The Devil's Gift/The Bloody Handed

3

"Kids stay on shore just in case things go to shit." Robin says.

"Ugh, really?! I found it!" Dustin complains.

"It's fine. They need cover and the boat can't fit all of us anyways." Max says. "We have you covered." She smiles.

In moments, we all board the boat and prepare to take off for this damn portal. I can't believe I was saying it, but yes a portal. I always was superstitious. More so in the way of ghosts and demons, but I never stretched so far as to a powerful kid opening up a whole other universe.

The sun was hidden behind the trees and the skies grew into a navy blue with hints of orange and yellow in between the blurring clouds. Eddie was rowing with Steve, and Robin and Nancy were looking in the water. I look down at the compass and see it still going crazy but slowing down and leading to a direction.

"Continue north, I think we are almost there."

"My arms hurt," Eddie frowns.

"Shut up." We all say at the same time. We all laugh afterwards.

The compass needle slowly starts to waver in between northeast and northwest.

"Go slow, I think we are approaching it." Eventually, the needle stands still. "Here." The boat comes to a slow stop and we all look over the water.

"I'll go down." Steve offers.

"Oh no you won't." Eddie says.

"I need to. We need to see what this.. thing is. And how it's accessing this world."

"Be safe please." Nancy pleads. Her eyes seem to long for Steve in a strange way. It was almost as if they had a deep history. Steve lifts off his shirt and reveals a fit body which I wasn't surprised about at all. In no time, he dives in head first with no shirt and skinny jeans on. The boat rocks and Steve is gone just like that.

I was always horrible at holding my breath. We all wait on the surface and look at the water the best we can.

"Can you guys see Steve?" Nancy asks as she peers over the edge.

"I'm sure he's okay," I said unsure.

"Yeah, it'll be okay. Steve is durable." Robin assures.

Nancy doesn't respond but instead stands up.

"I'm going in."

"What?!" We all exclaim.

"You can't just leave me up here!" Eddie exclaims. I look at him and he catches my eye.

"Be careful Nanc." Robin says. She nods and dives in.

"Well that left three. And I'm out!" Robin says. Without warning, she dives in after Nancy.

"Then two." I slowly say. Eddie looks at me almost pleading.

"Don't.. think.. about it." Eddie worriedly looks from the water to my face. I look at the water. "Gregerson. I mean it!" He starts to get anxiety filled in his lungs. I smirk.

"Come on, let's have a little adventure."  I motion with my hands for him to join me as I lace off my shoes. "And I thought I wasn't the fun one."

"Just this ONCE. ONE time, Gregerson you hear?" He reaches down and unlaces his shoes as well.

"Ay- Ay, captain!" I salute right before I dive head first. I hear him curse then feel the water vibrate as he dives right after me. I open my eyes and squint, seeing black silhouettes that looked like ants. They sure swam fast. I hold out my hand to Eddie, knowing he can see me. He takes it and we both kick our feet together to act as some sort of propeller.

As we neared the bottom of the lake, there is a glowing red which is pulsating at the same time. I couldn't see Nancy and Robin anymore, so I'm assuming they went inside.

Eddie and I were now face to face with the giant zit looking thing. Why did Steve have to touch it? That was not the goal. That much I can agree on Eddie with. We both touch the glowing red and within seconds, we are in a cleared and dark wooded area. Eddie and I look around frantically and I pat down my clothes. We were dry?

The atmosphere was dark, melancholic. It had a fake hue to it and everything seemed dead. Buildings in the distance were wrapped with what seemed to be vines or tentacles of some sort. I look up at the dark sky which emitted the navy blue scenery. Red flashes in the sky which I assumed to be lightning.

"Where the hell..." I murmur. "Where are the rest?" I look to Eddie, who is pointing at three silhouettes swinging belligerently. We run over to see Steve getting attacked by some bat like creatures. They seemed to crow their way into him judging off of the peck marks on his stomach.

"Holy fuck!" Eddie screams. He reaches down and grabs the oar to defend us. We rush up to the Nancy and Robin and start attempting to stab the evil things with them. They kept coming in flocks and flocks.

"I don't think we can-" as I was about to say we should run, a bat comes and bites me in the arm. Within seconds, Eddie is stabbing it off of me.

"Are you alright?" I nod. "Yeah, as long as I don't turn into one of those things I'm good." He manages to chuckle.

"What the hell are these things?!" I exclaim, swinging. One grabs into my stick and I kick it off.

"Demobats!" Robin yells. I continue to swing, kick, and pierce them one by one. But it wasn't enough. They kept coming in stronger and stronger and my arms kept getting weaker and weaker.

"We need to get to my house! I have a gun there!" Nancy yells over the squealing bats.

"Sounds good to me!" I yell back.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Eddie yells after impaling one of the bats. Steve spits out a fountain of blood and we all try to catch a breath. The swarm seemed to clear. Eddie looks up at the sky. "So, uh.. this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit?"

"Pretty much," Nancy breathes as she has Steve wrapped around her small figure. Eddie takes a step towards us. "Wait- watch out for the vines."

Eddie's face falls flat. "For your modesty dude." 

All of a sudden, the ground beneath us starts to rumble and a cracking sound starts then fades. "Yeah, guns sound good." Eddie says nervously.

"Yeah, me too." Robin returns.

The ground starts to shake again but harder this time.

"God Damn it!" Steve yells hunching over.

"Here we go again!" Eddie grinds his teeth. His face is suddenly pointed up at the sky. "Uh.. guys? We need to like run. Like now, would be nice! Eddie says pointing at the sky. Small black figures were conjoining and creates blobs. Swarms upon swarms were starting to summon.

"Good idea," I breathe. We all look at each other and nod, frantically sprinting.

"Over there! That's the house!" Nancy exclaims as she points. I hold my arm, feeling the warm gush out and drip to my finger tips.

"Damn Demobats." I grumble.