summary: you follow Eddie into the upside down
song: Atlantis by seafret
Dustin climbs back up the rope first, panting and sweating as you look around frantically, bats crashing against the trailer. The screeching from the creatures is deafening, filling you with an unshakeable panic as Dustin hurries up the rope.
"Go, Dustin, go!" Eddie yells, standing in front of you with his shield out.
You and Eddie continue to breathe heavily as you prepare to face the onslaught of bats that could come pouring through the wall at any moment.
Dustin yells involuntarily from the impact as he crashes onto the mattress, signalling the next person to go.
"Okay, you next. Go, quickly!" Eddie says to you, eyes wide, glancing back at you briefly, conveying the panic that you feel inside.
You nod, even though he can't see you, and jump onto the rope, gripping as it swings a little under your weight. Dustin peers over the hole at you, shouting frantically for you to climb. He reaches out a hand and you take it, groaning as you struggle to pull yourself up, before plummeting on to the mattress on the other side.
You barely even open your eyes from the fall before Dustin is up again, shouting for Eddie from the hole in the ceiling. You scramble to get up, peering out to see what's going on.
"Come on, Ed! Hurry up!" you scream.
He doesn't seem to hear your words, his wide eyes staring back at the two of you as you continue to beg him to hurry. He turns his back, hesitating for a moment despite the urgent pleading of Dustin next to you.
Your heart plummets, a look coming over his face as he turns around that scares you. "Eddie- don't you dare."
Panicked, Dustin looks at you with wide-eyed fear. "What? What- Eddie what're you doing?"
He looks back at you again, only for a second, eyes lingering on you first with an expression of sorrow and determination. His eyes flick over to Dustin next, who begins to sob next to you, screaming "Eddie! Come on you can still make it!"
"Eddie, please." You whisper, but he can't hear you over the chaos of the upside down.
"I'm sorry," he says. "I'm going to buy more time".
His sword rips through the rope, slicing it as if it's your heart. Dustin calls out beside you, wailing like a wounded animal. You don't move for a second, eyes wide as you watch the love of your life run back out to sacrifice himself, glancing back at you one last time as he disappears out of sight.
All you can hear is the blood rushing in your head, standing frozen on the mattress as your heart breaks inside your chest. You don't even notice Dustin shouting your name until he starts shaking you, causing you to blink at him in surprise. Tears track down his face, snapping you back into the present.
Your heart plummets, racing as you realise what you have to do. "Shit! Dustin, look at me, look at me! I need you to help me okay? I'm going to help him, but I need you to promise me you'll stay here." You grab the boy's shoulders, looking into his eyes, desperate for him to understand.
"No, no!" his lips quivers, snot running down his face. "You'll both die- I can't lose you too. Please don't make me lose you, too. He's MY friend, y/n! I should go, I should save him!"
Your own sob builds in your chest as you struggle to keep your voice calm for the younger boy. "Dustin, I know- I know he's your friend, and I promise you with all of my heart, if you help me get out of here, I will get Eddie back, okay? But I can't let you come and put you in that kind of danger. I promised Steve I would look after you, and I need you here so you can tell them what's going on, do you hear me?" you pause, searching his face. "Now, please, we have to be quick, I need to get through that hole."
