Wheel of Fate

29.

Max had shared with the group that the tub at home had bags of ice, and as they know, the mind flayer likes it cold. Billy had called at his father's work and told him that Neil had been there since early in the morning.

"See, he's at his boring work, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever," Max said after Billy hung up. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated," Will said.

"Okay, so we just wait until he gets activated," Max said and Billy nodded. "No. What if he hurts someone?" "Or kills someone," Will added. "We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host."

"But first, we need a plan," Billy said.

The kids were thinking for a moment when Mike had an idea, "Billy, there's a sauna where you work right." He nodded, "Yes, in the men's room, there's a small gym and showers too."

Mike smiled "Okay, so we wait until the pool closes until everyone leaves, and somehow he gets him to go in the sauna."

"Then we lock him in," Will said.

"Heat him up," Lucas added.

"No matter what happens, we'll know. We'll know for sure."

They had their plan ready, but they just needed to know how they were going to make Neil go to the pool. "Maybe tell him you slipped showering and broke your arm or leg, and you can't drive." "How am I going to call him if I broke my leg showering," Billy said, looking at Mike. "Okay, so tell him your car broke down," Lucas suggested. "Yeah that could work too."

Billy drove to the community pool with Max in the passenger's seat and the rest of the kids in the back seat. "Cant believe Billy is giving us a ride," Lucas said quietly. Once they arrived at the pool, they looked for chains and other things they might need. "I better not get fired for this," Billy said as he saw the kids with pool equipment.

As soon as Mike gave Billy the signal, he used the phone at the front desk and called his dad at work, telling him that his car wasn't working and if he could pick him up. "He should be here in 20 minutes," Billy said. "Everyone knows what they are doing," Mike asked, and everyone nodded. They all went to their positions and waited for Neil.

As Billy was waiting for his father to arrive, he wondered what he would do if Neil was actually the new host of this mind flayer they talk so much about. He knew that Will was the previous host, and he was alive, so maybe things could end up good for him too.

Neil arrives at the community pool and parks his car outside. He was hoping that Billy was already outside. He turned off his car and got out of the car; "Billy," he called his son, but there was no answer.

He walked inside, passing by the front desk; "Billy," he said again, but there was no answer from him; he could only hear the water from the shower. He couldn't believe Billy was taking a shower at this moment when he had things to do. He walked around looking for the men's restroom; he opened the door, "Billy, let's go!"

Neil heard the voices of children laughing, "Who's there," he asked, looking around. "Neil," Mike said in a sing-songy voice. He walked toward the voice, "I don't have time for this show yourself." "Come and get me," Mike said, and then his laugh echoed through the room.

He walked around looking for whoever was doing the prank, and then he saw a figure, a smile appear on his face "got you," he said, walking closer, but as he opened the door, he saw that it wasn't an actual child. It was only a Pool Rescue dummy with a radio on his chest tape around it.

"Behind you," Mike said through the radio. Neil turned around and saw a girl with short hair with blue suspenders. "You," Neil said, walking closer; he had seen her before she was the one that closed the gate, but before he had a chance to hurt her, the door closed on its own, trapping him inside the sauna.

The kids locked the door trapping him inside, Neil was hitting the door, trying to get it open, but he stopped once he saw Billy and Max. He was only looking at them. Billy looked back at Max, and she nodded to him "do it," Billy said, and Will changed the temperature of the sauna.

"You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh? You little shits think this is funny?" Neil said, looking at the kids and Billy through the small glass that was on the blue door. "What is this?" Neil said, spitting at the glass. "Open the door!" He kicked the door, making a loud sound, and the kids flinched.

He keeps hitting the door and yelling to let him go, suddenly he sits on the floor, and they hear him crying. Billy is shocked to hear his father crying; he had never shown that kind of emotion before.

Slowly Max walks to the door. "It's not my fault, Max. I promise you it's not my fault," Neil starts to say, looking at Max through the glass. "What's not your fault, Neil?"

Billy walked up to Max standing behind her, looking at his father on the ground crying and sweating.

"I've done things, Billy. Really...bad things," Neil said, looking at his son. "I didn't mean to. I didnt want to hurt her," he said, looking at Max. "He made me do it. I swear I didnt want to hurt her," he said, shaking his head with his hands on each side of his head.

"Who made you do it?" Max asked her stepfather. "I don't know; it's like a shadow. Like a giant shadow," he said, crying. "What did he make you do?" Billy asked him. "It's not my fault, okay? Max, please," Neil said, resting his head on the bench. "Please, believe me, Max, it's not my fault. I tried to stop him, okay? I did."

Billy has an idea of who he might be talking about; he doesn't want to believe it; he moves Max behind him.

Max looks at Billy, unsure why he pushed her back, "We want to help you. You just have to talk to us, okay? You have to talk to us," she said from behind Billy's shoulder.

Will shudders and touches the back of his neck "he's activated," he told Mike. "Get away from the door!" Billy holds Max and walks backward as Neil breaks the small window glass falling on the floor.

Max yelps as she sees Neil putting his hand through the window, trying to get someone. "Let me out, you bitch! Let me out! I'll fucking gut all of you!" The kids take a few steps back as the light flicker; Neil is trying to take the chairs from the door as Billy stands in front of Max.

"He can't get out, can he?" Max said as Neil pushed the door with force. "No way," Lucas said, shaking his head. Running to the door with one last push Neil opened the door.

The kids go back, Billy looked over his shoulder to see Max, but Lucas has his arm protectively in front of her.

With her powers, Eleven throws weights at Neil, pinning him to the wall. El screams, pushing the weight farther to his neck making a dent in the wall, but Neil is stronger than her and is able to push the weights, almost hitting El.

El is on the ground; Neil gets her from her hair, and then with one hand, starts choking her, lifting her from the floor. El hit him on his arm, trying to get out of his grip. The kids watched in horror; Billy looked around, trying to find something that he could use to knock him out.

Mike hits Neil in the back of the head with a pole making him drop El, but it doesn't do anything to him, he was going to hit him again, but Neil is able to get the pole out of his hands. Neil walks closer to Mike, cornering him against a wall; Neil is lifted off the ground by El. She has blood running down her nose and screams as she throws Neil through the brick wall.

There was no doubt that Neil was the new host. He was strong and couldn't be easily stopped, Billy knew that he didn't know how he was going to tell Olivia, but he hoped she was safe.