remember how I said I was going to a chapter a month? yeah about that...
sorry for the delay, I was working on my senior thesis so that took up a lot of headspace and then to not help things, my anxiety and depression reared their ugly heads and threw me for a loop.
fun fact, this entire chapter was supposed to be the final scene of the last chapter - if you're familiar with my writing, chapter 3 is usually when the story picks up. but this thing was getting stupidly long so I decided to hold off. Hopefully this was worth the wait.
once again, thank you to arisque for being my beta!
xxxXXXxxx
Chapter 4:
If someone had told Eddie that his day would begin with him selling weed to Chrissy Cunningham and end with him driving Nancy Wheeler home, he would've laughed and asked them what they had just smoked because he wanted some. Normally, Eddie would drive just Dustin home afterwards because Mike and sometimes Lucas would get a ride from Nancy or their moms. But tonight Mrs. Wheeler had book club until 10:30 and Nancy's car wasn't available (and Mr. Wheeler was probably asleep in front of the TV), so the job of chauffeur fell to Eddie instead.
Nancy sat up front because Mike and Dustin wanted to keep discussing (re:arguing about) the game's events. She didn't say anything but Eddie had clocked the way her nose wrinkled up at the various cans and papers all over the floor and the very obvious smell.
"Sorry about the mess." He muttered, thankful that she couldn't see how red his ears were. "Wasn't expecting company."
"It's alright. Mike's room is much worse," She offered good-humoredly. But Eddie wasn't really listening anymore.
God, what a slob. Such a pig. Actual trailer trash.
"I totally would've made that roll!" Mike argued from the backseat. "My dice just landed on the edge of the board!"
Dustin clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "It's a bad carpenter that blames his tools, dude. If you had just listened to me, your paladin wouldn't have ended up over the walls."
"It was kinda hard to listen when you kept shouting over everyone else!"
"I did not!"
Eddie's big surprise hadn't gone exactly as planned. When the party decided to enter the dungeons under the castle, he tried to hide his delighted smile behind his Dungeon Master folder, though his voice slightly shook in anticipation.
"Something is coming." He intoned. "Something hungry for blood." The air around the table was tense. Just the way he liked it. "One by one, the torches before you are snuffed out, swallowing you in darkness."
Everyone was still; Dustin's eyes wide as an owl's. Mike was practically a perfect acute angle, hunched over his character sheet. Jeff and Gareth clutched each other's shoulders, shaking with anxiety. Even Nancy was holding her breath.
"It's almost here."
"Shit, what if it's the Demogorgon?" Grant whispered.
"Oh Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon."
"It's not the Demogorgon!" Mike hissed at Dustin. Nancy and Gareth shushed him.
Jeff asked if he could make an insight check, but to his dismay and Eddie's relief, the dice's results were negative.
"The ground beneath you begins to shake." To emphasize his point, he shook the table. "It grows stronger. And stronger. Until suddenly…" He paused dramatically. Dustin was clutching the top of his head so hard, it looked like he was about to rip his hat in two.
The lights above them suddenly began to flicker. Instantly, the fraught atmosphere he had been carefully building evaporated as everyone's heads flicked up to look at the bulbs.
"What the- ?"
"Sorry," Gareth apologized. "They sometimes do that when my mom uses her new hair dryer. I don't know what's wrong with them."
"Maybe it's the demogorgon." Jeff offered, making everyone chuckle.
Eddie cleared his throat. "Anyway." He was about to continue his narration when behind him, Dave Murray's sweet guitar solo was interrupted by a loud bout of static and feedback.
"Goddamnit!" Eddie growled. He shoved himself away from the table and stomped over to the radio. "Piece of shit," He muttered, fiddling with the dials. The radio whined in protest. Bits of other songs and news bulletins blended together, creating a mix of sound. But for the briefest of moments, Eddie swore he heard someone screaming for help before the station finally returned.
From the table, Grant sighed in relief. "Jesus, Eddie. You really had me there for a second."
