The Girl With the Red Hair

V. The Mindflayer

     "Are you positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked Dustin as the group of 5 walked along the train tracks in the darkness, the only light being Steve, Lucas, and Dustin's flashlight.

   "Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt" Dustin sighed.

"He was tiny two days ago." Max furrowed her eyebrows at him, though he couldn't see it.

    "Well, he's molted three times already," Dustin told her.

  "Malted?" Steve looked at Dustin. Benny facepalmed.

   "Molted," Dustin corrected. "Shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms."

    "When's he gonna molt again?" Benny spoke from beside Max.

   "It's gotta be soon. When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends."

    "Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats," Steve let out a breath.

  Lucas walked in front of Dustin to stop him with a hand on his shoulder, "Wait, cats? Dart ate a cat?"

    "No, what? No," Dustin obviously lied

  "What are you talking about? He ate Mews," Steve obliviously said.

   "Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked while her and Benny looked at him.

    "It's Dustin's cat," Steve shrugged.

  "Steve!" Dustin scolded.

   "I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas pushed him lightly.

    "No! No. No, I... No, I... He missed me. He wanted to come home," Dustin stuttered.

   "Bullshit!" Lucas continued.

  "I didn't know he was a Demogorgan, okay?" Benny watched the two argue, Max joining in when Dustin brought up her and Benny. Him and Steve looked at each other when they heard screeching in the distance. Steve shined his flashlight that way, walking in that direction slowly with Benny slightly behind him.

      "Hey guys?" Steve spoke up. They payed him no attention. "Guys!" The screeching continued. The three that were arguing turned, listening to the sounds. Steve put his bat over his shoulder while keeping his other hand behind him to make sure Benny stayed a bit behind him.

Dustin and Lucas ran after them while Max stayed in her place, "No, no, no. Hey, guys, why are you headed towards the sound? Hello?" When no one turned around, she decided to follow them, "Shit."

  "You scared, Mayfield?" Benny smirked at Max. Max looked at him questioningly. "I did my own research," Benny mocked while shrugging. Truth is, he just got Lucas to tell him who learned it from talking to Keith. Max rolled her eyes as the group continued to follow the noise, stopping at a ledge that abled you to see over a forest.

"I don't see him," Dustin shook his head. Lucas nudged Benny who handed him the binoculars.

    Lucas held them up to his eyes, looking around, "It's the lab. They were going back home." They found a way down from the ledge and continued their tiring walk over to the lab.

   An opening could be seen when a voice started yelling, "Hello? Who's there?! Who's there?" They continued to walk forward to see who was there, Steve leading the way.

      When the two teens, Nancy and Johnathon, saw Steve, they both said simultaneously, "Steve?"

   "Nancy?" Steve asked before walking forward.

"Johnathan," Dustin followed.

     "What are you doing here?" Nancy asked angrily.

  "What are you doing here?" Steve shot back. Benny and Max shared a confused look before following the other 3.