dark red- max mayfield

xxvii. josh's demise

☆★☆★→ ←☆★☆★

JOSH STOOD beside Lucas, who was tying his headband around his head. He handed the second bandana to Josh, who sighed before tying it around his own head.

"Seriously?" remarked Max, putting her hands on her hips. "You're really not taking this seriously, are you?"

"We are." insisted Lucas as he grabbed his eye black, put it on his fingers and drew it across his face, under both of his eyes. Then he did the same to Josh. "It's a stakeout."

"In a murder house." added Josh helpfully. "Fun stuff."

"Alright, here's the plan." Max said, lowering her voice as they approached the house. "We take our shoes off out here. We light the lanterns out here. Whenever we need to communicate, we use those notepads."

"Got it, boss." said Erica as she slid her sneakers off. The boys did the same, Lucas nearly tripped over air as he pulled his off.

"Once we find Vecna," continued Max solemnly, "you two," she pointed at Lucas and Erica, "head over to the playground to get in position. Josh and I will handle everything inside."

Josh took a deep breath as he reached inside the broken window for the door handle. He bit his lip.

"Last chance to back out, okay?" he said. "I'm serious," he glanced at Max, trying to make it evident he was speaking to her, "we can stop now."

"No!" snapped Max bitterly. "Come on, we're wasting time."

Josh sighed, his eyes suddenly stinging as he pushed the door open, craning his ears to make sure he could hear Kate Bush actively playing on Max's Walkman. Luckily, she was. He quickly pressed rewind and headed into the house.

Josh held his lantern up as he put his shoes near the doorway. Everyone else followed his lead as he quietly set his lantern down on the table and began scribbling down on his notepad.

Split up. We can cover more ground that way.

Everyone else nodded wordlessly. Max headed up the stairs while Lucas and Erica split up on the ground floor. Josh assumed Max had headed up to the attic, so he stayed on the second floor, shining his lantern in every room he could spot. He really hoped no one would scare him, because if they did, One would definitely be able to figure out that they were there.

The house was eerie as always, although Josh felt an overwhelming amount of sadness as he turned the corner into an empty bedroom. A family had been torn apart by a boy's individuality. His insanity. If only he'd been able to control his impulses. He could've been like El— a hero. A superhero.

Instead he destroyed his family, framing his father for the murder of his entire family when it had been Henry the entire time. And he left it all in the past— he left them frozen in time, their formerly beautiful home known to the entirety of Hawkins as a murder house.