PROLOGUE

March 21st, 1986

My eyes burned..no scratch that; my whole fucking body burned.

Disoriented, I tried to rub the burn from my eyes, but my arms wouldn't budge. In fact, my muscles felt like they were on fire, burning from the inside out; I clenched my teeth from the pain. Teeth, oh good, At least I still have fucking teeth. There's hope for me yet.

My heart felt like it was gonna beat right out of fucking my chest from how hard it was thumping in my ribcage; I couldn't breathe; the atmosphere felt stale, and I felt like I couldn't get a full breath in; there were coming in short spurts and god my head...My brain spun inside my skull, you know, like how it feels when you go on that spinning ride, the ones at those shitty fucking fairs? Yeah, those ones.

The roaring in my ears was loud; I couldn't hear my fucking thoughts. Everything is wrong; it feels wrong. How did I get here? There was no light; I couldn't see a damn thing. I wouldn't know from an ass or a tit right now.

Minutes passed

Or maybe it was hours...

I wouldn't know.

Finally, for what felt like forever, the spinning quit, and the blood rushing in my ears was dying down. Being able to finally have some sense, I took a deep breath. Still stale.

There was a tingling throughout my body, like it was slowly coming to relax, so I tried moving my arms again, this time with some success, as I gradually raised my hands above my face.

Everything felt foreign, like these weren't my hands; this body didn't feel like mine. My fingers felt prickly as I flexed them in front of me, still unable to see anything. I felt so stiff like my body hadn't moved in a long time.

What the absolute fuck is going on? I can't remember anything; everything felt so hazy.

I spread my arms, trying to flex the painful muscles back into working condition; when my hands collided with a surface just a couple of inches above me, I thought the texture felt familiar, silk.

A silk wall? Where the fuck am I?

My anxiety increased as I blindly felt about in the dark, only to discover the wall reached around the sides and top of me too. That's definitely not good. Closed in...closed in what?

Alarmed, I thrashed around, legs and arms lashing out; as I attempted to sit up quickly, I smacked my head, slamming back down onto what I now realize is the same silk texture.

I swore, bringing my hand to my forehead. Jesus Christ, that hurt. I massaged the intense pain piercing my head as I looked around in the darkness surrounding me, hoping some light would peak through someplace.

"HELLO?! WHERE AM I?! GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" I shouted, my voice hoarse and cracking like I hadn't spoken in forever.

I waited for any kind of sound or acknowledgment...

No reaction

I began bashing on the walls, wildly hitting anywhere I could reach. "I swear to god! When I get the fuck out of here, you're dead, you hear me? Fucking dead!" I persisted, my voice being swallowed up in the hollow abyss again.

Still nothing

Dropping my hands to my sides, I realize I'm alone. All alone.

Dread crawled up my spine into my chest and squeezed my painful heart; terror began to set in. My body began to shake, and every breath became more difficult as the air seemed thinner, my head reeling out of sheer panic.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Alright, get it the fuck together before you pass out from being a pussy. Deep breaths...in...out...in...out...Think, god damn it. Where was I last? As I lay there trying to recollect my thoughts, the memories hit me like a semi... everything connected. The mall...

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. NO, NO, NO. Maxine. No! I have to get out of here.

Think, Think, Think. Ugh, what I do for a damn cigarette right now. I ran my hands over my damp face trying to focus. Reaching around and patting the floor below me, I searched the space for something useful; my hand brushed against an object. Taking hold, I quickly realized what it was. A flashlight. Fuck yeah.

Fumbling to turn it on, you turned it over a few times in your hands, trying to find the switch. Switching it on, the once-dark space now lit up. Shit! I accidentally dropped the flashlight on my face shielding my eyes. It felt like a damn flash bang. Judging by the stinging it brought on, I haven't been in the light for a long time.

After rubbing at my eyes for a minute, they adjusted; Squinting, I picked up the flashlight to get an actual glimpse around. This only confused me as I looked around at my cramped position.

Wait, I'm in a fucking box.

Everywhere I looked, there were dark blue silk-covered walls. No...why does this look like a..a..fucking coffin?! I'm in a goddamn coffin. Did I die? Am I dead? Maybe it's hell then..but my heart is beating. Did I get buried alive? I need to get the fuck out of here...if I am alive, I won't make it much longer once I run out of oxygen.

Fuck.

With a jagged sigh, I placed the flashlight facing up against the side of my leg and got to work, aggressively tearing the fabric above me. Pinewood, that's good; it means I have a chance.

Here goes nothing; I dig my nails into the wood, scraping and clawing at it. Ahh fuck! Splinters embed themselves in my skin, mingling with the sweat and blood that now coats my hands. Each scrape and tear fuels my anger as I refuse to let the pain stop me. Gritting my teeth, I kept going. My knuckles are raw and bleeding. "FUCK!"

The wood cries out in protest, its fibers failing to my persistent attack. A rush of adrenaline courses through me, and anticipation fills me at the small progress. I widen the gap, creating a small opening through which dirt starts to pour in. I thrust my palms against the weakened barrier—the wood splinters and cracks under the force of distress. I widen the hole; further, my heart pounding in rhythm with each labored breath. The earth was suffocating my air.

Muscles strained and quivering, I thrust myself upward, shoulders pushing against the confining walls of the coffin. I take one final inhale of air and hold it in as soil cascades around me, breaking free of the box. Forcing my feet up, I dug through the dirt, desperately trying to find the surface. Starting to feel lightheaded from holding my breath, I hesitated.

Come on pussy; you can do it! Keep going, Your Billy fucking Hargrove. You went down on Rachel Bennett for Ten fucking minutes in the 9th grade without coming up for air. This aint shit, You can do this!

A sliver of clear surface emerged through the soil above me; the still stale atmosphere carried a hint of freshness, a promise of fucking freedom. With a final surge of strength, I broke the earth's surface, gasping for sweet fucking air.

Taking large gulps of it, I dug my hands into the ground, clawing my way out and hauling the rest of my body onto the dirt floor. There, I fucking did it. Rolling over onto my back, I looked up at the sky...er...what I thought was the sky. It was dark and raining. No, not rain..something else that made breathing a bit hard, but nothing like being fucking buried alive puts shit into perspective, id say.

Taking in my surroundings, something caught my eye. My name. Sitting up, I came face to face with my tombstone. I sucked in a sharp breath.

WILLIAM HARGROVE

MAR. 29. 1967

JUL. 4. 1985

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

July 4th...

Flashes of that fugly fucking monster drilling me in the chest came to mind; I frantically felt around my body for the wounds.

Nothing. There was not even a scratch on me other than my bloody and torn-up hands from climbing out of my grave.

I don't understand.

"I don't understand!"

Thunder erupts in the clouds, illustrating the red skies.

"I don't understand!"

"What do you mean? I don't understand!"

I remember. The skies..this place. This fucking place. What did I overhear Max call it?… The Upside down? Yeah, yeah, that's it.

I'm in the fucking Upside Down.