Chapter Seven

Some time ago…

"Why won't you come with us?" Eleven's voice cracked under the threat of tears.

Josie and her sister had been sifting through their father's belongings alone after Joyce gave them some privacy. The topic Jane brought up was one the older girl knew she couldn't avoid forever, but fuck if she hadn't wanted to leave it to lie just a tad longer. There were certain things, no matter how hard of an attempt made, Josie couldn't explain. The death of their father and Billy and the psychological damage from it all—Josie's way of coping with it, was not easily understood by those around her. The truth was, she didn't quite understand it herself.

Their deaths had left a void so encompassing that not only tormented her mind but Josie's very soul—her very spirit. Numb yet sorrow-filled, her bosom ached yet burned her frozen core. It was intangible anger matched with brazen indifference. There was a deep need to be close to those she loved, matched by her craven act to push them as far away as Josie possibly could. Don't ask her the reasons why—she couldn't decipher her psychosis—all Josie knew was she couldn't continue to look at Jane day after day, week after week, and somehow find a way to move on from such a blow; such a catastrophe.

"We've been over this before, Jane." Josie emptied the air in her lungs through her nose, pulling her eyes from her sister's.

Eleven threw the book in her hands across the room, hitting the wall with an echoing SMACK ! It made her sister jump. Josie tightly shut her eyes in building frustration. Jane couldn't understand why her older sister—the only family she had left in the world—would want to abandon her when their wounds were still so fresh in their minds. Hadn't Dad told them to always hold on to each other? Always look after one another, as sisters should. Exactly, as Hopper had wanted them to.

"Family never leaves! Family is never left behind! You promised Dad. You PROMISED him, Josie… That we would protect each other." Sobs wracked Jane's frame, growing only louder and stronger at the sight of Josie's indifference to her sister's pain.

What was Josie supposed to say? That the very sight of Jane made her sick? It made her sick with anger, pain, remorse, betrayal, and all manner of things she couldn't express even if she had the mind to. Which she hadn't.

"I'll write to you, okay? And—and you can send me letters as well. This separation will be good for both of us, Jane. I can still protect you from here, and besides, I need time to understand everything…and Max—"

There was no point in finishing her sentence. Josie watched as an angry, wailing Jane stormed out of the room and down the hall. Josie was left alone.

Josie looked down at her hands. Her eyes rested uneasily on the blue band around her wrist. She fiddled with it, thinking of Sara—trying to recall her face and the face of Josie's mother. What had their voices sounded like again? Josie couldn't remember. Would her father, Billy, and Jane all become a shadow the way Sara and her mother had? No. She wouldn't let Jane become a foggy memory—she would figure this mess out, eventually. After all, they were sisters, and Jane wore the other bracelet as a testament to their bond...

"Fuck!" Josie jostled from her daydream as Eddie turned a corner too sharply, causing her to slam into the opposite side of the van. "Munson, you fucking moron! Do you even own a driver's license?"

She doubted he could hear her over the music blaring out of the speakers. One of these days, he was going to blow them out. She kicked the back of his seat to make clear her displeasure, then turned back to her musings.

The dream of the funerals from earlier that day had Josie's palms sweating with trepidation. Billy had warned her that something terrible was coming—something dangerously awful. She had never seen him more scared save in his final moments. He seemed so genuine in his caution towards her, but what if the Mind Flayer was still in control of him? Would that mean Billy was being used to get under her skin, to somehow break her into bringing Jane back to Hawkins? How could Josie trust any of it if that were the case? Then there was El. What if she was in danger, even all the way in California? What if it had truly been Billy, and he truly was there to warn her—all of them, that the evil from the Upside Down had returned to Hawkins? And what was Josie supposed to do about it? One thing was painfully clear, she had to call Jane again.

Josie had to talk to Joyce or Jonathan. Josie had to keep her promise; she would protect her sister, no matter what happened. Because if she couldn't apologise to her father—if Josie couldn't hug him or tell him that she hadn't wanted him to die—well then, the least she could do was fulfil his last wishes for her.

They pulled into the trailer park like a bat out of hell, causing Josie to curse under her breath. Never again, she swore to herself, would she ever get into a vehicle with Eddie behind the wheel. She opened the sliding door.

