"I'm sorry, I have no idea exactly what's going on," said Jonathan. The agents just told him, Mike, Elle, and Elvis about Will's whereabouts. "What is going on in Hawkins? Who's doing these killings?"

"That's what we're trying to ascertain," the woman replied.

"Where is Will?" asked Elvis. "Like, right now?"

"For your safety, it's best you don't know."

"This is insane!" Mike yelled.

"So this training, to give Will powers, how long is it gonna take?" asked Jonathan.

"It could take weeks, or months," the woman replied. "Until then, agents Harmon and Wallace will stay to watch over you."

"We're not the ones in danger!" Elvis snapped.

"Our friends LIVE in Hawkins!" Elle added.

"My family lives in Hawkins," Mike continued.

"And we'll work to contain the situation until Thirteen is ready," said the woman. "In the meantime, it is of vital importance you do not speak to anyone about this. I know this is difficult to understand…"

"This isn't difficult, it's impossible!" Mike interrupted.

The woman stood up. "There are some things that not even you understand! Things that could jeopardize Thirteen. And if he is jeopardized, so are your friends and family."

"So we're supposed to trust that you're the good guys?"

"We're friends of Owens. Thirteen trusted us. Now we're asking the same of you." The woman gave Mike a letter. "For you."

Mike took the letter and ran upstairs. He opened up the letter.

Dear Mike,

I have gone to become a superhero.

From,

Will.


Nancy and Steve drove over to the high school. They hurried inside. They met up with Max and the others in the hall.

"It was here," Max told them. "The clock was right here. It was so real. Then I got closer, and suddenly, I just woke up back in the office."

"It was like she was in a trance or something," Dustin added. "Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy."

"That's not even the worst part," Max continued. "Fred and Chrissy both went to Ms. Kelley for help. They both had headaches that wouldn't go away, then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping, waking up in a cold sweat, then they started seeing things. Bad things from their past. And these visions kept getting worse and worse until eventually… everything ended. Chrissy's headaches started a week ago, Fred's six days ago, I've been having them for five days. I don't know how long I have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy, they died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that god damn clock, so it looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow."

Everyone heard a noise coming from outside. Barb went out to investigate. The others followed. They heard someone getting closer. Barb grabbed a lamp, ready to attack. Someone popped out. Everyone screamed, and so did the person in front of them.

It was just Lucas.

"Jesus, Sinclair!" Barb screamed. "I could've killed you with this lamp!"

"Where the hell have you been?" asked Dustin.

"Sorry," Lucas apologized. "I was biking for miles. Give me a second. Shit. We have a code red." He turned to Dustin. "I've been with Jason and the basketball team. They've gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You're in terrible danger."

"Yeah, that sucks," said Dustin. "But we have bigger problems than Jason."

Max started to hear the chimes again.


Stranger Things 4

Chapter 4

Dear Billy

Lucas, Dustin, Barb, and Robin were in the Wheeler basement. They read copies of the news article about Victor Creel Nancy and Steve gave them.

"Be honest," Barb told the others after reading. "Do you understand any of this?"

"Nope," Lucas replied.

"It's pretty straightforward," said Dustin. "What's confusing you? So far, everyone with Vecna's Curse died except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He's the only known survivor, so if anyone knows how to beat Vecna's Curse, it's him."

"That's the thing," Barb retorted. "We don't know if he was cursed. How can Vecna exist in the fifties? It doesn't make sense."

"As far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside-Down. She opened a gate. The Upside-Down has probably been around for thousands of millions of years. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs."

"But if a gate didn't exist in the fifties, how did Vecna get through?" asked Lucas.

"And how's he getting through now?" Barb added.

"And why now?"

"And why then? Show up in the fifties, disappear, then return thirty years later? I don't buy it. Straightforward my ass. You know, Henderson? A little humility now and then won't hurt you."

Dustin noticed Max sitting at a desk nearby. It looked like she was working on something.

"What's she doing?" he asked. "Did she even sleep?"

That's when Nancy and Steve came in.

"We have a plan," Nancy told them.

"Thanks to Nancy's newspaper minions," Steve added. "We are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame."

"I'm Ruth."

"And I'm Rick."

"Ruth?" Barb reacted.

Nancy simply nodded.

"Nice GPA," Dustin complimented.

"Thanks," Nancy thanked before turning back to the others. "So we called Pennhurst, told them we'd like to speak with Creel for a thesis on paranoid schizophrenics…"

"To which they said no," Steve added.

