not the freak ~ eddie munson

id be lying

"do you think we will have to go back?" i ask steve as i mess with the rings on my fingers "if i said no i think i'd be lying to you" steve says quietly.

i watch the compass in my hand start going crazy "guys.. guys stop" i tell robin and eddie. steve shines his flashlight on the compass  "what's going on why are y'all stopping?" dustin asks through the walkie "this compass is going haywire man" eddie replies to dustin.

steve starts taking off his shoes and socks "somebody's gotta go down there and check this thing out, unless one of you can top being a hawkins high swim co-captain and a certified life guard of three years, it's gotta be me no complaints, alright?" he says final.

eddie looks from me then to steve "hey i'm not complaining... i do not wanna go down there" he says looking over to edge of the boat. i take steve's flashlight and put a plastic bag over it so he can take it with him "be careful" i had him the light.

eddie offers a cigarette to me, i shake my head.  he takes it in his mouth and starts to light it. robin pulls it from his lips "gross" she throws it in the water. steve jumps in the lake leaving it quiet between us four.

steve comes up from underwater trying to catch his breath "i found it" he tells us "you found it?" nancy repeats back to him and he nods his head still treading water "it's not a mama gate but.. it's still pretty damn big-"

something pulls him under water "steve?!" i move towards the edge of the boat. he comes back up but is quickly taken back under again "steve? steve?!" we all shout but he doesn't come back up.

me and nancy stand up at the same time getting ready to go after steve "you're not going in there are you?" eddie asks be and my words get caught in my throat.

was i going down there? "just wait here" nancy says before she jumps in "nancy!" robin calls after her "goddammit!" eddie shouts after her. i sit on the edge of the boat with my back towards the water "no. no. no. no. what are you doing?" eddie says panicking

"she said wait" he tells me "i know" i nod my head "mollie don't-" robin starts. i hold my nose and fall back into the water "goddammit!! son of a bitch!" i hear eddie scream as i dive deeper towards to red hued water. i see nancy go through the gate, i follow after her.

i was back. i was back in the upside down. i look over to nancy "we need to find steve now-" "holy shit.." i hear eddie say, i turn around and see him and robin with wide eyes. i look around and see steve struggling with these two creatures.

i look to see the boat with two oars. i grab one and toss the other one to eddie as we all start running toward steve. i step on the creature that's around steve's neck and i hand the oar to nancy, she starts killing it

"mollie..." eddie says breathing heavily through his nose, he's not looking at me, but above me "duck" he tells me and i don't waste a second.

he hits one of the creatures with the oar in mid air "holy sh-" one of the bats land on my back pulling me down "robin!" i call out but steve grabs if off of my back and starts slamming it on the ground by its tail.

i lay on the ground and cover my eyes, still out of breath "jesus christ" eddie says as he throws the oar "jesus h. christ!" he yells while looking up at the dark and gloomy sky "molls come on" robin says holding a hand out "i- i just need a minute" i hold a finger up "we don't have a minute" steve tells me.

i take my hands off my eyes to see another swarm of those bat creatures heading our way "the woods. come on" nancy says as she starts running. i get up and take eddie's hand as i pull him to start running "robin let's go!" i say as she starts catching up with us.

we find skull rock in the upside down and hide out there for the time being. eddie and robin look scared shitless "somethings not right.. it's different this time" i tell steve and nancy "so you're telling me it wasn't always like this?" eddie asks looking around with wide eyes

"no, it used to be more calm but now.. mollies right somethings different" nancy agrees with me "alright... yeah that was too close.." robin says as we come out from our hiding spot.

things seem to be quiet enough for us to venture out "oh sh- shit.." steve says stumbling over "hey..-" "i'm fine. i'm fine" he says clearly in pain "no- nance he's loosing a lot of blood" i motion for steve to sit as nancy comes over. nancy starts ripping her shirt as a make do bandage for steve.

i walk over to eddie and he ducks his head down to meet my eyes "you're freaking out aren't you?" he asks putting a hand on my arm "yeah just a little bit.. i didn't wanna come back here" i tell eddie as i bring my head up to meet his eyes.

he walks past me as he climbs up on a big rock looking at the view "so this place is like hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?" he asks us all "pretty much" nancy says as she struggles to hold up steve.

eddie starts making his way down "wait, watch for the vines they are all connected" i tell him and he stops in his tracks "how?" he asks looking at the vines as they twitch and some slither around "all the creepy crawlies around here they're, like, one or something-" "so if you step on a vine.. you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on vecna" i finish for steve.

eddie nods his head "cool shit!" he says sarcastically as he finally makes his way down from the rock "so if this is hawkins.. the police department should have guns and grenades and stuff to blow up these bat things? right?" robin asks nancy "we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns.. i have guns" nancy tells us all.

eddie halfway laughs to himself "you? nancy wheeler? have guns? plural, in your bedroom?" he asks like nancy is full of shit "one time she pulled her gun on steve because he wouldn't leave jonathan's house while we were trying to kill a demogorgan" i tell eddie and he looks over to me stunned.

the ground starts rumbling again, i fall next to eddie causing me to roll my ankle "shit" i mumble and eddie hovers over me "are you okay?" he asks putting a hand on my ankle "i'll be okay" i wince as he pulls me up. robin and eddie let me lean on them as we start to nancy's house