Steve wasn't entirely sure how long he sat with Violet in the parking lot, just letting her lean against him and cry. He'd stroked her hair gently, finding himself bowing his head and almost resting his chin on the top of her head. He could feel how she clung onto his forearm tightly as her body shook against his. He knew what she was scared of and he understood it. He knew that she was scared about telling her father and he'd seen first-hand why she'd been scared.

"I'm sorry," Violet whispered, her warm breath hitting the skin of his bare arm.

Steve's brows knitted together. "What are you sorry for?" he whispered down to her.

"Getting snot on your sweatshirt," she mumbled and, despite the situation, Steve chuckled and that elicited a small laugh from her. Shaking his head, his lips remained slightly arched as his fingers continued stroking her hair gently.

"I'll bill you for the dry cleaning," he promised her jokingly and Violet closed her eyes, more tears falling down her cheeks. Steve felt her begin to sit up and he moved his arm from around her as she used his forearm as leverage to help her sit up. Steve reached a hand towards her and tucked some of her hair behind her ear that had stuck to her wet cheeks which were tinged red and wet from her crying.

"Do you want me to come home with you?" Steve wondered.

Violet sniffed and shook her head once. "While I am sure most girls wouldn't be able to resist that proposal, I think it might be for the best if you don't," she said and Steve was glad to hear that she hadn't lost all of her sass. "My dad already thinks that you're nothing but trouble. I don't want to drag you into anymore mess…I'll just tell him that it was an accident."

"You're not going to tell him that it was Carol?" Steve checked, face scrunching up in confusion.

Violet shook her head. "It won't do any good. He'll just find a way to blame me anyway."

"That's not fair, Vi, and even if this had been an accident, you shouldn't be scared of telling your dad," Steve said and before she could open her mouth, he held a hand up to keep her quiet. "And I know that's easier said than done because I know who your dad is and how he behaved. I do get it. I just hate the idea of you being scared to tell him."

"I…it'll be fine in the long run," Violet said. "I should go home and face the music though…and I need to get my car."

"You can't drive like that," Steve said, motioning to her bandaged hand. "I'll take you home and then go fetch your car."

"The store is like a two-mile walk."

"I can run it," Steve said with a nonchalant shrug. "Just give me your keys and I'll bring it back to your house."

"I can't ask you-"

"-You're not asking me," Steve said with a shake of his head. "I can do it. Hand them over."

Violet didn't bother to argue any further. She was too tired to fight him on it. She reached into her pocket and pulled them out, handing them to him and he placed them in his own pocket. He watched her slide over to her side of the seat and tug her seatbelt on. Steve did the same and started the engine. They drove back through Hawkins in silence together, the pair of them not entirely sure what to say or how to react. As they approached their neighbourhood, Steve began wondering just what Tommy and Carol thought was going on between him and Violet. He was dating Nancy. He cared about Nancy. He could see himself falling in love with Nancy. He didn't quite understand why it was that he found himself thinking about Violet though.

"Shit," Violet whispered and Steve wondered what was going on as he pulled into his driveway. Donnie Mattheson was already making his way out of the house and towards Steve's parked car.

"Violet Mattheson!" he yelled her name.

Her mother was following him, dressed in a silk pink robe with her hair in curlers on top of her head. She folded her arms over her chest and padded across the driveway towards her daughter, pink slippers falling from her heels.

"Dad, I can explain," Violet quickly said as she climbed out of the car and Steve quickly jumped out too, slamming the door behind him and grateful that his parents weren't home for the night.

"You can explain?" Donnie demanded from her. "I was at work in an important meeting when my secretary tells me that you've been taken to hospital and have broken your fingers. What the hell happened?"

"It was an accident," Violet said and Donnie turned his glare onto Steve.

"Did he do this to you?" Donnie demanded to know and Steve jumped back as the older man pointed at him and advanced towards where he stood on the other side of the car. But Violet jumped in front of him, refusing to let her father anywhere near him. She held her good hand up and grabbed her dad's upper arm.

"He was the one who took me to hospital," Violet defended Steve. "He found me after I'd fallen and he drove me to hospital."

Donnie didn't look convinced, but he did stop trying to get closer to Steve. Steve, on the other hand, found himself unable to stop from making a snide comment.

