn't botch things with Sadie for good by blurting that he loved her. That he hadn't come on too strong, and scared her away.
He shouldn't have said anything at all. She hadn't even ended things with Andy.
How did he know that Sadie wouldn't eventually come to see the kiss as a mistake? See him as a mistake?
He didn't. It was as simple as that.
"Did she punch you? Find a crowbar? Kiss you back?" Dustin presses, grinning broadly as Eddie shakes his head, seemingly unable to restrain a small smile, even though it is almost painfully obvious something still worries him, "Okay, so she kissed you back. What's the problem with that?"
"That's not the problem."
"Then what is?"
Sighing, Eddie turns from Dustin to stare at the vine-covered version of Max Mayfield's trailer right across the lot from his own, aware of the kid's eyes on him the entire time. He doesn't want to say it out loud. To make it real, because making it real also means he will not be able to take it back.
But Eddie doesn't want to take it back. Not really. Not unless it somehow makes Sadie pull away…
"I told her I loved her, man."
"Oh. That's—well that's—it's good, right?"
"She didn't say it back."
Dustin blinks, mulling over the confession, and frowning at the way Eddie seems to slump not long after. But he can't imagine Sadie doing anything cruel. Anything to make Eddie's dejection make sense.
He doesn't know her as well as Eddie does, obviously, but she's stayed with their group since the start. She's actively trying to help them defeat something that, just a few days ago, she didn't even know existed.
That isn't the type of decision someone who didn't care would make. It isn't the type of decision any of the number of people that ridiculed Eddie—even Dustin himself—would make. And Dustin remembers Sadie going up against her own mother to try and plead Eddie's case.
"She does."
"What?"
"She loves you," Dustin states, clearly convinced of the truth behind the declaration, even with the way Eddie manages a roll of the eyes in response.
"And you came to this conclusion how, exactly?"
"Common sense."
"Common sense," Eddie repeats, shaking his head as he turns back to Dustin, mild exasperation coming to mind as the kid keeps looking at him as though he has a few screws loose for not picking up on this, himself, "How is any of this common sense?"
"Dude, name one person that would stick by you the way Sadie has if she didn't give a shit about you at all."
Eddie opens his mouth to reply, but shuts it not long after, a sigh escaping as he realizes as much as he doesn't want to admit it, the kid does have a point. But giving a shit isn't the same as love. Eddie knows that.
Yet somehow, even as he says the words out loud, he knows Dustin will never believe them.
"That isn't love, Dustin. It's just being—"
"Being what?"
"A good person."
"Right. So, Sadie's definitely that," Dustin muses, once again ignoring Eddie's exasperated expression in favor of going on, "But I still think there's more to it."
Eddie wants to reply. To tell Dustin he doesn't need to work so hard to make him feel better, at the very least. But before he has a chance to do that, static crackles from the walkie Dustin holds, effectively diverting their attention to the sound of Robin's voice.
"Max is in. Initiate phase two point five, and three."
Two point five. Sadie follows her connection to Max to find Vecna. And three, he and Dustin distract the bats so Steve, Robin and Nancy can take care of the rest.
This is it. There's no going back, now, even if they wanted to…
Something that is clearly reflected in Dustin's voice as he replies.
"Copy that. Initiating phase three."
"Anything from two point five?" Robin asks, the remark causing Eddie and Dustin to share a look, until a distinctly male voice echoes from the walkie in response.
"We're here. Ready to roll."
"Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"
"Relax, Buckley. We just ran into a little problem, but that's dealt with, and we're here. Over and out."
"Problem?"
"He said they're ready to go," Dustin assures, almost immediately catching the worried cast to Eddie's features, and trying to distract his friend as best he can, "She's fine."
Eddie wants to believe it. He wants to believe it with everything he has, because he needs Sadie to make it out of this alive. Needs to know if she feels the same about him as he does for her, or if telling her how he feels is going to end up being one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
But he can't think about any of that, now, because Dustin is already clambering up to the roof of the trailer. Setting up the speakers, and waiting on Eddie to get into place, as well.
