bitchin'

Chapter 42

"Shit," Mike whispers as he, Eleven, Max, and Lindsay hide behind a kiosk in the mall. Lindsay reaches over for Max's hand. She gladly takes the brunette's, holding it tight.

The Mind Flayer aimlessly wanders around the mall, crashing into anything and everything as it looks for Eleven. The four breathe heavily but quietly as they hide, trying not to be killed.

Mike stands up hesitantly and looks out into the mall, "it's turned away. If we go up the stairs now, we'll make it."

"No way, not with El's leg," Max points out. They would never make it.

"We have to try," he argues.

"There's another way..." El butts in, "to get out. Through the Gap."

Mike stands up again, checking to see if the Mind Flayer is near, "okay. Now."

Eleven gets up and leads the way to the Gap. Lindsay, who has another burst of energy from the adrenaline rush of being chased by the giant monster, pushes Max ahead of her. As they run into the Gap, they step
on broken glass from the storefront, which crunches loudly under their shoes.

They all stop when the floor of the mall rumbles and the Mind Flayer screeches. They crouch down and hide behind the checkout counter before getting to the exit.

Once again, they lie in wait. Everyone silent, they hear a weird screeching noise, a tentacle from the Mind Flayer searching for them in the store. It screeches, making everyone jump.

Max almost screams when a mannequin wearing the same shirt as El comes crashing down next to them. The screeching noise resumes.

"Z?" Max whispers. Lindsay turns her head to see a little flesh claw right in front of her. Before she can do anything, Max grabs her and pulls the brunette back into her lap. The claw slithers back out of the store. Lindsay, who was pressed against Max's body, sits up and hugs her.

The Mind Flayer begins to walk somewhere else in the mall, each step shaking the floor.

"Let's go," Mike says. The four quickly get up and head for the back door.

"Ah!" El groans, stopping.

"Here, I'll help you," he runs to her side and lets her use him as a crutch. Lindsay takes her other side and they continue to walk through the back hallways of the mall. Alarms blare from the damage and the lights flicker.

"Just a little bit further!" Max shouts, leading the group, "almost there!"

The three hobble through the door to the outside, Max holding it open for them. Once they are through, the redhead runs ahead and presses the button to open a gate.

As it opens, they see Billy. His car up in flames, but him standing up straight.

"Shit," Lindsay huffs.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" Mike yells. They turn back and head back to the gate. Billy begins to follow them. Max hits the button to close the gate and they go back into the mall, "In here, in here!"

Mike presses an elevator button, as the girls take a break from running.

"Okay. Come on, come on, come on..." he panics, pressing the button rapidly. Max hears a door open and wanders out to the hallway.

"Billy," she says, "Billy, you don't have to do this. Billy. Your name's Billy, Billy Hargrove."

"Max," Lindsay calls to her.

"You live on 4819 Cherry Lane. Billy, please, I'm Max, I'm your——"

He smacks her across the face.

"Max!" Lindsay yells. She runs up to Billy, who takes ahold of the girl and throws her against the wall, knocking her out.

Mike then runs at him, to protect El. The older boy shoves him against the wall and Mike hits his head against a pipe. Eleven tries to use her powers to stop him, but is unsuccessful.

He then takes Eleven, leaving the other three unconscious on the floor.

***

"Max?" Lindsay mumbles. Her vision comes blurry and she sits up slow, "Mike? Eleven?"

"No! No!" she hears Eleven scream. The brunette struggles to get to her feet. When she does, she uses the wall to help herself back to the Gap. She walks out through the store, finding the Mind Flayer, Billy, and Eleven.

"What the fuck?" she whispers to herself. Just before the Mind Flayer kills Eleven, a firework explodes on top of him. He screeches in pain and Lindsay looks up confused.

"Flay this, you ugly piece of shit!" she hears Lucas yell. Looking up to the balcony, she sees him throw another firework. It explodes right in his mouth, sparks flying everywhere.

Eleven backs up slowly and Lindsay kneels down to stay hidden, "Eleven! Eleven!"

Eleven doesn't hear her over the screeching and shrieking of fireworks. Yellow, orange, green, red, blue; all exploding and sending the Mind Flayer crashing into the balcony and pillars of the mall.

"Hey, asshole! Over here!" Steve's voice yells. Lindsay slowly comes out from her hiding spot, going to help Eleven.

"El!" she says to her, "come on, come on."

Lindsay lifts El up by her armpits and begins to pull her back towards the Gap.

"Lindsay!" Eleven shouts before Billy grabs onto her legs and drags her down. Lindsay falls down with them. She gets up and pushes him over. She gets on top of Billy and begins to punch him, but his veins turn black. He pushes her off and she falls on her back, getting her breath knocked out of her.

"No! No!" she screams as Billy picks her up. He then flips her over his back and slams her down to the ground. She lies still, unconscious.

"Lindsay!" Eleven screams. Billy goes back for her, dragging her by the ankle over towards the Mind Flayer, "No! No!"

He holds her down on the floor, as the Mind Flayer screeches.

"Seven... feet!" Eleven says, trying to distract Billy so the others can keep hitting the Mind Flayer with the fireworks, "you told her... the wave was seven feet."

His veins begin to change again, "you ran to her, on the beach. There were seagulls."

Billy turns his head in confusion, the Mind Flayer's powers wearing off on him, "she wore a hat... with a blue ribbon. A long dress... with a blue and red flower. Yell-yellow sandals, covered in sand."

The Mind Flayer no longer has control of Billy, the memories of him and his mother bringing him back to reality, "She was pretty. She was really pretty. And you... you were happy."