"I'd never lay a finger on her," he said and the two of them glared at each other as Mariana finally came to stand by the three of them. She glanced down at her daughter's hand and saw the bandage covering her fingers and then looked her in the eye.

"I take it this means you're not going to play the challenger in a few weeks' time?" she asked from her daughter and Steve just wondered how cold her parents could be. They hadn't even bothered to ask her if she was okay. It was like neither of them cared and Violet was more of a drain to them than a daughter they loved.

"They said it will take at least eight weeks to heal," Violet admitted and Donnie's jaw tensed and he shook his head, hands going to his hips. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. It was just an accident. I'm gutted…I really am…" Violet said and Steve could hear the desperation in her voice as she longed for her father not to be upset. "But I can keep training other ways so we don't fall too far behind. I'll do whatever I have to. I promise."

"Do you know what this means, Violet?" Donnie demanded to know from her. "We needed to get you into that challenger to try and make sure you qualify for the US Open."

"I know," Violet promised him. "And I was thinking that we could do the challenger in Maine which is in another three months' time. I should be healed by then and it can maybe help me qualify."

"More money thrown down the drain," Mariana mumbled under her breath, but they all heard her. Steve looked between her parents and a part of him wanted to tell them the truth. He wanted to tell them that it wasn't an accident and none of this was Violet's fault. Maybe then it would stop them from arguing with her. But he didn't do any of that. Instead, he just stood there biting his tongue until it threatened to bleed.

"I'm sorry!" Violet yelled out loud, arms flapping by her side. "I'm sorry I'm such a screw up. I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for either of you…do you think I asked for this to happen? I didn't. I didn't want to break my fingers or miss the challenger."

"Well, it's too late for that now, isn't it?" Donnie replied.

"Can you not see how upset she is?" Steve finally spoke, unable to hold his tongue any more. Violet turned her head over her shoulder to look at him as he snapped at both of her parents. "She's been worried about how you'd react when she should've been relieved to come home. She's broken bones and not once have you asked if she's alright."

"Steve, don't," Violet urged from him and he held his arms out wide.

"It's true though," he pointed out. "You didn't ask for this to happen and you deserve better than this."

"Who is this?" Mariana wondered and Violet wanted to laugh at how oblivious her mother was to everything going on. She kept her mouth closed though and Donnie did the talking.

"The Harrington's spoiled son," he said. "And I am getting a little tired of listening to you tell me how to parent and thinking you know best, boy."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm tired of how you treat your daughter," Steve snapped back.

"Steve, stop," Violet pleaded with him and she moved towards him again and reached for his arm, gripping it in her fingertips and clinging to him. "It's alright. Please. I'm fine…just…please just go home," she begged from him and Donnie folded his arms over his chest, crumpling the blue shirt he wore.

"I'd listen to her," Donnie warned.

"Or what? You'll hit me too?" Steve checked with him and Violet didn't know if he was going to.

"This display of masculinity, as interesting as it is, bores me," Mariana declared. "I need to get ready for the gala this evening. Donnie, ignore the boy and Violet, come inside and get cleaned up. You look a state."

Steve wasn't sure if they were going to listen to her, but Donnie did walk away after one final glare in Steve's direction. He turned on his heel and Violet just gave Steve's arm a final squeeze before following after her father, turning her head over her shoulder and silently throwing Steve one final look that she hoped look somewhat reassuring. Judging by the worried expression pinching his face, she guessed that it hadn't.

…

Steve knew that Tommy and Carol were vindictive and mean. He was well aware that the two of them were toxic. He wasn't entirely sure why he was friends with them, but he guessed he'd been around them for too long now. That still didn't help him when he went to find Nancy at her house and try to apologise to her. It turned out that she'd heard about the incident at the store. Approaching her, Steve almost jumped out of his skin as she whirled around holding a baseball bat.

"I hope that's not for me," Steve said. "Then again, I deserve it."

Nancy took a deep breath and calmed down once she realised that it was just Steve and she had nothing to be scared of. She'd agreed to go with Jonathan back into the forest and she knew that she had to be prepared. They were going to go after the funeral, but both of them were convinced that Will wasn't the one they were burying. Nancy had tried to get in touch with Violet, but she hadn't been picking up the phone and every time Donnie's voice greeted her, Nancy quickly hung up.

