The Overcomer, Stranger Things

From memory to reality

Gwen Byers ran down the stairs, her footsteps thundering behind her before one of the floorboards came loose. She fell through the hole in the stairs, letting out a grunt as she tried to get her foot loose. The girl gasped, feeling herself start to panic as slow, ominous footsteps walked toward her. She placed her hands on either side of the wall before hoisting herself up and riding down the railing.

Gwen tried to open the door of the Creel House, only to find that it was boarded up, just like when she was with Alexei in her first vision. Suddenly, the lights started blinking rapidly around her. Then a low, immoral voice could be heard from the top of the stairs.

"Where are you going, Gwen?" Vecna came into view, causing the girl's blood to run cold. "We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet."

Instead of answering, the Byers girl whirled around and started sprinting in the opposite direction. She pulled open the first door she saw, only to find that it was sealed as well. And the next one, and the next one, and the one after that. Gwen let out a groan of frustration before grabbing a big lantern from the side and charing toward the door. The girl smiled slightly, feeling a flash of relief before she heard Vecna calling for her again.

"You can't get away from me that easily, Gwen," he mocked before the wood splintered, giving her an escape.

"Oh yes I can," Gwen stated happily before running through the door only to realize she was in the same room that she was in before. "Crap."

The Byers girl shook her head before tugging open the door at the end of the room and going through it. Gwen looked around frantically, her eyes wide with fright when she realized it was the exact room as before. She stomped her foot before trying again, only to get the same result.

"This game of yours is rigged, Vecna!" She shouted angrily, her tiny body fuming as she balled her fists up.

Gwen squeezed her eyes shut as the pounding in her skull increased, pulling at her hair as she buried her face in her hands. The Byers girl took deep breaths, allowing herself to calm down before opening her eyes again. When she saw the familiar place she was in the girl thought for sure that she would rather be in the Upside Down again.

She was back.

She was back in Kamchatka.

~:~

"Kid," Hopper started as Jason walked toward Gwen, his eyes wide as he bent down in front of her, "you can't be here right now."

"Is this what you did to Chrissy?" Jason asked, ignoring the man and everyone else in the room as he looked at the emaciated kid in front of him. How could she have possibly caused all this destruction?

"Seriously, kid," Hopper walked toward him slowly, his hand hovering over the gun tucked in his belt loop. "You need to leave, now."

"Hi," he waved his hand in front of her face, "can you hear me?"

He reached out to poke the girl causing Joyce's motherly instincts to kick in. She advanced toward him at lightning speed, not realizing that he was armed. "Don't touch her!"

"Hey!" Jason suddenly yelled as he pulled out his gun, causing Joyce to flinch back and hold up her hands in surrender. "Not another step."

"Wait...wait...wait," Dustin's voice was seeping with fright as he put his hands behind his head, while also trying to hide Eddie from view. "Let's just calm down, okay-"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Jason yelled as he cocked his gun, his voice nearing maniacal.

"Where is Eddie Munson?" He looked between Joyce and Dustin, not realizing that Hopper was no longer in his peripheral view. He raised his voice, his anger evident as he tried again after getting no answer. "Tell me where that freak is or I'll blow your brains out!"