"But we landed at 3:00 with the director. Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor."

"Then, maybe we can rid Max of this curse."

"About that," said Robin. "We've been doing our Victor Creel homework, and we have a lot of questions."

"So do we," said Steve. "Hopefully Victor has the answers."

"Where's my outfit?" asked Barb.

Nancy smirked at Barb. Barb knew what this meant.


Barb followed Nancy and Steve into Nancy's room.

"I can't believe I'm babysitting again!" Barb yelled.

"They're not babies anymore," Nancy retorted. "And besides, Max is in real danger."

"It's just, I can't do anything here, Nance. Maybe I can be helpful with this asylum director dude. I don't know."

"Listen, I did a little digging last night, and it turns out this Doctor Hatch is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a Harvard visiting scholar. This is a lifelong student of the world, and if we're gonna win him over, we'll need him to think we are too. That like him, we're true academic scholars."

Barb turned to see Steve listening to the soothing music of Nancy's music box.

"Is he giving you an academic scholar vibe?" asked Barb.

"No," Nancy replied. "But he will."

Nancy brought out a fancy male suit and showed it to Steve. Steve wasn't one for nice clothing.

"Don't you dare," he said. Though he knew there was no convincing his girlfriend against this.


Joyce and Murray slept at a motel for the night. When Joyce woke up, she tried calling home. There was no answer.

"I don't understand," she said. "They said to dial one, then the number. What am I doing wrong?"

"There are a lot of things you can be late for," said Murray. "A dentist appointment, a birthday party, but who cares? No one's gonna remember that. But for what is essentially a ransom exchange, for that, I think you need to be ON TIME!" He grabbed Joyce's hand and carried her out the door. "Sorry I got intense there."

"Clearly," Joyce said sarcastically.


Jonathan came down for a drink of water. He saw the agents watching TV. The agents saw him passing by.

"Where are you going?" asked Harmon.

"To get a drink," Jonathan replied. "Is that allowed, or is that not how house arrest works?"

"You're not under arrest," Wallace assured.

"Yeah, yeah."

Jonathan walked to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. He noticed a photo of himself, Steve, and Nancy on the fridge.

He was about to walk away with nothing but his feelings, but then he saw an ad on the fridge. An ad for the pizza place Argyle worked at, Surfer Boy Pizza. He got an idea.


Upstairs, Mike, Elle, and Elvis were in the twins' room. Mike was sitting on the bed with the letter in hand. Elle was sitting at the desk. Elvis was pacing and talking.

"Let's entertain the idea that they're telling the truth," said Elvis. "If they do have good intentions, then they haven't thought this through. If this goes on for a month, or months, and people can't get a hold of us, they'll freak out. Meanwhile, Joyce is probably having a panic attack. That lady's supposed to keep it 'contained'. Like you can contain shit. I mean…"

"Yeah," Mike interrupted.

Elle got concerned for the boy she loved.

"If you keep staring at that, it's not gonna change," she warned him.

"I know," Mike replied. He tore up the letter and threw it away. "I mean, I barely talked to him before he got taken by the cops. I don't know, I feel if I did things differently, then he would still be here."

"Mike, this isn't your fault," Elle assured. "He attacked Angela for me. He wanted to fix my mistakes. I'm the reason he's been taken."

"Now's not the time to fight," Elvis said as he got between them. "We need to work together if we are to save Will."

"Which is why we can't stay here," came Jonathan's voice. Everyone turned to see Jonathan walking in. "Let's assume these 'friends of Owens' are telling the truth. We can't call Hawkins without putting them in danger. Then we'll just go to them."

"How?" asked Mike.

"What are you worried about? Those gay agents who sit next to each other, flirt with each other, and watch TV all day?"

"Jonathan, we don't have a car or money," Elle retorted.

"Then we'll hail ourselves a ride." Jonathan showed the pizza ad. "A free one."

An idea sparked into Mike's head. He turned to the twins. They both made mischievous smiles. They had the same idea.


The kids went downstairs.

"Hey sirs!" Mike called, getting the agents' attention. "We're hungry."

He showed them the card.

The agents looked at each other.

"I could go for a pizza," Wallace eventually said.


Max finished writing something on a piece of paper. She put the paper into an envelope. She wrote Billy's name on the envelope.

