ℕ𝕆𝕀𝕊𝔼

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• 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 - 𝙲𝚢𝚗𝚍𝚒 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛 •

ONE MONTH LATER

It was Christmas time and the party was at the Wheeler's house playing Dungeons and Dragons in Mike's basement. Just like old times.

Bea was sitting on the couch behind Will. She didn't want to play tonight. Plus she has been drawing a lot recently. Her and Will have actually hung out just so they could sit in silence and draw.

She placed her paper and pen down to watch as the boys play.

"Something is coming. Something angry. Hungry for your blood. It is almost here." The boys were on the edge of their seats as they listed to every detail Mike spoke.

Anxiously, Will questioned, "What is it?"

Lucas was calmly leaning back in his chair as Dustin bit his nails, trying to figure it out. "It's the thessalhydra, I'm telling you."

"It's not the thessalhydra." Lucas dismissed.

The boys turned their attention to Bea, who was staring at the board game. Her attention was snapped to them when Dustin asked, "It's the thessalhydra, right Bea?" She closed her eyes for a moment before nodding.

They turned back to Mike for further instruction. "The thessalhydra!" He shouts as the boys groan. "It roars in anger! Will, your action!"

"What should I do?"

"Fireball him!" Lucas yells.

Will looks to Dustin for confirmation. "Fireball him." He agreed. All the boys turn to Bea.

"Fireball the son of a bitch." She smiles.

Will grabs the dice and rolls a... "Fourteen!" they all exclaim.

"Direct hit. Will the Wise's fireball hits the thessalhydra. It makes a painful..." Mike gets up from his seat and makes a screeching noise, "...and then... it crumbles to the ground." He imitates it. "Its clawed hand reaches for you one last time and, and, and... and..." Mike plays dead.

They all cheer. They defeated the thessalhydra. The boys jump around the room, celebrating as Mike continues.

"Lucas cuts off its seven heads, and Dustin places them into his bag of holding." Mike explains as his friends sit back down in their seats. Except Dustin, who grabs his backpack and holds it up, imitating the bag holding the heads. "You carry the heads out of the dungeon, victorious, and you present them to King Tristen. He thanks you for your bravery and service."

"Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's not it, is it?" Dustin asks.

Mike mentions, "No, there's a medal ceremony."

"Oh. A medal ceremony?" He asks sarcastically, dragging the word medal out. "What are you talking about?"

"The campaign was way to short." Lucas says, supporting Dustin's statements.

"Yeah." Will nods in agreement.

The other two looked bewildered. "It was ten hours!" Bea and Mike yell at the same time. Are they serious?

"Jinx!" Bea points at Mike. He ignores her.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" Dustin argues.

"It makes sense!" Mike defends.

So no ones gonna get her a soda? She said jinx and that means Mike owes her a soda. She'll remember this. He better get her a Pepsi.

"Uh, no, what about the lost knight?"

"And the proud princess?"

"And those weird flowers in the cave?" Their friends list off unanswered scenarios.

"I don't know, it's—" Mike was cut off by the basement door opening with Jonathan Byers coming to pick Will up.

"Jeez, what's that smell? Have you guys been playing games all day, or just farting?" The kids laughed.

"No, it was just Dustin. He farted." Lucas said, earning a death glare from the curly-haired boy wearing a hat. "Dustin farted." He sings, blowing raspberries. He kept on repeating that one line.

"Very mature, Lucas."

Will stands up and grabs his stuff as he goes to follow Jonathan. But, before he goes, he turns around to look at Bea. Pulling out a present from his bag, he hands it to her.

"What's this?" She asked, smiling at the gift.

"Open it." She does as told.

Her smile grows wider as she looks back and forth from the boy in front of her to the book in her hands.

"It's so you can draw and keep them all in one place. I hope you like it."

"Will, I love it." She beams. "Thank you." She pulls him into a tight hug.

Will is the first to break out of the hug since he has to leave. And it seems that everyone except Beatrice saw the blush on his face when letting her go. He would've stayed longer, maybe even forever.

As Will and Jonathan go upstairs, Bea notices Mike looking at where El used to stay. Lucas and Dustin play fight while she walks over and sits next to him.

"Ya know she's not dead, right?"

"How are you so sure?" Is this boy stupid?

She gestures to herself. "Banshee, remember?" He nods slowly. "When I screamed for like the third time that night, it wasn't because she died. It was because I watched a new friend of mine disappear." He still looks at the makeshift bed, longingly. "Look, Mike, I don't know where she is, and I don't know if she's safe. But what I do know is that she's alive. So, think about that, okay?"

He nods and she goes to grab her bag. Her parents should be here soon to pick her up.

"By the way, you owe me a soda." When she walks upstairs, she's greeted by Karen. They made small talk before a knock on the door was heard.

Mr. Holland was there to pick his daughter up as his wife was finishing up dinner at home. The two jumped into the car and rode home. As soon as they walked through the door, they could smell the delicious food throughout the house.

Still on the couch of the Wheeler's basement laid a piece of paper. On it was a thin, blond man with a diamond face shape. His piercing blue eyes staring back at anyone who dares to peek.

As the Hollands sat down to eat dinner, Will Byers, a couple streets down, threw up a slug-like creature into the sink. They're not out of the woods, yet.

Some more than others.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

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(🕰) T TIME!

short chapter to end the season

be ready for season two!!

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