0 0 2 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟶: 𝙱𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎

Sarah shot backwards upon hearing the word, "man", escape from the monster's jagged petals. The cuts that dotted her arms and legs burned in response, but she was too shocked to notice. The creature didn't even startle at her reaction. It was clear that he expected worse.

Above them, large clouds slowly sauntered across the sky. Below them, white-capped waves crashed against sharp cliffs. And between them, long, green grass rolled to the rhythm of their heartbeats.

"B-but how?" Sarah stammered, her eyes studying every inch of the creature for any indication of the man he once was before. "Who did this to you?"

The beast didn't get a chance to answer, because just then, a rift opened behind Sarah and a set of hands latched onto her shoulders. Before she could even register what was happening, she was yanked backwards, her body sliding from soft grass onto a hard floor. Laying on her back, she looked up to see four familiar faces hovering over her; Hopper, Adam, Nancy, and Jonathan. She was back at the cabin.

Sarah shot upwards just in time to catch the rift blinking out of existence, along with the creature. She punched the floor in frustration, cussing under her breath.

"Are you okay?" Hopper asked, kneeling down to investigate the cuts and scratches on her limbs. Streams of blood ran down her arms and legs until they collected in one red river that flowed to the ground.

"Fine," Sarah answered. She tried to push herself to her feet but Hopper and Adam kept her on the ground.

"You need to stay still until we can assess these injuries," Adam informed her. Jonathan grabbed the first-aid kit from the kitchen cabinet and handed it to Adam.

"You need to let me back in!" Sarah replied. "I need to talk to him!"

"'Him'?" Hopper asked in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

"The creature!" Sarah shook her head in exasperation. The pain was starting to catch up with her and it was making her brain foggy. "It--he--is human. He might know who did this to him!"

Hopper, Adam, Nancy, and Jonathan all exchanged looks of surprise and disgust.

"He's safe in the pocket dimension for now," Adam reassured her. He began rummaging through the first-aid kit for antiseptics and bandages. "After you've healed, I'll let you back in."