❝You being an actual witch would be really helpful right now!❞
❝I just can't win with you people!❞
The concept of witches has been around for centuries. Challan Logan did not believe in witches one bit. She wasn't entirely sure where the myth had be...
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN. HORROR NIGHTS
☆ミ ☆彡
CHALLAN HAD TO GET OUT. SHE NEEDED TO GET OUT. She couldn't be there anymore. She couldn't be involved with this anymore. She was afraid. She had never been so afraid. She couldn't do this. She wasn't brave. She wasn't.
"I need to go, I need to go," Challan whimpered, pushing Max's hands away from her face and trying to stand. Her legs gave out on her and she was falling back down to the ground only to be caught by Max.
"Chal, you need to calm down. It's okay, you're okay," Max tried to soothe. But her words went into one ear and out of the other.
"N-no, no. I can't do this. I have to get out of here." Challan was crying now, shaking with fear. The four around her didn't know what to do. They could only stare in worry.
Steve stepped forward, crouching down in front of Challan. "Hey," he started quietly, trying not to startle her. Her teary eyes looked up and met his. "I know you're scared, hell I am too, but we have to go. I know that you want to go home and I'll take you if you really want me to. But we can't stay here, okay? We need to move."
Challan merely stared at him, tears cascading down her cheeks. Steve looked behind him at the other two kids before looking at Max who was still crouched beside him. His gaze returned to Challan. "I need you to do something for me, okay? I need you to take a deep breath in through your nose and release it out through your mouth. Can you do that?"
The black-haired girl swallowed before nodding her head and doing that. She took a shaky breath in through her nose and released a ragged breath from her mouth. "Good," Steve encouraged, "again." Challan did it again and again until her breathing evened out and she calmed down. Max rubbed her arm comfortingly the whole time and Challan really appreciated it. She needed the comfort.
After her racing heart returned to a normal rhythm, she nodded her head. "Okay," she breathed.
"Okay," Steve repeated. He helped her onto her feet and looked at the four kids individually. He then turned back to Challan. "What do you want to do, Challan?"
••••
As much as she wanted Steve to take her home, she knew she couldn't let him. He needed to be here with the others. He needed to help them stop the monsters from taking over their town. He needed to protect them. She could have ridden her bike home but she was afraid to ride home alone in the dark. So instead, she was walking with Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Max along the old train tracks.
Her hand was enclosed in Max's, their finger locked together tightly as the two walked silently while Dustin and Lucas talked in front of them and Steve led the way. Max threw worried glances at Challan every so often as they walked. Challan kept her eyes firmly on the ground, absentmindedly drawing shapes into the back of Max's hand with the hand that wasn't holding Max's. The action comforted the redhead, kept her calm, not that Challan realized. But she was still worried about Challan because she couldn't do anything to keep her calm.