"Yeah, maybe you do," Nancy concurred with that and lowered the bat.

"Listen, I'm really sorry," Steve said, "even before you threatened me with a baseball bat."

"Okay," Nancy said and Steve walked around her and leant against the hood of their family car, hands stuffed into his pockets. Nancy turned around to keep her eye on him and she figured she could give him the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't as if that would hurt.

"I panicked and I was a total dick," he said to her.

"Yeah, you were," she said, not sugar-coating it.

"Look, how about we catch a movie tonight? Try and pretend everything is normal for a few hours?" Steve asked from her, but he could tell that Nancy wasn't into the idea. "I know that's weird to suggest, but I just figured after everything with Barb…I just…I just wondered if you didn't need a distraction, but just wanted some time away."

"Maybe another time," Nancy said to him, hand going to his shoulder and she stood on her toes to kiss him quickly. "I'm just not feeling it right now."

"You're sure you're alright?" Steve checked with her. "Vi told me about the photo you'd seen."

"Oh, that," Nancy said and she shook her head quickly, ponytail flying from side to side. "Yeah, it turned out that it was nothing," she said to him, wondering if Violet had told him what they'd seen when they'd altered the image. She guessed that she hadn't considering he wasn't bringing it up. "It freaked us out to begin with, but it was just some kind of blur because of the film. I think we just let our imaginations get carried away…it's just…it's a weird time."

"Can say that again," Steve chuckled darkly.

"Is Violet alright?" Nancy dared to wonder. "I've tried to call her, but it's her dad who keeps picking up."

"You heard what happened?"

"I heard that she broke her fingers…that she got them trapped in the car door," Nancy said, not wanting to say what else Carol and Tommy had been saying when she'd seen them the day before as she left the school.

"Carol shut the door on them," Steve corrected and Nancy's mouth opened wide.

"What?" she gasped.

"We bumped into her at the store and they were tormenting her," Steve said. "Carol slammed the door on her hand and I took her to the ER afterwards. I drove her home and her parents…well…there wasn't much concern coming her way and things got a bit heated."

"Is she alright?" Nancy wondered.

"Honestly? I'm not sure," Steve confessed. "Tennis is her life and she's had to pull out of a tournament that she'd hoped would help her ranking and qualify for the US Open. She was upset about that, but I think she was more worried about telling her dad and how he'd react."

Nancy nodded. "I saw her cheek," she said.

"Yeah," Steve mumbled. "I just…she's nice, Nancy. She's sassy and can be a pain-in-the-ass, but underneath all of that she's just nice and I've not exactly been a good friend to her because I spent too long worrying about what Tommy, Carol and everyone else would think."

Nancy had to admit that she was curious about what went on in Steve's mind. "You know that sounds immature, right?"

"I know," Steve agreed, "and that's why I'm admitting to it."

"And not because you're madly in love with her like Carol and Tommy are saying?" Nancy checked and she had to admit that a part of her did feel a bit jealous. She knew that she shouldn't. She knew that they were just friends, or so they both said, but she also knew how much time he spent with her.

"They've been spreading that rumour, huh?" Steve checked.

"They took quite a lot of pleasure in telling me," Nancy admitted.

Steve rolled his eyes and leant back against the car, arms folding over his chest. "I told them to leave her alone and stop picking on her," he said. "I helped her go to the ER. I was just being a friend. You know what Carol and Tommy can be like, Nance."

Nancy nodded repeatedly and closed her eyes. "Sorry," she said to him. "I know that they're just winding me up. I just…I know that the two of you have history and she's like this perfect athlete…and I do like her. She's actually nothing like I thought she'd be from what I'd seen."

"Firstly, no athlete is perfect," Steve said, "but I wouldn't tell her that because she is like, really good at tennis. Secondly, you don't need to listen to Carol and Tommy. Vi and me are just friends, nothing more. Trust me, she'll tell you the same. I imagine the idea of dating me would repulse her and I…well…there's a simple fact, Nance, and that's that she isn't you."

Nancy swore she felt a flutter in her chest at hearing that and she leaned forwards once more to peck him on the cheek. "I'm sorry for bringing that up," she said to him. "I should've known better."