Jogging over to follow after Dustin, Eddie pulls himself up onto the roof, trying to shake off the ridiculous reality of last minute nerves, a single look at Dustin enough to tell him that in spite of his attempt to keep his next statement quiet, the kid had caught on to every last word.
"You better not do anything stupid, Sweetheart…"
…
When Sadie opens her eyes, it is surprisingly dark, the roiling in her stomach provoking a groan even as she forces herself to turn in a slow circle to get a better picture of her surroundings. Her heart sinks as she realizes she is staring at absolutely nothing. Nothing but more blackness that seems somehow capable of swallowing her whole.
She forces herself to take a slow, shuddering breath, before attempting to move, her eyes blowing wide as she feels something cold against her feet.
Her bare feet.
Interesting, since she distinctly recalls keeping her shoes on in Vincent's home.
A look down at her feet causes Sadie's brow to furrow, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light in time to see the tiny waves rippling out from her toes as a result of the movement. There is no associated smell, and so Sadie settles on the belief that it is water, because she doesn't entirely want to face the prospect of it being anything else.
Lifting her head again, Sadie continues moving forward, hoping beyond hope that she will be able to find Max quickly, just like she had located Nancy before. She doesn't know what she's going to do if she fails. She doesn't even want to think of that prospect, because that means Max will be facing Vecna alone.
"Focus, Sadie. You won't be any good to Max if you get lost inside your own head."
Sadie nearly jumps at the sound of the voice, her heart hammering against her ribs as she grits her teeth and continues looking ahead, while her fingers curl and uncurl against her sides. She forces herself to take slow, even breaths, even though she can feel panic clawing at her just beneath the surface.
Sadie ignores that panic as best she can, because she knows it will only bring another voice to the forefront of her mind.
Vecna.
And she knows she will never find Max if Vecna finds her first.
Steeling her jaw, Sadie directs all of her attention to the sudden appearance of a dim flicker of light what seems to be only a few feet away, her steps quickening even as Vincent's voice echoes in her ears once again.
"Tell me what you see."
"Talk to the voice in my head. I—I'd like to avoid a lifetime in Pennhurst, thank you very much."
"I am being serious, Sadie. And no one but me can hear you, either way."
"There's—there's a light," Sadie informs, refocusing on the dim glow up ahead, only to find that it seems to be growing. Pushing outward, and pulsing like a living, breathing thing, "It's—it's growing."
"Go toward it."
"I am."
"What do you feel?"
Sadie spends a moment thinking about the question as she draws closer, surprise flooding her as she realizes she is actually feeling—something—with every step she takes. Closing her eyes, she tries to get a lock on what that feeling is. What it might mean.
It feels like fear. Fear mixed with defiance. The faintest hints of a taunt, as though whatever it is, is dead set on baiting something. Or someone.
Max.
"It's—it's Max."
"Are you certain?"
"I am," Sadie confirms, not entirely sure how she knows this is her way to get to Max—proof of their connection—but surprisingly reassured by the discovery, regardless. Moving closer to the light, she focuses on that familiar defiance. Something that is so inherent to Max that she is surprised she didn't notice it sooner.
Tentatively, she reaches out a hand, brushing her fingertips against it, before an instinct she can barely understand prompts her to press her hand even closer…
The familiar lurching sensation she experienced when she first tried to connect with the redhead resurfaces, and Sadie bites back a gasp, squeezing her eyes shut as she hurtles forward, her breath catching in her throat until she is suddenly colliding with wooden floorboards, her knees smarting at the blow while her hands press outward to catch her fall.
"Ow—"
"Sadie?"
"H–hey Max."
"You're—you're really here?"
Sadie wants to reply. She wants to tell Max she kept her promise, just like she said she would. But before she can, the sound of something heavy crashing against a barrier of some kind reaches her, her attention snapping upward in time to see a reinforced door that is completely incongruous with the rest of their surroundings.
A door, with an illuminated square window showing a maniacally grinning figure, ramming his body into it again and again with a yell to match each collision.
"Is—is that—"
"Billy," Max breathes, watching as Sadie scrambles to her feet, her hand reaching back for Max's to tug the younger girl behind her as Billy hurls himself at the door yet again.
"Where's Vecna?"
"No idea."
