𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁 | 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

☆ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 20

   

                       AS THEY walked towards the house, Sam's fingers caressed her wrist watch.

It was broken now. Soaked in lake water.

Sam's heart clenched tightly and she held back a painful sob. She didn't think of her watch dying when she jumped in the water. All she cared about was saving Steve, Nancy and Robin, all she cared for was making sure her friends were okay. She didn't even realise that the only thing she had of her sister would break once she jumps and maybe, yeah, sure, she should blame herself, feel guilty.

But she wasn't.

She wasn't because maybe it was okay to let go. Maybe she finally needed to let go of Sara. Of course, she wasn't forgetting her or completely letting her sister go, but it felt like she could breathe a little better now. Sam would of course wear the watch even if it's broken, she will always have it with her but the time stopping on it, the small lingering lake smell and the total realisation of its end made Sam feel like she can finally move on.

Her friends and Eddie were right, getting stuck in the past wasn't okay, she needed to let go of that string and connect herself to a new one.

And maybe now she could.

Sure, it hurt seeing the watch stop working but Sam would get over it, she had to.

"You okay?" Nancy asked, hooking her arm around Sam's arm.

"My wristwatch broke." Sam replied, her voice oddly calm and collected.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry." Nancy softly replied, taking Sam's hand and observing the wristwatch. "Maybe we can find someone to fix it." She added, trying to reassure the other girl.

Sam shook her head and Nancy sent her a confused look. "No," replied Sam. "It was time, for me to let go, I mean."

Nancy watched her for a few seconds. She just watched her until finally she nodded and squeezed Sam's arm tighter. Nancy's eyes were knowing, they were shining with the comfort Sam needed. Not the pity, not the fake understanding. But real sympathy and they were saying 'I don't exactly know how you feel, but I can only assume and I'm with you, I'm proud of you' and if Sam wasn't so determined to stay strong, she would have started crying.

"Time for a new path." Nancy said warmly. "Time to let go of the old overused one."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Time to let go."

"Hey, uh, I know your house is pretty expensive Wheeler, but, like, this looks creepy." Eddie commented from upfront.

"No shit!" Nancy replied.

"Yeah, let's just go in and get this over with." Steve mumbled as soon as they were in front of the door.

Nancy glanced at Sam for the last time before letting go of her and walking to the front of the ground to open the door. Steve shone the flashlight over the door covered in vines and as soon as the door was opened, the five peered inside. It was terrible, no questions asked. Vines were everywhere, the weird looking ash air was inside the house too and not only was the house dark, cold and eerie, but disturbing as well.

It didn't even look remotely homey like the actual Wheelers house.

"Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler." Commeted Robin as the five went in, observing the house with goosebumps over their skin.

"Come on. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to." Nancy said, voice uneasy as she made her way up the stairs.

The four piled up behind Nancy and made their way up the stairs and down the hall until Sam noticed that Steve didn't follow. She didn't think much of it because he might have wanted to keep guard and stay down so she shrugged and followed Nancy into her room.