Billy's gone.
Ruby Buckley's world ended with him.
But Hawkins isn't done with her yet.
When strange deaths begin again, Ruby is pulled into the heart of the storm. Between shadowy nightmares, the town's newest outcast, and someone she was never s...
( songs for the chapter ) hello my old heart // the oh hellos work song // hozier
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The group stood huddled in the dim hallway, flashlights cutting narrow paths across the striped school walls. Dust shimmered in the beams like static.
"It was here," Max said, her voice trembling. She pointed toward an empty stretch of paint. "Right here."
"A grandfather clock?" Nancy asked, stepping closer.
Max nodded, breath unsteady.
Ruby went still. Her flashlight wavered slightly in her hand. She remembered it too, that fleeting image of the clock face blinking into view, the sound of its ticking echoing in her skull like a heartbeat. She'd pushed it down earlier, convinced it was her imagination. But now, watching Max tremble, she knew it wasn't.
She couldn't let herself show it, though. Not now.
"It was so real," Max whispered. "And then I got closer, and- I just... woke up."
Ruby laid a hand on her shoulder, gentle and grounding. "It's okay, Maxi. You're okay."
Dustin turned to the others, voice tight. "That's exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy. Like, she was in some kind of trance."
Max turned around, eyes glassy, her fear rising past the point of holding it in. "That's not even the bad part."
***
They reconvened in Ms. Kelley's office, the air heavier than before. Papers were spread across the desk, flashlights set down but still flickering faintly.
Max stood behind the desk, her hands gripping the edge as though it could keep her anchored. Ruby leaned silently against the wall behind her, arms crossed but eyes soft, ready to catch Max if she fell apart.
"Fred and Chrissy both came to Miss Kelley for help," Max said, gesturing to the open files. "They were having headaches, bad ones. And then the nightmares started. Waking up in cold sweats. Seeing things. From their past." Her voice cracked. "And it just got worse and worse, until it... ended."
Robin scanned the counselor's notes, brow furrowed. "Vecna's curse."
"Chrissy's headaches started a week ago," Max added quietly.
Ruby's heart began to pound.
"Fred's- six days ago."
The silence after that was suffocating.
Max swallowed hard. "I've been having them for fivedays." Her voice was barely audible.
The room froze.
Everyone was quiet for a beat.
And just like that, the puzzle solved itself inside Ruby's head.
She stared at the floor, forcing the words out. "And I've been having them for four."
