Waiting Room | A Stranger Things Story - Eddie Munson | VOLUME II

Sacrifice | Part V

𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐕

𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄, my upper body exceeding my hands as half of my body was already through. I could feel the density of the air pulling on me, luring me in as my ponytail dangled down in front of my face, obstructing my vision. The black t-shirt of Eddie's had fallen to the floor from it's position on my shoulder.

With one last heave I pushed my way through, head first onto the hard wood floor beneath me.
I landed on my side, my cheek pressed against the floor as a searing pain erupted from my sternum. A hastening nausea overcoming me as it winded me, causing me to let out a disgruntled cry in pain.

The air was cold and thick and it took me several moments to acclimatise myself. I used my left hand to prop myself up as I was laying on my side, my right clinging to the left side of my ribcage as I practically keeled forward from the tenderness with every breath I took.

I looked up, Sarah and Dustin attempting to get my attention with incomprehensible screams and cries at me which I ignored.
I looked at my surroundings, seeing the items that I had thrown through the gate prior strewn aimlessly around me. I glanced up at Sarah and Dustin once more before leaning forward on both hands, propelling myself upwards as I stood, swallowing hard to suppress the pain.

My ears were ringing from adrenaline, my body flushed with heat and tears stinging my eyes.

I grabbed the bow, throwing it over my back and carrying it loosely with the aid of the leather sling. I reached for the quiver full of arrows, the small, metal cannister of gasoline, the red flare and the t-shirt, packing them all tightly in my arm and cradling them against my torso.

I ran to the front door of the trailer, swinging it open as the high pitched screeching and intemperate whipping of hundreds of wings became more prevalent.

Stepping outside I realised I was encased in residential metal fencing that Dustin and Eddie had made and drilled into the wood panelling above to ward away the bats.

I heaved open a metal latch that was created to keep the door to the gate closed, pushing on it with full force as it swung back, with a crash. Stumbling down the stairs, attempting to control breathless whimpers from the sheer pain I was in I stepped out into the hellish version of the trailer park.

The sky was flushed with red, clouds parting in the centre as flashes of red lightning would blare above me with a loud hum of energy.

I averted my gaze to the distance, an immeasurably large culmination of bats swarmed in one area, engulfing Eddie as he cycled through, attempting to outrun them.

I took a sharp intake of breath at the sight, wasting no more time. I sprinted over to the pick up truck parked in front of the trailer, clambering into the back and hauling myself onto the roof. Trying to suppress my breathing to reduce further pain.

I turned to the roof, using my free hand to place it on the tiling for leverage as I lifted one leg up to climb onto it.

Crawling across I dropped everything I was carrying, the bow swinging to the front of me as I arched my back. I stripped it from myself, throwing it next to me and shoved the flare canister in my free pocket.

Grabbing the t-shirt, quickly placing my hands at the neck, using all of my energy to rip through it, separating it into two halves, watching as it teared at the seams.

I continued to tear away, veiling grunts and gasps as every movement seemed to have an unimaginable toll on my body. Grabbing one of the large carbon arrows from its casing I began to wrap the fabric of the T-shirt around the shaft of the arrow, ensuring it was thick enough to withstand liquid.