"I know you guys are staring at me," she told the others, who were, in fact, watching her write. "How do you think your eyes boring into the back of my head will protect me from Vecna?" She stood up and grabbed a few envelopes. She walked towards the four, who were now looking away. "You can look now." She handed an envelope to Dustin, then Barb, then Robin, then Lucas. "One for you, and you, and you, and you." She handed a few more to Lucas. "Give these to Mike, Elle, Elvis, and Will if you can ever get a hold of them again." She saw Dustin and Barb about to open their envelopes. "Hey, don't open them now."

"What are these?" asked Dustin.

"It's a failsafe," Max replied. "For after… if things don't work out."

"Max, things are gonna work out," Lucas assured.

"No!" Max snapped. "I don't need you to assure me things are gonna work out! People have been telling me that all my life and it's almost never true! It's never true! I mean, of course this asshole cursed me. I should've seen that coming." She saw a walkie-talkie and grabbed it. "If we go to East Hawkins, will this reach Pennhurst?"

"Yeah, why?" asked Dustin. He realized what Max was asking. "Shit. Max, don't!"

Max ignored everyone.


She left the basement and walked out of the house. The others followed her.

"Max, I'm not driving you anywhere!" Barb yelled.

"If you think I'm gonna spend what's likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is the Wheeler basement, then you are out of your mind!" Max shouted. "So either you take me where I need to go, or you'll have to tie me down, which is technically kidnapping a minor! And if I live to see another day, Barb, I swear to God, I will prosecute." By the time she finished that sentence, they were at the car. "Open the door."

"No!"

"I know a good lawyer."

The two stared at each other. After a bit, Barb finally relented. She grabbed the keys and unlocked the car.

"Henderson," she told Dustin. "That walkie better reach Pennhurst."

Everyone got in the car. Max stopped for a second. She heard the chimes again. She brushed it off and got in the car.


Nancy and Steve reached Pennhurst Mental Hospital. They were both wearing the nice clothes Nancy picked out.

"I can't breathe in this thing," Steve whined. "I'm itching all over."

"It's not about comfort," Nancy countered. "We are strong academics."

"Who are evidently coming from an Easter brunch. Also, this shirt is really pinching my nipples."

"Could you just let me do the talking, if that's even possible?"

"It's not only possible. It's inevitable because I'll be dead from suffocation."


Steve did manage to shut up when they got to the office. They showed Doctor Hatch the fake resumes and recommendation letter. He was pretty convinced that the letter was written by a Larry Brantley.

"I know Larry," he said. "You know what he says. 'Those who can't do, teach'."

"Yes, that's why we're here," said Nancy. "We can only learn so much in a classroom."

"I sympathize, but there's a protocol to visit a patient like Victor. You have to put in a request, then undergo a screening process, at which point the board will make a decision. I can see you're disappointed, so I'll give you a tour of the facility. You can even speak to some patients in our low-security wing."

"And we would love that. It's just, um, our thesis is due in a month."

"Then you're out of time. Whose fault is that?"

"Ours, and I do apologize…"

"Don't apologize, Ruth," Steve interrupted. "Screw that. The fact is, we did put in a request months ago, and we were denied. And then we reapplied and were denied again. And coming here was our last-ditch effort to save our thesis. And I really can't breathe in this thing."

"Then, Rick, you may want to go outside and get some air," Nancy said, trying her best not to snap.

"Maybe I should, Ruth! Because I'm confident this whole thing is a colossal mistake! I'm breaking out in a rash! My nipples hurt, and I'll tell you the truth, Anthony! Can I call you Anthony? These aren't my clothes! I borrowed them because I wanted you to take us seriously! Because nobody takes queers seriously in this field! They just don't! We don't look the part or whatever, but can I tell you a story? 1978, Summer Camp. My counselor, Drew, told me and everyone in Cabin C the true story of the Creel Massacre. And little Petey McHew started sobbing on the spot. Full-on hyperventilation, and all the campers couldn't sleep for weeks! I couldn't either, not cause I was scared, because I was obsessed with the question, 'What would drive a human being to commit such unimaginable acts?' Other kids wanted to be astronauts, basketball players, rock stars, but I wanted to be you. I wanted to be you, so forgive me if I want to try everything in my power, including wearing this bullshit, IF I MIGHT GET TO SPEAK TO THE MAN THAT IGNITED MY PASSION AND LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HOW HIS TWISTED, YET SOMEHOW FASCINATING MIND WORKS!"

Steve panted after shouting all of that. That whole story came out of the top of his head, and even he didn't think he could say all of that.

