HAWKINS BLEEDING , will byers

51

HAWKINS BLEEDING! CHAPTER FIFTY ONE:
THE DIVE

"There's a gate in lovers lake?" Max asked as they stood in front of the water after following dustin. The sun had set and it was now extremely dark out.

"Whenever the demogorgan attacked. It always left a gate" Nancy stated

"Maybe Vecnas the same way" Stephenie suggested

"Yeah only one way to find out"

Eddie had Reefer Rick's boat in the same area around where they were, so they could get further into the lake. Steve pulled away the large tarp, revealing the boat he had used to get away from Jason and Patrick. Robin, Nancy, and Eddie carefully stepped into the boat. Dustin moved  towards the boat with a smile on his face, only to be abruptly stopped by Eddie's arm.

"Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?" Eddie asked, pushing the boy with his arm. "This thing holds three people tops, okay?."

"It's better this way, okay?" Nancy Wheeler told the boy, nodding in assurance. "You guys stay here with Max and Stephenie. Keep an eye out for trouble."

"you keep an eye out," Dustin defended, his voice going pitchy and Nancy looked at him in confusion "It's my goddamn theory."

"You heard Nance," Robin spoke

"Who put her in charge?"

"I did" Robin stated

"Compass," Nancy demanded, holding out her hand to Dusitn who reluctantly took it from his pocket and gave it to Nancy.

"Here, there you go," Steve told to the boy before tossing him his backpack before stepping onto the boat himself.

"You said three!" Dusitn exclaimed, and Steve muttered a small sorry.

"Bedtime at nine, kiddos!" Robin called, waving her hands. "Miss you already!"

Lucas kept lookout with a pair of binoculars and Dustin Henderson stood closely next to him with the walkie as they watched the group on the lake. Stephenie and Max stood just behind them.

"Ugh," Lucas groaned in disgust. "When'd Steve get so hairy?" He asked

"Right?" Dustin agreed, shaking his head. "| keep telling him he needs to tame that jungle, but he claims the ladies dig it."

"Ew, hairy man's sister standing right here!" Stephenie exclaiend

"Let me see," Max demanded, taking the binoculars from Lucas. She looked through the binoculars and Stephenie looked between all of them.

"That's not what I needed today" Stephenie stated and after a few minutes Steve jumped into the water. He was the captain of the swim team, so it made sense.

"You guys realize, if there's a gate down there, it's technically a water gate" dusitn looekd at them "watergate" he chuckled and Stephenie let out a fake laugh

"Dustin your so funny" She exclaiend sarcastically but Dustin didnt seem to catch on and nodded his head

"I know I—"

"I was being sarcastic that wasn't funny" Stephenie simply said making Dustin's smile drop and he slightly walked back, and Max went to sit down leaving Lucas and Stephenie standing by each other. The two were silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you a few days ago Stephenie" Lucas broke the silence and Stephenie turned to him "it was really immature. You are a better person and I shouldn't have used that against you"

"Thanks Lucas" Stephenie nodded at his words "your good. I didn't exactly make it easy for you. Or anyone else... but that's not our biggest problem right now, I mean with Vecna and Max—"

"And you" Lucas stated "your in this too. Vecna has you."

"What if he always has?" Stephenie asked "he told me. We were... alike. Look I've never told anyone this, I used to take pills up until seventh grade... than my doctor like disappeared and I stopped taking them. He said they were vitamins. Than the summer happened, I got my powers and those visions. And now that he is here. I can feel him all the time. What if I just am him?" Stephenie asked "I had this vision the other night—" she was interrupted by flashlights and yelling.

"Oh shit"

"Look, over there!" a police officer shouted, pointing in their direction. "Down by the water!"

"Get down, get down, "Max told them as they meant down behind a big tree.

"Dustin, you're a goddamn Einstein!" Robin's voice suddenly yelled through Dustin's walkie. "Steve found the gate!" Dustin turned his Walkie off and turned back.

"Shit, shit, shit," Dustin repeated. "We can't let them find Eddie." Dustin muttered before Max stood up

"Stay with me" she told them

"Wait max what the—"

"Hey officers!" Max shouted, waving her arms in the air "Over here! I found the killer! This way!" She yelled before running off and both boys followed her but Stephenie stayed in her place. Stephenie looked back and forth not wanting to just leave and looked out to see the boat moving. She heard a shriek and saw that Steve was no longer there.

"Shit" she muttered before taking not time to run into the water and quickly submerged herself under the water. She swam as quickly as she could and made her way deep under. As she got closer to the bottom she felt herself pull closer. She saw a red light and followed it to what she assumed was the gate. She touched the gate slightly before she was pulled completely by an arm.

She came out the other side of the gate, the upside down. She landed on her back and quickly stood up soaking wet and looked around seeing four figures not so far away fighting off some sort of bat. Than she noticed the one of the ground was Steve. She ran towards the group and when she was close enough a bar landed on Nancy. Stephenie stuck her arm out and used her powers to get it off her quickly. She ripped it in half and let it fall to the ground.

"What are these things?" Stephenie yelled as she panted, her nose bleeding.

"We don't know!" Nancy answered before Stephenie stuck her arm out and tilted her head to snap the bat. The last bat Steve was bashing on the ground before stepping on it and ripping it. Stephenie felt herself grow light headed.

"Jesus Christ!" Eddie yelled

"Steve" Nancy let out a breath "are you okay?"

"We'll they took about a pound of flesh" Steve answered looking down at his chest with all the bat bites "but other than that, yeah never better"

Stephenie backed up slightly, bumping into Eddie who noticed her strange body language. He gave her a worried look and helped her stand.

"Uh do you guys think these bats have rabies?"

"What?"

"It's just that rabies are like, my number one greatest fear and I think we should probably get you a doctor really soon becuase one the symptoms set in it's to late your already dead" Robin spoke before more screeches of the creatures came and they all saw them up in the air. They surrounded the gate.

"There's not that many" steve said "we can take 'em right?" He asked before more shrieks form the sky came and many more came in a swarm.

"Yeah I'm thinking that that's not gonna happen" Stephenie told him

"Woods come on!" Nancy yelled leading the group towards the forest.

"Great. More running"