Eddie spent the rest of the session peeved that his reveal had been spoiled. Sometimes it felt like the universe had something out for him.
Up ahead, alongside the chain link fence that surrounded Sattler Quarry, was an old billboard for "Benny's Burgers''. The paint was chipped and peeled and a few invasive vines had begun to claim the support beams, but the words were still visible for any weary traveler to see. Benny's Burgers had been a local dive that everyone frequented for a decent meal and a good brew. Then Benny suddenly died and with no one else wanting to run the joint, it closed up. And for twenty years, it remained that way.
Until one day, some freshmen on the basketball team managed to break the lock on the door. They immediately told the rest of the team and within a matter of hours, the place was swarming with high school students and loud music. After that night, the Hawkins Tigers officially claimed the space as their territory and dubbed it as their headquarters for after practice or games.
Speaking of games, the big one tonight must've ended some time ago. Which meant the Tigers were already at Benny's either celebrating their victory or licking their wounds right about now. He couldn't help but think about Lucas Sinclair and wonder if the kid was having fun hanging around the jockstrap brigade instead of with Hellfire.
Nancy must've been thinking about the game too. As they passed the sign for Benny's, he heard her quietly sigh.
Dustin had turned out to be right; surprisingly, Nancy was a good DnD player. Sure, there was some stuff she was a bit rusty on, like which die she had to roll, but she understood the overall game and more importantly how to roleplay a character. Even Grant and Gareth, who were the most vocal against playing with a "girl", were stunned. Eddie saw a different side of Nancy tonight. One that was a far cry from the one who sat in front of him in history class and always knew the answer when the teacher called on her.
This Nancy (or rather Lady Amalthea) was observant and plucky. She had been the first one to solve the riddle on the doorway to the dungeon. She had been the first one to notice that the hallways were changing, courtesy of a hidden mechanism. And she had been the one to deliver the critical hit against the Demogorgon.
And Bruce still gave the assignment to Mary Ellen over her? What a dumbass.
"What was that?" Nancy asked.
Shit, he must've accidentally said that last part aloud.
Jesus, did all girls have super hearing? Or was he just that loud?
Neither Dustin or Mike seemed to have heard him because they were still arguing. Their conversation had now switched to which Tolkien creatures would win in a fight. Nancy, however, was looking at him with a curious frown.
"Nothing."
Nancy held her gaze for a few more seconds, waiting to see if he'd elaborate. When he didn't, she turned back to look at the road.
Now it was quiet again (save for Mike and Dustin's bickering, which had pretty much become background noise), which Eddie hated. The quiet to him was always loud; it was when he'd guess what everyone thought about him and bit by bit, those thoughts would chip away at that armor until he was exposed and vulnerable.
So he did what he usually did when confronted with the quiet - fill the silence.
"God, the level of talent at the Hawkins Post must be really low if Bruce gave Mary Ellen the big scoop."
Nancy's head swiveled back to him. The frown on her face had returned. Now usually when Eddie was met with a reaction like this, he would've taken the hint to stop talking lest he said something he might regret. But his mouth wasn't getting the memo from his brain because he continued. "I mean, you'd think Bruce would have realized by now what a shit writer Mary Ellen is."
Stop talking. Stop talking.
"But then again, he doesn't notice anything except if it has tits."
Stop talking, you idiot. Stop talking!
"I'm not trying to insinuate anything. I just think you got a raw deal, is all."
Oh my God, just fucking stop!
Eddie furiously bit down on his tongue, forcing himself to stop. "Soooooo….yeah." He finished awkwardly, drumming his hands on the steering wheel.
Nancy just stared at him, completely bewildered. "Um…thanks?"
If Eddie wasn't driving right now, he'd probably start banging his head against the dashboard.
Moron. Freakin' spazz.
"So I was thinking," Nancy said, looking down at her hands in her lap. "For the school paper. Would it be okay if I wrote about Hellfire Club?"
She might as well have leaned over and slapped him across the face.