Somehow, Anthony was convinced by Steve's little speech. He led them to the wing Victor was being kept in. Nancy made sure to high-five her boyfriend while Anthony wasn't looking.


Joyce and Murray made it to their destination. Yuri's Fish n Fries.

"If things go sideways," said Murray. "Just know I'm now a black belt in karate." They walked inside the warehouse. "Hello!"

They heard footsteps coming from behind. They saw someone coming out of a small biplane nearby. He was a man in his forties wearing winter gear and a welding mask.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We're looking for Yuri!" Joyce replied.

"Why do you need to see Yuri?"

"It's a private matter. Is Yuri here?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this, but you're a day late. See damage to this hull? Yuri was on a sightseeing trip to see polar bears. But bears pulled him out of cockpit, and killed Yuri. And he loved bears, they broke his heart, or rather punctured it." The man saw the shocked looks on Joyce and Murray's faces. He started to laugh. "I got you good. I'm Yuri. You must be Joyce, and you're Murray? Oh, Murray and Yuri. Twinsies!"

"I hear it," Murray nodded sarcastically.

Murray set down the bag and opened it up.

"Forty thousand american dollars," he said. "As promised."

Yuri sniffed the bag. "I love the smell of hard-earned cash in the morning. I hope you don't mind if I count. You seem very nice, but so did my brother before he stole my wife." He turned to Joyce. "You seem cold. Have some coffee. This will take a while."


Barb drove over to Max's trailer.

"This better be fast, Mayfield," she demanded.

"It'll only be twenty seconds," Max assured. She got out of the car and ran into the trailer.

Barb turned to Dustin. "That walkie has batteries, right?"

"I'm not even gonna answer that," Dustin replied. "Yeah, it has batteries."

Max sat a letter down. It was for her mom. She saw her mom hanging some clothes outside. She ran over to her.

"Max?" Susan asked. "I thought you were with your friends."

"I was," Max replied. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Mr. Bradley let me off early. I'm just catching up on chores."

"I left some letters inside. For you, Granny, and Uncle Jack, and Dad, if you find him."

"Why? I don't understand."

"With all the murders and everything, I know it's stupid, but I'm scared that I'm next."

"Nothing's gonna happen to you."

"I know. But if it did, there's so many things I want and need to say. Just promise you'll hand the letters out, okay?"

"Max, you're scaring me. Is something going on?"

"No. You're right. I'm being silly."

Max hugged her mom.

"It's okay," Susan assured. "Nothing's gonna happen. I promise."

Max felt the place get darker. The warm, loving embrace of her mom's hug turned cold and fake.

"Nothing you don't deserve," Susan continued.

Max opened her eyes and saw how cloudy the place became. She tried to let go, but "Susan" wouldn't let go.

"Mom, let go of me," she demanded.

"Maxine," she heard a new voice say. "You think some letters are going to make things right?" Max looked up. Her mom wasn't there anymore. It was a rotten, lanky, gray figure. She knew it was Vecna. "You've broken everything. Your time is almost at an end."

"LET GO!" Max screamed.

Max forced Vecna off of her. She fell to the ground.

When she looked around, the place was back to the way it was before. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and her mom was right there in front of her.

"Honey, are you okay?" Susan asked.

Max didn't answer. She ran away. She met up with the others.

"That was longer than twenty seconds," Barb scolded before she saw the scared look on Max's face. "Whoa, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Max lied as she got in the car. "Just drive."

Everyone got in the car.

"Did something happen?" asked Lucas.

"Can we please just go?" Max asked, ignoring her ex's question.

Barb started the engine and backed out.


Anthony led Nancy and Steve into the courtyard.

"These are the gardens," he said. "We allow our patients two hours of outside time a day."

"Can't they just escape?" asked Nancy.

"They could, but most don't want to. They love it here."


They entered another room. A room where patients were listening to music.

"This is one of our more popular rooms," Anthony explained. "The listening room. We discovered that music has a particularly calming effect on the broken mind. The right song, particularly one that holds personal meaning, could prove a salient stimulus. But there are those who are beyond a cure."


Anthony led them to the lower floors, where they held the more insane patients.

"Doctor Hatch, can we speak to Victor alone?" asked Nancy.

"I think we would love the challenge of speaking to Victor without the safety net of experts such as yourself," Steve added. "That way we could really rub it in Professor Bradley's face."

"I don't know a Professor Bradley," said Anthony.

"He meant to say Brantley," Nancy corrected.

