freaks ✾ eddie munson

10

We picked up the others from Victor Creel's house after picking up some snacks and Eddie's six-pack.

Apparently they followed the movement of Vecna to the attic, where the lightbulb appeared to be on. They all held their flashlights out and they lit up like crazy, just like the Christmas lights with Will. The flashlights wouldn't stop lighting up and eventually exploded. Their story confused me, a lot. But, they came to the conclusion that he was, indeed, in the upside down, but we had no way of reaching him, because the gates were closed. Great!

Steve decided it was best for us to sleep, and suggested that we would look for Eddie tomorrow.

I tried my best, but I definitely did not get enough rest. All I could think about was Eddie. Was he okay? Is he safe? It was killing me that I didn't know the answer to any of my questions.

✾ ✾ ✾

"So.. where should we check?" Nancy said to me as we all entered her car. We have a lot more people to fit inside the car so we switched vehicles.

"Rick's."

"But we checked there last night, and he wasn't there." Dustin said.

"I mean, I know that, but he couldn't have gotten very far. If he somehow does contact us, we'll be close by."

"Right. That's true."

We were almost at Rick's house when Robin spoke up.

"This is gonna totally and royally suck."

"What?" I looked at her.

"I can't stand to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really really can't."

"Tell me about it." I said. Try being in love with him!

"At least he can drink himself into feeling better. If we find him." Steve says as he holds up the beer.

"That's what my mom does." Max says.

"Why don't we just give it a trial this time?" Robin said. "'Hey, Eddie! Good news first this time. We got you some Dustin-approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh yeah! And we found Vecna. Only the bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension that we told you about. And the gates closed! So we have no way of getting to him. He's entirely shut off to us, so basically your screwed. And, no, I know you were already screwed, but now you're doubly, triply screwed.'" She pretended like she was breaking the news to Eddie.

"Wait, maybe don't put it like that."

"Yeah, Robin, sorry to break it to you, but that will probably just make him feel even worse."

"'We're one step closer to finding Vecna.' That's what we say, that's what's important."

"See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference."

"Uh-huh."

"Oh shit." Nancy says as we pull up to Rick's house to see it fully surrounded by police and press.

"This is terrible!" I say as we all get out of the car.

Nancy guides us behind a van so we can see what the police are saying.

"As many of you may know by now, the Roane County line received a call a little after after midnight.. reporting a homicide out here on the lake. Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lovers Lake about ten yards from that house you see behind me. It was there that we found the victim, and 18-year-old senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney. His limbs.. his body, it was disfigured. There was an eyewitness on the scene. We have also identified a person of interest."