Once More, With Strangeness

Chapter 9

 Becca moved through the gate, once again entering the hellscape that haunted her dreams almost every single night. It was just as disturbing as it had been six months ago, darkness covering every inch of land, that feeling that it had been left abandoned to gather dust and dirt still so apparent. She didn't know why it surprised her. Perhaps she thought that with Eddie in charge, the place might look a little warmer, a little more inviting. She had thought perhaps she would feel him in some way but no. It was just as dank, desolate, and depressing as it had been the last time she'd been here.

Her eyes searched, trying to get her bearings. The others had told her that when you went through a gate, you came out in the same place but in the Upside Down. So, they would be about an hour from Reefer Rick's. She wondered if that was where Eddie was, hiding out where he felt comfortable? It was a starting place anyway, and they had to start somewhere. It was the only place she could really think of. If not there, the only other place she could think was his trailer. Would it have been destroyed in the Upside Down as well or was it still standing? She didn't know because nothing about this place made any sense.

Becca didn't like how quiet it was, the vacuum of sound was unsettling. Where were all the beasties running to stop them? Why weren't they coming after the uninvited visitors? Why weren't they attacking? At the very least, she'd expected to hear those horrendous screeches of the bats that were the very reason she was back here again.

"Becca..."

She spun to find El coming through the gate. She did the same thing Becca did, eyes moving and assessing their surroundings. Will closely followed, eyes wide, expression a little nervous and hesitant at being back here. She didn't blame him. This kid amazed her with his willingness to keep coming back to this place that had caused his family so much pain. And then she sighed as Spike came through.

"Well, this place is bloody depressing," he muttered, looking around at the bare trees, the dark red sky that flashed red repeatedly with electricity, the constant dust floating through the air like ashy snow. "I can tell you, the first thing I'm doing is getting a maid. I can't have my new digs looking like this. What will all my friends think?"

Becca didn't even respond. She didn't need to give him any more excuses to keep talking. She would prefer to interact with him as little as possible. Steve came through next, bat at the ready and slowly dropped it when he realized nothing was coming for them. Robin followed, looking anxious as hell with Ivy right behind her. Dustin quickly followed, sword brandished like he was heading into battle. Then came Malcolm, Jax, Hopper, Joyce, Mike, Lucas, and finally Max.

"Okay, where are all the monsters?" Steve asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Becca.

"I was wondering the same thing," Becca responded, her eyes narrowing. "Why aren't they coming after us? They had to sense that someone had entered, right? Shouldn't they be protecting their territory or something? They're like the thing the beware of dog sign is talking about. Isn't that what they do? Hive mind and all?"

"Well...if they're not here, then maybe they don't know we're here?" Ivy offered. "Maybe there's just none of them around. I mean, if none of them have seen us then they can't tell the others we're here?"

"Yeah, but this whole place is a hive mind from the trees to the vines to probably the goddamn sky," Dustin muttered. "Whatever. Look, let's stop questioning why and just be happy they're not coming after us. It will make our job a hell of a lot easier. Let's find Eddie. Where are we starting?"

"Well, my thought was to head to Reefer Rick's first," Becca offered, shrugging. "I mean, I assume he would head somewhere familiar, somewhere comfortable. Not that Rick's is his favorite place but it's what he's known lately."