"Yeah," Steve added onto the lie. "Sorry, silly me. I'm just nervous, I mean excited."

Anthon gave the two suspicious glares. In the end, he relented. "Yes..why not? You caught me in a rebellious mood. And there's something urgent I need to check on anyway. Sure." He turned to the security guard. "Keep a close eye on them."

The security guard unlocked the door. He led Nancy and Steve inside the cell room.

"Do not startle him," he ordered. "Do not touch him. Do not pass him anything. Stand five feet from the bard at all times. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," the boyfriend and girlfriend replied in unison.

The guard went to a certain cell. "Victor. It's your lucky day. You have visitors." They heard the man in the cell scratching the desk. "He must be in one of his moods. Have fun."

The guard walked out.

"Victor," Nancy said. "I'm Nancy Wheeler. And this is…"

"Steve Harrington, her boyfriend," Steve introduced himself.

"I don't talk to reporters," said Victor. "Hatch knows that."

"We're not reporters," Nancy assured. "We're here because we believe you and we need your help."

"Whoever killed your family," Steve continued. "We think it's back."

Victor turned around to reveal his disheveled face. His hair and beard were messy, like he hadn't shaved in years. There were wrinkles all over his skin. The worst part was, he had no eyeballs. Instead, there was stuffing.


Mike entered the twins' room with his bag. Elle was there, but Elvis was not.

"Already packed?" asked Elle.

"I never really unpacked," Mike replied. "You know, I'm sorry I wasn't acting like myself lately. The last year has been weird, you know. Max, Lucas, Dustin, they're all great. It's just, it's Hawkins. It's not the same without you, Elvis, and Will. And I feel I was worrying too much about everything. I don't know, I feel like I lost you. Does that make sense?" Elle nodded. "I have no idea what will happen next, but I think we work easier as a team. As friends. A boyfriend and a girlfriend."

Elle approached Mike and kissed him on the cheek.

Jonathan and Elvis came in. They were all ready to go.

Well, all except Elle. She still had one last thing to pack. The commission she meant to show Mike the day before. She grabbed that and put it in her bag.

That's when they heard the doorbell rang. The pizza was here. They walked out of the room.

The agents were waiting for them. They had their guns pointed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Wallace asked.

"We are… uh," Elvis tried to lie. Verbal lying wasn't his strong suit. He had to improvise. "Hey, what's that over there?"

The agents turned around. Elvis used that distraction. He flew towards them, grabbed them, and bashed their heads together, knocking them out.

Mike, Elle, and Jonathan ran past the unconscious agents. Elvis was about to follow, but he stopped himself. He saw something hanging out of Harmon's back pocket. He grabbed it. It was a pen.

"Elvis, let's go!" Elle shouted.

Elvis quickly stored the pen and his pocket. He then followed the others to the front door.


Outside, Argyle just got out of the car. He was about to get the pizza from the back.

"Argyle, we gotta go," Jonathan told him.

"What's going on?" Argyle asked.

By then, Jonathan already got in the front seat, while Mike, Elle, and Elvis got in the back.

"Get in!" Jonathan demanded.

Argyle reluctantly got back in the driver's seat.

"What now?" he asked.

"DRIVE!" everyone shouted in unison.

"Alright, I'll just," Argyle was about to say. He looked out of the window and saw the agents coming out. "Why do those guys have guns?"

"DRIVE!"

"Okay!"

Argyle slammed the gas and drove away.


Yuri finished counting the money. It was precisely forty thousand dollars.

"Alright, we fulfilled our end of the bargain," said Joyce. "Now you fulfill yours."

"I will," Yuri assured. "But I gotta call Enzo first, tell them I got the money."

Yuri walked into another room.

"I don't like that guy," Murray told Joyce.

"Me neither," Joyce replied.

When they were done talking, Murray fell asleep. Joyce got up to get a refill. Her sight started to blur. She couldn't tell if the coffee was getting into the cup or not. After a while, she fell to the floor. Yuri walked over to her.

"Oh, was my coffee too strong for you?" he asked. "Don't worry. You will be reunited with your American boyfriend very soon."

Joyce did her best to stay awake. In the end, she couldn't do it. She passed out right then and there.


Barb continued driving. Max recognized where they were going.

"Turn here," she requested.

Barb knew where they were going. She hesitated, but she preferred not getting sued. She turned right. They were at the cemetery.

When Barb parked, Max got out. Lucas went after her.

"Lucas, please wait in the car," Max asked.

