They moved quietly down the school's darkened hallway, the only sound their careful footsteps against the linoleum. The faint beams of their flashlights cut through the shadows, illuminating rows of lockers and casting eerie, flickering reflections on the glass trophy cases along the walls. Dove felt her heart racing, each creak of the floor amplifying the quiet tension that filled the empty school.
A burst of static hummed softly through the walkie before Robin's voice broke through, sudden and sharp against the quiet. "Dustin, do you copy?"
Dustin nearly fumbled the device in his hand but managed a quick response, "Yeah, I copy."
"So, Nancy's a genius," Robin said, her voice laced with urgency. "Vecna's first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bullseye."
Dustin's eyes widened, even as he panted slightly from their hurried trek down the dim corridor. "Okay, that's totally bonkers, but I can't really talk right now."
There was a pause, then Robin's voice came through, thick with confusion. "What are you doing?"
Dustin didn't hesitate, glancing back at Dove and Steve, who were scanning the shadows up ahead. "Breaking and entering in the school to retrieve some confidential and extremely personal files."
"Can you repeat that?"
Dustin sighed, shaking his head as they reached the door to Ms. Kelley's office, the faint glow of his flashlight skimming over the brass nameplate on the door. "Just get your ass over here, stat. We'll explain everything."
Max pushed open the door, the creak echoing ominously in the quiet hallway as the dim beam of her flashlight swept over the filing cabinets. Without wasting a second, she rushed toward them, the light catching on the polished metal handles as she scanned the labels.
Dustin followed behind, casting a glance around the office. "This is like a mini-Watergate or something," he muttered, smirking. "Hawkinsgate."
Steve, who had been glancing nervously over his shoulder, frowned. "Wait a second, didn't those guys get caught?"
"Holy shit." Max's quiet gasp cut through their banter, her fingers flying through the files until she pulled one out, her flashlight illuminating the name stamped on the front.
Dove pushed past Dustin and Steve, her heart pounding. "Did you find it?"
Max looked up, her face shadowed with a mixture of surprise and dread. "Yeah, and not just Chrissy's file. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley, too."
Dove took Fred's file from Max's hands, her fingers trembling as she flipped through it. She read the words as they jumped out at her, "Terrible nightmares, trouble sleeping, headaches. Exactly like Chrissy."
Max's face paled, her eyes darkening as if some unsettling realization had hit her. Steve looked over at Dove, his brow creased with a similar understanding.
"What's going on?" Dustin asked, glancing between them all, his voice edged with worry.
Max ignored him, her gaze slipping past them, as if something lurked just outside of her reach. She took a step back, eyes distant, before speaking up abruptly. "I.. I need to get some air."
Without waiting for a response, Max slipped out of the room and into the hallway, leaving the others behind in heavy silence. Dustin looked at Steve before following after Max.
Dove's eyes followed their retreat down the hallway, worry churning in her stomach. Steve reached over and gently took the file from Dove's hands, his face falling as he read over the same words that had just shaken her. He looked at her, something between concern and fear glinting in his eyes.
"Dove.." he started, his voice low and careful. "Has.. has this been happening to you?"
Dove opened her mouth to answer, the words hesitant on her lips, but before she could speak, the ticking of the clock echoed in her mind. Dove's breath hitched, her gaze fixed on the empty space in front of her as the clock chimed.
Steve's hand landed gently on her shoulder, grounding her, but his voice was muffled, almost like he was far away. "Dove?"
She blinked, forcing herself to pull back to the present, the reality of the dimly lit school office coming into focus. She looked down at her hands, trembling slightly, and clenched them into fists, trying to hide the shake.
"Sorry, I just.. I thought I heard something." She forced herself to meet Steve's eyes, his worry so plain that it nearly shattered her resolve.
"You're hearing things?" he asked, his tone soft yet unyielding, like he was fitting puzzle pieces together. "Dove.. if what's been happening to you is anything like what happened to Chrissy and Fred.."
Dove took a shaky breath, the weight of it crashing down on her all at once. "It started after Starcourt," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just nightmares at first.. headaches, seeing shadows."
Steve ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to process. "But.. but that was months ago. Chrissy and Fred both died after a week. That's gotta mean something, right? Maybe it's different with you?"
Then a voice echoed in her head, just above a whisper, but chilling all the same.
"Dove.. it's almost time to choose."
Dove felt a cold shiver run through her spine. She met Steve's gaze, holding onto it like a lifeline.
Steve's eyes narrowed, his grip on her shoulder tightening as he searched her face. "Did you hear something again?" His voice was barely a whisper, as if he already knew he wouldn't like the answer.
Dove swallowed, every nerve buzzing. "A voice.. It.. it said it's almost time to choose."
His face drained of color. "Choose? Choose what?"
She shook her head, unable to answer, as much for his sake as her own. She could feel the pull of the voice again, like a hand reaching into her mind, stirring up the darker thoughts she tried to bury. She took a step back, instinctively wanting to escape, but Steve held firm.
"No one's choosing anything," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Dove let out a shaky breath, struggling to focus on his words. "It's like it knows.. everything I'm afraid of. Like it's using my memories, twisting them." She looked at Steve, feeling the weight of his worry. "It showed me.. showed me all of you, dead. And it said that if I don't—"
Steve pulled her into a hug before she could finish, his arms wrapping around her protectively. Dove's pulse raced, her initial tension melting into something much warmer, steadier. His hands slid under her shirt, his palms resting gently on the bare skin of her back, radiating a calming warmth she hadn't realized she'd been desperate for. The chill of the voice, the ominous ticking that had been haunting her—everything went the first time in what felt like ages, her mind stilled, settling into a feeling of safety.
