Hell & Back

Chapter Five

Eddie, Steve, Robin and Nancy were trying to decide where to go after saving Steve from the bar monster trying to choke him when a hoard of them came flying down on them. Eddie was trying to go look for Chrissy while they wanted to find a way out first. He really wasn't concerned with getting out at this point. The bats chased them into the woods. They waited under a rock while Nancy tended to Steve's wounds. 

"So this place is like our world just full of monsters instead of people." Robin said giving Eddie and idea. She started talking about guns when he interrupted "I know where she went." He said and started walking away from Skull Rock and back toward where the house was. He would have to go around the lake unless the boat was there. "Where are you going?" Nancy called to him. "I just said I know where she would have gone. I am going to get her." Eddie replied still walking. "Do you really want to go out there alone?" Robin said as I passed the tree she had gone to stand by. "Look I'm no hero but I do know that that girl is out there waiting on me and I can't let her down." Eddie said and kept walking. 

At first he wasn't sure if they were going to come or not. He wanted them to, the last thing he wanted was to walk through the monster forest by himself but he couldn't turn back, not now. He kept telling himself that she would come for him but he didn't know if that was true, hell part of him doubted any of them would come. Maybe Dustin but that would be about it. He pushed those thoughts as best he could from his mind.

"Wait up, Munson. Some of us are still bleeding" Steve Harrington was the first to reach him. Nancy had wrapped her shirt around the wound. Eddie shrugged off the vest he wore over top of his jacket and handed it out to him. Steve didn't say anything but he did put it on. When the girls caught up they headed around the lake and to the house. 

Nancy and Robin led the way. Since they had walked from the house to skull rock earlier that day, they pretty much new the way. Plus he and Steve were close enough that he could call out if they went the wrong way. Eddie started to think about the events of the past week while they walked in silence. 

Here he was in a monster world trying to save Chrissy Cunningham, who he may or may not be with (unsure about that one), with not only Steve Harrington but Nancy Wheeler. He kinda knew Robin from the school band, not that he was in it but a couple guys from Hell Fire Club were. He wondered for a moment if she ever felt misplaced in this little group. 

"Hey, I never did say thank man." Steve said "I mean for the help back there." Eddie looked over at him in a bit of disbelief. "You saved yourself man. That was an Ozzy move man, biting off that bats head." He finally said walking beside Steve. "Ozzy?" Steve said confused. "Ozzy Osbourne? He bit a bats head off?" Steve only shook his head mumbling no "No? Okay, doesn't matter. All I'm saying is it was pretty metal, dude." Eddie finished. 

"I know you came all the way down here to save Chrissy but" Steve started but Eddie cut him off "Those girls jumped in after you without a second thought. Hell, Wheeler didn't even hesitate. Now I don't know what happened between you two but that right there was the purest form of true love, these cynical eyes have ever seen. Now I don't know what is going on between me and Chrissy, but if it's even half of that I have to do everything I can to go after it." 

Steve was about to say something else when Nancy yelled from up ahead. "Guys you should see this!" The boys ran over to the girls and look down. The sky was lit up red but they were able to see a little better by the moonlight. It shown on the ground. Nancy knelt down and put her fingers in a small puddle. She lifted them up and showed everyone, they were red with blood. "We have to go, now." Eddie said in a panic. No one objected as the ran the rest of the way to the house. 

Running was made difficult by the constant earthquake, walking wasn't much better but it made it easier to stay upright. He heard the others hit into trees and stumble, he didn't know how but he was maintaining his footing better than before, pure adrenaline and panic were guiding him. Chrissy was hurt and bleeding. The thoughts that he had taken to long kept playing over and over in his mind. 

Chrissy was sitting in the living room. She made sure not to touch any of the vines. They all seemed to breath around her. She wanted nothing to do with anything breathing in this place. She had found a shirt and cut it up to wrap around her ankles. The rest of the cuts, from falling, had stopped bleeding though they stung. Her hair was a tangled mess with dirt and twigs and her clothes had rips and tares. She was just dirty. 

She had timed the earthquakes fifteen minutes between each one. One had just happened so the forest would be quiet until the next one. This time was different though, instead of quiet she heard twigs snapping and footsteps. She went and hid behind the chair under the blankets. Not much of a hiding spot but she refused to believe Eddie wasn't coming for her so she wanted to be able to come out easily. 

"Chrissy!" Eddie yelled walking through the door. "Why would she leave the door unlocked?" Steve said more to himself than to anyone else. "It's broke." Eddie said and than thought a moment "A lock isn't going to keep out a monster." he said walking through the kitchen. "Chrissy, come out. It's me, Eddie." He yelled again. As he walked into the living room he heard something moved and they all braced themselves for whatever was jumping out. Nancy had grabbed a knife in the kitchen, Robin had a wooden kitchen chair and Steve had the lamp from the corner. He didn't have anything. 

Chrissy came out from behind the chair and seen everyone standing in front of the door. She barely even seen the others, fixing her eyes on Eddie. She knew he would come for her. He said her name again, barely a whisper almost a prayer, and she ran over to him. She throw herself in his arms and let herself breakdown. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. The others but down their weapons, besides Nancy who tucked the knife in her belt, and went into the kitchen giving the two of them a moment.

"I knew you would come." Chrissy finally said her face was still buried in Eddie's chest. She pulled away and looked up him, he was looking down at her but wasn't saying anything. For a second she was scared this was another attack when he kissed her fiercely enough to take her breath away. When he pulled away she reached up and put her arms around his neck and kissed him again. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach, she felt him smile against her lips causing her to smile in response. 

"To hell and back." Eddie finally said smiling down at her. "About the back part, we may have a plan about that." Robin said interrupting them. Chrissy's whole face turned as red as her shirt and she buried her face into his chest again. He wrapped his arm around her and turned to Robin. "What's the plan?" He said trying not to turn red himself. 

"Well if Vecna left a doorway at every attack, than wouldn't there be one at your place?" Steve said. Eddie thought for a moment but it was Chrissy who spoke, stepping away from him "But he made me see things here and there is no door." Everyone turned and looked at Nancy apparently this was her idea. "Yes, but he didn't have time to actually attack you like he did at the trailer." Nancy said. "My house is over eight miles away, it will take all night to get there. If this night ever actually ends." Eddie said. 

Everyone stopped and thought for a moment starring at each other. "Nancy, you house is close by and your family has bikes right?" Robin said finally. "I also have guns in my room" She said confidently. Eddie was taken back by the fact that Nancy Wheeler would have guns in her room but didn't argue. He got what he came for and was ready to go home. They all headed out of the house and followed Nancy to her house. Chrissy walked beside him, holding his hand while everyone was ahead of them.