"Max, wait," said Lucas. "I know something happened back there with your mother. Was it Vecna?"

"I told you, I'm fine. I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be."

"Max, you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you push me away?" Lucas brought out the letter Max gave him earlier. "I don't need a letter. I don't want a letter. I want you to talk to me. To your friends. We're here. I'm here."

Max rolled her eyes. "Just wait in the car! Please."

Max walked off without saying a word.


"When he attacks, our friend describes it like a trance," Nancy explained to Victor. "Like a waking nightmare. That's why we think he's coming for her next. Does any of this sound like what happened to your family?" Victor didn't answer. "Victor, I know this is hard."

"You don't know anything!" Victor snapped.

"You're right. We don't. That's why we're here. To learn, to understand. We need to know how you survived that night."

Victor laughed maniacally. "Survived? Is that what you call this? Did I survive? No. I assure you, I am very much in hell."


Flashback

The year was 1959.

Victor and his family moved to a new mansion in Hawkins. He had been back from the war for some fourteen years. His wife's great-uncle had died, leaving them a small fortune. Enough to buy a new home. A new life.

Victor and his family walked into the new house.

"What did I tell you?" Victor asked.

"Wow," said his wife, Virginia.

"This is amazing," said the daughter, Alice. "It looks like a fairy tale." She ran upstairs.

"Alice, don't run," Virginia scolded.

"But it's so big!"

It truly was a magnificent home. It really did look like a fairy tale.

But the son, Henry, was a sensitive child. Victor could tell that he felt something was wrong.

There was only a month of peace in that house, and then it began.


Dead animals, mutilated, tortured, began to appear near the home. Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, and even dogs.

The police chief blamed the attacks on a wildcat. Victor knew this was no wildcat. This was an evil. An evil not animal or human. This was a spawn of Satan. A demon, and it was even closer than he realized.

The family began to have encounters conjured by the demon. Nightmares. Waking, living nightmares. This demon, it seemed to take pleasure in tormenting them. Even poor, innocent Alice.

It wasn't long before Victor began to have encounters of his own. It was like this evil lived in this mansion, and did not take kindly to intruders.

And though there was no rational explanation for it, Victor could sense the demon. It was always close. He was convinced it was hiding, nesting, somewhere within the shadows. It had cursed their town. It had cursed their home. It had cursed their home…

And it was only just beginning.


One night, the family was eating dinner together.

The radio turned itself on. Victor went to turn it off. The radio started switching between frequencies.

The lights began to flicker. The family only had a second to react before… it came.

It took Virginia first. She was pulled into the air. Her bones snapped. Her eyeballs exploded. Her fluids poured out of her sockets, leaving a dry husk.

Victor tried to get the children out. To save them. The door wouldn't budge.

When he finally opened the door, he was back in France. Back in the war. It was a memory. He thought German soldiers were inside. He ordered its shelling. He was wrong.

This demon was taunting him. He was sure it would take him, like it took Virginia. But then, he heard another voice.

At first, he thought it was an angel. He followed her, only to find himself in a nightmare far worse. While he was away, the demon took his children. Henry slipped into a coma. He died a week later.

He tried to join them. He tried. Hatch stopped the bleeding. He wouldn't let that happen.

End of Flashback


After listening to that whole story, Nancy thought about everything. She recognized most of the stuff that happened to be normal of Vecna's Curse. There was still one thing she was curious about.

"Who was this angel?" she asked.

Victor didn't answer. He just hummed a song.

The door opened. Anthony came in.

"Is he everything he hoped you would be?" he asked. "I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Brantley. Perhaps we should discuss it in my office while we wait for the police."


Max sat in front of the grave of her late brother, Billy. She took the letter out of the envelope, and read it aloud.

Dear Billy,

I don't know if you can hear this.

Two years ago, I would have said that was ridiculous, impossible. But that was before I found out about alternate dimensions and monsters, so I'm just gonna stop assuming I know jack shit about anything.

So much has happened since you left. Your dad was a total mess. He and my mom started to fight. I don't think he could stand being here without you, so he left. And he didn't leave Mom much.

She's taken an extra job, and we moved to that lovely trailer park off Kerley.

Basically, ever since you left, everything's been a total disaster. And the worst part is, I can't tell anyone why you're gone. I can't tell them you saved Elle and Will's lives. That you saved my life. I play that moment back in my head all the time.

