the chain

damn your love

It didn't last long... that innocuous, benign relationship you had with Eddie. From the night of Chrissy Cunningham's murder, everything was heading in a downward direction. There wasn't anything either you or Eddie could do to turn it around. You don't know how long you were inside Eddie's trailer, trembling and crying in fear as her body slammed onto the ground. It was quiet after that. The entire park seemed to be resting. The lights had come back on, steady and warm as ever. You sat underneath them, your brain trying to make sense of what had just happened. Part of you was waiting for Eddie to return and you didn't know what to do when, with every passing hour, he didn't.

It's daylight now and you're running. Pushing past the pain in your feet and the burning of your lungs, you run right into town. It's early, not many people are around but you know you've been seen by a few concerned, judgemental townsfolk. In the distance, you see it - safety.

You shove past the door to the video store, hearing the bell nearly creak off of its hinges, "R-Robin?! Steve?!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Steve bellows out, hands in the air as he looks as you huffing and wheezing, trying to find words, "the sale on weekly movies doesn't end until tomorrow, you're good."

"N-No-" Placing a hand on the bench, you shake your head and look up at him. Steve's face falls, realisation coming to him that something is wrong. He runs around the counter, pressing a hand against your back, "Okay, okay, breathe. Robin?" He shouts towards the back room, "Robin!"

"What, dingus?" She calls out, her voice not so distant as she makes her way out of the break room, "Oh-" She looks at you, almost dropping her sandwich before rushing towards you, "Y/N? Are you okay?"

You shake your head. Even Steve rubbing your back isn't enough to comfort you like it usually would.

"No, no," you stutter, "S-Something... happened. Something happened."

"What? Where?" Steve frowns down at you, watching you closely.

"Trailer park."

"Does it have anything to do with this?" Steve and Robin share a look before she reaches over to grab the TV remote, unmuting the report that the pair had watched earlier. You look up, tears clouding your vision as you listen in. You already recognise the location.

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County," the reporter shares, her microphone up to her mouth as she wears a grim expression, "we don't have a lot of details now but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning."

"Yes!" You cry, a hand wrapping over your mouth, "It's-"

"Police have not released the name although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family."

You nod shakily, swallowing the lump in your throat, "C-Chrissy, she was- she's- it's... Chrissy Cunningham."

Robin covers her mouth, glancing back up at the television. Cops swarm the trailer, propping up yellow tape and keeping the door slightly ajar, away from the crowding cameraman.

Steve leans down slightly, his hands on your shoulders as he speaks calmly, "What were you doing there?"

"I was... I w-was at Eddie's place and-"

"Eddie 'the freak' Munson?" Steve cringes, searching your eyes, "Why were you at Eddie's trailer? Wait... Did he do this?"

"No!"

"I swear to God-"

"Steve... Let her speak," Robin adds gently, standing beside you and placing a hand on your shoulder, "it's alright, you're here now."

Steve steps back, leaning against the bench and crossing his arms over his chest. You continue, "C-Chrissy was there too. We were buying shit from Eddie and-and suddenly the lights... the lights started flickering," you recount, a shiver growing up your spine, "but it wasn't... it wasn't normal." They understand, concern and fear growing in their expressions. "Chrissy started - I don't know, I-I thought it was a-a seizure at first but she... it was like she was possessed. Her eyes-" you wince, a hand raising to cover your mouth as you let out a quiet sob, "Her eyes were rolling to the back of her head, she-she - God, I feel like I'm losing my mind!"

"Hey," Robin shakes her head down at you, "after everything we've been through, we'll believe anything you tell us."

"We trust you," Steve concurs, giving you a gentle nod, "you can tell us. We can help but you gotta let us know what happened. Okay?"

"She started floating... like-like levitating," you admit to them. Your horrified expression tells them all they need to know; this is serious and real. "Her bones started to-to snap, one by one, and... and I couldn't look anymore. We tried to wake her up but she- no, she was out of it. It was like she couldn't hear us. And Eddie was screaming and the sound of her breaking was so... so loud. I... I ran here."

"You ran here all the way from Forest Hill?" Steve's eyes widen with shock as he looks you up and down concerned, "Y/N..."

"I didn't know where else to go," you admit to the pair, looking between their terrified and disgusted eyes. Steve reaches over the desk, pulling out a half-empty bottle of water from underneath it.

You take it, thankfully, uncapping it and bringing it to your lips. As you begin to chug it, Steve and Robin share a worried, bizarre look with one another. "Where's Eddie?" Robin wonders as you gasp for breath, handing the bottle back to Steve who looks down at it in confusion.

"I don't know," you tell them, still panting, "he... he ran. I was there alone and... Then I came here."

"Typical asshole," Steve scoffs angrily, "what the hell is wrong with him?"

"Steve," you shake your head, snapping at him, "You weren't... you weren't there - you don't know! He didn't- Eddie didn't do this, he couldn't have."

He crosses his arms over his chest, still unconvinced. In all fairness, with the amount of weird shit you've all seen, it'd be easy for Steve to believe in witches or curses or any of that paranormal devil shit. "Then what did?"

You shake your head, "I don't know."

"Guys!"

You flinch at the shout, cowering behind your friends at the entrance to the store. "Dustin!" Steve greets, a sigh of relief dropping from him, "Dude, lower your voice in my store. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Robin raises an eyebrow at her friend, "Your store?"

"You saw the news," Dustin looks up at the TV, striding into the store with Max by his side. "Have you heard from Y/N?"

It's only when the pair move that the two kids see you, noticing your sweating, disheveled form. Max looks you up and down, noticing your alarmed eyes and the purple bags underneath them.

"You're alive..." Max mumbles, recalling seeing you enter Eddie's place. But she didn't see you leave when he sprinted out of his trailer in a hurry, driving away like a maniac.

"Thank God," Dustin sighs with relief, slapping a hand on his forehead, "we thought that..."

"I'm fine," you tell them, trying your best to reassure the young kids.

"You look like shit," Dustin refutes, pointing a finger right at you. Steve slaps it away, giving the boy a stern look.

Max rolls her eyes, looking up at you, "Y/N, where's Eddie?"

"I don't know," you mumble helplessly.

"What happened?" 

"It's..." you shake your head, squeezing your eyes shut at the vision of Chrissy pinned to the ceiling, "I think... I think it's back."