"It's fine," Steve promised her. "Just…let's not keep things from each other, alright?"

Nancy agreed with that, but she knew as soon as she nodded that she was just living a lie.

…

Violet needed to get out of the house. She couldn't stand being there much longer. Her father was barely acknowledging her existence and her mother just sighed whenever she walked by. Steve had driven her car back home and had parked it in the drive late at night, posting the keys through the letterbox. Violet wasn't entirely sure if she should be driving with her broken fingers, but she managed to grip the wheel well enough not to be a danger to herself or anyone else.

Driving through Hawkins, she wasn't entirely sure where she was going. Somehow, though, she found herself at the Wheeler house and wondered if maybe Nancy would be around. She knew that Daisy was away for the rest of the week visiting her aunt. Violet just wondered if maybe she could talk to someone who might be a friend considering she didn't have many of those.

Parking by the edge of the sidewalk, Violet climbed from the car and shut the door behind her. She headed up the drive and knocked on the door, only to be told that Nancy had gone out by her mother. Violet thanked her and got back into her car, figuring she could go home and just study. She knew that it had been Will Byers' funeral that morning and a part of her had thought about going, but she hadn't.

Once she was back home, she frowned as she drove by a car she recognised. It was Jonathan Byers' car. Violet wondered just what he was doing in the neighbourhood. She parked her car and headed towards the forest behind the house, wondering if Nancy and Jonathan really would've gone back there to look for that creature. She hoped not, but she still picked up her tennis raquet in case. She had no intention of trying to find it herself. She barely slept in her house knowing that there was something lurking behind it.

"What are you two doing?"

She soon found them, figuring that they hadn't gotten far. They whirled around and Violet saw Nancy holding a gun in her direction. She held her hands up out of instinct and her heart lurched in her chest.

"Jesus, Nancy!" Violet snapped loudly. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you," Nancy defended herself and lowered the weapon to rest by her side. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I went to your house and your mom said you'd gone out," Violet said. "I was driving home and I saw your car," she pointed at Jonathan as she moved towards the two of them, "parked down the street. Please tell me that you're both not crazy enough to be out here looking for that thing?"

"If that thing has my brother then yeah, I'm gonna go looking for it," Jonathan retorted, voice firm and Violet guessed he had a point, but that still didn't put her at ease. "Look, I know that it might be dangerous and until the other day I didn't know either of you, not really, so I'm not asking you to get involved with any of this…but I need to know. I need to find out."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Nancy said, moving a hand to his arm and squeezing it. Violet picked up on the way Jonathan looked at her and she saw him almost soften under her stare. She smiled up to him encouragingly and Violet wanted to roll her eyes.

She reached for the bobble she wrapped around her wrist and tugged her hair into a ponytail, wincing as her fingers protested with the movement. She finally had her hair tied back and folded her arms over her chest. "What's the plan then? Because if you two are out here then I'm not leaving you."

"You don't need to-"

"-Do you know how guilty I'd feel if anything happened to you?" Violet interrupted Nancy. "So yeah, I do need to."

Nancy looked grateful at that and she adjusted her backpack straps on her shoulders. "Come on then," Nancy decided on being the one to get them to set off.

They wandered through the forest and Violet tried not to think about what they might find. She kept her racquet in her good hand and heard the leaves crunching under foot. The birds chirped in the trees and the wind rustled the branches. Violet found it almost creepy, but she tried to keep everything in her mind as rational as possible.

"Steve told me what happened to your hand," Nancy spoke, breaking the silence as they walked in a row. Violet glanced down to her bandaged fingers. "Does it hurt?"

"Not too bad," Violet replied. "It'll teach me not to go anywhere near Carol though."

"They're nothing but bullies," Jonathan added on. "They're probably just jealous that you're actually talented at something and they have nothing in their lives."

"You're not wrong," Nancy said to him. "And Steve told me that he took you to the ER."

"Yeah, he did," Violet confirmed. "I think I probably ended up getting snot all over him though with the amount of crying I did. It hurt like hell at the time and well…yeah…playing tennis is pretty impossible now."

"How long you gonna be out the game for?"

