𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE SEVENTEEN: crayon drawn memories

so, it's been a while? lol.

-

"hey dustin this is eddie the banished, are you there?" and the girl whose whole body was numb awoke, robin still laid on top of her. arms tightly wrapped around her. she tried to find a way out from under robin but nancy had awoken too. reaching to grab the radio.

"hey, it's nancy."

"wheeler, hey! i'm going to need a food delivery really soon unless you want me to go out into the world." eddie spoke, his voice coming out rather echoey and robotic.

"no. no. no. don't do that." nancy mumbled, running a hand down her face.

"i'll go shopping.'' piper spoke and nancy threw a look over to the girl. she could barely see her from under robin but she was there.

"yeah, tell piper to pick up a six pack. i know it's stupid as shit drinking right now but a cold beer would really-" he started before piper asked where max had gone. piper dragged herself from under robin, groaning as she hit the floor. whilst nancy woke up dustin, who groaned as he hit his head on the tv behind him.

"dustin, wake up." piper spat. knocking the boys head to the side, making sure he wouldn't hit the tv. which he did anyways as nancy joined her.

"aren't you supposed to be on max watch"

"yep. yep. yep!"

"well, where is she?"

"she's right there-" he spoke pointing to the sofa where max had once been laid. the spot that was no longer occupied. sheets left in a tangled mess showing her once location. and piper, nancy and dustin ran up the stairs to search for max. only to find her sat at the kitchen table with holly, the youngest wheeler sister.

"morning guys, everything okay?" karen asked as she picked off the burning pan from the cooker. noticing the worried look upon her daughter's face.

"oh hello parker, how's your mum?'' karen asked as she plated ted's food. max looked over her shoulder at piper's name. piper missed when the girl would grin ear to ear with her.

"yeah she's good, great even." piper mumbled before joining max at the table. karen didn't know what was going on with the group, nor did she want to know. watching her daughter's ex boyfriend, his ex girlfriend and the kids coming together wasn't exactly what she expected to see.

"i think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this."

"could try sticking together at a different house for a change."

"yeah of course mr wheeler, i'll ask mary if we can stay over mine some more." piper spoke and karen gave the girl a smile. she liked that girl. she had mixed thoughts on her at first, being one of steve's ex girlfriends as was her own daughter but she was kind. she had seen how piper was with max, sister-like friends.

"you know you guys are welcome here anytime."

"you're like family, may i?" dustin asked, looking at the pie of pancakes, karen missed this. missed when the group of boys would be sat at her table scoffing the panales, they were all so little back then. how times had changed, those days when piper was still out of town. karen remembered the old piper, not many did but she did. she remembered the little girl with pigtails and bright eyes. the bright eyes filled with tears as she watched her only friend leave her for popularity. what the fuck had happened between steve and piper for it go this wrong again. nancy is sitting in the other seat beside max. the headphones remained on her head but her free hand rested over piper's on the table. the other using holly's crayons to draw. the drawing was red, a place that seemed far too familiar with piper. like something she had seen in her dreams.

"hey.'' max mumbled looking up at the older girl with curly hair.

"hey. you okay?'' nancy replied as max took off her headphones, handing a piece of paper to piper and a black crayon. letting her draw as well.

"i just couldn't sleep, people kept blasting music in my ears for some reason."

"it's only temporary." piper informed her it was dustin's plan. they didn't know anything else to go off when it came to vecna's curse. piper was always lucky enough to snap out just at the right time. she had never floated before though, he was trying harder with the others.

"but holly let me borrow some of her crayons. we've been having fun right, holly?"

"is this what you saw last night?"

"i mea, it's supposed to be. i thought it would be easier to draw it out then to explain it, but not so much."

"is that?"

"chrissy." piper mumbled looking over to the drawing max had made. two twisted figures upon red vines pillars. she had seen this, the faces twisted in their moments before death.

"it's like they were on display or something. and there's like this red fog everywhere. it was like a dream.'' max mumbled, fumbling over her own words as she tried to explain it.

"like a nightmare." piper shuddered, knowing that it was to feel.

"you think vecna's trying to scare you?"

"but with billy? yeah. but when i made it here, i dunno. something was different. he seemed surprised almost. like he didn't want me there."

"maybe you infiltrated his mind. he invaded your mind right? is that a big leap to suggest you somehow wound up in his? like freddy krueger's boiler room.'' dustin added as he joined them at the table, scoffing his plate of pancakes.

"freddy krueger?" holly questioned looking up from her doodle of dolls.

"he's a super burned up dude with razors for fingers. and he kills you in your dreams." dustin explained not realising he was explaining a nightmare-ish killer to a child

"dustin! seriously?"

"no but wait, he's right. maybe it's a place. a place that horrifies him. his own personal nightmare." piper added, raising her gaze from her drawing. a sketch of a face. before looking back down as nancy glanced at her.

"is this a window?"

"yeha."

"stained glass with roses." and piper'shead snapped up once more. remembering the small window from her dream. remembering rubbing dirt from the yellow of the window, trying to look at her locked dreamstate captivity. only to find dust inside.

"it's a house.'' piper spoke as she stared down at the window. it was a house. a tall dark once that she had seen in her dreams. the creel house. nancy stared at her before looking at the drawing once more. the pieces forming in her mind. she was right. folding pieces and forming them into the shape of a house. doodling the missing windows.

"it's victor creel's house." nancy mumbled.and piper heard the faint chime of a clock. it tickles her ears and seeps into her mind. vecna.