The Break (An Eddie Munson Story)

Chapter 39: The Nightmare Before A Test (+19K Views!)

A/N: A fairly short chapter after the previous 3K monster that I posted last time. Things are starting to get tense for Eddie and Y/N. Dear Readers, prepare yourselves for the beginning of the unravelling...

P.S. Thank you for the 19K!

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Following that weekend, life settled somewhat into a stable routine, albeit busy. It felt as if there was always something that required your immediate attention. While you did your best to catch up with missed assignments and bringing your GPA up, you were growing more and more concerned for your housemate. From studying to drug drops, you swore Eddie was going to burn himself out before the end of the academic year. His pager appeared to never stop beeping with demands for more goods. Though the increase in a cash income allowed you to save up more for your move to Minnesota, you could not stop feeling permanently guilty for not contributing to the household expenses.

So, you had taken matters into your own hands. With Nancy and Robin's help, you got a job. It was a few hours during your free period on a Wednesday, working in a stockroom. So, there was no chance of anyone from school or Eddie seeing you. Your friends had agreed to cover for you and pretend that you were having an extra study session with Nancy. You did not enjoy sneaking behind Eddie's back but you knew he would only feel like a failure, if he thought he was not providing enough for your party of two. He was so worried that you were not going to get enough points to graduate, that he was working around the clock, to allow you to focus on your studies, while he was in constant motion.

Despite his insistence that, he would manage the finances, you worried about who was looking out for his wellbeing because you knew it was not him. He was to busy playing hero of the hour, to take notice of his own health. More and more of late, he had been suffering from restless nights and bad dreams.

On some occasions, it would be the odd whimper, which you could soothe by taking him into your arms and running your hands through his hair, while whispering that he was safe and everything was okay. Generally he would settle back into a quietened slumber, undisturbed by his brief distress but on the bad nights- which you hated to admit, where becoming more frequent- he would be inconsolable. Even when awoken from whatever fresh horror he had experienced in the depths of his mind, Eddie would not be able to calm down. His breath would catch in desperate gasps, eyes wild and darting around the room, searching for the source of his fear. It would be a fair few hours before he was pacified and able to at least lay down beside you, even if not to sleep but to at least rest. You had no idea what was causing such violent reactions from his unconscious but you did your best to help his waking self.

It was the night before a test for you both. One Nancy had been quizzing you on like crazy. The exam had a higher weighting than the subsequent essay in the class. If you did well on the test, the you would be a massive step closer to getting you and Eddie the hell out of Hawkins.

Cool sheets twisted around goosebump-textured legs. Eddie thrashed. Kicked. All to defend oneself against the invisible enemy. Parted lips. Furrowed brow. A cry in heed caught within the column of his alabaster throat. Skin now cold and clammy to the touch. Torment had never looked so beautiful.

A lonely traveller within that landscape of death and decay. Just a haunting memory, as told by others in enough detail to create a haunting image. A spectre, he awaited for each night, to plague his mind and weary soul.

Begged utterings of your name, filled the stale air, as hands clawed at the headboard, to anchor himself back with the present or risk being lost within the dream forever. He suddenly awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and tears in his eyes. Memories of fangs and claws- repeated over and over in his mind like a terrible film. Laying back heavily against the pillows, he stared up at the ceiling. Eddie counted four cracks. Three noticeable dents. And one cigarette burn from when he had been high and stubbed out his cigrette.

Despite his heaving chest and the lingering feel that something was lurking in the shadows of his room, the brunet closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep but alas, a blissful unaware refused to wash over and engulf him in it's safe embrace. So, he remained awake. He needed to go back to sleep, he scolded himself. He could not be tired for the test. He needed to scrap a pass at least. He had to get you away from Hawkins. If you stayed and those...those things came back-

"Eddie?" you tired voice cut through his internal panic. Think of an angel and one shall appear, he thought, as he felt the bed dip slightly with the added weight of you rolling over to face him. A meek smile played upon your lips, as you wordlessly wrapped your arms around his waist and drew him closer to you. Your presence was his safe haven, somewhere Eddie could exist and forget about the tjings you were unware of him being privy to. In your arms, the only thing that mattered was you and him. Nothing else figured. It was a place to be selfish and only care about one another's wellbeing, which he needed right now.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." he mumbled as he buried his face into the crook of your neck. "It was just a nightmare." his break was warm upon your skin, a contrast to the rogue tears that escaped his eyes. He attempted to reassure himself, muttering an urgent 'I'm okay', that was scarily close to Steve's own mantra.

Lips pressed against Eddie's temple, a reminder that you were there, ready for whenever he felt ready to talk about what had happened. But unbeknownst to you, he would forever stay silent, never letting the reasoning leave his lips, until the day you opened up about your experiences with the other realm. By telling you the contents of his horrifying nightmares, you would be forced to discuss a topic, you clearly were not ready to talk to someone about outside of your friend group. Eddie did not want to be so selfish.