"I'm going to make another phone call, okay?" It wasn't a question asking for permission, more of a statement.

Eddie shrugged his shoulders, cutting in front of the two girls to open the front door. He let them in first, mumbling about the mess of the trailer and the maid being out. Josie was hardly listening to the small talk between him and Chrissy. There was only one thing on her mind. She picked up the phone and began to dial Byers' number. Josie had no idea how she would explain this mess to anyone, but she had to try at least.

One ring…

She heard Eddie say he'd go and grab Josie's jacket and shoes from the bathroom.

Two rings…

Chrissy asked her something…

Josie wasn't listening… a coldness fell over her shoulders, cascading down to her fingertips.

Three rings…

"Hello?" It was Joyce.

Josie held her breath. What was she supposed to say? Her mind became empty with fear and longing.

A pause…then Josie heard a voice ask again, "Hello—?"

"Hey, Mrs. Byers… it's me, Josie." The young woman's voice cracked and wavered.

Josie could hear a fumbling on the other end of the line. After a string of curses coming from Joyce, the line became silent. Josie thought the call was lost, but soon she heard a response.

"Josie, sweetheart… I have something to tell you." Joyce's voice was barely audible. "I've been… tried calling… not home…"

"I can't hear you—can you speak up?"

A sigh, and then slightly louder, "Honey, listen to me. It's about your dad."

Josie felt her heart tighten in her chest. She didn't want to talk about her father. "Please… Mrs. Byers—"

"I think he might be—"

Silence. Not even a dial tone. The call disconnected.

"What the molly fuck?" Josie slammed the phone down and picked it back up. Nothing.

She was panicked, ready to run home and try the phone there. That's when she saw it: The lamp on the end table. It began to flicker ever so slightly. Her body froze—the pounding in her head returning.

Time began to slow itself as the world around her spun. It was as if drunkenness had taken over her again, twisting her vision—Josie's ears were ringing. As she tried to open her mouth, she heard the voice of Chrissy; it was a voice of panic. Everything appeared blurred, like opening one's eyes under murky waters. And then, the deep chiming of a grandfather clock rang, disoriented. The nauseousness that flooded her body threatened to pour out of Josie, but somehow, within the growing abyss, she was able to find some ground and pull herself—every so slightly—from the nightmare.

From where Josie was standing near the door, she could make out the figures of Eddie and Chrissy. Eddie was snapping his fingers in front of Chrissy's face, his voice partially muted by the ringing in Josie's ears. He shook Chrissy, then stole glances at Josie, who was stumbling forward at a snail's pace. Eddie had made it to her side in time to catch her as she lost her footing. She was next to Chrissy and dropped to her knees.

"I can't wake her up! What the fuck… what the FUCK?!" Josie could hear his voice clearer this time.

Her eyes struggled to remain still as she pulled at Chrissy's arm to stand up. As she did so, Josie noticed Chrissy's eyes… filmed over…

The sound of the clock again… a tightening in her chest… She tried to speak, but no words sprung from her lips. It was suffocating…it was drowning.

"I don't like this, Chrissy! Josie, I don't fucking like this. You guys, c'mon! Stop fucking with me!" Eddie was in full panic now, pulling Josie the rest of the way upright. "What is going on, Hopper?! What the FUCK is going on?"

Josie blinked dozens of times, cradling her head in her hands, trying to steady herself and remember how to breathe. In through her nose, out through her mouth…

Somewhere in the far recesses of her mind, she pulled to the surface an image of her dad. Jim Hopper, holding little Josie atop his shoulders, giving her knee three small squeezes. I. Love. You.

Josie had never felt so tall, invincible than in that memory. A memory from a broken childhood that stood the test of time, showering her with the inevitable fact that her father loved her fiercely, and that would never change. It lit a fire in her belly, letting the grip of the darkness fade slowly out of reach, lending enough strength for Josie to pull herself from the darkness's grasp. She was her father's daughter; if that meant anything, she would fight.

"Fuck this shit—" She pulled against Eddie's hold on her, shrugging him off violently with a push of her shoulder.

