"I swear, if I'm dying tonight because of you, I'm gonna haunt your ass so hard, Harrington!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna go full Poltergeist and shit!"
"Then bring it, Graveswood."
"Challenge accepted."
***
In which after years of suppressing their...
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Chapter One-Hundred-And-Twenty-Two: Trapped At Starcourt Mall
(The Battle Of Starcourt Mall, Pt. 4)
***
Rowan marched toward Nancy's car, Nancy, Jonathan and Will, Lucas and Cami with her. Behind them, Max, Mike and Alistair helped El as Hugin roosted in Alistair's hair. Tension and the fear of the Mind Flayer finding them before they could get to Murray's safe-house crackled in the air, and Rowan resisted the urge to look over her shoulder to make sure the four behind them were indeed following, her stomach twisting into itself as that fear buzzed in her bloodstream.
It's going to be fine. It's not gonna find us. We're going to be fine, and they're going to be fine, Rowan tried to remind herself, but it did little to help ease the fear.
"El, you're bleeding," Rowan heard Max say, and Rowan looked over to see El grimacing in pain. Rowan's eyes tracked down to the bandage and saw fresh spots of blood blooming on the white. Rowan's gut twisted, and she saw similar worry in the eyes of those who cared the most about El.
"Are you okay?" Mike asked.
Despite the grimace of pain twisting her face, El nodded and said, "Yeah."
Rowan didn't know whether that was the truth, or if El was putting on a brave face, but Rowan hoped the other girl was in less pain than she had been in earlier.
As they reached the car, Nancy and Jonathan got in the front while Will, Cami, Lucas and Max piled into the back. Rowan let them go first, murmuring, "Get inside, gremlins," before following. Since the back seat was already crammed with the four younger teenagers, Rowan sat on the floor, feeling like a can of sardines. In the back, Mike and Al helped El inside, Mike murmuring, "Here, lay down."
Once they were all inside, Nancy turned on the keys to start driving, but a stuttering noise came.
"Uh, Nance, now would be the time to go," Rowan said, but the noise had stoked Rowan's worry from embers to a flickering fire.
"I know," Nancy replied, teeth gritted as she twisted the keys again, but only that noise came back while the car remained stationary. Rowan's worry increased.
"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked, sounding as worried as Rowan felt.
"I don't... I don't know," Nancy answered as she wrenched the keys again. Again, that noise came, and now dread was rising up to join her worry.
"You can't be serious. Come on!" Nancy yelled at the car.
"Didn't your mom just buy this car?" Lucas asked.
"Yes. I'm sure it's fine," Nancy responded, sounding like she was trying to convince herself too.
"Brand new cars don't make those noises, Nance," Rowan pointed out.