Sometimes I imagine myself running to you, and pulling you away. I imagine that if I had, you'd still be here. And everything would be right again. I imagine that we could've become friends. Good friends. Like real siblings. I know that's stupid. You hated me. I hated you. But I thought that maybe we could try again.

But that's not what happened. I just stood there and watched. For a while, I tried to be happy, normal. But I think that a part of me died that day too.

And I haven't told anyone this, I just can't, but I had to tell you before it's too late. If you can hear this, I really hope that you can. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Billy.

Love, your shitty sister,

Max.

Max cried as she read the letter. She put the letter back in the envelope.

When she looked up, the place went dark again. Dark clouds covered the sun. The once warm environment turned cold. The tears in her eyes turned to ice.

"Max," she heard a familiar voice call out.


Barb saw Max sitting in front of the gravestone. She hadn't moved a muscle. She got concerned.

"That's long enough," she said as she got out of the car.

"Barb, give her some time," said Robin.

"I've given her enough time, Buckley," Barb retorted. "I'm calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can." She ran over to Max. "Max, time to giddy up." Max didn't move. Her eyes were gray. "Max. Max!"


"Max," a shadowy voice called. "I've been waiting to hear those words, Max. Waiting so very long."

The shadowy figure came into the light. It was Billy.


"Max, wake up!" Barb shouted.

The others heard Barb from where they were at. They realized something was wrong. They ran over to Barb and Max.


"But it wasn't the full truth, was it Max?" asked Billy. "You know, I think there's a part of you, buried deep inside, that wanted me to die that day. That was maybe even relieved, happy."

"No, that's not true," Max cried.

"That's why you stood there, isn't it, Max? It's okay, you can admit it now. No more lies. No more hiding. That is why you feel such guilt. Why you hide from your friends. Why you hide from the world. And why, late at night, you wished to follow me into death. That is why I am here, Max. To end your suffering once and for all."

"No, no that's not true."

Max slipped and fell on the ground. When she got back up, Billy wasn't there. Instead, it was Vecna.

"It is time, Max," he said. "Time for you to join me."

Max ran the opposite way. She wanted to get as far from Vecna as possible.


The kids tried to wake Max up in every way that she could. She wouldn't budge.

Barb grabbed Dustin's collar. "Call Nancy and Steve! Go get them!"

Dustin did as he was told. He ran to the car and grabbed the walkie.

"Nancy, Steve, this is a code red!" he shouted. "Do you copy?"


Nancy and Steve were being led to Anthony's office.

As they walked, Steve whispered to Nancy, "Victor made that specific mention of the music. When we asked about the angel, he started to hum. 'Stars shining bright above you'."

"'Dream a Little Dream of Me', Ella Fitzgerald," said Nancy. "The voice of an angel."

"Hatch said that music can reach parts of the brain that words can't. Maybe that's the key. A lifeline back to reality."

"It's worth a shot. We can beat him to the car."

Nancy grabbed her boyfriend's hands and ran.


Max ran deeper into the graveyard. She hid behind a gravestone.

"You can't hide from me, Maxine," she heard Vecna say.

"The hell I can't," Max whispered. She continued to run.


Nancy and Steve made it to the car. They started the engine and drove as far away from the premises as possible.

"Steve, where the hell are you?" they heard Dustin's voice. "This is a code red!"

Steve grabbed the walkie from the back seat.

"Dustin, we copy," he answered.

"Finally! Please tell me you figured it out!"


"Lucas! Dustin!" Max called out. "Please help! Barb! Robin! Anyone!"

Red smoke appeared in front of her. She worried Vecna was leading her into a trap. Her curiosity got the better of her. She walked into the light.


Dustin grabbed a set of tapes from Max's bag. He ran over to the others.


As Max walked deeper, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment.

There was red smoke all around. In the sky, there were dark clouds with red lightning flashing around. Weird towers formed out of the strange substances of the Upside-Down. As she stepped, she felt her shoes getting wet. When she looked down, she saw she was standing in murky, slimy water.


"What's her favorite song?" Dustin asked as he set down the tapes. "Steve said if she listens, it's too much to explain right now. What's her favorite song?"


Max stepped onto drier ground. She saw that she was standing around what looked like the remains of a destroyed mansion.

"What are you doing here, Max?" she heard Vecna ask.

Max stepped on something that crunched. She looked down and saw she stepped on a sack of spider eggs. She stepped away from the spiders.

"Come back to me."

Max turned around. She saw Chrissy's body hung onto one of the towers.

