Hell & Back

Chapter Three

Chrissy woke up first. She looked around hesitant at first. The light was shining through the window but she didn't want to wake up in another nightmare. She laid there reaching back to find Eddie's hand. She didn't understand it but somehow he grounded her. He was asleep on his back letting out little snores. His curly dark hair sprayed on the pillow and he was half uncovered. She smiled to herself. 

What was she doing here? She could go to Jason's house, she should go to Jason's house. He wouldn't believe her though, he would blame it on her being under some curse. She could go home and face her mother, hopefully that thing wouldn't be there but there was no sure way to know. It would have killed her and she knew that. She just wanted things to go back to normal but in the same breath she didn't want Eddie to leave her. 

He would. She knew that as soon as this was over, he would take her back to her world and leave her alone once again. Chrissy looked back over at him and realized that this may never be over. She could die right now and she would never have to go back, somehow that thought brought her peace. She laid back down, taking his arm in her hands and cuddled in beside him. Right now they were together and that's what mattered, she would face everything else later. 

Eddie woke up and noticed that someone was knocking on the door. His first instinct told him to jump up and run but he slowly realized that it wasn't the blanket keeping the sun off his face. He must have rolled over in his sleep, the realization of his arm wrapped around Chrissy and his face just inches from hers, startled him more than whoever was knocking. He quickly rolled over before she woke up and noticed. He tried to pulled his other arm from her grasp but she woke up and released him, her face turning red. He was sure that his matched hers. 

"Someone is here." She said and he remembered the knocking on the door. Instead of heading back down to the boathouse he went into the kitchen and looked out the window. He has told the group yesterday to park a little from the house so it looked like they were only visiting the lake. When he didn't see a car, he had a moment of relaxation before going and opening the door. 

"Took you long enough." Dustin said "What could you have possibly be doing?" Chrissy was behind him and he hoped that her face had gone back to normal. The last thing he wanted was to explain what happened last night. "Sleeping. What else would we be doing?" Eddie said and pulled him in without waiting for a reply. Steve and Robin followed laughing to themselves. 

"What are you guys doing here?" Chrissy said. Everyone seemed a little shocked to hear her speak up, instead of shying away. Eddie looked at her with a smirk, she seemed a little taken back herself but didn't do her usual 'I'm sorry' thing she always seemed to do. "We brought supplies." Robin said after a moment. Neither Eddie or Chrissy had noticed the bags that they carried.

Inside the bags were two boxes of cereal, milk, chips and canned soup. Robin held another bag out to Chrissy that she kept away from the boys eyes. Chrissy took inventory of the contents and thanked her again with a smile before heading up to the bathroom. Finally being able to bath and put on clean clothes was like turning into a new person. Chrissy looked into the broken mirror at herself. Robin had given her a pair of jeans and a red long sleeved shirt, clean socks and underwear. She had also sent soap for her to wash her hair and body. Her red hair was still wet and it would dry curly but at least it was clean. 

Chrissy headed back downstairs to see that everyone had gone. Eddie was sitting in the living room trying to get the tv working. Steve had brought him some movies from the video store he and Robin worked at. When Chrissy walked into the living room he stopped banging on the television and stared at her. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked over to the couch where the videos sat. 

"Sorry." Eddie mumbled "I just don't think I have ever seen you not wearing a cheerleading outfit." She hadn't realized that he was probably right. They didnt have any classes together and she normally left school with Jason for lunch unless they had practice. "Not that it looks bad." He continued. "This one looks good." I said holding up a random movie. He didn't look at me but I could tell that he was grateful for the topic change. 

"Okay, we'll you pick a movie and I'll go shower. Rick has to have something I can wear." Eddie said and headed to the bedroom to find clothes. Chrissy really didn't want to be alone but she couldn't deny that they both needed a bath. She sorted through the movies and fixed the blankets on the floor. 

Something changed, she was still standing in the living room but she didn't hear Eddie singing to himself in the shower or the static from the tv. She did hear s very familiar voice though. "You choose the freak over me, Chrissy?" Jason said walking into the room. He looked like he always did but she had never seen the anger that was in his eyes now. "No! Jason, we aren't together. He just said me from a horrible monster." Chrissy said backing away. "You can admit it now Chrissy. You want to be with him. I know you don't have to lie." Jason was taunting her. 

She kept pleading with him to listen to her but he would stop advancing towards her. She backed up into the couch and climbed up not turning her back towards him. She reached back and grabbed the window, he was right in front of her than and she fell backwards to the ground. When she looked up the monster was there and the house was gone. "You can't escape this time, Chrissy." It taunted. She started humming to herself and in her mind pleaded for Eddie to come save her again. 

Eddie came out of the bathroom, her dripping wet wearing sweat pants and a white T-shirt. Ricks jeans were all way to big for him. "Hey did you find anything worth watching?" He called into the living room but no reply came. Maybe she had fallen asleep he thought but they had only been up a few hours. When he walked into the room he found her standing on the blankets with the same look as before. "Not Again." He said and ran over to the radio in the corner.

He couldn't even remember the song she kept humming but he found the same tape his uncle had. She had come back when he played the second song. He skipped the first and turned the volume all the way up on the second. He ran over to her and put both hands on her shoulders to keep her level with him. "Come back, Chrissy." He said for what seemed like hours. 

Finally she came back. She had tears running down her eyes. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly to him, she didn't pull away or put up a fight only stood there. He ran his hand over her hair trying to sooth her the way he had seen in the movies. "I'm okay." She said at last. He reluctantly let go of her but she didn't back away. They stood there for awhile until finally she asked if he would listen to what she saw. 

Eddie sat on the couch beside her as she told him everything. She held his hand with both of hers, in her lap. Her legs were crossed so one knew was on his. He only sat and listened never interrupting or showing any emotion to what was being said. "I think it can see into my head." She finished. He nodded his head and looked at her for the first time since she began. "The music interrupts your thoughts, so that's why it pulls you back." Eddie said baffled. 

"That's it" Chrissy said with a smile. "That's how we can save whoever is cursed. Music." She was so excited that she released his hand and took his face in her hands. Before she realized what  she was doing, she pulled him towards her and kissed him. Eddie was shocked at first but before to long he kissed her back. 

After a moment she pulled away and looked at him. He was smiling at her, the same goofy smile he wore when they were talking about his band or the game he liked. She smiled back and this time he pulled her into a kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Chrissy had almost died once again and she should be scared and worried but instead she felt happy and giddy. Eddie was here and he would save her over and over. Now they knew how to save her.