The Runaways - Book 1

8

Indigo sat, her leg bouncing up and down. It had been almost 2 hours since they left, 2 hours, in the grand scheme of things, really wasn't that long, but the longer she was alone the worse her thoughts were getting. She had gone over every scenario in which at least one of her friends didn't come back. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but she couldn't sleep. Every now a bad again she tried ringing Mike, and each time it went straight to voicemail.

"Fuck" she shouted, throwing Max's phone at the wall. Her sadness long since turning to anger. Pacing back and fourth she kept glancing out of the window, looking at Eddie's trailer. 'An hour' she thought to herself, 'if they're not back in an hour I'm going in after them'

"EDDIE RUN" Dustin screamed, climbing the rope between worlds, landing on his back in Eddie's trailer. "EDDIE COME ON!" Dustin watched as Eddie stopped, looking back towards the door of his trailer in the upside down, then looking back up at Dustin, his eyes wide. "Don't you dare!"

"Just go and make sure Indigo's okay" as quick as a flash Eddie slashed the rope down, making the portal inaccessible, a sure fire way to stop Indigo following.

"NOO" Dustin screamed, watching as Eddie went out of site. He looked around furiously, noticing Indigo'a shadow in the trailer opposite. He thought about running to her, telling her what an idiot Eddie was, but he knew what she'd do, he knew she'd risk her own life going after him and he'd be damned if he let them both get hurt. He dragged the stained mattress out the way, replacing it with a, slightly wobbly, stool. He tried multiple times to jump through the portal, each time failing the same as the last.

"SHIT" he shouted into the hole. It could have been no more than 15minutes when he finally managed to grab the sides of the portal, pulling himself through it and landing with thump on the floor. A sharp pain traveling up his leg as he landed funny on his ankle. He gasped sharply before pulling himself up, limping towards the door. He saw the flurry of bats instantly, Eddie stood in the middle fighting them off. He watched as, one by one, the bats bit into him, slashing him with their tales before suddenly falling to the ground, dead.

Eddie stood for a second, looking at Dustin before collapsing to the ground as well.

"EDDIE" Dustin's scream echoed around them, dragging his leg behind him he ran towards Eddie, falling to the floor beside him, tears filling his eyes.

"I didn't run away this time right" Eddie said, his voice barely whisper, he groaned slightly as Dustin pulled him onto his knee.

"No, you didn't run away" Dustin was crying now, tears falling down his cheeks onto Eddie.

"I... I need you to keep an eye on the sheep okay"

"No. You're going to be okay! That's your job"

"Say it Henderson" Eddie coughed, the movement causing him to wince once again.

"I promise" Dustin could hardly get his words out, sobs racking his body.

"I think it was finally my year" Eddie's gaze became unfocused, as he stared past Dustin. "Tell Indigo... t.. Tell her I love her"

"You can tell her yourself" a an

Eddie laughed bitterly, shaking his head slightly "no... I d.. don't think I'm going to be able to," with one last push he looked Dustin in the eye, smiling slightly "I love you man" and as his breathing slowed and his head fell to the side Dustin rested his head on his chest, aggressive sobs filling the quiet space around them.

"Dustin?" Steve appeared next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, his own unshed tears filling his eyes. Nancy stood next to Robin, her hands covering her mouth as she silently cried, not only looking at Eddie but thinking about how they were going to have to tell Indigo. "Dustin man, come on, we have to go" Steve tried to pull Dustin off of Eddie but he clung to him, his hands balling into his clothes

"No," he cried, pulling himself closer to Eddie, "no I can't leave him. I can't Steve" his crying became uncontrollable, eventually, with a little help from Robin, Steve managed to pry Dustin off of Eddie's body, dragging him towards the trailer and pushing him up through the hole, after Robin and Nancy.

They all stood there, in Eddie's trailer, silent mourning the loss of their friend while also trying to figure out a way how to tell Indigo. No one wanted to move, no one wanted to believe it was true and there was no way that Indigo wouldn't know instantly at the sight of Dustin.

"I think I should go in first," Nancy said suddenly, Robin and Steve you follow me and Dustin, you come in last, give her chance to see us all before we... we tell her about Dustin" every nodded, Dustin wiping his face furiously, but it being useless with the fact the tears were still coming. Slowly, and quietly they left Eddie's trailer, taking a deep breath outside fo Max's Nancy opened the door, Indigo, who had been pacing for almost an hour stopped suddenly a smile spreading across her face.

"Holy shit" she said, running towards Nancy and hugging her "I was 5 minutes away from coming to rescue you all" as she saw Steve and Robin she flung herself into their arms too, hugging them tightly. When Dustin appeared, stepping through the door way, she didn't take in his appearance at first, not seeing his tears or the blood that soaked his clothes, she ran to him, finally stoping an arms length away, a smile still on her face as her eyes flickered behind him before looking back at his face.

"Where's Eddie?" She almost laughed out "is he still outside?" She went to move but Steve placed a hand on her shoulder. The action making Dustin begin to cry once more

"indigo?" She turned to him, eyebrows furrowed as the smile slowly faded from her face.

"Steve... where's Eddie?"

"He... listen, maybe you should sit down" Steve tried leading her to the sofa, but she kept her feet planted, turning to look back at Dustin, finally noticed the blood that soaked his clothes.

"Who's blood is that?" She took a step forward, grabbing Dustin by the shoulders and shaking him slightly "Who's blood is that Dustin?" She said again. Her words, and persistent shaking made a loud sob escape Dustin's lips, Indigo's hands dropping to her side instantly.

"I'm s..s..sorry" he managed to get out before he had to sit down, hands covering his face as he began to cry.

"No..." indigo whispered over and over again, even when Nancy placed a hand on her back.

"He died a hero, he saved us" her words broke the gate that had been keeping Indigo in denial.

"No, no no no no n-" her words were cut off as she began to violent cry and beg for Nancy to tell her she was lying but the longer they stood in silence the more distraught Indigo became, falling to the floor as her sobbing took over her body. She was vaguely aware of a scream in the distance, but it wasn't until much later that she became aware that the screaming was coming from her. Her world was completely broken, and she'd lost the one person who had promised her he'd never go, her Eddie.