"Jesus H Christ—Chrissy! Jos–Josie, do something!" Eddie backed himself into the corner.

Josie reached out to touch Chrissy's cheek and called out her name. When she didn't answer, Josie felt the panic set back in her stomach. This, this was not good.

"Cunningham—Chrissy, can you hear me?" Josie shook her. "Chrissy! Goddamn it–"

Josie smacked her face and shook her again. Still nothing. "No…no, no, no, no! C'mon, Chrissy—please."

Both Josie and Eddie stared in horror as Chrissy rose from the floor as if she were possessed. Eddie tripped over his own feet, falling and hitting the floor hard. Josie on the other hand jumped back, her eyes fixed on Chrissy with indescribable mortification. What she witnessed was not something she would come to terms with for a long time.

While it was true, that Chrissy floating in the air incoherent to the world around her being nightmare fuel–it didn't quite compare to what followed. As Chrissy Cunningham's bones began to snap violently and Eddie screamed, Josie saw a figure looming in and out between the flashes of the lights. The voices of dozens of people weeping filled her ears. Their cries engulfed Josie with unimaginable pain and suffering.

'Dry your eyes, Josie'... The voice of Billy whispered against the cries. …' You bear witness to see his work…to testify to its brilliance.'

The continued sounds of the breaking of Chrissy's bones matched the wailing of the dead, plagued poor Josie. The vision of this vined creature, its clawed hand resting on Chrissy's forehead, turned its face to stare at Josie. His eyes burned a hole into her chest. His claws then penetrated Chrissy's skull, breaking her jaw and popping her eyes—all the while, his own never left Josie's.

'Do you ever wonder why they hate themselves?... Why are they not strong enough to survive their mistakes?… It's over now… poor Josie… my poor little innocent Josie… He will erase all the silence, all life. Such sweet sacrifices… He will not stop… Bring him Eleven! Stop their suffering Josie,–stop my suffering…'

Chrissy then fell to the floor, dead, and the creature all but evaporated. The lights steadied themselves. Eddie was screaming, and Josie did the only thing she could think of: She reached over and grabbed Eddie by the collar of his jacket and pushed him out of the trailer door and straight towards the van.

Shoving him into the back, Josie nearly stopped to run home, but when she saw Max staring through the window back at her, something in Josie said she couldn't go home. If she did, it would put Max and her mother in danger. There was no telling what was happening, why it was happening, or if it would happen again, and if it did happen again–who would it happen to? No, she couldn't go home.

"I'm sorry, Max," She whispered, jumping into the driver's side. Josie started the engine and peeled out of the trailer park as fast as she dared.

It may not have been the ideal thing to do, but Josie felt in her heart that running was the only option. If they had stayed, what would they have done? Should they have called the cops? That wasn't an option. Besides, they'd never believe her, and the pigs certainly wouldn't believe Eddie.

Eddie!

"M-m-m-Munson? Are you okay? You see that thing?" Josie was shaking, her foot slammed down on the accelerator.

Eddie was crying, shaking himself. His voice cracked with panic. "No man, I'm not okay. What fucking thing? Is she—oh, Jesus, she's fucking dead, isn't she? Oh, fuck man….oh FUCK."

Josie tried to think rationally. "Did you see anything? Anything besides–"

"Besides her body snapping like fucking twigs?! No! Why–did you see something? What the fuck happened? What the fuck, man…"

She turned off towards Lover's Lake, trying to comprehend everything. Her head began to spin again.

"I don't know what's going on," She admitted, breathy and afraid. "We have to find someplace to lay low for a while."

She looked over her shoulder at Eddie, tears pouring from her eyes. "I promise I'll explain everything, but for right now–we gotta find a place to hide."

He sucked in a chest full of air, trying to steady his mind long enough to help him think of a plan. There weren't many places they could go in Hawkins that would hide them for very long. And they certainly couldn't try leaving town either–the cops would be on them before sunrise if they attempted to run. Eddie knew there was only one option, and it just so happened Josie was already driving in the right direction.

Much to Josie's surprise, Eddie spoke calmly and even.