"I won't give it the chance," he murmured, his heartbeat a quiet rhythm against her, grounding Dove in a way that no words could. She allowed herself to breathe, to lean into him, feeling his hold tighten, protective and sure. The world was still; she was just there, in his arms, the fear ebbing away under the simple, undeniable comfort of his touch. "I won't let anything happen to you," he promised.
A sudden burst of footsteps echoed down the hall, and Dustin came rushing into the room, her face pale with urgency. Dove and Steve sprang apart, the comforting warmth of his touch replaced by a jolt of alarm.
"Guys, something's wrong with Max," Dustin said, his breath coming in shallow bursts as he waved them toward the hallway.
Dove exchanged a quick glance with Steve and she nodded, falling into step behind Dustin as they followed him down the corridor, Steve close behind.
They turned down another hallway, their footsteps quick and tense in the quiet school building, and nearly collided with Robin and Nancy coming from the opposite direction.
"What's going on?" Robin asked, confused, her gaze darting from Steve to Dove.
"Just follow me," Dustin said urgently.
They continued down the hall, only to come to a halt as Dustin stopped short, looking ahead with a puzzled expression. The beam of his flashlight shifted to Max, who seemed transfixed by the far end of the hall, her flashlight beam steady on an empty stretch of wall.
Max's voice broke the silence, low and shaken. "I don't understand.. it was right here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What was?" Dove asked, stepping closer, her heart pounding at Max's bewildered expression.
Max turned back to face them, her eyes dark with the weight of what she was about to say. "That's not even the bad part."
The group shared uneasy glances, the silence stretching thick and tense as they followed Max back to Ms. Kelley's office. Dove's heart raced, her mind trying to piece together Max's words as they stepped inside.
Max paused, gathering herself as the group circled the desk. Max took a shaky breath. "Fred and Chrissy, they both went to Miss Kelley for help. Uh, they both were having headaches, bad headaches that wouldn't go away."
Dustin's face tightened as he listened, exchanging a worried glance with Steve.
Max continued, her voice low and somber. "And then.. then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things. Bad things. From their pasts. And these visions, they just.. they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually.." She paused, her words hanging heavy in the air. "everything ended."
Dove felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. It was like a piece of the puzzle had clicked into place, but instead of relief, there was only fear. Just as her mind began to spin, Steve's hand found hers, his fingers curling around hers in a tight, grounding grip. Whether it was meant to steady him or comfort her, Dove couldn't tell, but she didn't let go, letting his presence anchor her in the unsettling reality they were uncovering.
"Vecna's curse," Robin murmured, her voice weighted by the terrifying realization.
Max's eyes filled with tears as she continued, "Chrissy's headaches started a week ago. Fred's, six days ago." She faltered, her hand trembling slightly as she reached up to wipe her face. "I've been having them for five days."
Steve and Dove exchanged a glance, an unspoken question passing between them. Dove's own struggles—nightmares, headaches, hallucinations—had been going on for months. But they remained silent, unsure whether speaking up would help or just add fuel to the panic already crackling in the room.
"I don't know how long I have," Max admitted, her voice raw, barely holding back a sob. "All I know is that.. for Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock, so.." She swallowed hard, sniffled, and took a shaky breath. "Looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow."
Dove's grip tightened on Steve's hand as she took in the weight of Max's words. The room felt cold and hollow, as if they were all standing on the edge of a precipice, unable to pull back.
A distant clatter broke the silence, snapping them out of their grim thoughts. Steve's hand slipped from Dove's as he took a step forward, his gaze narrowing as he looked toward the hallway. "Stay here," he whispered, grabbing a tall floor lamp from the corner and holding it out like a makeshift weapon. Without a second glance, he crept out into the hall, every muscle in his body tensed.
The rest of them looked at each other, uncertain, before Dove took the first step forward, everyone moving cautiously out of the office and into the dim hallway.
A faint scuffling sound echoed through the empty corridors, followed by the unmistakable rush of footsteps getting closer and closer. The group tensed, hearts pounding in sync with the approaching footsteps. Steve raised the lamp, ready to swing, and they all yelled, only to find themselves face-to-face with Lucas, who skidded to a halt, eyes wide with panic.
"Whoa! It's me! It's just me!" Lucas held his hands up defensively, breathing hard, his own fear mingling with theirs.
"Jesus, what's wrong with you Sinclair?!" Steve lowered the lamp as he tried to catch his breath. "I could've taken you out with this thing!"
"I'm sorry," Lucas panted, his voice hoarse as he tried to catch his breath. "Sorry, guys. Sorry. I was biking for eight miles." He held up a finger as he continued panting. "Give me a second. Shit." He stood up straight. "We've got a code red."
"What?" Steve asked.
Lucas ignored him, rushing forward to Dustin. "Jason, Patrick, and Andy have gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You're in terrible danger."
"All right." Dustin nodded. "Yeah, that definitely sucks, but we've got bigger problems than Jason right now." Dustin looked back at Max and Lucas followed his gaze, confused.