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Hawkins was a dark and scary place, filled with rumours and crime. One of those rumours was true to an extent, it was hell, the most gut-wrenching hell. Not Hawkins itself but the other side of it, the upside down which now apparently held flesh-eating bats.
Phoebe never imagined how painful death would be, even though she had experienced many misses of it, she had grappled away from it every time, the first time she was stuck in that tunnel with Steve and Dustin, she successfully lifted her younger brother through the hole before the demo dogs raged towards the three, she survived that with pure luck. Or when the Russians beat her bloody, she was so sure she had experienced some kind of brain aneurism from the encounter, yet she made it out alive and now Vecna, running from his prison was like hell in one.
Yet not once did she imagine what death would feel like, the cold and terrifying feeling that consumed your veins as your breaths grow shallower and shallower until it feels like your throat will burst. She wasn't quite at that stage yet, she was still thrashing her arms around even in the deathly grip the bats had on her.
She couldn't even speak anymore her throat practically swollen from screaming out, her ears bleeding from the sound of her voice beginning for anyone to save her and Steve because if anything she didn't want him to die, she would rather die first just to miss the view of his dead body.
The pain was growing to a stage of unbearable as another bat flew down to her calf tightening its grip around it to stop her kicking anymore, she was sure these bats were Vecnas distraction, what if Quinn can't save Max? What if Kate Bush just wasn't enough to push him away this time?
"No no no, shit shit shit!!" She heard the scream loud and clear her hopes growing as Steve let go of her hand the bat that was once clung to his stomach now being bashed away by her sister.
"Oh god, Phoebe!" She felt the tugs on her leg kicking them wildly as the person tried to free the hold the mini monsters had on her.
"Quick hold it, Robin!"
"I got it!"
She could hear the movements next to her but she still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes as she was suddenly free from the tight grips the looming fear of death washing away.
"Get off my girlfriend fucking idiot!" Eddie screamed bashing the bat to the ground "die!"
"Eddie" She whimpered her voice was damaged and hoarse but he heard her, he held in his tears kneeling and pulling her into his arms untangling her hair from the hair tie and letting it flow as he inspected her wounds, her once white shirt now stained red.
"Oh fuck... I got you now" He whispered, she slowly opened her eyes not having to battle with the light as pure darkness consumed her "Oh this isn't good.."
"That bad, huh?"
He let out a nervous laugh lifting her arm and inspecting the bites taking his handkerchief from his pocket and wrapping it around the wound on her arm just as Steve killed the bat that was wrapped around his throat, he didn't even process the whole encounter he just rushed down to Phoebe's side who had taken the most damage.
