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5. Not Her Time

⚢✌︎︎「✦」
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☼𝙧𝙪𝙣 ☹︎
｡･:*:･ﾟఌ
࿐ ˚‧

3rd POV
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"IT WAS RIGHT HERE." Max stammered, staring intensely at the wall she had just seen. The group that was now joined by Nancy and Robin pointed their flashlights at the wall.

"A grandfather clock?" Nancy questioned, in disbelief.

"It was so real." Max described as another tear rolled down her freckled face. The sound of the clock chiming replayed as she envisioned the clock. "And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just... I woke up."

"It was like she was in a trance or something." Dustin explained, "Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy."

"That's not even the bad part." Max started her way back to the office, others following closely. She opened the files up again and pulled out the two notes of symptoms. "Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Miss Kelley for help. Uh, they both were having headaches, bad headaches that wouldn't go away. And then... Then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things." Her voice cracked as she explained. She had started to connect her symptoms to theirs, but the severity of these similarities had begun to worry her. "Bad things. From their pasts. These visions, they just kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually, everything ended." Max finished as Robin looked up from the pages she was shown.

"Vecna's curse." Robin said, hinting at Dustin's earlier connection

"Chrissy's headache started a week ago. Fred's, six days ago. I've been having them for five days. I don't know how long I have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock, so..." Max paused taking long and shaky breaths. "It looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow."

The room sat in silence as sorrow and fear fell upon them. They had been left speechless, some processing her statement and others drowning in pity. Y/N's eyes fixated on Max as she replayed those words in her head. She hadn't spoken at all, afraid that she would burst out in tears before she could get anything out. She couldn't help but feel regretful. She thought that if she never left Hawkins, somehow Max would've been okay.

A distant but loud clang echoed through the empty halls, snapping everyone out of their state.

"Stay here," Steve demanded, moving towards the hallway. He paused near the door and picked up a lamp, snatching the plug out of the outlet. The cord dragged behind him as he crept through the hallway. The group ignored his instructions and followed him out. They provided light which he clearly needed. Steve's head snapped to the other side as the sound of footsteps approached rapidly. The group concised as the sound grew louder. Steve readjusted the lamp in his hands, preparing to swing. As soon as he saw the slightest glimpse of something he lunged forward, shouting at the thing. The unexpected noise from Steve startled the group all jumping back and shouting in their respective screams. The assumed intruder turned out to be Lucas, who held out his hands as defense.

"It's me!" Lucas yelped turning his head away from the multitude of flashlights focused on him.

"Lucas?" Nancy exclaimed, trying to regain her breath.

"Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair?" Steve stated, scolding the boy.

"I'm sorry." Lucas apologized, breathing heavily.

"I could've taken you out with this lamp!" Steve warned, shaking the lamp for emphasis. He attempted to calm down, as Lucas proceeded to repeatedly apologize.