Against all odds || Stranger Things 4 | Hellcheer

Chapter 31

Chrissy doesn't understand much about the conversation taking place between that so-called El through the walkie-talkie. More likely she's not paying much attention to it. There's a strange tingle in the back of her head that draws her toward the gate. Toward that other world spreading just behind the red membrane. Eddie's hand is squeezing hers too tight, her skin is itchy. She needs to move.

She can feel Eddie trying to pull her back as she walks away. Part of her wants him to follow her, the other only cares about the gate. She wonders if something's waiting for her on the other side...If Vecna can see her through that fleshy veil. Eddie eventually lets go of her hand. She steps closer to the gate, walking past Steve and Lucas.

"Hey, don't get too close," warns Steve.

She stops. Behind her, Nancy and Dustin are still chatting with El. She feels Steve behind her, ready to grad her.

"Have you been on the other side," she asks.

"Me? No...I mean, I went into a tunnel created by those vines. It was sort of an...extension of the Upside Down."

She turns to face him. The tingle has turned into a full goosebump. Something inside her wants to surrender to it and step over. From the corner of her eyes, she can see Eddie staring at them.

"How was it?"

Steve looks down at her with a frown.

"There's this dust flying everywhere. Gets into your throat and all... But look, with El's powers back, we probably won't have to go through that gate. You don't need to worry about it."

She wants to explain how she feels pulled toward it, wants to ask if any of them experienced that before. But it's too stupid. Too weird. They're going to think she's crazy. Maybe she is...Maybe after having shared her mind with Vecna so many times, part of it remains in her.

Steve gives her the stiff smile of someone who doesn't know what else to say. To think a few years ago she might have fallen off her chair if he'd only looked at her in class. And sure, he's easy on the eye, but nothing compares to Eddie's smiles. She glances toward him, but before she can read the expression on his face there's a violent tug on her ankle. She stumbles forward into Steve's arms as he falls backward. It all happens too fast for any of them to even scream. They cling onto each other as they slide on the floor. Something yanks them in the air and swirls them around. A disgusting wet sound tells her they just flew through the gate.

She lands on the over side on her back, almost letting go of Steve when he crashes onto her. They zoom through the doorway, ram into the opposite wall while still sliding on the uneven floor.

Chrissy realizes whatever is pulling them isn't clasped around her ankle anymore. There must be another - she'd rather not try to figure out what it is - on Steve. She tries to move her legs, to use her feet to slow them down, clutching harder at Steve to prevent him for slipping away.

Her foot catches on something. For a split second, she thinks she can leverage them against it but it only sends them flying in the air, passing an open fire door and falling over, on Steve this time. She tenses, expecting another pull, but nothing happens. Steve's hold gets looser and she wearily let go of him too.

As they untangle themselves, they can hear footsteps rushing toward them. And something growling...

*

Eddie stares blankly at the gaping hole in the wall that just swallowed Chrissy and Harrington. The room is erupting around him, but he just can't move. He can barely register what his eyes are seeing.