𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬

Chapter Eight.

   

     THE LIBRARY building's bell chimes loud as the girls walk together. "Okay, help me get this straight. Eddie's uncle, Wayne, thinks that Victor Creel escaped from Pennhurst Asylum and that he's the one running around committing these murders?" Robin says as they walk up the path leading to the front doors.

"Pretty much."

"But Victor committed the eyeball murders, like, way back in the 50's." Allison says as Nancy pulls open the door, "'59." She tells the girl and Robin opens the door, gesturing Allison inside who smiles at her. "So, that means these murders predate Eleven and the Upside Down by about 30 years?" Robin says and Nancy glanced back. "Yeah." She tells her.

"Which makes spooky Victor Creel, like 70 years old." Robin came to stand at Nancy's right side as Allison leans against the counter to Nancy's left. "Yep." Nancy dings the bell on the counter. "So, he's a grandpa murderer who can turn invisible and lift people into the air." Robin rested her chin onto her hand.

"It doesn't make sense. I know." Nancy looks at her. "That's why I said it was a shot in the dark." She says, looking away before Nancy dings the bell again. "I know. I just though that by shot in the dark, you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve." Robin turns towards the Wheeler.

"Yeah, that you were gonna wow us with later. But this really is a shot in the dark." Allison nods when Nancy rings the bell again. "Yeah, like we are snipers with blindfolds on who've been spun around 50 times." Robin says making Nancy ding the bell rapidly. "Coming!"

A woman came walking out from the back. "Hi. Sorry, we're in a bit of a rush. Could we get the keys to the basement archives?" Nancy asked and the woman smiles. "Of course. Give me one sec." She glanced at Robin and Allison before walking away as Robin looks at Nancy. "Did I come off mean or condescending or something?" She asked the girl who's staring blankly ahead. "No." Nancy answers her.

"Right." Robin says when Nancy glanced away. "Sorry. It's just, you seem annoyed." She said as Allison glanced between them, a bit confused. "You don't know me very well. I don't really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues." Robin gestured out her hands. "Okay." Nancy whispers, forcing a smile at the girl.

Allison scrunched up her face, looking at Nancy. "So if I say something that upsets you, just know that I know it's a flaw. Believe me, my mother reminds me daily." Robin chuckles as Nancy looks away. "Got it." She says.

Allison rolls her eyes as the librarian returned. "Alright, ladies. Here you go. Have fun." She smiles, holding out the keys. "Yep. We'll try." Nancy then wwlked away and Robin looks at the woman, shrugging softly.

The girls go through many news paper articles from that year of 1959. Allison just stood behind Robin, watching her scroll through the archives as Nancy was on the opposite side. "Anything... juicy over there?" Robin asked suddenly and Allison raised her brow slightly.

"Nothing new."

"Yep. Same here." Robin says and Allison sighs. "Victor seemed like a normal guy. Dead family, missing eyes, took a plea feal, sent to Pennhurst." She shrugs, crossing her arms as she stood up straight now. "Blah, blah, blah, blah." Robin says after Allison. The girl slowly leans to the side now, "what are we looking for exactly?" She asked snd Allison had the same question, tilting her head a bit. "Nance?" Robin then knocks a rhythm onto the wood. Nancy slowly leans to the side, looking at the other two girls that are peering out at her.

"Any mention of dark wizards or alternate dimensions?" Allison asked and Robin glanced back at the girl behind her then looked back over at Nancy. "I don't know. Okay? It's starting to seem like this was just a big waste of time. And you're both obviously bored. So why don't you call Steve? I'm sure he'll pick you up." That seems more aimed at Robin now as Allison glanced down at the girl.

Robin and Steve? Does Nancy have a shitty gaydar? "And I mean, I'm not really in danger here, so..." Nancy then walked away and Allison looked at the Buckley girl. "What's up her ass?" She says and Robin looked up at her. "Her and Steve used to date... I don't know. It's weird." Robin then got up. "I'll be right back." She says and Allison just nodded.

"I'll be here... waiting." She sighs, plopping down onto the seat, playing with her nails as she scrolled through the newspapers she and Robin were previously looking through. She glanced over when the other two came back, rushing to the side Nancy was on. "What's up?" She said as she got up and went over to them. "The Weekly Watcher." Robin explained.

"Oh, nice." She leans against the opposite side Nancy was on as Robin pulls up the first article. "Ah. Elvis cloned by aliens." Nancy smiled and Robin glanced up at her. "You never know." She says and Nancy squints her eyes before glancing away, rolling them. She walks off as Allison stayed there by Robin's left side. "Victor Creel claims vengeful demon killed family. The murder that shocked a small community." Robin used a voice for dramatic affect.

"Ha, ha. That's very funny." Nancy says, not at all amused and thinks Robin was joking. "She's not kidding, Wheeler. Come here." Allison waves her over and Nancy rushed over. "According to several insiders, Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon. Victor allegedly hired a priest to exorcise the demon from his home. Pretty novel for the '50s. Exorcist wasn't out yet." Robin says to them.

"Oh, I love that movie." Allison says as Nancy gestured. "Keep... keep going." She tells Robin. "Okay, so Victor claimed this exorcism failed, but it angered this demon, which then murdered his family, removing their eyes. Victor believed he was spared as a punishment." Robin says and Nancy nods. "Well, that's pretty convenient for Victor." She says to Robin.

"Yeah, or super inconvenient. Victor was declared legally insane by the court, right? What if this is why?" Robin asked her, glancing up at Nancy then looked at Allison. "I mean, it sounds pretty insane. It just didn't go public because--" "the plea bargain. The records were sealed." Allison looked up at Nancy.

"What if a demon did invade Victor's home? It's just, this demon wasn't any old demon." Robin says as Allison looks at the article and Nancy looked at them. "It was Vecna."

 

 

  

   

  

  

 

 

authors note
robin holding the door open for allison 🫶 i love them, they'll be besties from now on