Beth and Dustin ended up in the back of a police cruiser together, Max and Lucas in another. Chief Powell's deputy seemed to take a sick pleasure in informing them that the four were lucky it was the cops who found them—evidently, Jason had rallied a mob at a town meeting against the Hellfire Club as a whole. "Seems like something the police should have stopped," Beth couldn't help but remark.
"You and I have a lot to discuss, Ms. Forrester," Chief Powell replied sternly, catching her eye in the rearview mirror.
Dustin nudged her and mouthed, Say nothing.
Beth mouthed back, No shit.
They were brought to the Wheeler house, where Dustin's and Lucas's parents were also waiting. Beth found herself crammed onto the couch with the freshmen, facing a group interrogation. "Just a little night swim," Dustin was telling them, a weak lie about their presence at the lake.
"And they dared me to say what I said. About finding the killer," Max added.
"And was Nancy with you at this night swim?" Mrs. Wheeler asked, looking worried. Conflicting answers came from Dustin and Max. Beth closed her eyes, wondering how much worse this could get.
"I don't remember you being here before," Mr. Wheeler said slowly, eyeing Beth with suspicion.
Beth kept her game face on. "I have a feeling there's a lot you don't notice."
"I would have noticed someone walking around without pants, young lady."
"They're shorts. I am wearing shorts," Beth said through clenched teeth. "It…was also a dare. Nancy dared me to walk around the lake at night. In my cheerleading shorts."
"And Eddie Munson's Hellfire shirt?" the deputy asked. "Does Nancy Wheeler want you dead?"
Beth gave him a tight smile. "To be fair, Officer, we were unaware you had allowed a witch hunt to commence in Hawkins. Also," she continued, "This is not Eddie's Hellfire shirt…it is a Hellfire shirt. Everyone in the club has one."
"Whose shirt is it, then?" Powell asked.
Beth took a deep breath. "…Mine."
"Well that's the biggest bunch of bull they've said so far," a child's voice piped up.
"Erica," Lucas's parents warned.
"Just the facts!" Erica protested. "There's no way she's in Hellfire."
"I am in Hellfire," Beth insisted. "I'm wearing the shirt, aren't I? I joined…to round out my extracurriculars…for college."
Erica remained unconvinced, arms crossed. "What's your class and level?"
Beth saw Dustin shift in her peripheral vision, as if to answer for her, but Beth stopped him with a single hand held up. She looked Erica dead in the eyes. "I'm a level one Tiefling Rogue named Orianna with excellent dexterity. The blood of my ancestors was infused with the essence of the overlord of the…Nine? Hells?" She faltered, and looked at Dustin. "Seven hells? Nine hells." Dustin looked at her as if she'd started speaking Latin. "Look, I'm new, but I'm a member. I'm still learning this stuff. So there."
"Damn." Erica looked stunned. She turned to Powell. "She might be legit."
Beth gave her a sarcastic smile. "Great! Will you stop telling the cops we're lying to them now?"
"Oh, you're all still lying through your teeth. The entire couch is on fire. I just meant you're definitely nerdy enough to be in Hellfire," Erica clarified. Beth glared at her.
"Are you…lying to these policemen, Dusty?" Mrs. Henderson asked with a trembling voice.
"No!" Dustin yelped.
Mr. Sinclair added, "Lying to the cops is a crime, son."
"I'm not lying," Lucas insisted.
"The fire is consuming us," Erica said.
"Maybe you ought to threaten them with a little jail time," Mr. Wheeler suggested. "Loosen their lips-"
"Oh that's easy for you to say," Beth interrupted. "None of your kids are here!"
"You want to send our kids to jail?" Mrs. Sinclair added.
The room erupted in angry debate, mostly aimed towards Mr. Wheeler. Erica continued berating the four on the couch. The deputy kept talking as if anybody would listen to him. Finally, Chief Powell stood up and yelled "Shut up!" to silence the room. "We're going to try a more civilized approach," Powell said once everyone had calmed down. "One at a time. Ms. Forrester, come with me. And you," he said, pointing at Max, "are going to have a discussion with Officer Callahan."
"Why me?" Max asked. "I'm not even in the Hellfire Club!"
"It seems a little unfair that you're going right for the two girls without parental representation present," Beth observed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Like I said in the car earlier," Powell said. "You have a lot of questions to answer. You're not wiggling out of this that easily."
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Mrs. Wheeler asked, the maternal tone in her voice an unfamiliar sound in Beth's ears.
"No…thank you," she answered, knowing it would be a lot easier to get through the interrogation her way if she went one-on-one with Powell. "But I would love some pants."
"I want a lawyer."
