cursed (2022)

chapter thirty-four: best friend

I quickly open my eyes and I'm in the Hawkins Middle gym. I look around. It's decorated exactly like it was at the Snow Ball.

"Holy shit," I smile. We might actually win this.

I observe and touch some of the decorations while I walk around the gym. They feel so real. There are even empty with crumbs of food sitting on the tables. I take a seat at one and decide to wait it out, checking my watch every two seconds.

Every Breath You Take starts to play on the speakers. I don't know if it's me, or Vecna messing with me. Nancy, Steve, and Robin should be in there by now. I have to be patient. Things like this take time.

I check my watch again and sigh before I hear a large pop and splatter behind me. I shriek and jump out of my seat, turning around to see blood painting the table red. Another one pops and does the same. It's not long before all the balloons start to splatter blood.

I turn around to the record player, which stops playing The Police and starts playing Dream A Little Dream Of Me. I stand there in a panic as the music echoes through the gym.

Say nighty-night and kiss me

The decorations start to lose their original color, and the room slowly gets darker, starting to look like the Upside Down.

Just hold me right and tell me you'll miss me

While I'm alone and as blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me

I watch in horror as Vecna ruins my favorite memory. One of the only the only things that have gotten me this far. The very thought that things were once this good, and that they can get this good again. I'll never be able to see it the same.

Stars fading but I linger on, dear

The streamers attached to the wall start to turn an ugly yellowish color and fall to the floor. The leaves in the plant pot on the tables start to darken and shrivel up.

Oh, how I linger on

Still craving your kiss

The music stops and now all I can hear is withering as a depressing shade of blue spreads across the room and spores float around.

Not long after, thunder claps, and I see red lightning. I must be back in Vecna's lair-but on both of our terms. I look outside the window and see a bunch of lightning strike again. What's taking so long?

I shake my head and remind myself that they just need time. I resort to throwing chairs up against the gym doors. It might just keep Vecna out for a little longer. Dream A Little Dream Of Me starts to play again, reminding me that he's still around, as if I could ever forget.

I throw another chair at the door because they're all piling up. I turn to grab one but whenever I turn back around, all of the chairs are gone, and so are the gym doors. All I can see is that goddamn door with a rose on the stained glass.

I stare at the door in fear as it opens itself. I start to hear the ticking again.

"You can't hide from me, Max."

I turn around hoping that maybe Lucas would've tried to wake me up by now, but I don't see anything. I face the door and close my eyes, attempting to do what I did before. I try to think of another memory, but Vecna interrupts me.