Upside Down Feelings

Chapter Six: The Monster

"Get Jonathan," Nancy mouthed. You frowned and shook your head, not wanting to leave her alone with that thing. She rolled her eyes and started pointing back at the entrance you came in from. "Go."

You sighed, not even bothering to turn around before crawling in reverse back through the tree's entrance. You went fast before feeling resistance and bursting back through the other side of the tree.

"What the hell?!" Jonathan jumped back as you broke through, gasping for breath as the shock wore off and you began getting a grip of the situation. "Wh-Where did you- Are you okay? Where's-"

"RUN, NANCY!" You screamed, motioning Jonathan to stand at the tree's portal. You'd stand there yourself if your hands didn't feel torn to shreds. "NANCY, COME ON!"

Silence.

Jonathan looked over at you with concern and confusion before bending down to take a look at the tree you just burst through, noticing the blood that dropped at the top of the entrance. You winced as you used your hands to pick yourself off the ground before you wandered back over to the opening. You both looked closely for a moment, waiting for something- anything, when finally, a hand stuck out of it, making you and Jonathan jump back before you heard her voice again.

"JONATHAN! Y/N!" Nancy screamed. You both reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling as hard as you could as she slowly submerged from the tree. It wasn't quick enough; you saw the edges of the entrance begin to seal up. Without hesitation, you grabbed the pocket knife from your bag and began to cut the sludge that prevented her from coming out. It only seemed to anger the tree, making it reseal quicker; you panicked and sliced through as fast as you could before she finally budged, falling into Jonathan. Once you heard her sobs and saw the portal shut, you breathed out a sigh of relief and allowed your tired body to fall back and rest.

"I got you," He panted as she cried into his shoulder. His eyes widened as he realized that the tree went back to its normal state. It was as if nothing had ever happened. You all took a moment to collect yourselves- your racing hearts and rapid breathing, before heading out of the woods and back to the Wheeler residence.

———

You'd taken a shower at Nancy's house and put on some clothes you'd accidentally left at her place over the years before you decided on going home. She offered for you to stay the night, begged even.

You really did want to stay, but seeing her worried face only brought you back to the moment she brought her shaky finger up to her quivering lips. It was like your own personal hell; every time you glanced up at her, you'd remember vividly how the monster stood behind her in that dimension. Every time you heard her voice, you'd remember the way she screamed as you cut her out of the tree.

This wasn't something you could talk through the way you did with arguments and grief. This was something entirely different. It was the realization that Will and Barb met the same fate as that shredded deer. It was the fact that a monster was on the loose, and you all lacked a proper plan of defense.

This was sheer terror and utter hopelessness brought on by the night's traumas. And being in her presence somehow only made everything seem more real and much worse.

"Call me the second you get home," She said, pulling you into a hug. "I'll swing by in the morning."

You'd said your goodbyes and made your way out of her house, grabbing your bike from the garage. As you began to walk it out to the street, you heard a branch snap to your right and froze.

You looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. You didn't hear anything for a few seconds. Convincing yourself that you were just paranoid from the prior events, you began to walk again when the obvious sound of footsteps stopped you in your tracks again.