Chapter Seventeen

The Shire is Burning

Everyone had rushed back to the cars to follow the sirens that were echoing through Hawkins in the early morning hour. It didn't take long for them to figure out where the police cars and ambulances were headed. The closer they got to the other side of Hawkins, the more everyone's stomach seemed to fill with dread. Piper hadn't realized how early into the morning it was till the sun began to peek out through the trees as it rose higher up into the sky. From the backseat, Dustin let out a curse as they turned down the familiar road.

"Park here," Piper spoke, pointing to the side of the road, "Don't want them seeing the cars as we get closer."

Billy pulled off to the side of the road, setting his Camero into park, before turning the engine off. Behind them, Steve did the same and parked his BMW right behind Billy's car. To anyone, it would look like anyone's cars parked on the side of the road, less suspicious than parking closer to Reefer Ricks' house. It was a long pause before anyone moved. But soon, one by one, they all got out of the cars and walked closer to where others of Hawkins were standing and waiting.

"You don't think it's Eddie do you?" Max spoke with a whisper, walking up beside Piper as they walked down the gravel road.

"I don't know what to think anymore." Piper sighed heavily, the ice-cold feeling at the back of her mind returning quickly. "Whatever is going on – I can feel it. I can feel him."

"Me too," Billy spoke, reaching over quickly to grab tightly to Piper's hand. He squeezed her hand slightly as they walked closer toward the crowd.

Looking around, Piper noticed the news vans parked off to the side with reporters and cameramen setting up. Barricades lined the front lawn of the small white home to hold back neighbors and other nosy residents. The soft murmur of people talking and speculating could be heard.

"Guys," Dustin spoke, nodding his head slightly to the left, indicating for them to follow.

They walked along the side of the news vans to get a closer look. Deputy Powell standing on the lawn with the microphone of the other newscasters pointed at him as he spoke. The other deputies of the sheriff's department standing behind him.

"…a little after midnight we received a call reporting a homicide out here on the lake. Office Callahan and myself were the first to arrive on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lover's Lake which is ten yards from the house that you see behind me," As Chief Powell spoke, he pointed to Reefer Rick's home. As Piper looked toward the home she was able to see other officers and crime technicians walk around. Some carrying boxes and bags – clearly labeled as evidence. "It was there that we found the victim, an eighteen-year senior of Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney. His limbs…his body…were disfigured…"

At the mention of the name, Max reached over quickly and grabbed Lucas's hand, bringing comfort to him in some way. Lucas looked over his shoulder at her, giving a saddened smile, before turning back to Powell.

"…we have also identified a person of interest, Eddie Munson." Powell continued while holding up a photo of Eddie toward the camera. "If anyone has any information about his whereabouts, we ask that you immediately call the Hawkins Police Station."

Piper squeezed tighter on Billy's hand as she continued to listen to Powell speak. Her stomach dropped with more dread – if that were even possible – at the mention of Eddie's name. With him being publicly named as a person of interest, that just made things even more complicated. The people of Hawkins weren't critical thinking people, also weren't people that liked anything or anyone out of the 'norm'. So, each and everyone already saw Eddie as guilty. Now it was only confirmation with confirmation with the police broadcasting his name across the news.

"This is bad, this is really bad," Steve spoke quickly, shaking his head with a hardened gaze still on Powell and the newscasters.

Everyone seemed to be frozen with disbelief as they stood there, watching as the Sheriff walked away from the reporters. The clustered and overlapping voices threw questions to the newer Chief of Police. Piper couldn't help but think of Uncle and try and think and imagine how he would handle all of this. Would it be easy to cover up? Or would he come up with some story – while they all tried to figure out who Vecna was.

"Henderson…Henderson…do you, copy?" a static voice came through, muffled slightly, from the walkie in Dustin's backpack. "Henderson!? Do you, copy?"

Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the voice as the voice and static continued from inside Dustin's bag. Dustin quickly wrestled with his bag as he rushed to open one of the compartments. The voice became clearer as he pulled it from the bag and stepped away from everyone who was standing. But as Dustin moved, everyone else moved along with him as they recognized the voice on the other end.

"Eddie?" Dustin quickly answered back, "Holy shit, man, are you ok?"

"Nah, man." Eddie answered back, the stress clear in his voice, "Pretty…pretty goddamn far from ok."

"Where is he?" Robin spoke, her voice low but rushed as she walked beside Dustin.

"Where are you?" Dustin spoke into the device.

"Uh, Skull Rock. Do you know it?" Eddie asked back.

"Yeah," Dustin hesitated for a moment, "That's near Cornwallis and –"

"Garrett," Piper spoke up, finishing off Dustin's sentence, causing everyone to look back toward her. "I know where it is."

Dustin gave her a weird look, "Hold on tight, man. We're coming. Ok? We're coming!"

The entire group nearly broke off into a sprint back toward the cars that were parked on the side of Holland. Billy was the first to split off and drive down the pebbled road toward the crossroads where Eddie was located.