Of course, she wanted to write an article about Hellfire Club. Everyone nowadays was writing about Dungeons and Dragons and the scourge it was on society. Just last week, Grant had brought to lunch a Newsweek magazine containing the latest scathing condemnation. Eddie remembered reading it aloud, doing his best to impersonate the anchorman on Channel 12.
"Studies have linked violent behavior to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even… MURDER."
God, what idiots. If they bothered thinking with their heads instead of out their asses, they'd see the real danger was the impossible standards society placed on the next generation. But then, how else would they sell newspapers?
"Well, as much as I'd like to share with you our party's sacred secrets," Eddie said, trying to keep his tone even. "I'm afraid tonight's visit was a "once in a lifetime" thing." He smiled a little too harshly. "You'll just have to get your dirt somewhere else."
Nancy's mouth parted in surprise. But before she could protest (or explain herself?) Mike's voice overtook the van's interior.
"That's not what I'm trying to say!"
"Really?" Dustin countered at an equally loud volume. "Because to me, it sounds like you're saying that Smaug would defeat Gandalf, which would never happen!"
"No, I said that Smaug could take Gandalf in a fight!" Mike protested. "Like how Saruman could take a Balrog."
Dustin gasped indignantly. "Dude! There's no way Saruman could take a Balrog. That thing would've squashed him!"
"Saruman totally could take him! He was able to take Gandalf!"
"Hey, hey hey!" Eddie interjected, looking over his shoulder at the two. "Let's watch the blasphemy in this car, gentlemen. Besides, if anyone's gonna win in a fight, it's obviously-"
Suddenly, Nancy shouted "Look out!", making Eddie whip his head back forward. To his horror, there was something lying out in the road and the van was going to hit it within the next fifteen seconds.
"Jesus Christ!" He screamed. Instinct and adrenaline kicked in as Eddie jerked the wheel and slammed his foot down on the breaks.
There was a horrible squeal as the van swerved away and began to spin wildly. Everyone screamed.
And then time seemed to slow.
Eddie couldn't help but remember the time he rode the roller coaster at Old Indiana Fun Park. How as the little car sped along the track, throwing him around in his seat, he felt his insides disconnect from gravity. He used to like that feeling, that rush of excitement and strange sense of freedom.
But now, as he clutched the wheel like a lifeline, all he could feel was helpless, completely at the mercy of the van's momentum.
Eddie prayed that when they finally crashed, the damage would be minimal. Last thing he wanted was for his uncle to have to pay increased insurance fees in addition to funeral services.
He squeezed his eyes tightly and did his best to brace himself for impact.
But there wasn't one.
No sound of metal crunching or glass breaking either.
Miraculously, the van just came to a stop. And time resumed.
Slowly, Eddie opened his eyes. They were now on the side of the road, facing the other direction, mere inches away from the trees.
Beside him, Nancy had sunk almost three inches into the leather seat, her arms splayed out against the window and dashboard. Eddie had the strangest urge to laugh because once again she reminded him of a cat, albeit a startled one.
"Are you guys okay?" She asked the backseat as she struggled with her seatbelt strap. Her voice was shaking. From behind, Mike wheezed out a "yeah." Both he and Dustin were panting as if they had just run the mile in gym class.
Eddie's heart was pounding so hard, he could feel it in his throat. He was afraid that if he tried to talk, it would fall out of his mouth. He took a few shuddering breaths and tried to unclench his hands from around the wheel.
What the hell had just happened?
He squinted out the windshield. The van's headlights weren't that bright (one of them flickered constantly too), but he could just see the thing he almost hit. It was definitely a person, wearing a Hawkins High cheerleader uniform. In fact, it looked a lot like…
"Holy shit." There was the sound of the seat belt buckle clattering then Dustin's head appeared between the front seats. "Is that Chrissy?"
Eddie felt his insides turn to ice.
He struggled to unbuckle his seat belt, courtesy of his numb fingers. After finally doing so, he opened the door and tried to run but his legs were still weak from the adrenaline, so he almost collapsed on his ass. Thankfully, Nancy was already three steps ahead and halfway down the road.