"Yeah, okay. I–we can try my supplier. He's outta town, but I can get us into his place. No one knows about him. Rick's more of an urban legend than anything else."

She nodded in silence, taking his directions as she drove them to Reefer Rick's under the cover of darkness.

Josie was on autopilot the entire way, running the nightmare they experienced on repeat in her brain. How could she have not seen it coming? How, if at all–could Josie have stopped it from happening? Who was the being she saw in the Munson trailer, and why did he want Jane? Did Chrissy die because of Josie? Was that thing going to kill again as promised? Who was he going to target?

"Josie?"

She ignored her name, too concentrated on unravelling the horror they witnessed. Why was it, Chrissy Cunningham? Why would something target Chrissy? She'd been having hallucinations like Josie, but it wasn't adding up. It all began painfully clear: The darkness that had plagued Hawkins for the past few years was back, and it wanted Josie to hand over Jane. Like fucking hell that would happen. Threats or no threats.

"Josie!" Eddie nudged her shoulder then.

"Sor–sorry! What, what is it?"

Munson pointed to a driveway just up ahead, which led to the home secluded by the lake. He continued to curse and mumble under his breath, fidgeting and unable to sit still.

As Josie parked the van at a spot where they could ditch it, Eddie burst into tears again.

"How the hell can you be so calm?"

They may have been sitting still, but Josie's world was spinning. She felt the vomit bubble to the surface. In barely enough time, the door flew open, and Josie fell out and dropped to her knees, violently chucking up what little contents there were in her stomach. When it was empty, the dry heaving began. She had vomited so forcefully that her nose began to bleed.

Wiping her mouth and nose with the back of her hand, the young woman pulled herself up and coughed, smiling sarcastically back at Eddie. "I'm anything but calm."

His brown eyes were fearful yet concerned. "You okay?"

Josie pulled the keys from the ignition, ignoring his query. "Let's get inside."

They huddled in the darkness of Rick's living room, each on opposite ends of the sofa. Neither one had said a word after Eddie had unlocked the door for them. Although there had been the promise made for an explanation, it seemed silence preferred the two teens. Each seemed lost in their thoughts, unable to process what had happened not even hours ago. Eddie, for his part, felt the tethers of his reality unravel.

He had willingly left Chrissy there. Poor Chrissy… What the hell happened to her? What they had seen–was it real? There was no way they saw her die like that, right? This, all of this, was just a really bad trip–that was it. They all took the Special K, and this was all a horrible, fucking awful, trip. But fucking God…. they left her there.

"She was dead, Eddie." Josie's soft voice lingered in the shadows. "There was nothing we could have done for her."

"What, you a mind reader now?" Pain and terror coated each one of his words. He was crying.

Josie sighed, pulling her head up from where it rested on her knees and moved down the way to sit beside Eddie on the sofa. She pulled him into a tight hug and refused to let go until his body shook, and sobbing wracked him. She knew it was the only way he'd get through that night.

When he had finished, Josie spoke again.

"I don't know why it happened to her, but it did. Do you remember when I told you I thought I was going mad?"

Eddie nodded, his breaths small and uneven.

"Well… I was seeing things… Billy–I was seeing Billy a lot… and these headaches and nosebleeds… Eddie, Chrissy was telling me she was seeing things too. Something happened in the bathroom at school today–I think that's why she wanted to buy drugs from you. Kind of like a way to make all the hallucinations and shit stop…It was just too late."

The last words fell from her lips with deep-seated sorrow. Out of all the people in Hawkins, why did it have to be Chrissy? She never did anything to anyone.

On the other hand, the cogs in Eddie's brain began to turn. If Chrissy saw things, and this happened to her, and Josie was seeing things…

"That shit's not going to happen to you, right?"

Josie stared blankly into Eddie's eyes.

Truth was, she hadn't considered it happening to her. It hadn't crossed her mind–she kept preoccupied with deciphering the riddle. However, Eddie made a good point. After all, both girls had very similar symptoms. And she couldn't be positive, but Josie had an inkling Max might be afflicted as well–which bothered Josie deeply. Because even if she wanted to talk to Max about it, her chance was gone.

