Daisies || Max Mayfield

Part 3, Finale 75: Is This The End?

"It's gotta be soon, right?" Steve asked in a hushed voice.

"Be patient," Nancy whispered.

I shifted my feet in the crouched position I'd taken beside the rocket. Steve was in front of me, then Robin, and finally Nancy. He had her gun leaned against her knee, watching the house.

The bats flew around, screeching. There must've been thousands of black shapes circling the building. They look small from the ground but must've been two or three feet up close. Each had tails, and large wings that cast shadows on the ground in front of us.

Robin sniffled next to me, wiping her nose. "It's freezing."

Steve held out a hand, quieting her. "Hold on." He slowly stood, reaching out a hand to Erica's light. The orb grew brighter when he touched it, three times in a row.

A second later, her voice echoed softly through the air. "I didn't forget about you guys." Erica's accent drifted around us. "Lucas hasn't given the signal yet."

"That means he didn't get her yet," Nancy said. "So far she's okay."

"That's good," Steve added.

"No, it's not." I shuffled again, my leg beginning to cramp up. "The longer we wait, the riskier it gets."

"How do we know for sure that he's not going to go for another kid?" Robin asked. "I mean, for all we know, Vecna could be killing someone as we speak, and we wouldn't know. Do we really know that he's going to go for Max?"

"He wants Max," Nancy said. "Max said so. It's got to be her. It's got to be."

I shivered.

"She's got Kate Bush, don't worry." Steve patted my shoulder. "Besides. She's strong, she can handle herself."

"She can handle herself," I repeated, nodding. I held my crowbar in one hand, shifting my grip every minute or so. I need to be ready. I need to help kill Vecna, and save Max.

I shuddered again, cold hitting the back of my neck. There's a small gap between my hair and my collar. I pulled my turtleneck higher. 

Save Max?

The thought raced through my head, just for a split second. Why would I even question that? I want to help Max. I don't want her to die. She can't die.

She won't die.

I looked up at the voice, before realizing it was all in my head. Of course, she won't die. She won't. We'll save her, and kill Vecna. She won't die. 

She won't die.

No, she won't. She's going to go to a happy memory. She's going to go to a happy memory, and Vecna won't be able to get her there. She won't die.

She won't die.

I frowned, looking around. The voice was not the voice in my head. It sounded different. 

Don't worry Daisy, it's not Max that will die tonight.

What the fuck.

"Steve?" I glanced next to me. He was gone. "Steve?"

I stood up, looking for Robin and Nancy. They were gone too.

"Robin? Nancy?" I stepped back, hitting the rocket structure. They were gone. Like, just disappeared. The ground was undisturbed where they'd been.

"Steve?" I reached for the walkie in my backpack, fumbling it in my hands. "Steve? Where-"

I pressed the button on the walkie, holding it to my mouth. "Where is everyone?" I took a shallow breath, looking around.

The world around me was the same. The grass was still black, and vines coated just about every flat surface. The sky was dark, blue, and purple, and the bats were in the air.