Jailbird || Stranger Things

fifty-three ➵ booby traps

The room was packed with boxes. Teresa slalomed her way through the labyrinthine arrangement of cardboard, trying her best to not hit anything with her slightly bulky bag as she did.

    Robin couldn't help but find it a little amusing. Although she did decide not to say anything when Teresa reached down into her high top converse to pass Steve a multitool to cut through the packing tape. No sir, Robin did not want to touch the fact that Reese had a weapon on her with a yard stick. Especially knowing her legal history.

    But those nerves rearranged themselves the moment Steve pulled back the cardboard opening to reveal a metal box, Teresa folding and placing the multitool back into her shoe with swift and efficient movements.

    Steve reached for the handle, glancing at Erica to check her comfort level, who gave him a small nod. With a sudden burst of courage, he turned the bar and gave it a tug, the hissing of air filling each teen with dread. Suddenly, Teresa's head was throbbing more than before, although the pain had steadily built the closer they'd got to the small room.

    She knew this was about to be the night when they found its source. She'd already had the strong feeling that it was all tied to the mall. It had been one of the reasons she stuck with the Scoops Troop.

    Well, one of the reasons being a key distinction.

    As Steve put the lid aside, the five of them stared down at four more holds, protruding in bars from four circular shapes in the square box. A green glow edged through the gap, making Teresa's jaw tighten at the sight.

    "That's definitely not Chinese food," Steve commented, making the girl's hand itch.

    She reached over, holding onto one of the handles. Steve's hand immediately landed on hers, making her look up and make eye contact with him.

    "Maybe you guys should—you know—"

    "Step back?" she finished his sentence, a light annoyance seeping into her tone as she realised he was trying to take charge, though Robin and Erica did as asked. Steve lifted his hand from hers, knowing he wouldn't succeed in changing her mind. Instead, he looked to Dustin, who refused to do as asked.

    "No," Dustin immediately pushed the moment he realised why Steve was looking to him. Reese turned her head, watching him with an expectant raise of her eyebrows. "No!"

    "Just step back, okay?" Reese replied, Steve waving his hand away to add some kind of flair to her instruction.

    "No."

    "Step back," Steve snapped. "Seriously."

    "No!" the two teens immediately looked to the younger boy again. "No! If you die, I die."

    Reese let out a huff of air, glanced at Steve, and their brief eye contact decided it for them both. "Okay."

    At her gentle word, Dustin nodded to himself and stayed where he was, watching as Steve stuck by Teresa's side. She turned her hand, clicking something in the box before another hiss of air filled the room. She lifted her arm, muscles flexing as she managed to raise the tube of some kind of alien-looking liquid green substance to their eye level.

    "What the hell?" Steve mumbled from over Reese's shoulder.

    "What is that?" Robin added, just seconds before the whole box of a room let out a clink and a rumble. The deep mechanical whirring of the room settled into Teresa's skull as her stomach dropped and her head pounded in objection, her knuckles turning white as her grasp tightened on the handle.