"About eight weeks," Violet answered Jonathan.

"Steve said you were worried about telling your dad."

"Yeah," was all that Violet could answer with. She didn't entirely want to get into that at that moment in time. "But that's not important. What's important is trying to find Will and Barb. That's what we need to focus on now."

"Agreed," Nancy confirmed.

"You know, you two are nothing like I thought you'd be," Jonathan said and Nancy arched her brow, wondering where this conversation was going. Violet kept on swinging the tennis racquet by her side, lips curving upwards.

"And what did you think we'd be like?" Violet wondered.

"Well, with you…I don't know…all I know is that you're Hawkins' tennis star," he said. "That night I saw you…playing tennis…there was like this anger inside of you as you hit the ball. Every time you hit it…it almost felt like there was something behind it…things that you hold back."

Violet didn't want to tell him that he wasn't wrong. She'd been annoyed that night after the conversation with her father and how he'd been treating her. There had been times when she'd played with anger, for definite, especially if her and her father had argued before a tournament. She'd hit the ball with so much force and straight at her opponent that it sometimes hit them in the body. She'd raise her racquet in an apology, but she never really meant it.

"And me?" Nancy wondered from him. "You said you took my photo because I was saying something."

"I don't know," Jonathan said and almost looked bashful, baseball bat in hand and resting on his shoulder with his bag swinging by his hip. "I guess, I saw this girl, you know, trying to be someone else, but for that moment it was like you were alone or you thought you were and you could be yourself."

Nancy shook her head. "That is such bullshit," she snapped.

"What?" Jonathan asked, flummoxed by her response and Violet bit down on the inside of her cheek, feeling the atmosphere alter.

"I am not trying to be someone else…just because I'm dating Steve and you don't like him-"

"-You know what? Just forget it," Jonathan said and started walking faster away from them. Violet hung back, not wanting to get involved in their argument, but Nancy wasn't letting it drop. She also quickened her pace to catch up with Jonathan as best as she could.

"He's actually a good guy," she defended him.

"Okay," Jonathan said, clearly sarcastically.

"He only broke your camera…he's not like that at all. He was just being protective," Nancy said and Violet almost wanted to jump in and back her up on that point, but she guessed that her input might only make things ten times worse. She tugged on the grey sweatshirt she wore over her black skirt and thick stockings with white sneakers, wishing she'd worn a coat as the sun shrunk behind clouds above them.

"Yeah, that's one word for it."

"And I guess what you did was okay?" Nancy retorted.

"I never said that," Jonathan retorted. "But does that mean I have to like him?"

"No." Nancy said and Jonathan stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Listen, don't take this personally, okay? I don't like most people…in fact, the vast majority," Jonathan said and began to move again.

Nancy stood her ground. "You know, I was beginning to think you were okay," she said to him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Nancy said. "I was thinking…Jonathan Byers…maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone thinks he is."

"Guys, come on," Violet finally spoke up as she stopped peering into the river that they were now following and looked between the pair of them. "This isn't helping anyone, is it? We need to stick together, not turn on each other."

"She started it," Jonathan retorted. "And you know what? Maybe she's exactly who I think she is," he said and pointed at Nancy who flapped her arms out by the side, eyes widening and cheeks tinging red.

"And who is that?"

"I was thinking…Nancy Wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does until that phase passes and she marries some boring jock who now works in sales and has a boring little life at the end of a cul-de-sac in a loveless marriage because he's really still pining over the girl he wanted who wanted more out of life than the perfect nuclear family."

Nancy was silent then and so was Violet. She had no idea what was going on, but what he'd said seemed to have struck a nerve with her.

"But hey, I get it, you and Steve will be very happy so long as you ignore the fact he's pining over his neighbour," Jonathan said and he stormed off then and Violet frowned, shaking her head. She watched the back of him go and she glanced to Nancy who just looked at her.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Violet assured her on that point. "They're just rumours."

"Are they?" Nancy wondered. "Because even I'm beginning to wonder if that's true."

Violet watched her storm off then and she wondered just how she'd ended up in this situation. She had no intention of playing third wheel to anyone or getting involved in anyone's relationship. She didn't want that. She just wanted to be able to get out of Hawkins and away from her parents. She had no other motivation as a high school student. She certainly didn't spend her time pining after boys like Steve Harrington.