"Do I even want to know how you know where this place is?" Max asked from the back seat.

"Not much else to do as a teenager in this godforsaken town, it was a place Billy and I liked to…hang out," Piper explained, looking over to her boyfriend as a small, coy smirk spread across her lips.

"Good times," Billy spoke, the same mischievous smirk on his face and causing his ocean blue eyes to gleam.

"Gross," Max spoke before gagging slightly.

It didn't take long to reach the destination as they pulled to the side of the road and parked the cars once again. One by one they began to line along the grass, Dustin pulling out his compass before they started down the makeshift path into the woods. Dustin led the way with Steve quickly moving up beside him – the two of them falling into their usual bickering. Robin and Nancy moved close behind Lucas and Max. Piper and Billy moved to the back end of the group.

The last few days were starting to get to her, the lack of sleep and low energy weighing her down. The sun peeking through the canopy of trees overhead wasn't helping much. Billy took notice.

The worry he was feeling each second worsened even more.

"Doll?" Billy asked, catching her attention, and pulling her focus to him, "How are you holding up?"

"I-I'm ok." Piper nodded her head, her gaze moving down to the forest floor beneath her feet as they walked, before returning to Billy. She could see on his face that he didn't believe her. "I'm ok."

"You don't have to lie to me to save face," Billy spoke, gently grabbing her wrist, causing them both to stop.

"I'm not. Please, can we not press this issue more? I am as ok as I can be." She shrugged, before turning and walking to join the rest of the others, moving to walk along with Max and Lucas.

The bickering between Steve and Dustin became more intense, with Steve leading the group in another direction. Billy quickened his steps to catch up with the front of the group. Piper felt guilty then, knowing Billy was only worried. She fell in step with Lucas and Max, their softened voices and conversation catching her attention.

"…and then I remembered the one time that he came to practice with a black eye," Lucas spoke. "He said that he fell, but it was obvious he was lying."

Lucas hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"It's like everyone Vecna's targets…has something going on in their life. S-Something that's –"

"Hurting them," Max finished for him, the frown on her face deepening.

"Haunting them," Piper muttered, but both of the teens heard her, their eyes moving to her. "S-Sorry…I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"No. It's ok." Lucas spoke up quickly, reassuring her. "But you're right. I didn't know Patrick well but seeing it now…that's exactly how it seems."

"Is that how it feels for you?" Max asked, her large blue eyes staring up at the girl that she viewed as an older sister. "Feels like something is haunting you?"

Piper nodded her head, waiting for a long pause, before speaking "It's like last summer is lingering right over my shoulder and making it impossible to move on. It ripped open a wound that I didn't even realize that I had buried down so deep. Losing Hop – losing my Uncle…it brought up old demons."

"He's using that to break his victims down," Lucas concluded.

"Exactly." Piper agreed.


The group moved through the woods surrounding Lover's Lake - Steve leading them much to Dustin's protest. It was coming to the point where most of the group came to think that the two of them had led only to get lost.

"Bada bing, bada boom!" Steve spoke excitedly suddenly, stepping through a collection of bushes, "There she is, Henderson."

Piper rushed forward and walked with Robin as they pushed through the brush and stumbled slightly into a clearing. There looming over all of them was the cluster of boulders known famously as Skull Rock. Most of them let out heavy sighs of relief as they finally reached their destination. But it was Dustin who stood there in confusion, his eyes moving from the compass in his grasp and the structure in front of him.

"In your face man, in your stupid cocky little face," Steve gloated.

"This doesn't make sense," Dustin muttered in confusion.

"Yeah, yeah. Even when it's standing right there in front of you, you can't just accept that you're wrong, you little butthead" Steve stood with his hands on his hips, smirking down at the younger teenager.

Quick and fast movement caught Piper's attention before the loud thud of feet meeting ground followed soon after. The tall and lean frame of Eddie Munson dropped down in front of her, scaring her and most of the others.

"I conquer, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead," Eddie stared down at Dustin.

One would say that his gaze was hardened, but Piper could see past it. She saw the stress clear on his face. With the dark and deep bags beneath his doe eyes and the paleness to his face. The few days spent sleeping in the same clothes were starting to show. Along with the long, dark, frizzy curls falling along his shoulders worsening each day.

"Jesus Christ, man, thought you were a goner," Dustin sighed heavily with relief before moving forward and wrapping his arms around Eddie.

"Yeah, you and me both," Eddie responded, returning to hug.

"We brought some food and water for you," Nancy spoke, holding out the paper bag to him, the one that was placed in Steve's car right before they had all left for Creel House.

"You're a lifesaver, Wheeler,"

Eddie greedily grabbed at the bag, nearly tripping over himself, as he grabbed out the sleeve of Pringles and the canteen filled with water.

"So…want to start with telling us what happened last night?" Robin asked.