Chief Powell sighed. They were seated in a small home office off the Wheeler's dining room after Beth was allowed to borrow a pair of pants. "Ms. Forrester, we're not at the lawyer stage yet, which you should be grateful for-"
"Oh, I should be grateful?" Beth asked. "I should be grateful that I got manhandled by one of your officers and brought here to be questioned when I didn't do anything wrong?"
"You've been lying to us this entire investigation. Three days ago, you said you didn't know Eddie Munson. Today, you claim to be a member of his club." Powell stared her down. "These things cannot both be true at the same time."
"Yes, they can," Beth insisted. "I told you…I'm new. Like, really new. Like, I haven't been to an official club meeting yet, so I haven't met the entire group-"
"And then there's what happened at Lover's Lake last night. Jason Carver claims you were there. So does Andy-"
"Andy?" Beth hadn't thought about Andy since that night. Guess I didn't kill him after all. "…What else did Andy say?"
Powell raised his eyebrow. "Nothing. Though he did have a bump on his head that he declined to explain."
"Don't look at me." If Andy's too macho to admit a girl beat him over the head with a pot, so be it.
Powell continued, "Jason also claims that he saw you in a boat with Eddie Munson. It's his theory that Eddie brainwashed you-"
"And here we go," Beth groaned. "First I've been kidnapped. Now I've been brainwashed. What about Jason brainwashing the basketball team? And now the entire town? Is this Hawkins or is it Salem, Massachusetts?" Powell sat back in his chair, looking uncomfortable. Beth continued. "And can I just ask, why is it that I'm the only one you thought might have been in danger when I couldn't be found the day after Chrissy's death? Someone was found murdered in Eddie's trailer, Eddie is missing, but you don't think Eddie could have been kidnapped? Is it a gender thing, or do you just assume the worst of people who live in trailers?"
"Eddie Munson has priors-"
"For murder? Because trust me, the school rumor mill would have known if Eddie was violent. And that has never been the case."
"For someone who doesn't know Eddie Munson, you sure defend him pretty strongly."
Beth blinked. "It's…It's not about whether or not I know him, it's common sense-"
"Young lady, there is nothing common about what is happening in Hawkins right now," Powell said, leaning forward, eyes serious. "I have three bodies in my morgue, three teenagers killed within days of one another. Three murders that I cannot explain-"
"If you can't explain them, why are you so sure you know who did it?" Beth could see the doubt in Powell's face. Her thoughts flashed back to what Nancy had told her about Hawkins Lab. The government swept everything under the rug. Beth shifted in her chair, weighing the risks of what she was about to say. "Chief Powell…what did Jason say about how Patrick was killed?"
"Ms. Forrester-"
"Please? Can you please tell me that much?"
Powell frowned. "Jason's story isn't something we can corroborate. It's immaterial to this conversation-"
"Okay, but did you examine the body? What did Patrick's body look like?" Beth pressed. "Because…look, I'd like to reiterate for the record that I want a lawyer. Nothing I say can be brought into court because you're insisting that I talk without a lawyer. But…what if I did see what happened to Patrick?" Beth swallowed. "What if I saw what happened to his body? What if it was…unexplainable? Like you said. Were the other bodies like that?" Powell said nothing. "Did…Did you call for backup? When you saw the bodies? Like, not just calling the other officers. Did you call anyone…higher up? Because I would have. If I saw a corpse I couldn't explain."
Chief Powell's face was unreadable. He and Beth stared at each other for a long while. Finally, Powell stood. "Ms. Forrester, this town is in a panic. People are scared. And whether or not you agree with it, they've decided Eddie Munson is responsible. That puts Eddie in a world of danger. You might not believe me when I say this, but being in our custody is the safest place for him right now." Powell towered over her. "If you know where Eddie is—if you care about his safety-you need to tell me."
Beth thought about Eddie, diving headfirst into the lake. She imagined him swimming towards a gate to the Upside Down—if he didn't drown. "Chief Powell, I swear. I have no idea where Eddie Munson is right now," she said softly, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Powell let Beth go, but made it clear that there could be more questioning. She followed Dustin's voice to the staircase, where he seemed to be in the middle of another one of his theories. "What if, with each kill, he's not simply killing them? He's making a powerful psychic connection with them?"
"I thought we'd already figured that out," Beth asked. "That's how he stalks his prey-"
"Beth, how the hell do you know about D&D?" Dustin asked, evidently shocked enough by it that he interrupted his own theorizing.
She smirked. "I got really bored in the boathouse…Dusty."
"Can we get back to Vecna?" Erica asked.
Beth was surprised. "Wait, you told the child about all this?"
