Wrapped Around Your Finger - Eddie Munson

Chapter Fifteen: The Gate

"My mom. She uh, she had cancer when I was young. I remember the machines, the constant beeping, the sterile hospital smell. I can barely remember her, but I can remember the hospital well. In this dream, trance, whatever, I was back there.
I was with her, in a hospital room, reliving the moment she died. I was alone in there with her, she was never conscious at this point anymore. My dad had stepped out of the room, he was talking with the doctors or nurses or something.
The monitors, they just started beeping like mad. I didn't know what it meant, I didn't know what to do, but I knew none of it was good. I just froze. I sat there, staring at the monitors and then at my mom. By the time my dad noticed and got the doctors it was too late." I couldn't tell if my words were even audible over my hysterical crying. "Its almost funny, I spent all those years in therapy with that specialist and it still can't fix me."

"I... I saw things like that too. Not exactly what you saw, but things that have hurt me too. I kept seeing my brother, he died kinda recently. He sacrificed himself to save us from one of those things from the Upside Down." Max explained.

"There has to be a connection then." Dustin interrupted, "You both relived bad memories, that can't just be a coincidence."

"Come on, guys. We need to keep going." Nancy said, offering her hand to me to help me up.

"I thought these woods were familiar..." Steve looked at our surroundings.

"Lover's Lake, we're here." Robin added.

"This is confounding." Dustin exclaimed, "Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way?" He was speaking aloud, but mainly to speak to himself.

"One way to find out." I replied.

Steve and Eddie pushed the boat out onto the water and held it steady. Steve held out his hand to help Nancy step in, Robin chose to use his head to steady herself. I went to step into the boat when Eddie lifted me up and placed me in. The two guys piled in and began to push us out when Dustin and the rest tried to join.

"Hey, hey, hey, you tryin to sink us? This things holds like, three people tops and we stuffed five in. Just wait here, it's better, ok?" Steve protested. Dustin groaned and stepped away as we drifted towards the center of the lake.

"Keep an eye out for trouble." Nancy calls to him.

"You keep an eye out! It's my goddamn theory." Dustin shouted.

"Listen to Nance." I yelled to him.

"Who put her in charge?" He complained.

"I did. Now, compass!" Dustin tossed the compass to Robin and I from the shore.

"Woah woah, guys slow down!" I looked down at the compass and showed the others.

"Hey guys? Why are you stopping?" Dustin crackled through the walkie.

"Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital "aah!" Robin answered. Without saying anything, Steve got up and started taking off his shirt and shoes.

"Woah, dude, what the hell?" I asked, turning to look the other way.

"Somebody's gotta go down and check this out. Unless one of you three can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then it's gotta be me. No complaints, all right?" Steve threw his hands up and continued.

"Hey I'm not complaining." Eddie spoke up.

"Yeah, I don't wanna see what's down there again." I added.

"Good luck." Robin said.

"Steve?" Nancy looked terrified, "Be careful."

"Closing in on a minute." We were timing how long Steve was underwater, if he wasn't up soon we were going in to find him.

"Come on, Steve, come on." Nancy whispered. The water began to ripples as Steve burst through the surface, sputtering for air.

"I found it." He gasped, "It's down there." We started talking about the size of the gate and relaying to Dustin when suddenly Steve yelped and vanished under the water.

"Steve? Steve!" Nancy yelled, followed by some yelling from Eddie. She stood up quickly and started removing some of her clothes.

"Woah, Nancy you're not thinking of going down there?" I pleaded.

"Just stay here." She answered before diving into the water.

"Goddamn it!" Eddie shouted. Robin stood up and started following Nancy's footsteps, so I did the same. "Oh no, not you too." Eddie objected, grabbing my wrist.

"Eddie we can't just stay here, they need us." I pulled myself free from Eddie's grip and jumped in with Robin.

"Hold it, Robin!" Nancy cried.

"Kill it, kill it!" Robin was shrieking.

I tumbled and hit the ground, smelling the same familiar putrid stench of the red wasteland beneath Hawkins. I stood up quickly to see Robin and Nancy helping Steve fight some giant bats off. I grabbed what I can only assume is a rock and started hitting the giant, leathery monsters. They screeched and hissed with each hit as they tried to continue their assault.

I heard Eddie's panicked swearing come up from behind me as he joined the fight. I felt the sharp sting of teeth sink into my shoulder and screamed. Eddie ran up and grabbed the bat by the head, prying open it's jaws. He kept pulling and pulling until the bat's head had split open, it's writhing body dropping to the ground. I looked up just in time to see Steve bite the head of one of the bats like a wild animal, he must really be sick of this shit.

"Are you ok?" Nancy asked Steve while Eddie rushed over to look at my shoulder.

"That took about a pound of flesh, but other than that never been better." Steve shrugged.

"Are you hurt?" Eddie asked, already near tears.

"I'm fine, it just itches." I smiled.

"Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin asked, beginning to ramble, "It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear and I think we should get you to a doctor soon because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead."

"Woah, Steve I think you gotta sit down for a sec. You're swaying and I don't mean to freak you out, but that looks like a lot of blood." I pointed to the gashes on his stomach.

"So the good news is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies. But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me, let me know." Robin was still rambling.

"Robin." Steve groaned.

"Yeah?"

"I kinda wanna punch you."