The Monsters Within // Eddie Munson

ix. Late Night Swim

The group followed Dustin through the woods, trying to see where the compass would take them. "So you and Eddie, huh?" Max asked Katherine quietly, glancing back at Eddie who was walking in between Steve and Dustin. "N-No." Katherine replied quickly, making Max laugh. "If you say so."

The sun slowly started to set as Dustin picked up his pace, "Dustin? Can you slow down or something?" Katherine called up ahead. "Dustin?" The boy sped up, "I think we are getting close."

They walked out of the tree line and stopped in their tracks, "You gotta be shitting me." Eddie said. "Yeah." Katherine muttered. "I thought these woods looked familiar." He joked. "Lover's Lake." Katherine stated the obvious.

"This is confounding." Robin said, looking out into the still waters. "There's a gate in lovers lake?" Steve asked, giving the group a confused look. "Patrick." Katherine suddenly said. Everyone turned to her with wide eyes, "Patrick died over there." She pointed out into the lake. "Only one way to find out." Nancy shrugged, gesturing to the boat.

Steve and Eddie helped the girls onto the boat, stopping Dustin when he tried to get on, "Hey, hey, you trying to sink us? This thing holds four people tops." Steve told him as Eddie got on. "It's better this way, stay here with Max." Katherine told them. "Keep an eye out for trouble." Steve added.

"You keep an eye out." Dustin replied with an attitude. "It's MY goddamn theory!" Steve started pushing the boat out into the water, quickly jumping in the boat with them. "Hey! You said four!" Dustin complained, throwing his arm out to point at Steve. "Sorry." Steve responded, not really sorry at all, he was tired of being the babysitter, and needed some action.

"Bedtime at nine, kiddos." Robin snickered at them. "Miss you already!" Katherine waved at them, blowing them a kiss. As Steve and Eddie rowed them out to where Patrick died.

"Slow down, guys. It's here." Katherine said looking up from the compass that was not spinning in circles nonstop. "Guys, what's going on? Come on, talk to me." Dustin's voice came through the walkie. "Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital 'aah!'" Robin responded to the boy watching the compass spin.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Nancy asked, as he stood up in the boat. "Somebody's gotta go down and check this out. Unless one of you three can stop being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then it's gotta be me." Katherine stood up next to the boy, "I surfed almost every day in California, I can go."

"Nope. And no complaints, all right?" Steve pushed her shoulder to make her sit back down next to Eddie. "Hey, I'm not complaining. I don't wanna go down there." Eddie shook his head. Steve pulled his sweater off and threw it at Eddie to hold, getting on the edge of the boat and diving down.

Katherine looked away from the spot he just was looking over at Eddie, "Were you checking him out?" She teased poking his pink cheeks. "Were you?" He responded by raising his eyebrows at the girl who rolled her eyes. "Nope." Katherine lied and crossed her arms leaning into Eddie's side. "Yeah, me either."

"Where are we at Wheeler?" Katherine asked, nervously glancing over the side of the boat. "Closing in on a minute." A few seconds later, Katherine got up ready to go find Steve when he popped out of the water. "Oh Christ!" Eddie exclaimed as water flew everywhere. "I found it! I found it." Steve told them, taking deep breaths.

"It's more a snake-sized gate than the mama gate, but still, it's pretty damn big. " Steve told them to swim towards the boat when he suddenly got pulled underwater. "Steve!" The group yelled, "Steve?"

Katherine didn't waste a second, diving into the water after Steve. She grabbed his hand, but whatever had him was too strong, pulling the both of them through the gate. The duo popped through the gate onto the cold ground, looking around into the red sky, when a bat flew at them cutting into Steve's chest.