"I'm eleven, Hellfire Harlot."
"Enough," Lucas interjected before Beth could even muster a response. "Dustin thinks he knows why Vecna's killing people."
"Thank you. Beth, I think the psychic connection is more than just his way of stalking victims. It's powerful enough to rip a hole through time and space," Dustin explained. "Every time Vecna kills, he's opening a gate."
"Okay, but why does he care about opening gates?" Beth asked.
"Because the Mindflayer can't open them itself."
Beth groaned. "Okay, okay, wait. Mindflayer?"
"It's a creature that wants to take over the world," Dustin explained quickly. "My theory is that Vecna is the Mindflayer's five-star general. And he's opening gates so the Mindflayer can finish what it started."
"Holy shit," Lucas said.
"Holy shit," Dustin agreed.
"Holy shit, that was incomprehensible," Erica said. "Please be kind, rewind…"
Dustin took on the unenviable job of explaining his theory further to Beth and Erica, Beth being confused about the Mindflayer and Erica being confused about the Communists not being involved this time, which led to more questions from Beth about why the Communists were involved the first time. As Dustin's explanation dragged on, Erica seemed to lose interest, her eyes focused on a light fixture in the Wheeler's front hall. "Erica, are you even listening?" Dustin asked her.
"Yeah, I'm listening. It's just…you said you followed Vecna through lights, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because I think he's here," Erica said. That's when Beth, Dustin and Lucas noticed the slight flicker in the light bulbs. It wasn't as intense as the light freakout in Eddie's trailer the night Chrissy died, though. It was more controlled, rhythmic even.
"S…O…S," Dustin whispered. "Hey….remember when I said they wouldn't be stupid enough to go through Watergate?"
"Oh my god," Beth whispered. "They did. I saw Eddie dive in-"
"What?!" Dustin hissed at her. "You saw them go in and you didn't say anything?"
"When was I supposed to say something? We've been surrounded by cops this entire time!" Beth pointed out. "Is there any other way they can communicate aside from making the lights blink?"
"I don't know," Dustin said.
"What if…there were a lot of little lights? Bunched together?" Erica suggested. She nodded towards the living room, where Nancy's little sister was lying on the floor. She was playing with a Lite-Brite.
The four considered the prospect. "That…might actually work."
After trading the youngest Wheeler's Lite Brite for a bag of Skittles (a trade that wasn't exactly agreed upon by both parties) they brought it up to Nancy's bedroom. From what Beth could glean, Eddie and the three others could hear them speak, but not the other way around. She was anxious to warn Eddie about the mob waiting for him back home. If he ever makes it home.
"That's it, that's it, go-go-go," Dustin was saying, the four of them having filled every hole in the Lite-Brite board with a colored peg. Lucas plugged the toy into the wall, illuminating the board. "Okay, are you guys seeing this?"
Suddenly, the board surged, the lights glowing even more intensely. "Oh my god, is that them?" Beth asked.
"Holy shit!" Erica exclaimed, Dustin laughing manically at the success.
"Okay, we're going to unplug it now!" Dustin said, explaining to Beth, "Once they know where the board is, they don't need it to be plugged in to light it up on our side." Beth held her questions. She just hoped this would all work. "Okay, try it now!"
They watched in awe as slowly, a line was traced on the otherwise dark board. More lines appeared until the word HI glowed at them from the Lite-Brite. "This is insane," Beth whispered as the kids whooped in excitement.
A new message began appearing on the board: S…T…U…C…K. "They're stuck in the Upside Down," Lucas said.
"You can't get back through Watergate?" Dustin asked.
G…U…A…R…D…E…D. "Guarded by what?" Beth wondered. She still didn't completely understand what the Upside Down was like, other than an alternate dimension that was connected to their world somehow by electricity. She bit her lip, mulling something over.
"Okay, we have a theory that might help with that!" Dustin said. "Watergate isn't the only gate. We think there's a gate at each murder site!" After a moment, a question mark appeared on the board.
Beth frowned. "Okay, how is that confusing? Dustin, you were very clear."
"I know!" Dustin agreed. "Look, how many times do I have to be right on the money before you just trust me?! Meet us at the trailer!"
"Wait!" Beth interrupted. "Just…Okay, things are getting kind of bad here in the…Rightside Up? And I'm just theorizing on my own here, but…maybe certain parties should…stay hiding? In the Upside Down?"
"Beth, what are you talking about? The Upside Down is crawling with monsters," Dustin hissed. Soon, another Lite Brite message glowed through, in what Beth recognized as Eddie's handwriting. Dustin raised his eyebrows. "Well. That was…emphatic."
