𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘛𝘐𝘔𝘌 - 𝘌𝘋𝘋𝘐𝘌 𝘔𝘜𝘕𝘚𝘖𝘕

𝐒𝐈𝐗: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇

After hours of digging at Robin's work, they'd finally come up with someone who might've been housing Eddie. It came as no surprise to any of them, especially considering his name. Reefer Rick. 

Amanda couldn't quite grasp the fact that there might be actual monsters in Hawkins, leading her to believe that everything she thought she knew was now somehow incorrect. And somehow, she'd always known about the monsters. As if she'd been hiding it in the back of her mind somehow. 

"I still can't believe you, Amanda. I mean, you were the one who made everyone call him a freak?" Dustin glared at her from his seat in the car. 

"I was seven. What, you think I care about that anymore? I mean, seriously! If I had the chance to apologize to him I would, but he came at me last night. Why would I apologize if he just kept throwing insults at me?" Amanda defended herself, which Dustin made a point to show he didn't care. 

"You called him a freak first? I mean, come on Dustin. You can't exactly say she's wrong." Steve defended her, holding back a smile as he watched the boy grow more frustrated. 

"Do you understand the kind of psychological damage being bullied causes people? Of course you wouldn't, Steve 'The Hair' Harrington. But look at you now, you're working a minimum wage job and barely have a dating life. Sometimes being yourself is better than trying to make yourself look cool." Dustin retorted as Steve's smile quickly faded. 

"I'm going to have to agree with Dusty-Bun here." Max teased. 

As they searched through what looked to be an abandoned house, they began to notice how untidy it was left. As if it had been left a month or two ago. 

Amanda's fingertips brushed against the closet doors, before her eyes landed on a small building hiding within the darkness outside. It had looked to be a beaten down shed, paint nearly peeling and a door with cracks at its edges. 

Amanda turned to face Steve, who had been looking under the bed. Amanda rolled her eyes as she noticed the very small gap between the bed and the floor, knowing that nobody could fit through that gap unless it was a very small child. 

"Any luck there?" Amanda teased. Steve looked up to her, shaking his head as Amanda held back a laugh. 

"There's a shed out back, maybe he's in there?" Amanda pointed out as Steve stood himself up, using the bed as support. 

"That seems logical." Steve nodded, before heading out of the room. Amanda couldn't help but feel sadness in her heart at this exact moment. The more she thought about it, she began to believe the story Robin had told her. As brief as it was, it was a better explanation for the girls death. Part of her always knew Eddie wasn't a bad person, even when she tried to twist it to make it make more sense to herself. To justify her own actions. 

Amanda followed after Steve, the rest of the gang behind the two. As Amanda stepped foot outside of the home, she felt somehow unsafe. As if there was someone watching her in the darkness. 

"You alright?" Robin questioned, hurrying to Amanda's side. 

"Never better." Amanda responded, earning a nervous laugh from Robin. 

"You know, being afraid of the dark is a common fear. I mean, who knows what's waiting for you in the dark. And now that you know monsters exist, there's a bigger possibility. I haven't been able to sleep without some sort of light since what happened last year at the mall. I mean, that's traumatizing." Robin spoke quickly and enthusiastically, leaving a sour taste in Amanda's mouth. 

"Who said I was afraid of the dark?" Amanda mumbled as she began to walk at a faster pace.

"Oh, well I'm sure there's no monsters out here. You're totally safe, at least for now." Robin chuckled, speaking as if what she'd been saying didn't sound like a threat to Amanda's safety.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Amanda looked to Robin, her eyebrows furrowed as Robin smiled nervously. 

"Oh, no. Was that how it came off? Sometimes I say things I don't mean, or I say it in a way that it wasn't supposed to be said. You can tell me to shut up at any time, truly. I'll understand." Robin began to scratch the back of her head. Amanda had found Robin's nervousness endearing, as if she was always being genuine. Amanda hadn't seen that in anyone in a long time. Someone who spoke their mind, and rarely understood that at certain points it wasn't right. 

"I'll take note of that." Amanda sent her a smile, watching as Steve pushed the door open slowly. 

"Eddie?" Steve called out, walking in slowly as he glanced around the shed. Amanda was the second one in, her eyes darting to a small table near the far end of the shed. An empty beer bottle and some sort of food wrapper laid there, which gave her enough evidence of occupation. 

"Eddie, where are you?" Amanda called out in the nicest way possible, though it still came out as hostile. 

"He's definitely been here." Steve concluded, looking to the table. Dustin and Max began looking behind certain large objects, such as tool shelves and large wooden panels. Steve found himself holding an oar, stabbing it violently against a blue tarp which was draped over a canoe.

"What are you doing?" Dustin's voice was high pitched, concerned as he watched his friend poke the tarp. 

"He might be in there." Steve responded as he continued to jam the oar into the canoe. 

"Take the tarp off." Dustin nearly demanded, earning him an annoyed look from Steve. 

"If you're so brave you take the tarp off." Steve replied bluntly, as he continued to poke it. 

"Maybe he heard us, got spooked and ran?" Robin questioned, looking to Max who shrugged. 

"Don't worry, Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin spoke sarcastically, earning a laugh from Amanda. 

"I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering that almost everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally I don't find it funny in the slight-" 

It was then that a loud yelling was heard, as the tarp had been harshly pushed upwards and emerging from the canoe was Eddie Munson. His right hand gripping a broken beer bottle, he pushed Steve against the wall as Steve continued to grip onto the oar. 

"Eddie! Eddie!" Dustin shouted, watching as Eddie pressed the sharp end of the broken bottle against Steve's neck. 

"Eddie, it's me! Dustin! That's Steve, he's not going to hurt you. Right?" Dustin sent Steve a stern look, which prompted Amanda to speak up. 

"Might be helpful if you drop the oar, Steve." Amanda suggested, to which he quickly loosened his grip. The oar fell to the ground, making a loud noise which caused Eddie to flinch and push the bottle more towards Steve's neck. 

"We're here to help you, okay?" Dustin spoke calmly, his hands put outwards as if he were proving to Eddie he had no weapon. 

"This is Robin, from band. And Max, the girl who never wants to play D&D?" Dustin refreshed Eddie's memory, watching as Eddie began to tremble. 

"We're here to help you, Eddie. But, we can't exactly do that if you hurt Steve. So just drop the weapon and calm down, okay?" Amanda spoke impatiently, earning a stern look from both Dustin and Max as if she'd said something wrong. However, Eddie listened, dropping the bottle and leaning against the wall, sliding down as if he'd been defeated.