𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 | 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

prologue .

Willow stood and watched in awe at the eruption of colours.

Shades of reds, oranges and purples obscured her vision, and for a moment she seemed to forget where she was, who she was, she was just suspended in time as the beautiful colours exploded in front of her eyes, lost in thought, she felt like she was floating.

But it was when the loud bangs that accompanied the colours shot through her ears that she was brought back to the painful reality of things, glancing beside her at Will and Lucas that threw firework after firework at the large, fleshy beast in the centre of Star Court. Their mouths opened and closed as the two boys conversed, but Willow ignored them, grabbing a set of fireworks stuck together in the guise of dynamite, setting it alight and yelling as she threw it over the bannister, watching it hurtle towards the beast and explode in it's face.

Willow grinned as she watched the colours yet again, crackling and fizzling out around the giant monster, and she turned back to the small basket to grab another set of fireworks, only to find it empty. She looked up at the two boys, who looked back at her with wide eyes.

"We're out!"

Will yelled, his voice cracking in fear, and Lucas and Willow turned to look at the Mind Flayer as the colours of the explosives all died down, the fire show coming to a stop. Willow leaned over the bannister and looked in horror as Billy stood up to face the growling beast, outstretching his arms and protecting Eleven from the Flayer's strike. Blow after blow, the monster pierced through him, and with one final scream, he was hit in his chest, tears spilling over Willow's cheeks as she gripped the beam and watched, Max's scream echoing through the mall.

It seemed the other's had succeeded in closing the gate, as the Mind Flayer began stumbling around. Willow and the others moved back as it crashed into the upper level of the mall, before falling to the ground, no longer moving. Time seemed to stop yet again as they all watched the dead creature, a mix of emotions tense throughout the mall, and Willow was the first to move, running down the escalator and crashing into Eleven, hugging her tight.

Though perhaps not blood sisters, they shared a close bond due to their similar upbringing in the Hawkins Lab, and Eleven sobbed into her shoulder, holding her as close as she could as Mike came over to hug Eleven from behind.

It could have been her.

It could have been Willow.

Eleven and her shared similar abilities, though Willow's abilities were closer to Kali's than Eleven's. Regardless, there was something special about Eleven that made her the prime target of the creatures of the Upside Down. She just hoped that they were safe now, that Eleven wouldn't be in danger anymore.

_________________________

Willow sat on the sidewalk of the Star Court mall, watching the ambulances and police cars stationed about. She had already been questioned by the cops and checked up on by the medics, but seeing as she was completely fine, besides a nosebleed, they let her go. Though she chose to stay, waiting for someone.

She looked around with sad, tired eyes, though hope still glistened in them, and finally her orbs landed on Dustin Henderson, with Erica Sinclair following closely behind him. Willow got up and dropped the blanket she was holding around her, making a break for it. Seeing her running over, Dustin half expected to be scolded by the girl he saw as an older sister, but when she reached him, he was enveloped into a tight hug, feeling tears through the vest on his shoulder as she cried quietly.

"Dustin.. I was so worried.. I thought something might happen to you.."

"Like I'd let this nerd die on my watch."

Willow looked up from the hug to smile through the tears at the sassy young girl behind Dustin, finally letting him go and going over to hug her too. Erica seemed reluctant at first, but grumbled and let the hug happen. Number One looked back to Dustin, who held out his hand with a toothy grin.

"Let's go home."