Always Be There For You ~ Dustin Henderson x Reader

Chapter 31: I'm Ready, Right?

 I woke up from the hallucination in a cold sweat. I was still in my chair. It was as though nothing had happened. I rubbed my eyes and drew my focus back to my surroundings.

"Y/n!" Dustin yelled.

"Y/n! Are you okay?" Steve worriedly asked. I quickly stood up and snatched Max's flashlight out of her hands.

"Y/n, what are you-" I interrupted Max by storming out of the room and turning down the hallway. I stopped dead in my tracks. The clock, it was gone.

"It was here. It was right here!" I shouted. Everyone dashed over to me and stared quizzically.

"What was right there?" Dustin inquired.

"A clock... a creepy, old, goddamn grandfather clock!" I stuttered, "It... it was so real. I heard it... I... I felt it. It was crazy. I was going to take a closer look but I was just... yanked out of it." Dustin moved closer to me and laced his fingers with mine, providing me a little comfort.

"It was like you were in a trance or something," Steve stated.

"Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy," Max noted. I sighed and walked towards the counselor's office, pulling Dustin with me.

"That's not even the worst part," I explained, gesturing toward Fred and Chrissy's files, "They both came to Ms. Kelley for help. They had these horrible headaches that just wouldn't go away, and nosebleeds too. And then... then they had nightmares; horrific nightmares that would leave them in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing these terrifying visions, and they kept getting worse and worse and worse until..."

"Everything ended," Max finished for me. I cleared my throat, trying to choke back the tears that were threatening to break through.

"Chrissy's headaches started a week ago. Fred's started six days ago. Mine..." I took a deep breath, "Mine started five days ago. And... and Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision." They all looked at me with somber expressions. Dustin squeezed my hand lovingly as I pulled my glasses off with my other.

"So it, uh... it looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow. Yippee," I sarcastically stated as I rubbed my eye with the back of my hand. I chuckled lightly and placed my glasses back on my face. Tears threatened to spill out of Dustin's eyes, but I could tell he was trying to keep it together for my sake.

Suddenly, the sound of a slamming door echoed throughout the school. I instinctively pulled my swiss army knife out of my pocket whilst Steve grabbed a lamp. The sound of speedy footsteps was heard coming in our direction.

"Stay here," Steve instructed as he tiptoed to the door.

"Like hell," I objected, following him. Dustin stood firmly in place and held onto my hand, not wanting to let me leave. I stared at him and saw a look of genuine concern overflowing in his eyes. Steve gestured for us to follow him and I nodded. Dustin cautiously stepped out of the room, making sure I was close by his side. The sound of footsteps and breathing got louder. I readied my blade and Steve held his lamp high, ready to swing.

Suddenly, Lucas came running around the corner. Steve swung but it missed him by a hair, causing everyone to scream.

"It's me!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Lucas?" Max questioned.

"It's me!" Lucas repeated.

"Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair?" Steve angrily asked.

"I'm sorry," Lucas apologized, out of breath.

"I could've taken you out with this lamp!" Steve yelled, tossing the lamp to the ground.