shadows of the night. // Eddie Munson x OC

017 ✧ Rite of Passage

A/N: A plan hatches to keep Hawkins safe. Also I managed to sneak smut in. Thanks for reading if you're with me. I've been very busy with some life and mental health stuff. Still here though. If anyone likes the story, please leave words. I'm hunnybee038 on TT. Comments, recs, votes would be so great. Let me know you're out there? Thanks again!! xx

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   "C'mon, we gotta get away from here. No telling how long this one will be open," Eddie murmured into Fi's wet hair, "like the rest of them."

"Rest?" She rasped, eyes lifting to dart. Huge and twitching. "You've...You've known about all of this?"

Still breathing too heavy as they pulled away, Phoenix wobbled trying to get up. Robin and Nancy pushed in to help.

"Fi, what happened in March," Eddie began, "it's complicated. We can explain everything. I promise."

Eddie didn't break those. Not to her. Clutching his jacket and a towel close, they tried to secure the metal door and made their way to Eddie's van to pack back up. Nancy ushered Fi to the old mattress in the corner.

Steve took the wheel again because Eddie wasn't leaving his roommate's side. Phoenix caught her breath. Barely. Curled up there to put some distance between her friends who spent those long summer nights hiding things.

"Phoenix," Nancy crouched down. The kids behind her as Robin took the passenger seat and Eddie came to the foot of the mattress. Eyes scanning for injuries. "Are you hurt anywhere badly?"

"Just got thrown around a bunch," she paused when Nancy pushed a familiar painting under a flashlight. "Why do you have that?"

"You painted that place...months before even knowing about it."

Fi's lip wobbled. A strange realization sparked.

"I've been dreaming about it...for..." A few aimless blinks. Fi looked down at the bite indented into her wrist. Voice dim, she told them about the encounter. "It was one of those...things wasn't it?"

"A demodog," Dustin chirped before Eddie's knuckles tapped at his arm. They both gestured wildly at each other but Nancy went on.

"Henry. The monster you met in there. We call him Vecna. He started all of it. He controls it and he...I don't know, maybe he always had eyes on certain people in town. People who went through terrible things. He feeds from that trauma and he doesn't stop," Nancy's eyes flicked to Fi's shoulder that was now covered. "Dani told us what happened by the shop. Can you tell us where those things took you?"

Fi shuddered, head tilting aside.

"Why were those bats after you?" Dustin eased. "You can tell us."

Phoenix sparked even brighter, eyes on Dani.

"They weren't after me," she realized. "They dragged me into the forest. Dropped me in Helen Downs' backyard. She was acting a way I'd never seen her before."

"Your boss?" Eddie narrowed and Fi nodded.

"That place...there's a door like the one I came through in her basement, she gave me to it and I... I trusted her," Fi covered her lips. "That place. It gave her some...some influence. It made her a promise. She lost her daughter in the mall fire and I think she's trying to take Dani. I think she wants to put her daughter in Dani. That thing in there made her promises."

"Me?" Dani held herself. Eyes darting. "She's been friendlier. Always inviting Chris and I for dinner. She probably took my wallet to lure us back. She keeps telling me I'm like her little girl. Carrie. She was always so nice. Her and her daughter. We have the same birthday."