Hidden Within the Shadows

you better run, you better take cover

The Upside Down was as disgusting as Adrian figured it would be. He and the others had hidden away, watching the bats flying by. They'd continued to run deep into the woods, stepping around the vines that laid on the ground. It was all a hive mind, they had to be careful not to notify the Mind Flayer.

They'd made it to the Upside Down version of Skull Rock, and the four of them hid underneath it, clustered up together, hands and arms around each other, hiding from the bats that flew overhead. There were hundreds of bats fluttering around, trying to find them. But they couldn't, not with where they had hidden away.

Adrian was huddled between Eddie and Nancy, and he did his best to ignore just how uncomfortable he was. So Nancy was there, big deal. He could deal with her after they'd dealt with the bullshit that was the Upside Down. How were they going to get out? It wasn't like they could go back through the gate that lead to Lovers' Lake. That was in clear view, and the bats would be on them before they had a chance to get out. Besides, whatever dragged Steve in, would drag them back in before they made it to the surface of the lake.

The sound was insane, it was a mix of rumbling, thunder and lightning and the screeching and chittering of the bats. There had to be other creatures in the Upside Down, not just the bats. Adrian's stomach twisted at the thought of Demogorgons and Demodogs roaming around the Upside Down. He glanced back to Steve, who was bloodied and bruised. Didn't the scent of blood attract the beasts?

But then the bats flew past them and they were in the clear for now.

Carefully, they moved out from their cramped hiding space.

"That was close,"

"Too close," Eddie said, bumping into Adrian. He looked on edge and rightly terrified.

Steve stumbled a little, falling into the rock. Adrian looked at him as Nancy said his name. The twins moved over to him.

"You got anything to bandage this shit?" Adrian asked, looking at Nancy. He had to swallow his hate and fear of her, to help Steve fucking Harrington of all people. "Sit, idiot," he added to Harrington, who nodded and near enough collapsed onto the ground.

Nancy looked around, patting herself down before she tore her shirt.

"Fuck, man, how much shit did they take from you?" Adrian asked, finally seeing the extent of his wounds. Fuck, it wasn't great.

"Eh, about a pound of flesh," Harrington said, trying to make light of it. Nancy handed over the torn material, and Adrian, with the sudden help of Eddie, wrapped it around Harrington's middle. Adrian wondered if he should be referring to him as Steve or just Harrington. They were ... allies. Not quite friends. It was a thought to come back to at another time.

"How do you know how to do this?" Nancy asked as they wrapped the cloth around Harrington, wincing along with him when he made pained noises in his throat.

Adrian and Eddie glanced at each other. "I patched Adrian up when I found him. My mom was a nurse too."

"Natalia, my friend, she taught me. Sometimes she needed patching up too," Adrian said, pointedly not looking at Nancy. Once they were done, the two boys stepped back from Harrington. "Can't do much for your back and arms until we're back home. We can deal with it then."

"Thanks," Harrington said, and the two nodded.

Eddie stepped away, and Adrian held his hand out, catching Eddie's foot on an invisible platform before he stepped on a vine. "Hive mind, Eds. They're all connected,"

"What, so this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit?"

Adrian, Nancy and Harrington nodded. "Pretty much."