Not Just Another Number

Heading To The Wheelers's

Sarah's POV

Lightning fills up the sky as we make our way through the woods. The cold air seeps into my bones, forcing me to heat up my hands and warm myself. Christine and I walk together as Nancy leads the way. Robin walks ahead of us, carefully stepping around vines. "Couldn't we have tried a road or something just slightly less creepy?" She asks.

"I think we're getting close. We're almost out of here. Don't worry." Nancy reassures her. Christine sighs from right next to me. I look over and notice her rubbing her arms, shivering slightly. I reach over and tap her shoulder. She hums, looking up at me. "Stick close," I say as I force the heat inside of me out into the air around me. Christine takes a step closer and sighs as the warmth engulfs her. "Thanks," she says as she drops her arms.

Robin looks back at us for a second before catching up with Nancy to ask her more questions. I look around the woods, scanning the vines that litter the trees and ground. The vines group up in random clusters on the ground. Dust floats through the air around us. "Hey, Sarah?" Christine asks. I look back at her, raising a brow. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"How deep does your connection go? Like, I know you said you were connected to all of this, but compared to," she gestures vaguely to the woods, trailing off. 

"Um, pretty deep. I'm connected to the hive mind just as much as the monsters and everything are. Why?"

Christine shrugs, looking down at the ground. "So that's why you had such a close call last year? Because of the connection?" Her question catches me off guard. I stop for a second, but quickly fall back in step with her. I look down at the ground as well, rubbing my arm. "Well, I mean, yeah. Pretty much." Memories from the mall come back to me like unwelcome guests. The fear, the fire, the Mind Flayer. Everything. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought. I have to shake my head to get it out of my mind. 

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Go ahead."

"What if it happens again?"

"What?"

"I mean, you can hear Vecna and feel him every time he attacks someone. You're both connected. What happens if when we kill him, you can feel it too? What if it's like the summer all over again?" Christine grabs my arm, stopping both of us. I look up at her, meeting her concerned eyes. Her hand is shaking where she's holding onto me, but her face is deadly serious.  I look around us for a moment, checking to see that no one has noticed our conversation. I can't blame her for worrying, but nothing will happen, right? It was a close call, sure, but I ended up being okay. Well, mostly.

With a deep breath, I grab Christine's hand and give her my most reassuring smile I can. "It won't happen again. Not again. I'll be careful this time." Christine nods after a few seconds, looking more relieved than before. Slowly, she starts to pull her hand away, but immediately grabs onto my shoulder again as the ground beneath us begins to shake. "Shit!" I curse as I grab onto her with one hand and the tree next to me with the other, trying to keep us both steady. 

Everyone else curses as they desperately try to stay steady during the earthquake. Robin groans loudly, yelling above the noise. "Okay, second on my list of least favorite things, earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is." I look over in their direction, noticing Nancy walking off. "Nancy?" I shout. She doesn't respond.

"Nancy!" I let go of the tree and pull Christine along with me as we follow after her. "Nancy, seriously, it's not safe!" Eddie and Steve run as best they can to catch up with us. Nancy stops at the edge of the tree line, looking out at giant clearing. I stop next to her, letting go of Christine. Dead trees and broken down towers line the clearing. Across the clearing, almost completely hidden by the fog is a single house. Nancy's house! We're almost there!