𝐀 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐄 - 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝟒 ✔

THE NINA PROJECT

But that wasn't the final event of that night, of course not. Just as they were about to get in the car, Charlie suddenly froze. She heard the grim voice that was starting to get eerie-ly familiar directly behind her, turning and expecting to see the graveyard yet again, just like the rest of her visions, but just saw the darkness that covered it. 

"Despite how hard you try to prove it wasn't your fault, you still know it is." A familiar voice spoke amongst the fog that covered the floor of the road in which the car sat, causing Charlie's blood to run cold. "And that's why you try to hard to act okay. You don't want them to know what you did. What you caused."

Charlie suddenly saw Billy Hargrove emitting from the dark fog, slowly walking toward her. She immediately started backing up, knowing that this couldn't be real-- Billy Hargrove died on July 4th, 1985, there was absolutely no way that he could be here right now. Though, despite the convincing that Charlie mentally attempted to give herself, she still pleaded for him to stay away and for her innocence. "Billy- no, I swear- I didn't know that it would happen." Charlie sputters, holding onto the edges of the car as an attempt to not fall over. She was scared shitless, and the fact that, who she believed to be dead, Billy Hargrove was quickly following suit behind her wasn't helping whatsoever. 

"If you had half a brain and weren't hanging out with that kid, I'd still be alive. But that's not the only thing." Billy spoke, following her as she rounded the car once again. "A part of you was glad that I died that night, and you know it." 

Charlotte's head immediately shook, a bunch of mumbled words and pleas emitting from her throat. "Billy- no." Her eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill, causing her vision to blur heavily. 

"And that's why it's time for you to join me, Charlotte." Billy's voice was gone, and when she cleared her vision she saw it was a creature she hadn't once seen before. Shaking her head aggressively, it came closer and brought it's hand out to meet her head.

Charlie was stuck against the car, unable to move without going past what she assumed was Vecna. It's hand was directly in front of her face, threatening to stab into it when the memories that she collected over the past years came flooding back into her mind. 

Sitting in El's room with Max and El, watching as Max sung along to the song that was playing horribly. Sitting on the floor and reading comics all night, laughing at Hopper's drunken fit.

Waking up in the morning to Joyce's pancakes and occasionally Hopper's eggos. The around-the-table conversations that she got to have with the Byer's family and the conversations that she'd be able to have with Hopper and El on the early mornings in which they awoke.

Playing D&D with the boys for hours on end. Making stupid jokes that wouldn't even make sense anymore. Screaming out in annoyance at the unwanted number that was being rolled. Being yelled at by Mr. and Ms. Wheeler to quiet down. 

Sitting in the back of Scoops Ahoy with Steve, talking about nonsense things. Complaining about the smallest of things alongside Robin. 

Hugging everyone goodbye on moving day. Telling Will how much she loved him. Wiggling around with El. Quoting Jonathan to his own words. Going home that night and hugging Steve. 

It convinced her that she needed to get out of there and back to the safety of her friends, especially when the sound of 'Every Breath You Take - The Police' started sounding throughout the air around her. 

Ducking below Vecna's arm, Charlie began running. Despite the multiple trees that crashed down centimeters behind her, she continued running to where she saw her brother and the rest of the group begging for her to wake up.