"I suppose it's possible–"

"Oh fuck that shit!" Eddie's palms were at his eyes, desperately trying to wipe away his fresh tears. His voice quivered. "I can't watch that again. Not to you…no FUCK THAT."

She pulled his hands from his eyes and rested her's on his shoulders. "Eddie, I'm not going to die. At least not tonight… I need to ask you something, and I need the truth. Okay?"

Munson sniffled, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. He nodded.

Josie's chest tightened at the prospect of her question, but she bit the bullet and asked, "You were going to tell me something tonight–you said you had to tell me something before you went insane… You haven't seen or heard anything, right? Nothing like Chrissy and I? Because if you have, I need to know. I need to know everything you're seeing and hearing."

At first, Eddie stared blankly at Josie. In his mind, however, he was terrified at the thought of having to watch Josie die that way… unable to do anything to help her. It was like Chrissy had been in a Goddamn trance. He couldn't take seeing Josie like that. Not her. Thinking of that is when her question registered in his brain, making him chuckle and flash a sarcastic grin.

"I wish."

"Eddie, that's not even funny!" Josie chided him. "I can't lose anyone else…, especially you."

That made his ears perk up and his gut twist with anxiousness. "Especially me?"

The dam that had been holding back her tears burst, engulfing her chest with a burning fire. Everything came back in floods, and she gasped for air between the sobs, desperately reaching out for Eddie's hand.

"Please Eddie… Please tell me you're not fucking with me. I can't take losing anyone else. Not after that fucking massacre at Starcourt."

Now, he had no idea what she was talking about, but seeing her break in front of him triggered something within himself, and he put out his arms to steady her, wrapping her in them and resting his chin on her head.

"Hey… It's okay. I'm–I'm alright. Nothing I was gonna say tonight had anything to do with this shit."

He didn't know what he was doing if he was being honest. Having Josie in his arms like that was something he'd only ever imagined and never like this. Josie's crying wasn't something Eddie wanted to hear, so when she finally calmed herself down and gingerly pulled away from him, Eddie wasn't all that ungrateful.

Her eyes scanned his features desperately, willing to find the truth in his words.

"You promise?"

Eddie scoffed, rolling his eyes and weighing her question for its seriousness. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Well…I promise that I'm not seeing or hearing shit… but if I'm being straight with you—no. No, I'm far from Goddamn okay."

Silence took over the small space between them in the moments that followed. Neither one has a mind to say anything more, yet desperately afraid to separate for fear of losing each other. It was a situation that often presents in times of great distress–wanting to cling to the person who shares your trauma, someone who understands your state of mind and being. So it was that they sat there, both huddled together, taking turns to comfort each other. There was no way of knowing what to do next or any inclination of what exactly was happening to them. All the while, Eddie feared at any moment, Josie would start to levitate, and he'd be suffering to watch her die…

When the time came for the silence to end, Josie spoke, her delicate voice like a seraph's song to Eddie's ears.

"What were you going to tell me if it wasn't about…you know?"

His stomach churned, and his throat choked. Words that he nearly spewed out of his mouth only hours before this moment were now lost in the storm clouds that were his brains. As much as he wanted to confess everything, as much as he wanted at that very second to pour out his heart and soul to Josie–who was in his very arms–the only thing he could imagine was her dying.

Eddie wrapped his arms around her tighter then, willing his strength to keep her safe because God knew if he had to witness that shit again, it would be bad enough, but to watch it happen to Josie? Fuck he felt sick. Eddie clenched his jaw and quietly whimpered into her shoulder. Why did he have to be so weak? Could Eddie guarantee he wouldn't run if she needed him? Was he capable of withstanding the fear if it came calling on his door? He made his choice, sitting there in the darkness. Eddie might not have had the words to express himself, but he made a vow in the stillness of that night.

"Eddie?"

Josie had pulled back from him, though Eddie caught her retreat, and their lips met cautiously. The softness of their pressed mouths made his head spin, intoxicated by the scent of her hair, which still smelt of Jasmine and Honeysuckle. For a fleeting second, he was frightened she'd not return his affection, tossing everything else out of the way. Was Josie going to sit there in his arms, frozen?