Brave Like You (Steve Harrington)

Thirty-Six.

We made it to Lover's lake by the time it was dark out. Dustin's compass was wigging out according to him. Us older kids got into the boat, leaving Dustin, Max, and Lucas behind, and I made sure he had Dustin's compass. I gave it to Robin to navigate.

Candy had to sit on my lap so we'd have enough room in the boat. When we got out far enough, I said I was going in, and made Candy move.

"Steve," she said, and I knew what was coming next.

"No, no arguments. I was Captain of the swim team. If anyone is going down there, it's me. I'll be fine, I promise." I kissed Candy on the lips, "I love you."

"I love you, too, you stupid idiot."

I smiled at her remark and then I took my yellow sweater off and tossed at Eddie to mess with him. He caught it and threw it aside as I jumped into the lake.

It took me a second to find the gate, but I did at the bottom. I only resurfaced for a moment before I was pulled back down into the water. I tried to fight off whatever had my foot, but I couldn't. When I resurfaced, I could only be in the Upside Down. The air was dark, and red lightning flashed around. This was not a welcoming place.

Something wrapped around my neck. Then these bird-like creatures began pecking at my sides. No wait. They weren't birds. They were more like bats, and they were biting into me. They were eating me raw. Oh God this was so disgusting. I held onto the one around my neck so I could breathe, but it didn't really matter when I was being eaten alive.

"This way!" I heard a voice, it was Nancy.

Nancy killed the one of the ones that was eating me with the oar from the boat. I sat up looking at them bewildered to see all of them. "Hey there," she said, and then she bashed in the other one that was trying to eat him.

Robin stomped on the tail of the one choking me, and Nancy killed it by bashing it with the oar. "Eddie!" Candy exclaimed, "Look out!"

A bat was flying towards us. Eddie turned to face it and bashed it with the other oar. Candy used the flashlight in attacking the airborne bats while Robin did the same thing to the bats that were attacking me still.

A bat latched onto Nancy, Candy pulled it by the tail to get it off and then bashed it into the ground as Eddie and Robin fought more bats in the air. I got the bat off from around my neck and bashed it side to side on the ground, blood pouring from his mouth as he looked back up at us once it was dead.

"Jesus Christ," Eddie said, his tone exasperated, "Jesus H. Christ!" He turned to look at his sister, "I told you we should have stayed on the boat."

"Steve!" Candy yelled, totally ignoring her brother, and she ran to me. "Are you okay, Baby?"

"Yeah," I breathe. I wasn't okay, I was panting for breath. She wrapped an arm around me to guide me. She knew I needed help, and she wasn't about to let me struggle. "Babe, I said I'm fine."

Her voice was stern, I knew better than to argue with her on this. "No you're not. You're losing blood, come on."

She walked us to a rock and made me stand up against it. She then ripped off the bottom of her shirt, and wrapped it around my waist to stop the bleeding. "There," she said, "that should help."

"Thanks," I said, my voice still so beathey like I was struggling to breathe.

"I'm not going to let you die," she said, as she finished tying off the self made truncate. She stood up then, and she touched my face, "I need you."

"I need you, too," I admit, "Thank you." I lean down to kiss her on the lips.

Robin spoke up next, "Alright you guys, we get it, you're in love." We laughed as she stepped back from me. Robin looked at Candy, and she noticed her now exposed midriff. "Those workouts have been paying off."