"Okay, I was only just informed about the monsters, you don't have to be crass about it," Beth yelled. "There's a child present!"
"You better not still be talking about me," Erica warned.
"Oh, also Nancy, your mom let me borrow some pants! Hope that's okay!"
After getting Max on board with the new plan, Beth and the kids snuck out Nancy's window and took bikes to get to the trailer park, Erica stabbing a cop car's tire to ensure they wouldn't be pursued. "Level with me," she later said, as she rode on the back of Beth's bike. "You're not part of Hellfire, are you?"
Beth frowned. "…Eddie says I'm not allowed to play. Because I 'don't respect the dice'."
"Knew it."
Seven miles later, they were ditching the bikes in front of Max's trailer. Beth took a deep breath as she looked across the road at Eddie's. The last time she'd been there was the night of Chrissy's death. It felt like ages ago. They ripped down the police tape and quietly made their way into the trailer.
"Holy shit," Beth murmured as she stepped inside. On the ceiling of the small living room, a hideous looking hole had started growing. It looked like vines were spreading out from it. "That's...that's where Chrissy died." She looked at Dustin. "So…if everything is a mirror image in the Upside Down, it's on the ceiling there too, right? So how are they going to get through this gate?"
"I have a theory. But first…" Dustin grabbed a broom and a chair, positioning the chair directly under the gate. He stood on the chair and poked the end of the broom into the hole. As it turned out, there was a membrane that separated their world from the Upside Down. Beth covered her mouth to stop from gagging; the sounds and the weird dripping coming from the gate were almost too much to take.
They all stared up into the gate with bated breath. Then, Steve came into view, staring back at them from the inverted dimension, followed by Nancy, Robin, and then Eddie. Beth felt her breath catch. Eddie looked okay—far better than how Steve looked, now that she thought about it. "Steve, what the hell happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing much. Eddie's new neighbors just came around to say hello." Beth flipped him off; you make one uninformed suggestion and everyone becomes a comedian.
"Okay," Dustin said. "On to the next phase—sheets!" The Rightside-Up crew hustled into the bedrooms, opening drawers and stripping the beds.
"Oh, ew," Beth whispered as she pulled the fitted sheet off Eddie's mattress, praying the kids wouldn't ask any questions.
"Robin and Eddie looked like they bonded a little in the Upside Down," Dustin said, searching Eddie's dresser drawers for more sheets.
Beth looked at him quizzically. "If by that you mean they were standing next to each other…Why are you even still on this? Eddie's-"
"On the run from the law, I know, but this is all part of what you were saying before. About Eddie giving up hope?" Dustin reminded her. "If he thought there was love waiting for him on the other side, he might fight harder."
"You don't even know if Robin likes Eddie. I thought she was dating Steve this whole time!" Beth realized the sheet was bunched in her white-knuckled fists. She relaxed her grip while trying to relax her heart. But that pessimistic voice was back in her head: Robin doesn't have a history of bullying people. Robin is a much nicer person. And the thought of being with you certainly hasn't given Eddie the will to live.
"I wish Steve would date her," Dustin said. "Robin is the coolest girl-"
Beth stomped out of the room, saying, "If you like Robin so much, you date her!"
As a group, they tied sheets together until they had a decent-length rope. Regrettably, Max and Lucas decided Eddie's mattress was the best possible landing pad for the Upside-Down crew. "If my theory is correct…" Dustin flung one end of the rope through the gate, and miraculously, the sheet rope stayed suspended, pulled from two opposing forces of gravity. Robin tested the sturdiness of the rope, and it held. "This is the craziest shit I've seen in my life," crowed Erica, "and I've seen some shit!"
Robin was the first one through, flipping and landing flat on her back on the mattress. "Oh thank God…That was fun!" she gasped, helped off the mattress by Dustin.
Eddie came through next, with the same flip and the same hard landing. "That…was fun!" he said, sitting up and looking dazed. "Shit." Robin grabbed his hand to pull him up, and Dustin nudged Beth, eyebrows raised. Beth rolled her eyes in response.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Beth turned to see Eddie addressing her, looking mildly upset. "You wanted me to stay in the Upside Down? It's goddamn Mordor in there!"
"Well it's goddamn Salem out here, Eddie! And I didn't know about whatever it is that made a meal out of Harrington," Beth said.
"I'm sure she was only trying to-"
"Robin, back off. I don't need you to come to my defense," Beth cut her off. Robin shrank back.
"Nancy?"
They all looked up through the gate. Steve was shaking Nancy, who was standing prone in an eerily familiar posture. "Nance?! Stay with me! Nancy!"