"Chrissy?" She called.
The girl in question didn't respond. She remained sprawled out on her hands and knees, staring at the gravel.
Had Eddie still clipped her when the van swerved? Was she hurt?
Was it his fault?
Heart still racing, Eddie scrambled to his feet. His knees were still unsteady but the leftover adrenaline gave him the boost he needed to move.
"Chrissy?" He cursed internally at how his voice wavered.
This time, Chrissy reacted. She raised her head slightly, but her eyes were glassy. Her mouth moved but no sound came out. As Eddie approached, he could see she was in a disheveled state; ponytail coming loose, mud smeared on her cheerleading uniform and white sneakers.
"Eddie?" She mumbled absently.
His lips reflexively twitched. She remembered him. He knelt down in front of her, next to Nancy. Behind him, he could hear Mike and Dustin's sneakers slapping against the ground.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Chrissy blinked a few times. "I-" Her voice was more quiet now than it had been in the drama classroom. "Yeah, I… I think so?" She pressed a hand to her forehead.
"What happened? Did you fall or something?"
"No… I don't-" Chrissy shook her head. "I…I just…"
That's when Eddie noticed the blood under her nose.
He wasn't squeamish about the sight of blood, like most guys. He'd gotten into enough scraps to see it. But something about it being on Chrissy Cunningham's face just didn't sit right with him. He groped for the black bandana in his back pocket and clumsily handed it to her. She gave a small nod of gratitude.
"Chrissy," Nancy said gently. She tentatively placed a hand on Chrissy's shoulder. "What happened? Were you attacked?"
Chrissy shook her head again. "No, no..." She dabbed at her nose. Her hands trembled. "I was just walking… It was really loud at Benny's and I-I wanted to get some air. So I went down to the quarry-"
She stopped, her words caught in her throat.
"And?" Nancy encouraged.
"I- I saw-" Tears sprang to Chrissy's wide eyes. "Oh god!" She whimpered and buried her face in her hands.
Nancy instinctively hugged her close. She looked up at Eddie, questioningly. To his left, both Mike and Dustin turned to look at him with the same expression.
They were all looking at him for answers, what they should do next. But Eddie didn't have any. This wasn't like DMing a campaign or practicing for a gig, where he could just make shit up as he went along. This was something completely different. Something he hadn't dealt with since he was a kid.
A fair maiden in distress.
And just like when he was a kid, he had no idea what to do.
So he just stood there, helpless. Useless.
"Mike," Nancy said firmly. "Run down to Benny's. It's not far from here. Tell someone to call the police and then get someone to help."
Thankfully, Mike didn't need to be told twice. He ran down the road as fast as his long legs would carry him. Nancy then carefully helped Chrissy get to her feet and guided her towards the van.
"I- I saw-" Chrissy stammered. "I saw -"
"What? What did you see?"
But Chrissy didn't answer. Instead, she slowly raised a shaking hand and pointed at the woods on the other side of the road.
A chill ran up Eddie's spine. And it wasn't from the breeze.
As a self-certified expert in making horrible decisions, he knew that going into the woods at night was an incredibly stupid idea. Especially in a small town that had a history like Hawkins. There could be anything lurking in those trees. Snakes, coyotes, bears, a gelatinous cube.
But those possibilities weren't worrying Nancy, because she was directing Dustin to check the van for a flashlight.
"Um, Nancy." Eddie rambled sheepishly. "You're not going in there, are you? Because I don't think that'd be a good idea..."
Nancy didn't acknowledge him. She was too busy tying her short auburn hair back into a ponytail. Once Dustin found her a flashlight (Eddie kept one in the glove compartment for emergencies), she began cautiously approaching the spot Chrissy had pointed to.
"Wait, are you seriously-?"
"No one's making you stay here, Eddie." Nancy said, exasperated. "If you want to leave, then leave."
Eddie's ears burned again. She was right, though. No one was making him stay. Pretty much every cell in his body was screaming at him to run, just get in the van and drive away, sparing no backward glances. He could just pretend that this night had never happened and he was never there.