There was a long pause of silence before Eddie once again told the story of what happened. The story was similar to Chrissy's – the only difference was the setting and circumstances. As Piper sat there and listened to him explain the night before her stomach turned. An ice-cold feeling fell over her body and caused her skin to break out in goosebumps. She sat on a rock off to the left of the formation with her knees drawn to her chest. Her green eyes focused on something far away as Eddie spoke. No one noticed as she seemed to fold in on herself, nervously gnawing on her nails.

"…when I got back to shore, I tried calling you guys, but uh…my walkie was busted man. Drenched," Eddie spoke, fiddling with the canteen in his hands. "And that's when I did the thing I seem really good at lately, I ran."

He chuckled with false humor.

"Do you know what time this all happened?" Nancy asked.

"Uh, yeah, actually." Eddie reached down and quickly worked to remove the watch wrapped around his wrist, "My walkie wasn't the only thing to get soaked."

Eddie tossed the slim black watch toward Nancy, which she caught clumsily. She flipped the small watch over in her hands till the clock face was upright.

"2:47" Nancy read out loud.

"Same time our flashlights went all…kablooey," Robin spoke.

"Which means what exactly?" Steve questioned.

"It means that when we were all at Creel house, that surge of energy that we all found…that was Vecna attacking Patrick," Piper clarified, her tired eyes moving toward her friends.

Eddie frowned as he took notice for the first time since they'd all arrived how drained Piper seemed.

"Which is just wonderful if we really think about it," Piper spoke with a dry and sarcastic laugh.

"Am I missing out on something?" Eddie asked, his dark brow cocking slightly.

Piper frowned and her gaze returned to look back out.

"We…uh, have concluded that Vecna has chosen Piper…" Robin spoke with a nervous shake in her voice. "…as one of his victims. But we've figured out a way to delay it, so…no worries."

Eddie's brows drew up toward his hairline, "Is that why she's wearing headphones like a necklace?"

"Pretty much," Billy sighed heavily.

"Seems things are getting worse?" Eddie asked.

"No, last night brings us one step closer," Nancy shook her head, "We figured out how Vecna attacks, and the where. Now we just need to figure out how to get into the Upside Down."

"Sneak into his lair so we can drive a stake through his heart," Max said as she crossed her arms at her chest.

"Or chop his head off," Lucas added.

"A bullet through his skull should work just fine," Eddie said as he finished off the Pringles sleeve, tossing the empty canister to the side.

"None of that is going to matter if we don't figure out a way into the Upside Down since the gate is closed."

"Need El," Steve spoke up, "It was so much easier when she was here, and she had her superpowers."

Everyone's voices start to overlap with one another. But was quickly interrupted and cut short as Dustin shouted loudly.

"I was right all along! Skull Rock was north, I wasn't leading us in the wrong direction."

"You seriously still going on about that? We have bigger things to worry about." Steve exclaimed.

"Oh, but this is all a part of that, don't worry." Dustin held up the compass in his hand, "When we left the Wheeler's this morning, this compass, was working just fine. Then all of a sudden we come out here and it's acting all wrong and pointing off in different directions." He turned to face his friend, a smirk coming across his lips. "Lucas, do you remember what could be one of the factors interfering with a compass?"

"An electromagnetic field," Lucas answered.

"Correct." Dustin smiled "Which would mean that something would have to be nearby that would have a strong electromagnetic force that would deflect the compass from point toward true north. So, unless someone is hiding a super gigantic magnet somewhere close. Or…"

"…or there is a gate close by," Lucas concluded.

"But we're nowhere near the lab." Piper pointed out, her brows pulling together tightly in confusion.

"But what if somehow there was another gate? One that we don't know about, and most likely, much smaller."

"Which would end up giving us a way to Vecna," Nancy added.

"So that only means that we need to go and find it,"

Dustin turned to move back toward the direction that they all had originally come from. But only making it a few steps before Steve's voice pulled him back.

"We can't just go walking around the woods, Eddie is still a wanted man!"

"This might be our only way to save both Piper and Eddie," Dustin spoke before looking toward the metal head. "What do you say, Eddie the Banished?"

"I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor," Eddie started, his eyes looking up toward the canopy as he spoke, "Which, honestly, sounds like a really bad idea. But, uh, the Shire is burning." Eddie nodded his head a few times, pausing as if to think for a moment, before standing up from his crouched position. "So, Mordor it is."

Eddie's answer seemed to excite Dustin enough as he began to bounce slightly where he stood. Eddie was the first to move and follow behind Dustin, Nancy, and Robin, not following too long after. Piper unfolded herself from the seat she'd made and stepped slowly to follow the others.

"What is Mordor?" She heard Steve mutter to himself, causing her to laugh lightly.

"The Hobbit?" She questioned, causing more confusion to cross over Steve's features.

"Come on, Steve, even I know that." Billy laughed lightly, before following behind the others.


AN: Finally got to updating! I hit a wall of writer's block and then didn't have time to write, so I hope an extra-long chapter made up for that. Please leave a review of thoughts/comments/or anything else.