"You know what? This is immature!" Violet snapped, following the two of them and catching up easily with long strides. "Throwing insults isn't going to help us find Will or Barb, is it?"

"Here's an idea then?" Jonathan suggested. "How about we just keep going in silence then?"

"Suits me just fine," Nancy agreed with him.

"This is ridiculous," Violet mumbled, but she knew that they weren't going to change their minds. "Look…maybe we should head back anyway. It's getting late and dark. I know you want to find whatever is out here, but…it's feeling dangerous."

"You go back if you want to," Jonathan said, his tone haughty and Violet tried not to take it personally. She'd imagine that if she had a brother that she would do anything to try and find him too. But she wasn't some fearless adventurer. She was scared and she wasn't going to lie about being scared. She was terrified about what they might find.

"Fine. We'll keep going," Violet said, knowing that no matter how scared she was, she wasn't going to leave them alone.

They kept on walking through the woods and the sun set. Jonathan reached into his bag after a while and picked out two torches. He turned one on and handed the other to Nancy. Violet made sure to walk closer to Nancy then. Jonathan kept on walking a few paces ahead, the atmosphere still tense between the three of them.

After a short while, Violet swore she heard some rustling in the forest. She had no idea what the noise was, but then she heard it again and some heavy breathing as well. She stood still and held a hand up, Jonathan and Nancy also halting. Jonathan rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"What is it?"

"Sh," Violet hushed him.

Nancy listened out and she heard it too. She shone her torch around before it landed on something slumped against a tree. Violet jumped at the sight of it, hand moving to her chest in exasperation. They moved closer towards the creature on the floor and Violet narrowed her eyes, scrunching her face up and trying to work out what it was.

"It's a deer," Nancy said, crouching down in front of it.

"It's hurt," Violet commented in a whisper and she also crouched down. She saw the scratch marks on the creature as it kept on wheezing and she gulped hard, feeling her pulse echo in her ears. "Something did this to it."

"Another creature?" Nancy wondered.

"I don't…I don't know any creature that could do this," Jonathan replied.

The argument between them seemed to disappear as they realised that they might be facing something much more serious. Nancy stood up again and she moved a hand to Violet's elbow, urging for her to stand up too. Stepping back, Nancy felt water pool in her eyes as she thought about the creature and hearing it suffer.

"It's in pain," Nancy said and she raised her gun for a moment. "It's the kindest thing to do."

"We can't," Violet said, feeling the lump in her throat seem to grow.

"We have to," Jonathan agreed with Nancy. "Let me do it."

"No, I can do it," Nancy said, but Violet didn't think she could. Judging by the way she handed the gun over to Jonathan without another word, she also knew that she didn't want to do it.

Jonathan took the safety off the gun and Violet prepared to look away, but not before the creature was dragged away from them before Jonathan could shoot. Violet shrieked loudly and Nancy jumped back. Something had tugged the creature away from them and further into the woods, the leaves fluttering up behind it and a loud growl echoing in the woods before the whimpers of the deer grew louder. Violet shook her head and stumbled backwards. Something was out there with them.

"We need to go," Jonathan whispered. "Now…run…"

And they did. Violet turned on her heel and began running in the same direction as Nancy and Jonathan. The light from the torch moved up and down on the ground with their movements as they ran, not slowing their paces. And then Violet heard it. Whatever was behind them was chasing after them. She turned her head over her shoulder but she couldn't see it in the darkness. She gripped her tennis racquet harder and wondered if they could outrun it.

Violet wasn't sure how it happened, but she somehow lost sight of Nancy and Jonathan, the torch light moving off to the right as she seemed to veer off to the left. Violet just kept running though. She could still hear whatever was following her and it sounded like it was getting closer. She had no idea where she was going though. She knew she was lost in the woods and she had no idea how to get out. Without the torch though, Violet couldn't really see where she was going and she tried not to trip over the roots of trees, picking her feet up as high as she could. She also knew that she was running out of steam. She was tiring herself out.

