Family Line - Dustin Henderson

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Dustin and River stood off to the side watching as Steve lent closer towards the metal doors, leading down into Dustin's cellar. Apparently Dart had somehow ended up back in Dustin's possession, and had malted once more and eaten the boys cat. Dustin had then trapped Dart in his Cellar outside his house.

"I don't hear shit." Steve shook his head holding a bat with hundreds of metal screws sticking out of it.

"He's in there." Dustin reassured glancing up at the older teen, who leaned forwards lightly hitting the metal door with his bat. Still there was no sound. Steve once again hit the door, much harder this time.

"All right, listen, kid. I swear, it this is some sort of Halloween prank," Steve turned to the curly haired boy shining his torch straight into his eyes, "You're dead."

"it's not." The light didn't leave the boys face, "it's not. Get it out of my face."

"You got a key for this thing?" Steve questioned. Dustin turned running off in the direction of his house while Steve turned towards River, "You believe this?"

"Well, I mean... I did see it at the school. That's when it escaped. But I d-don't know how Dustin ended up with it again." Steve nodded. River looked around nervously, it had gotten dark fast. 

He'd never been a huge fan of the dark, it always freaked him out. You never knew what was hiding out in the shadows. His dad had always laughed at him for keeping a night light in his room. 

Though he would never let anyone get rid of that night light, the dark just brought up too many bad memories from his childhood which he preferred not to relive. Like that one night his dad had entered his room, drunk out of his mind. 

River wasn't even sure if the man knew what he was doing, but all the boy knew was that it hurt like hell. How a man could hurt his son like that, River didn't know. 

Dustin came running back chucking the key at Steve who quickly caught it, leaning down to unlock the door, glancing up at River who had gone suddenly quiet all of a sudden. He pulled the doors open grabbing the torch open shinning the light down into the cellar.

"He must be further down there." Dustin muttered. River didn't come any closer than he already was, if there was a weird creepy monster down there, which ate cats. He wasn't going anywhere near it, "I'll stay up here with River... In case it tries to escape."

Steve shook his head in disbelief before slowly walking off down the stairs. The two boys waited at the top, River still not coming anywhere near the entrance. Dustin leaned down when Steve disappeared for a while, "Steve?" There was no reply, "Steve, what's going on down there?"

He suddenly appeared at the bottom, shining the light up into Dustin's face, "Get down here." 

Dustin looked back at River, lightly grabbing the boys hand pulling him down the steps with him when he made no move to join them. River made sure to stay hidden behind Dustin the whole time.

Steve stood waiting for them at the bottom, holding his bat up which had a strange gloop hanging of it.

"Oh, shit." Dustin groaned going to let go of River's hand only for him to tighten his hold on Dustin's not letting him go. He knew if he let go of Dustin, he'd probably run straight back up the stairs and hide in Steve's car. He wasn't brave.

Steve shone his light towards the end wall were a large hole was drilled through the wall, "Oh, shit!" The three walked forwards leaning down to get a closer look as Steve shone his light through it revealing that the hold was infact a tunnel which seemed to go on and on.

They all agreed to meet back up at Dustin's house in the morning, when things were light again and they could actually see. Steve had gone ahead, while River stayed behind. Dustin had said he needed to talk to him.

"S-so what d-do you n-need?" River asked glancing nervously around the yard reassuring himself that Steve was just waiting in the car. If Dart suddenly appeared out of nowhere all they had to do was yell and Steve would be there.

"I just wanted to say, I think Max is worried about you." 

River looked up in surprise at the boys words, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, ""W-w-worried?"

"Yeah, I mean... she said that she hadn't seen you since you left the other night, she was worried that you'd ran away or something." Dustin sighed seeing the anxious look on River's face, "She's not mad. Just worried."

"Did... Did she s-say anything else?" What if she'd told Dustin why he'd ran away. Then the boy would really know how much of a fairy he was, how he was weak and scared all the time. He didn't want Dustin to know that, he really didn't.

"Nothing else really. I was thinking of coming to look for you, I mean I thought maybe you'd broke your promise and ran back to California." Dustin laughed when he saw the smile on his friends face.

"Hey!" They both turned to find Steve stood at the bottom of the path, "It's getting late, come on."

River nodded turning back to Dustin, "I'll s-see you t-tomorrow."

"You better, last time you said that you didn't turn up at school the next day."

River nodded walking off down the path towards Steve waving back at Dustin, Steve smirked following the boy towards his car, "So you ready to go home yet?"

River thought for a moment, "Yeah, I gotta go back at some point."

Steve nodded, "Okay, if anything happens you know where I am."

River pushed open the door to his house, sighing in relief when he found it was unlocked. He turned around making sure not to make any noise as he closed the door behind him.

"River?"

The boy spun round his eyes wide when he found Max sitting on the sofa in pyjamas. River frowned checking the clock on the wall, it was late, Max should be asleep. Dad would throw a fit if he knew either of them were still awake.

"He's not here." Max spoke as if she had read his mind, "I think he's at the bar." 

River nodded standing awkwardly before finally speaking, "I-i'm sorry." His eyes didn't leave the floor as he spoke, "I didn't mean to worry you."

Withing seconds he felt arms wrap around his shoulders and ginger hair filled his face, he quickly held his own arms out wrapping them around Max's waist, "It's okay. I'm just glad your okay."