She stepped back. She ran into something rotten. She turned around. She saw Fred's body hung on another tower.

"How do you like them, Max?" Vecna's voice sounded closer. Max turned around. Vecna was approaching her. "Would you like to join them?"

Max tried to run. She felt something grab her. She fell to the floor. She saw a vine holding her ankle. She tried to yank it off, but it was too strong. It pulled her towards another one of the towers. More vines grabbed her and strapped her onto the tower. Another one held her by the neck, suffocating her.

Vecna approached Max, ready to kill.


After skimming through the tapes, Lucas found a certain tape. The tape he recognized as the one Max listened to every day since the start of the school year.

He gave the tape to Barb, who put it in a walkman.

Dustin put headphones on Max's ears. "NOW!"

Barb pushed the play button.


Play "Running up that Hill" by Kate Bush

An opening appeared a good amount of meters away. Max could see her body sitting there, her friends surrounding her and calling her name.

"They can't help you, Max," said Vecna. "There's a reason why you hide from them. You belong with me."

You don't wanna hurt me

Let's see how deep the bullet lies

Unaware I'm tearing you asunder

While there is thunder in out hearts

"You're not really here," Max accused.

"Oh, but I am," Vecna replied. "I am."

Is there so much hate for the ones we love?

Tell me we both matter, don't we?

Vecna put his hand to Max's face.

You

It's you and me

It's you and me, won't be unhappy


Max's body began to float up. Her friends continued to shout her name. They hoped and prayed this would work.

And if I only could

I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places

Be Running up that Road

Be Running up that Hill

Be Running up that Building


Max remembered what Lucas said earlier. "I don't want a letter. We're right here. I'm right here."

Max thought back to her happy memories with everyone.

Playing with Lucas at the hospital.

Shopping with Elle at the mall.

Trick-or-Treating with the boys.

Lucas showing off the ghost trap.

The photos she took with Elle at the mall.

Skateboarding around Mike.

Going to the movies with her friends.

Dancing with and kissing Lucas at the ball.

Come on, baby

Come on, darling

Let me steal this moment from you now

Come on, baby

Come on, darling

Let me steal this moment from you now

Come on, Angel

Come on, come on, darling

Let's exchange the experience

With newfound joy and positivity, Max pulled one of the vines off of her. She grabbed a vine on Vecna's neck, and yanked it off.

It hurt. Vecna had to cover the area to keep blood from pouring out.

Max used those few seconds of vulnerability to her advantage. She ran for the opening.

Vecna wasn't gonna let that happen. He sent some floating rocks down to slow her down.

And if I only could

I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places

Be Running up that Road

Be Running up that Hill

With no problems

Max slipped but quickly got up. She narrowly avoided every projectile Vecna threw at her.

She was almost out of breath. She wasn't gonna let that stop her. She closed her eyes, and reached out her hand.

And if I only could

I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places

Be Running up that Road

Be Running up that Hill

End "Running up that Hill"


When she opened her eyes, she was floating in the air. Gravity took a hold of her as she fell to the ground. Thankfully, her friends were there to keep her from sustaining any major injuries.

Max wrapped his arms around Max. The others held onto her.

"I thought we lost you," Lucas cried.

"I'm still here," Max assured, as she also cried. "I'm still here."


A.N.

And that's the first half done.

I definitely had a lot of fun writing this chapter. "Dear Billy" is easily the best episode of the entire season, hell, the series as a whole, thanks to Kate Bush.

Rewriting the scene with Max "Running up that Hill" was very fun to write. I definitely felt all the same emotions I felt watching that scene for the first time. The emotion, the epicness, the song, it was so beautiful.

Again, Steve accompanied Nancy when visiting Victor Creel. The poll is still up. If you think it should be Robin or Barb, place your vote. If either one gets the most votes by Saturday, then I'll gladly edit so Robin or Barb accompanies Nancy.

Since Sullivan and the military are not part of this, Team California escaped the house through other means. Elvis definitely had some time to shine when he took down those agents.

Joyce and Murray were always heading into a trap. It's not a last minute change of plans. Yuri was planning to sell them out from the start. As I said before, since Hopper's dead in this universe, the Kamchatka plotline is gonna play out differently. Here, the Russians lie that Hopper's alive so they can capture Joyce and Murray, then feed them to their demogorgon. Joyce's whole arc is accepting that for once in her life, she's wrong, and Hopper is gone for good.

With that, thanks for reading. Please favorite, follow, and review.