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Act I Chapter VI ━ Stuff of Nightmares
JULES' HANDS WERE SHAKING TOO MUCH to hold the walkie, Eddie having to do it for her. They sat with their knees pressed together, Jules on the edge of the couch whilst Eddie teeters on the corner of the coffee table. A shaky breath falls past her lips, waiting for someone to pick up the other end of the line.
❝You guys okay?❞
It's Dustin who finally answers their pleas for help, his voice crackling through the walkie's speaker.
❝Far from it, Henderson.❞ Eddie says gravely, his eyes firmly fixed on the blonde facing him. Her gaze is downcast, staring at where their knees are slotted together. ❝Like from here to Australia far.❞
Steve's voice is muffled but the two can still make out what he says. ❝That's pretty far.❞
Jules manages to find her words, leaning further forward into Eddie's space to be heard clearly. ❝Is Max alive?❞
It's a heavy question but she needs to know. There had been no word from the other group for the entire day and with Max being behind her in line for Vecna's wrath, Jules was understandably worried about the girl's wellbeing. That, and she just cared about the girl in general.
❝She is.❞ Dustin sounds defeated, a contrast to the positive news he gives her. She breathes a sigh of relief, forehead falling onto Eddie's shoulder as her body sags. ❝We almost lost her if it hadn't been for Robin and Nancy.❞
Eddie's free hand comes to rest on Jules' knee, other pressing down on the talk button. ❝Tell us everything, Henderson.❞
So, he does. He tells them about the graveyard, about how Max ended up floating just like Chrissy and Fred. He tells them about Pennhurst, about how Robin and Nancy visited Victor Creel, the man who originally took the fall for a similar set of murders over thirty years prior. Finally, he tells them about how a song brought Max out of her trance, how it broke the spell.
❝Apparently, some doctor at Pennhurst said that music can reach parts of the brain that words can't.❞ Dustin explains, the two listening intently. ❝When we played Max's favorite song, it weakened Vecna's hold enough for her to escape his spell.❞
❝Right.❞ Eddie sounds uncertain, thinking the theory sounds far-fetched. Then again, an interdimensional telepathic wizard who's magically killing teenagers would also sound far-fetched to anyone who hadn't seen it. ❝So, music is what's going to help save her?❞
❝We hope so.❞ Steve cuts in, the other three assumed to be asleep whilst the two boys talked to them. ❝If it doesn't, it'll at least keep her mind safe from Vecna until we can figure out the real solution. Does she have a tapedeck and her favorite song there?❞
