F*ck You Flowerpod From Hell - Stranger Things

Chapter 4 - Holly Jolly

TW: Character Death 

When Kitty opened her eyes she was laying on her back at the bottom of the Harrington's pool. The pool however was drained of water, and everything was covered in a thin layer of goo. Facing down at her menacingly was a horrid creature with the grey body of an emaciated man, and instead of a face was a hole that opened like a flower with petals made of many many rows of teeth.

Kitty's blood ran cold as she screamed and kicked vines off her scrambling to her feet. Just a few feet away Barb was still unconscious, and she rushed over shaking Barb's shoulders rapidly, frantically looking between her friend and the monster stalking them.

"Barb... Barb wake up! Barb we have to go! Barbara!"

Barb's eye shot open and she coughed out goo and screamed seeing the monster behind them. Kitty pulled Barb to her feet.

The creature jumped down into the pool with them and growled.

Both girls shrieked and made a break for the edge of the pool pushing vines aside to look for the ladder out of the pool.

"Kit... Kitty, what's going on where are we? What is that thing?" Barb spluttered out.

"I don't know, Barb. I..." Kitty whimpered.

Kitty found the ladder first and started climbing as fast as she could, on the second step her foot slipped and she screamed, scrambling to get her footing back as quickly as she could and climbed the rest of the way out of the pool.

Immediately she turned around to help Barb climb out as well, and the creature stalked closer.

"Barb, come on, come on, come on... we have to get out of here!"

Barb just nodded numbly and tried to climb faster and she almost made it out, but the creature suddenly rushed forward and grabbed Barb's ankle pulling her back.

Both girls screamed and Kitty's hands shot out to grab Barbara's and she tried to pull her back to the edge of the pool.

"Katherine..." Barb sobbed.

The creature was stronger, and no matter how hard Kitty pulled Barb sunk further and further back into the pool. There was a sudden yank and Barb's hands slipped from Kitty's.

Barb screamed. "Katherine!"

"No!" Kitty shrieked and reached down holding her hand out as far as she could, but it never would have been far enough. "Barb! Barb!

The creature gurgled and jumped forward biting down into Barb's side and Barb screamed.

"Barbara!" Kitty screamed, stumbling back.

"No, No, No. No...."

Taking several steps back Kitty stared down in horror as the creature ate Barb alive, Barb's screams floating up from the bottom of the pool.

Tears poured down Kitty's face and she turned on her heel and sprinted.

"I'm so sorry Barb. I'm so sorry." Her voice broke as she sobbed.

Branches from the trees smacked her face but she just kept running.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Adrenaline pumped through her veins and soon the only thing Kitty could feel was her heart hammering inside her chest.

Eventually, Barb's screams faded in the distance... And Kitty didn't stop running.

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Kitty felt like she'd been running for hours when she finally slowed down. Taking a second to look around the forest she realized where she was. Just a few yards away would be the road leading to the Byers' house.