Hell & Back

Chapter Ten

The girls were on their way back to Steve's house. The police station had gone over well enough they wanted to get a statement from Eddie himself but they seemed to believe Chrissy. Her arm had turned red where Jason had took hold of her, she didn't want Eddie to see it so she decided to just hold her bag with that part of her arm. It was heavy enough that just maybe he would believe that the bag caused it. 

"Are you okay?" Nancy called back to her. It startled Chrissy, no one had really spoken since they left the police station. She was still getting use to the fact that she didn't have to pretend like everything was okay all the time for these people. "Honestly it's been a long day and I could use a nap." She said with a small laugh. Everyone else agreed as they pulled into Steve's driveway. 

Chrissy was excited to see Eddie, they hadn't been apart since she went to the upside down and even than she was to scared to really feel that he wasn't there. She missed him, it was a strange feeling wanting to be around someone so much, she was hoping he wouldn't start to find her annoying. "Something isn't right." Robin said interrupting her thoughts. 

Sitting in the driveway was a vehicle, Steve's car was at the lake house and Eddie's was in the woods, none of the others were old enough to drive. "Who's car is that?" Chrissy asked as Nancy started to back out of the driveway. "Steve's parents." Nancy said "I have only met them once and they aren't very nice. We will go back to my house and I'll call to tell the guys where we went." 

Chrissy felt a pang of disappointment. She didn't really talk the rest of the way to Nancy's house, which wasn't that far away. This time they did get out but Nancy took a moment to inspect a pizza van that was outside in her driveway. Chrissy didn't really understand why it mattered if her parents had ordered it but she didn't let that opinion out. After a minute they walked inside. 

Eddie could feel Steve's grip start to loosen as the tail pulled them towards the water. "Steve, dude, keep hold." Eddie said trying desperately to dig his feet in the ground. Every time he thought he had it, the mud would pull up and he would almost fall. If he fell it was over, not that he was winning this tug-a-war game anyway. 

"Don't let go." Steve kept saying over and over.  He looked helpless, his body was hanging in the air between Eddie and the tail pulling him down towards the door. "I won't let go." Eddie said more telling himself than Steve. Finally he felt like he was getting somewhere and was able to pull Steve a little further back towards shore when the tail snapped and Eddie lost his footing. 

"Son of a bitch." Eddie said way to calm even for his own ears. Steve's eyes were locked in with his own. Eddie realized that they were headed for the water and would have to hold their breath, Steve could see when to, Eddie nodded towards him and took a huge breath. Whether it was Vecna or some other creature pulling them, they were going into the water. He watched Steve take a breath and within seconds they were plunge in the water. 

Underwater it was easier to pull himself closer to Steve. He wrapped his arms around Steves torso, he didn't know how this shit worked, if he let go of Steve they may end up both being attacked by bats separately instead of together and able to help one another. Than a thought struck him, what if it was Vecna himself waiting on the other end. 

As the girls followed Nancy, Chrissy could tell that something was just a bit off with her. Nancy normally walked with confidence and certainly, right now she was walking with complete uncertainty. Once they were in the house, Chrissy could hear voices coming from down in the basement, Nancy made a beeline down the stairs.

Chrissy was the last one down the stairs and into the room. She didn't know the two older boys but she had seen one of the younger boys in school with Eddie. The other one though she was unsure about. Hawkins wasn't a big school but that didn't mean she knew everyone. 

Apparently Dustin and Max had told the newcomers about Vecna and everything that had happened. "Your cursed?" Said one of the older boys to Nancy. She nodded and explained how Vecna had shown her who he was. No one could really understand why he had chose to show her. "Hey, can we talk?" Nancy said to the guy who nodded and followed her upstairs. 

"They are dating." Robin whispered to her and Chrissy only nodded. Eddie's friend who she found out was also Nancy's brother and name Mike and the other boy, Will, told them about how the girl with superpowers had been taken. They were all talking over each other and Chrissy had a hard time understanding everything. 

"That's why they took her! So she can beat Vecna and close the gate again." Mike said over everyone else. "But how do we get her back?" Robin asked from the couch her and Chrissy had sat down on. Mike just looked around in hopes of hearing ideas but no one jumped up with one instead it was Dustin who asked "Where are Steve and Eddie?" 

Whatever had them pulled them through the door. Steve landed on top of Eddie as they hit the ground, hard. The breath was knocked out of both of them, Eddie patted Steve on the arm signaling him to roll off of him. Steve obliged and they both laid there looking at the hole they just fell from. "Here we go, again." Eddie said through clenched teeth. 

Steve's ankle was free, and it hadn't cut through his flesh. Eddie's back ached from the fall but he knew they had to go and get back through the opening in his trailer. "Where are all the monsters?" Steve said as they walked into the forest unnoticed. "Don't ask." Eddie said as he tried to keep a steady pace. 

"Okay, we have to get back to a door." Eddie said "And other than the lake the only other one is 5 miles away." Steve was nodding, he really hadn't said anything since they were thrown down. "Hey dude, you good?" Eddie finally asked him. "Yeah, yeah." Steve said low "Um, thanks for saving my ass." Eddie stopped walking as an earthquake hit. Every time it felt like knives in his back and it made it even harder to keep his balance. 

"I wouldn't say saved." Eddie said with a laugh "I just came along. Sorry I couldn't stop us from going in." Steve looked over at him and gave him a reassuring smile as Eddie ran a hand through his hair. He new that the water mixed with the air had it looking even more like a mane. "You have any bikes at your place?" Eddie asked after they walked a bit more. "Only one." Steve said still walking, he was walking faster than Eddie could. 

"They didn't come here?" Nancy said coming back downstairs. Chrissy felt her stomach lurch. She could barely speak. Both her and Nancy looked like they were about to throw up. Robin was asking questions that Chrissy couldn't hear. She got up and walked over to where the basement window was just above her. She was to short to see out of it but she could see it had started raining. She reached down and took hold of the necklace Eddie had given her. "Where are you?" She asked in a low voice. 

"Vecna wouldn't be able to trap two people at once would he?" Robin said. Chrissy was listening for an answer but no one could say. Just because he hadn't didn't mean he couldn't. Dustin was calling out on his radio but again no one knew if either had thought to take one with them. "Maybe they went to get Steve's car, they wouldn't want to walk over here and the lake is closer." Mike said and Chrissy began to feel some hope again. 

They came up with a plan. Nancy and Chrissy would go to the lake house to find Steve and Eddie. Robin, Dustin, Lucas and Max would go to Vecna's house once again and try to find something they could use against him. Johnathan, Will, Mike, and Argyle would go to the old lab and see if they could find where Eleven would have been taken.