It was still dark when she roused. Rosie rolled over, arm seeking him. It fell through empty air to the sheets. Opening her eyes, she propped herself up.
"Eddie?"
The bedroom door tipped slightly in a draft. He must've gone to the bathroom. Rosie settled back and listened. Listened to the creak of the hinges, and the shifting of an old house in the night. No movement. No water. No flush.
"Eddie!" Catching the door with its stop, she made her way across the hall, tying her robe tight. Knocked on the bathroom door, then opened it. Just a black room. No-one there. Blood thudding in her ears. "Eddie?"
Downstairs? Still moving slowly and cautiously calling his name, she went. The house was completely silent. Sally's eyes cracked open when she stepped into the kitchen, but even she didn't move. The only motion in the room was the back door, swaying slightly where it stood open.
Where's he gone. "Eddie!" She raised her voice, hoping he'd come waltzing back in. When he didn't, she screwed up her courage and hurried out.
"Eddie! Where are you!" She shivered. "Eddie, are you out here? Come in?"
The trees rustled back. Rosie did a lap of the house to no avail, peering into the woods as well as up and down the road. Back at the swaying door, her eyes fell on the boathouse.
"Eddie? Are you - JESUS CHIRST!" Rosie tripped back, away from the figure in the middle of the room. He didn't move. Didn't answer, just stood there facing the lake. She touched his hand. "Eddie?"
He twitched. She edged in front of him, snapping fingers in front of his open eyes. They didn't see. Rosie tugged his hand.
"Eddie. Wake up."
"There." He said. Staring.
"What?"
"It's there." Eddie swayed. "Down there."
Rosie gulped. "What's down there?"
"Go down there."
"Eddie, you're asleep." She took his arm. "Come on. Before you freeze to death."
He didn't budge. "It's a bat!"
"Eddie…"
"Get the bat!"
"You're dreaming again."
"It's on his neck!"
"There's no bat, Babe."
"The bat! Get the bat. Steve! Steve!"
"EDDIE!" Rosie jostled him as hard as she could. "Wake up!"
He staggered, thankfully righted himself. Bobbed his head and gazed around. His eyes were still scared when he took her in. "Rosie? Where are we?"
"By the lake." She answered. "You were wandering."
Eddie held onto her, still not stable on his feet. As though his body wasn't awake. "Oh no….shit…"
"You're like ice. C'mon, let's get back to bed."
A shiver ran through him, like he remembered the cold. "Yeah. That's a good idea."
Rosie tucked him in. He went out like a light. Hadn't really been fully roused, she guessed. She, on the other hand, was now wide awake. She sat up, fidgeting, casting glances over at him. Now that he was safe, another worry slunk around in her mind. The lake. He had sleepwalked right up to it. If part of his fantasy had involved going in…
She got up. Bolted the front and back doors. Closed the bedroom door and placed the metal trash can by it. Laid down. Stayed awake.
Eddie slept like the dead.
Sally was up the hill in a flash. Then back down. She splashed into the lake for the eighth time, paddled around, then back out and past them. The walk had breathed a new burst of life into the rotund animal, and being let off the leash was clearly a new experience for her.
Eddie tripped again. She heard the scuffling behind. The muted curse. He was sweating, bangs plastered to his forehead.
"I think my feet are bleeding."
"You said it was an easy walk." Rosie reminded him. "We're only halfway."
"Yeah…well… I rowed last time."
"Should've rowed this time."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Still don't know why you wore a leather jacket out here."
"I have no other jacket!" He shot back.
"Here." Rosie pushed the soggy hair out of his face and used his bandana to secure it away.
"Thank you."
"You want to sit?"
"Yes! Yes!"
It was mid-afternoon by the time they reached Skull Rock. Eddie whooped and crashed down onto the old mattress on the ground. Rosie scolded him, asking him if he wanted to catch something. He perched up on a boulder instead, studying the structure. Rosie rested against it, too.
"Whaddiya know. It does look like a skull."
"Told you."
He seemed thoughtful, so she let him be. Until he sighed.
"What?"
"Patrick died just that way." He jerked his chin. "Trying to get me. They pulled him out of the water a few days later. Same as with Chrissy, I watched it happen and just ran."
"He and his friends were trying to kill you."
"I know. But still, wasn't nice on his parents, having to bury him like that."
He hopped back down and over to Skull Rock. Rosie took his seat as he started to climb. Sally ran under and around, looking concerned.
"Don't break your neck."
"Trying not to."
Eddie slipped and struggled, his ass sticking into the air half the time. Sally started to whine and bark, wanting him down. He persevered bullheadedly until he reached the top, then posed with his hands on his hips.
"I should've brought a camera."
"We should've!" He agreed, sitting. "You know this thing is there? In the Upside-Down?"
"Really?"
"Yup. Covered in vines and shit."
"Bats?"
He nodded. "Bats all around."
"What else was there?"
"Most of Hawkins. All overgrown and sorta rotted."
"Wow."
"It was cool. Terrifying. But cool."
"And…you're sure it's gone, right?"
"Gone. Eleven closed 'er up."
They made it back before dark, mostly due to Rosie pushing Eddie through the woods. Sally was hungry, too, and looked up at her forlornly the more the hours wore on.
"Don't worry, you'll get your dinner soon."
Eddie turned on his heel. "Me?"
"The dog!"
He gave her those puppy-dog eyes. "Me too?"
"If you're good." Rosie kicked her shoes off inside the back door. Eddie went to the bathroom while she organized the ingredients for dinner. He heard her fuming from upstairs a few moments later, and appeared from the living room.
"Problems?"
"No garlic." She slammed the pantry closed. "I forgot it."
He threw his hands up in the air and shook them. "Disaster!"
"Fuck off."
"Do we need it?"
"I meannnn…"
"There's a grocery store a few miles down the road. It's not a problem if we need to get it."
Rosie huffed grumpily. "Yeah. I'll feed Sally and we'll go."
Eddie grabbed some granola bars on the way out. "For the journey."
