𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁 | 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

☆ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 25

                     THE SUN was setting slowly as the camper van drove towards the battle of the Uspide Down.

Steve was driving, Nancy was at the passenger seat, Erica was sitting on the seat behind Steve, Lucas and Max were sitting on the table seats across from each other while Dustin, Eddie, Sam and Robin were sitting on the back couch. In that exact order. Sam was sitting in between Eddie and Robin. The van was quiet except the oddly fitting music of Journey, 'Separate ways' that was playing on the radio so that they don't suffocate from silence.

The air was thick and Sam could hear everyone's fear vibrating off of them.

Before they started the journey, they had another hour of just random practicing, getting ready and so on. They were all now armed and ready. Robin wore new clothes that she bought from the store which consisted of army pants, a red barret hat, some leather vest and a black shirt. Her backpack full of what they will need for burning Vecna was on her lap and she was intensly staring at it. Dustin wore the thick jacket Sam bought him with the hood of his grey hoodie up and Lucas's bandana around his forehead, tied at the back. In his hands he was holding the spear Erica and Lucas made and next to him were the three shields him, Sam and Eddie would be needing. Nancy wore a thick army jacket with her gun in her hands.

Erica, Lucas and Max weren't wearing any fighting-kinda-looking clothes since they would be in the Creel's House in the real world and only Max would be fighting and hiding from Vecna in her mind. Max though, as they neared the house where they would be dropped off at, wore her headphones over her ears and listened to the same song over and over again.

Sam was wearing the clothes she bought in the store only now her belt had lots of bullets stacked there, both her thighs were armed with knives, her harness was around her chest with the two revolvers at the side, the rifle and the bow in her lap while her arrows stood on her back in the bag she had gotten for them. She had also tied her hair with whatever hair tie she found in the van so that it doesn't go in her eyes because that's the last thing she wanted to happen. Her hair was fairly short for tying but oh well, it would do.

Sam turned to look at Eddie whose face showed his fear clearly. He was holding the spear in between his legs tightly with his hands, knuckles going white in the process. He had tied a bandana over his head, the one he usually wore at the back of the pocket of his jeans and before they started the trip, he had made a belt out of bullets and wore a jacket that the group got for him in the store.

Sam reached out and touched Eddie's hand.

Eddie flinched a bit as if startled from a trance before un-curling his hands from the spear and taking Sam's hand in his, holding her hand thightly.

She nodded a bit as if saying it was okay, it will be okay and Eddie nodded back.

That's all they needed as they continued to drive in silence with soft music from the radio. Sam always thought she'll need words to explain something, words to prove something or even talk. But sitting here with Eddie in the silence with hands held together, Sam learned that words weren't always the strongest way of communication. Sam and Eddie communicated through actions, comfort, affections and presence. They didn't always need words and that was enough, their actions were enough.

And anyway, their eyes told more than words ever could.

The silence continued to stretch as they drove for another thirty minutes until they were in front of the Creel house. Steve parked the van and Nancy went over the plan two times just in case, making sure the three (Erica, Lucas and Max) understood the plan and didn't forget it. They had to know it clearly, they had to be careful because one mistake and all of them were dead.