Lover's Lake | Eddie Munson

27

"I think we're getting close" said Dustin, looking back at the group.

"Easy, hey!" exclaimed Eddie, letting go of Ann's hand to grab Dustin who was about to fall into water. "Watch your steps, big guy." He warned, letting go of the boy's sweater.

Ann looked out at the lake in front of them and frowned. "Wait..."

"Oh man." Steve said as he walked through the branches, "You gotta be shitting me."

"Yeah, I thought these woods were familiar" sighed Eddie as everyone gathered in front of the water.

"Lover's Lake." Robin and Ann said at the exact same time.

"jinx" whispered Ann who looked at Robin who was smiling, although confused as to why the group was back here.

"This is confounding" Dustin let out softly.

"So, there's a gate in Lover's Lake?" asked Max, squinting to see if she could see it.

"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening." Nancy reminded the group. "Maybe Vecna's the same way."

"Yeah, only one way to find out." Said Steve.

"I stashed the boat near, I think it's right around here" Eddie said, trying to see if the boat had drifted from where he stationed it. "Ah ha, here it is."

Eddie grabbed the tarp after walking closer to the boat and pulled it off. Everyone gathered around it as Steve and Eddie pushed the boat into the water, holding it close to the shore.

"Easy, I said easy man" nagged Steve as the other man let go of the boat a bit too fast.

"Sorry, dude." Eddie replied, holding onto the embarkation.

As they both held onto the boat, Steve turned around and held out his hand to the girls behind.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna do that" Robin explained as he put her hands on Eddie and Steve's heads and used the guys and some sort of railing. "Thank you."

"Yeah, that works too" mumbled Steve, used to robin's antics.

"After you," said Eddie as he helped Nancy into the boat and got in after her.

Ann walked closer to the shore alongside Dustin, getting ready to hop into the boat when Steve walked in front of her.

"Hey, I'm so sorry but I think you should stay on shore, the boat is flimsy, it can't handle this much weight." He said as he held onto it.

"Wait, so we're staying back with the kids?" Ann asked, not necessarily thrilled.

"hey hey hey, you trying to sink us?" Eddie said to Dustin as the boy tried to sneak past Ann and Steve and onto the boat. "This thing holds three people tops, okay?"

"Eddie, come on." Ann exclaimed, looking at him.

"It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here with max." Nancy tried to reason with Dustin, "Ann, we need someone here with them. To keep an eye out for trouble"

"You keep an eye out!" Dustin loudly mimicked, clearly upset. "It's my goddamn theory!"

"You heard Nance," Robin said softly to Dustin, trying to appease him.

"Who put her in charge?" the upset boy questioned.

"I did" replied robin.

Nancy walked forward in the boat and held out her hand at Dustin, waiting for him to give her the compass. The boy frowned and shook his head.

"Compass." The oldest wheeler sibling told Dustin

The boy protested but gave in as she raised her eyebrows at him, and finally gave her the item.

As Ann looked towards the lake, Steve threw the backpack at Dustin and pushed the boat away from shore, getting in at the last second possible.

"Steve! No! Eddie!" Ann said, annoyed. "I'm not staying here!"

"You said three!" Dustin yelled right as Ann finished talking.

"Sorry" Steve and Eddie whispered, despite not looking apologetic at all.

"Bedtime at nine, kiddos." Yelled robin, teasing the group. "Miss you already!"

Dustin held out a middle finger as Ann walked forwards, looking at the boat who was drifting away.

"I could have fit on there. I can't stay here, Steve's the babysitter. I'm horrible with kids." Ann mumbled to herself.

Dustin pulled out binoculars from the bag and held them out to Lucas.

"Hey Dustin, do you think the gate is far away from shore?" asked Ann, trying to look at the boat people on the lake.

"Honestly, I think based on what we've theorized so far plus what Eddie told us, that it should be somewhere near the other side's shore."

"They're stopping." Lucas suddenly told everyone, reaching out to tap Dustin's arm.

"Wait, what are they stopping for already?" Max quipped from behind everyone.

"Guys, what's going on?" Dustin asked the people on the boat, using his walkie talkie, "come on guys talk to me what's going on."

As the three kids were focused on the walkie talkie, Ann looked at the water one last time before pulling off her thick crewneck and folding it, putting it on the ground.

"Uh Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital 'Ahh'"

"you'd be a fool to think I'm letting anyone tell me what to do." she whispered to herself, determined.

And as Dustin, Lucas and Max talked to Robin, who was explaining the situation from their position, Ann quietly walked into the water, wincing at its temperature.

She took one final deep breath in before fully submerging herself in the water, swimming towards the boat.

As she rose to the surface to breathe, she could hear the kids yelling out her name, but she dove in the water again.

Just as she was about to breach the water again to take a breath before swimming the remaining distance to the boat, something grabbed her ankle, and she was pulled into the depth of lover's lake. 

"*Author's note"* 

i'm so sorry i haven't updated in a while, i had the worse writer's block ever! ill try to write more, but with college it' going to be tough! i'm happy to see you guys enjoy my story! i read every single comment, they make me really happy!

also this isnt edited im sorry