The Monsters Within // Eddie Munson

vi. Light Reading

"Katherine?" Eddie asked, as she stared at the water behind them. She jumped and let go of the walkie, "Don't do anything stupid, we'll be back eventually." Katherine ran out of the shed jumping into Steve's car as they sped in the directions the cops were heading.

They all piled out of the car when they came up on caution tape blocking off the road, "Holy shit." Max said, as they saw a young boy's body broken and laying in the street. "Nance." Steve stated, giving a slight wave to the girl who looked scared while being questioned by a police officer.

~~

They met up with Nancy at the trailer park, squeezing in around a picnic table.

"You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, is from the Upside Down?" Steve asked after Nancy caught them up on what happened. "If the shoe fits." She replied with a shrug. "Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse. Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know." Dustin told her. "All we know is this is something different." Katherine added, as Max leaned into her side. "Something new." Max said, looking at the Munson's trailer in the distance.

"Doesn't make sense." Nancy said, shaking his head. "It's only a theory." "No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense. I mean, why them?" She asked them. "Maybe they were just in the wrong place. They were both at the game." Dustin suggested. "And near the trailer park." Robin said with a pained look as she looked around the sketchy area.

"We're at the trailer park." Steve exclaimed, "Uh, should we maybe not be here?" He would have left right then, but Nancy continued on. "There is something about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here." "Acting weird as in?" Katherine pushed the subject, if there were symptoms both victims had, they needed to be able to recognize them.

"Scared, on edge, upset." Nancy listed, flashing back to Fred's sweaty and nervous behavior just as they pulled into the trailer park. "Max said Chrissy was upset too." Katherine noted. "Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school." Max told them; Katherine's eyes widened when she remembered the cheerleader who yelled at them in the bathroom on the day of the basketball game.

"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman-" ''Vecna." Dustin cut Robin off, who stared at him blankly for a second. "Dunno about you, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone." Steve told them, shaking his head. "Maybe they did. I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office. If you saw a monster, you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you. But you might go to your-" Max told them about Chrissy and Miss Kelley. "Your shrink." Katherine finished for the girl who nodded.

Suddenly Nancy stood up and walked towards her car. "Whoa, whoa, Nance. Nance! Where are you going?" Steve called as everyone scrambled up from the picnic table. "Oh, there's just something I wanna check on first." She replied, opening the driver door. "Something you wanna share with us?" Katherine asked, raising her arms at the girl. Every time they have almost died it's because something isn't communicated, they need to stop running off with information, Katherine thought to herself.

"I don't wanna waste your time. It's a real shot in the dark." Nancy shrugged. "Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with Vecna on the loose? No, it's too dangerous." Steve exclaimed, shaking his head at her.

"I'll stick with Nance. Take the car, check out the shrink." Steve told them to throw his keys at Robin, walking towards Nancy. Katherine glared at Steve; did everyone here just forget her brother exists? And is literally dating Nancy? "Don't think you want me driving your car." Robin said, cutting off Katherine's train of thoughts. "Why?" Steve asked with a confused look.