Nodding, Sadie keeps a wary eye on where Billy is still trying to break through the door, already trying to formulate a plan of what to do if he ends up getting free. Something tells her he is exactly like the version of Eddie she'd seen in her own foray into Vecna's world. Not exactly real, but enough to be a threat, regardless.
"You need to—"
"Find that happy memory. I know," Max agrees, trying to shove the sound of Billy's yelling—of his body slamming into the door—aside, to focus on where she needs to go, next, "But how—how will you be able to—"
"I'll find you."
"Sadie—"
"I'll find you," Sadie insists, giving the girl's wrist a gentle squeeze, and forcing herself to exhale slowly, her eyes trained on the way the door Billy is barricaded behind as it jolts outward, the chain securing it straining almost enough to break completely. She keeps her focus there, even though she is already reaching out for that tenuous connection to Max again. The faint light that brought her here…
"You have this, Sadie. Just breathe."
Another slam of Billy's body against the door echoes in the room, and the chain holding it closed dissolves completely, the door collapsing outward as Billy slowly steps out of the confines previously holding him at bay. Sadie can feel Max tensing behind her. She can almost hear the rapid pounding of the younger girl's heart, so very close to matching the beat of her own.
Before she can even rationalize it, the red barrier is between the two of them, and Billy, his features going from victorious to vengeful in next to no time at all. And Sadie keeps her attention on him, watching as he reaches out a hand to touch that barrier. As he snaps the hand away, the skin of his palm smoking slightly while his narrowed eyes settle in on Sadie with alarming ease.
He's going to kill her. She can sense it. If he manages to get through the barrier she created, she is as good as dead, and she won't be able to protect Max after all.
Sadie forces those thoughts aside, though, because she needs to ensure she can find Max again. To ensure she can follow after her to this memory that will buy them some time, and keep Vecna from attacking too soon.
"Breathe, Sadie. Just breathe."
Clinging to Vincent's words, Sadie tries to keep her attention on Billy and Max, both, hoping with all she has that this will work. She is searching for that faint white light that led her here. Trusting, foolishly or not, that it will take her to wherever Max is going, next.
Billy is now pounding his fists against the barrier in spite of the yells of pain he gives with each strike, the redness flaring in time with every hit. And Sadie can feel it. Suddenly, a part of her focus is drawn to another white light, and she seizes onto it with all the strength she can manage. It feels similar to what got her to Max in the first place. The same defiance and taunting are there, but something else is, too.
Something different.
Something not all that far from hope.
One of Billy's fists punches through the barrier and Sadie feels the blow somewhere in the vicinity of her chest, the air rushing out of her lungs as she staggers back a step before she can stop it. But she can still feel that connection to Max, faint though it may be, and as the realization that it is waning dawns, she squeezes her eyes shut, diving after it with all the strength she has.
When Sadie opens her eyes again, it takes a moment before she realizes she is standing in the center of the middle school gymnasium, the lights giving off a faint silver glow that reflects off of streamers dangling from the ceiling, a few floating down to land upon the floor.
She turns in a slow circle, taking in the decor. The banner hanging over a rectangular table where soft music echoes from speakers set up on its surface.
Hawkins Middle Snow Ball '84.
"Now what?" Max says, the sound of her voice causing Sadie to flinch as she realizes the younger girl somehow managed to move to her side without her noticing at all. Another look around the gymnasium is enough to assure Sadie that they are safe, at least for the time-being. And even though she is still more than a little nervous—a little uncertain of what to expect—she forces herself to give the younger girl what she hopes will be a reassuring smile.
"Now, we wait."
…
Okay, so here we go! The first portion of the end-sequence action for season four! It may take another chapter or two to get through, since I'm kind of liking the idea of spending time with each group and what they go through trying to beat Vecna. So hopefully you're all on board with that plan? I have so, so many ideas for how all of this could go, and I really hope I can do them all justice!
As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite and review this story so far! And special thanks to last chapter's reviewers: SunflowerJ, mistyagami, and acutemoose for leaving such lovely feedback the last time around! I am so, so happy you're all enjoying the story and I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well!
Until next time, darlings…
MOMM