Her pace was slowing and she heard the growl of the creature from behind her and she knew she couldn't outrun whatever it was. She looked to a tree she was running towards and she wondered if she could climb it. Could the thing behind her climb. She figured it was her best option. Dropping her racquet, she grabbed hold of a branch and somehow hauled herself up and stood on it, balancing and hugging the trunk and reaching for the next branch.

The footsteps following her slowed down and she heard the deep panting breathing of the creature. She climbed to a higher branch and tried to get away from it as it stalked around the tree. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her breathing quiet, but she wasn't sure she could.

It was then when she heard the gunshot. She looked around and tried to work out which direction it had come from. The creature must have heard it too because it stopped sniffing around the tree and took off towards the source of the noise. Had it been Nancy and Jonathan? Violet didn't know and she wasn't sure what to do for the best. She figured she couldn't sit in the tree forever though.

Climbing down, she grabbed her racquet but she wasn't sure which direction she was running towards or what she was running to. She just kept on going until she thought she saw the glow of lights ahead and she realised she was near the edge of the main road into Hawkins. Violet rushed towards it and looked back into the forest, wondering if she should go back and try to find Nancy and Jonathan. The issue was she had no idea where they would be.

Following the road back into Hawkins, Violet wondered if it was worth trying to hitchhike, but she wasn't sure she could handle her parents finding out. So she just kept walking and following the road, gathering her breath once again and heading home, hoping that Nancy and Jonathan were okay.

…

Jonathan's car was still parked down the road from Violet's house. She stayed by it, hoping that the two of them would appear at some point. She didn't know what she would do if they didn't though. Who could she tell? Who would believe her over what they'd seen? Her mind was whirling with all of these thoughts that she had no idea what to do with.

Thankfully, after what seemed like an eternity, she saw the two of them emerge from the forest. The deep sigh of relief she let out was loud as she rushed towards them.

"I didn't know where you two had gone," Violet exasperated and she wrapped her arms around Nancy, the younger girl seemingly surprised but returning the embrace. "What happened?"

"I…I don't know," Nancy admitted. "That thing…I saw its face and I don't know how. It was like I was in the forest but I wasn't…I can't explain it. I just…I don't know."

Violet wasn't entirely sure what Nancy was talking about, but she figured that whatever had happened hadn't been something they'd seen before. There was something odd going on and no one seemed to be able to explain it. Jonathan was still carrying the baseball bat but he'd put the gun in his bag.

"I don't think any of us can explain what we saw tonight," Jonathan settled on saying. "But I think we need to get out of here…I'm going to drive Nancy home. Do you want to come back with us?"

Violet shook her head. "I should head home."

"Let us give you a lift."

"I only live round the corner."

"After what happened tonight, I don't care," Jonathan said. "Just get in."

Violet climbed into the back seat and she had to admit that she was grateful. None of them said anything. It was like they were trying to process what had just happened. All Violet knew was that it had terrified her. She thanked Jonathan as he parked outside of her house and she told them that she'd see them tomorrow, but she wasn't entirely sure if she would. She climbed out of the car and rushed up her path to the front door. Nancy and Jonathan didn't drive off until she had gotten inside and shut the door.

Dropping her racquet onto the floor of the hallway, the light turned on and Violet saw her father moving from the study and into the hallway, hands on hips. He was still dressed in his suit with his tie hanging loose around his neck. No doubt he'd been drinking.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked from his daughter.

Violet didn't say anything to him though. She didn't think he'd believe her if she tried to tell him the truth. She knew he wouldn't. She wasn't entirely sure what possessed her though. She just walked towards him and Donnie watched her, brows furrowed and head cocked. He didn't say anything as she launched herself at him, arms going around his middle and face pressed just by his shoulder. Donnie stiffened for a moment as she clung to him and he took his time before he reacted.

He moved his own arms around his daughter, holding her to him and moving a hand up and down her back to try and soothe her. He wasn't used to this. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually hugged his daughter or comforted her before.

"What is it, Violet?" Donnie wondered from her, but she just shook her head against his shoulder. She wasn't going to tell him. "Has someone hurt you?" he kept pushing and she shook her head again. Donnie wasn't sure why she'd had this sudden outburst of affection, but he didn't push her away. He just held her for as long as she needed.

…

A/N: The plot develops a bit more. Not sure if anyone is reading but would love to know your thoughts!