METANOIA | Eddie Munson

The Dive, Part 1

3rd Person's POV

After Eddie helped drag Valerie out of the water, both of them ran. They ran until they couldn't anymore. They couldn't afford to be even remotely close to Rick's house, police would be swarming the place.

Valerie's legs gave in as she sat down and leaned against a tree, Eddie sat beside her.

"Hey, you uh... okay?"

"Give me the walkie."

She was deflecting. She always did whenever it came to her emotions.

Eddie didn't push further, "Here."

Valerie took it from his hands, but when she tried to get it to work it wouldn't.

"Fuck. It's cause of the water." She slammed it on the ground.

"We have no way to contact them." Eddie sighed, "Neither can we leave this forest, it's not safe."

"We'll have to stay the night." She frustratedly ran a hand through her hair.

Valerie really wished she had some weed right about now. She couldn't sleep, didn't even attempt to. And so Eddie didn't either.

Valerie was grateful he didn't. Even though they didn't talk throughout the night, just him being there was what was keeping her together.

They started moving again at first light, careful not to be seen by anyone. They stumbled upon a construction sight where a man left his walkie-talkie unattended for a while; Eddie saw the chance, took it and ran with it.

"What do we do? I mean we can't just keep wandering around." Valerie spoke for the first time since last night.

Eddie thought for a while, "You know Skull Rock?"

"Yeah."

"There's never anyone around."

Valerie nodded at him.

It took them all the energy they had left to get there.

The first thing they did was sat down and use the walkie, "Dustin, can you hear me? Wheeler?"

"Eddie, holy shit. Are you guys okay?" Eddie's face was one of pure relief.

"Nah, man. Pretty... pretty goddamn far from okay." He smiled and shook his head.

"Where are you?"

"Skull Rock. Do you know it?"

"Uh, yeah. That's near Cornwallis and Garrett. I know where it is. Is Val okay? Where is she?"

"Right here kid." Valerie spoke up.

"Hold tight. We're coming."

Eddie closed the walkie and leaned back against the rock beside Valerie, just like last night.

"Is it crazy that I would rather be back in middle school, crying in front of everybody?"

"I would too." Eddie looked up at the sky above him.

"Didn't she use to follow you around? What was her name... Melissa. She had the biggest crush on you."

Eddie shuddered at the thought, "Let's not talk about that witch."

"Witch?" Valerie chuckled a bit, "Now you know how I felt about you."

"Me? I'm the witch?" Eddie scoffs, but he was smiling nonetheless. As long as he could keep Valerie's mind off of last night.

"Yeah, you used to follow me around too."

"Can't believe I was just another Melissa to you. Well, except for the crush part." Eddie mumbled.

"Mhm." She didn't say anything else, instead stared at Eddie until the look of sheer panic came over his face again. The same one he had when Valerie was smiling at him.

Satisfied, she smirked and looked up at the sky again.

"You used to date Peterson right?"

Valerie felt her body stiffen, "Josh, yes. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Why not?"

"I just don't like talking about it."

"Any particular reason?"

"You should really fucking drop it, Eddie." Valerie snapped.

"Is it because he's dead?"

Valerie frowned and turned towards him, only to see those eyes. Those green eyes.

They made her feel like she was drowning. She couldn't breathe.

She was scrambling backwards, hoping to get up on her feet. A shadow gradually crept upon her face, Valerie looked up to find the sky now covered in dark clouds.

In the distance, she could hear the ticking of a clock.

She turned around and ran. She wasn't thinking anymore, it was pure instinct driving her further away from him. But it was futile, because she didn't realize it in the moment but she ran right into him.

She pulled back to come face to face with his shirt clad chest. It was stained with fresh blood.

Had it gotten on her face? She rubbed at her face furiously with her sleeve. It had.

She followed the trail of blood on his chest. It lead her back his face again.

"Josh..." Her feet were carrying her backwards, she couldn't stop it.

"Why do you keep running from me darling?"

Darling. She hadn't heard it in so long.

"I.." She whipped her head to where they had been sitting , "How?" and back to him.

The usual bittersweet feel to him was gone, it was just cold now.

"I've been waiting for you Valerie, waiting so very long." He look long strides towards her and tilted his head, "You seem disappointed to see me."

"You... were gone." Her bottom lip quivered.

"But I was never really gone was I? His lips curled up into a smirk and he grabbed her hand to stop her in place, "I'm always there, late at night when you just can't seem to fall asleep. I'm always there in that heavy feeling in your heart."

He jerked his head back to quirk a smile on his face, "I still keep you on your toes don't I darling?"

"You were gone." She shook her head as tears began to obstruct her vision.

It was true, he never really left her. She didn't let him.

He lifted her chin up with one finger, "You killed me in hopes of getting rid of me but now I'll be with you forever."

[A/N: Oops.]