THE FREAKS ~ Eddie Munson

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Possible Ending Of Hawkins

Veronica POV

"He showed me things that haven't happened yet...awful things. I saw a dark cloud spread over Hawkins. The entire town was on fire...there were dead soldiers and this...this giant creature with a gaping mouth. And this creature wasn't alone. There were so many monsters. An army...and they were coming into Hawkins. And then...he showed me my mom...and Holly...Mike...and we were all-" Nancy explained, her emotions getting the best of her. She looked down and tried to hold back her tears, not being able to speak anymore.

"He's just trying to scare you, Nance. It's not real." Steve assured her, Nancy looking up and wiping her tears.

"Not yet." She spoke, shivers immediately sending down my spine. "But there was something else...he showed me gates. Four gates spreading across Hawkins. These gates looked like the one inside Eddie's trailer...but they didn't stop growing. This wasn't the upside down Hawkins either...this was our Hawkins."

Eddie immediately held me tighter as Nancy finished talking. It had been 10 or so minutes since Nancy and I got back to reality...and he hasn't let go of me since. It helped me feel a lot better, safer.

"Wait...you said four gates? Four gates that divided Hawkins?" Max asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Nancy nodded, her head still hanging low.

"Vecna's clock...every time i've seen it, it chimes four times." Max spoke, my whole body going numb.

Flashbacks from Skull Rock, Lovers Lake, and Eddie's trailer flooded back to me. All of the times I'd ever experienced Vecna's mind games...the clock was always there. The clock always chiming it's riveting ring...exactly four times. No more. No less.

"I've heard it too..." I breathed before thinking, mentally cursing at myself for saying anything.

I won't be his messenger. I won't. I kept telling myself not to describe anything I saw, being it could all be a trick. This is what he wanted me to do.

"You can either make things simple for yourself and join me, or you can be my messenger. Relay a little message to Maxine."

His eery voice continued to echo in my brain. No matter how against him anything may sound, it could be exactly what he wanted her to hear. I couldn't risk that.

"I also heard it...exactly four times. Why is it always four times?" Nancy asked as she looked around at everyone, desperate for an answer.

Max shook her head, obviously trying to hide the fear aching inside of her body.

"He's been telling us his plan this whole time." Max spoke shakily, Eddie looking over at her with fear and confusion in his eyes.

I couldn't look at him. I hated seeing him like this.

"Four kills." Lucas blurted, everyone looking over at him curiously. "Four gates."

Dustin exhaled a shaky breath, looking at everyone in worry.

"If that's true...he's only one kill away." Dustin spoke, Eddie's grip on me even tighter.

"Oh, Veronica, don't you get it? I only need one of you. It's either you or Max."

Shit.

I'd really hated myself for doing the exact opposite of what I swore to myself I wouldn't do, but this was important. This was life or death.