Salt To The Wound (A Stranger Things Story)

Season 3-Chapter 14: 144 Hours Missing. (Maxs POV

Max had a gut feeling that El was alive out there, that she didn't have much time left to save her. Nobody really believed her but she didn't need them and she would prove them wrong.

She didn't have to go to school anymore and so she grabbed Nancy, Steve, Robin, and Jonathan to go investigate. "I promise you all, she's alive." Max said as they went over to the police department. "Let's check here first," Max said and the four nodded. "I know in like every horror movie ever splitting up is a bad idea. But we should to cover more ground." Max suggested and they agreed. "I'll go with Steve," Jonathan said, "I'll go with Robin," Nancy said and Max nodded. "I'll go alone," she said and so Steve and Jonathan went to the left, Robin and Nancy went to the right and she went ahead.

She walked down the department, technically they were breaking and entering but no one was here. She turned on the flashlight and continued to walk. She looked around and the place seemed dark until she got to a room, it seemed to be the detectives room. She tried to open it but it was locked and she was put of luck.

"Look it's locked but there has to be something here," she said looking at the four for reassurance and they nodded. "Now listen I know it's illegal, but what if we dig her body up," Max said and Robin and Jonathan's eyes went wide. "Uhm Max I can't get in trouble woth the law, I might loose my scholarship," Jonathan said and Max nodded. "I don't get paid enough as is I cant afford to get in trouble," Robin said and she nodded. "I've already graduated, I'm in," Nancy said and Steve agreed. "Let's do it," Max said and so the three left to go to the grave.

They snuck to the graveyard and there was the grave. They could possibly risk going to jail but El was more important. Together they dug up the body and sure enough there was a key around her neck. She took off the key and the smell that was coming from her was atrocious. "Hey!," a guard said and he had a dog. They took the key and ran, having adrenaline in their blood. "Holy shit-," Nancy said and they lost him. Max was trying to catch her breath and somewhere between all of that running, she dropped the key. "Fuck!," she yelled and Nance and Steve looked at her. "We need to go back, I dropped the key." And Nancy and Steve glared at her. "Sorry, let's go," she said and so they snuck over the fence looking for the key. And they couldn't find it and Max was so dissapointed with herself for this.

She layed on her bed looking up realizing she just failed El. She looked up with her headphones on thinking about what she could've possibly found in that room. Coordinates maybe to where El is, maybe at least identification on who the kidnapper was. She got up and took off her headphones. She looked in her mirror, "Ugh my hair," she said looking at it. "It needs a trim," she said and she decided to head to a stylist.

"So you want it trimmed to above your shoulders?" She asked and Max nodded. It was as if she was going through a crisis of sorts but he hair was annoying her anyways and maybe she'd like the new style. And yes she did she smiled at her new look and gave the stylist a tip and went back home, she decided to go back to graveyard and find that key, alone.

She finally found it. "Aha-,"she said and someone touched her back. "Tresspassing again hmm," the guard from earlier said. "Oh shit," she said and before the guard handcuffed her she put the key in her back pocket.

"I did nothing wrong," she said talking to the guard from inside the cell. "You thought cutting your hair would make me think that it wasn't you?" He asked and she put both her hands on the bars. "I need to get out of here I have something to do," she said and he looked at her. "You need an adult that knows you and you know then to get you out. "Yeah sure I have someone in mind," she said and he handed her the phone and she called Joyce. "Listen I'm in a bad situation," she said and Joyce sighed. "Whats wrong," she asked and Max held smiled. "I was trespassing into a graveyard don't ask why and the guard caught me so I need you to come get me out," she said and Joyce sighed again. "Okay I'll be on my way," she said and Max smiled. "Thanks," she said before hanging up the phone.

"Before I let you go anywhere else you need to have people with you. I can't have you getting into danger like that." Joyce said and Max shrugged. "Right now Dustin and Lucas are in school," she said and Joyce looked at her. "Well what about Mike and Will their at the house or even Troy?" Joyce asked and Max looked at her. "Well right now the groups kind of drifted apart with everything going on so they really aren't an option," Max said and Joyce picked up her phone. "Well there's always Steve, Nancy, Robin, Jonathan, Argyle, and Eddie," Joyce said and Max looked at her confusingly. "Uh who's Argyle and Eddie?" She asked and Joyce smiled. "You would love them," she said and Max trusted her.

A van pulled up and Jonathan, Steve, Nancy, and Robin came out from the back. But two guys she wasn't familiar with came out from the two front sweats. "So your Max?" The one with black fizzlyhair asked and she nodded. "I'm Eddie, Eddie Munson," he said smiling at her and she smiling back. "I'm Argyle," the other one said and he put out his hand for her to shake it, she shook his hand, "I'm Max," she said as she smiled and he nodded. The seven made their way to the police station ready to get down to whatever this was.