But something kept him in place.
Maybe it was his overzealous sense of loyalty towards his party members. Or maybe it was Chrissy Cunningham's big blue eyes sparkling with tears. Or maybe it was just that he was a chickenshit coward.
Useless.
"Do you see anything?" Dustin asked.
Nancy adjusted the flashlight. "I'm not sure but- " The flashlight's bulb flickered, cutting her off. She gave it a few smacks until it finally stopped.
Eddie anxiously tapped his thigh. The trees around them swayed, their branches creaking ominously.
"Wait, I think I see something."
"What is it?" Eddie asked, trying not to sound too spooked.
But Nancy didn't answer. She stepped over a low branch, craning her neck to the side. "Hang on. I'm gonna get a closer look." And ignoring Dustin and Eddie's protests, she then disappeared into the woods.
Once again, it was quiet. But not totally. Within the trees, Eddie could hear the sound of leaves crunching and twigs snapping, indicating Nancy's movements.
Dustin, meanwhile, had unlocked and opened the van's back doors and helped Chrissy inside. He was now sitting next to her, awkwardly trying to comfort her. Chrissy's crying had stopped, seldom a few sniffles here and there. But she still looked shaken, jumping at the slightest movement.
Suddenly, Eddie heard something that made his blood freeze.
A scream.
Nancy.
"Holy shit, what the hell was that?" Dustin cried. Chrissy hugged her knees to her chest, curling into herself like a turtle hiding from a bird of prey.
Eddie felt sick. He tried hard not to picture what Nancy had just encountered and what made her scream that way. His heart pounded in his chest, as if fighting to free itself from his ribs.
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening.
"Nancy!" Dustin shrieked. He jumped out of the van and started booking it towards the woods. Without thinking, Eddie grabbed onto Dustin's jacket sleeve and yanked him back.
"Wait, wait, wait. What are you doing?"
"We gotta help Nancy!" Dustin protested. "She might be in trouble!"
Eddie frantically shook his head. He couldn't bear the thought of the woods taking Dustin too. "You can't go in there, man! You don't know what's in there!"
Dustin stared at him aghast. "Are you kidding me, dude?! We can't just sit here! We gotta do something!" He tried to wriggle out of Eddie's grip, but Eddie held fast. "Let me go!"
"Just wait, man." Eddie growled. But Dustin just fought harder.
Intimidation check failed.
Inside the van, Chrissy began to cry again.
Everything was spinning out of control and Eddie was barely hanging on. All he could think to do was the one thing he was good at.
Talk.
"Goddamint, will you stop!" He shouted. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to get his brain to slow down for a few seconds. "I need you to stay here, okay?"
Dustin made a dissatisfied noise and tried to push past, but Eddie firmly held him by the shoulders. "I said stay here! If we both go in there, then Chrissy will be out here alone. I need you to stay with her." This made Dustin stop. He looked up at him, perplexed.
"I need you to stay with her." Eddie repeated. "I'll be right back. Capisce?" Dustin nodded. Satisfied, he gave the freshman a reassuring squeeze and before he could talk himself out of it, he dashed after where Nancy had gone.
The moon was not out tonight and devoid of a flashlight, Eddie was blind as a bat. The crunching of sticks under his feet and the loud croaking of the unseen frog was not helping his imagination. But he pushed himself onward.
He didn't want to end the night with Dustin Henderson looking up at him with those big brown puppy eyes, full of disappointment.
Not too far ahead, he could see a tiny spot of light. He picked up his pace.
"Nancy!" He called out. "Hey Nancy!"
Nancy didn't reply. As Eddie came closer he could see she was frozen, staring at something below the trees.
A pit of dread formed in Eddie's gut. Still, he forced his legs to move.
"Nancy?" He asked again. Then he saw what she was looking at.
His heart plummeted into his stomach.
There under the trees was Barb Holland. Her body was broken; limbs twisted and bent as if they were mere twigs. Her jaw was dislocated, mouth stuck in a silent scream. Her eyes were gone.