𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE NINETEEN. holding out for a hero

the group of seven stood in the dining room, staring up at the flickering lights. the chandeliers flickering ever so prettily. the glass hanging gems twinkled slightly as they shook. steve watches the lights reflect in piper's eyes, making them look even more breathtakingly beautiful than ever. before turning back to the lights.

"it's like the christmas lights." nancy spoke, staring up at the lights. the rest of the group stood with her. piper sideying steve, his warm skin flushed with the warm light of the sparkling lights. the smile on his face was as bright as ever.

"the christmas lights?" robin question, confused as to what she had meant.

"yeah, when will was in the upside down. the lights came to life." this was news to piper, she had no idea that this had happened. steve had warned her hawkins wasn't safe but he never told her the indirect details. obviously he wouldn't tell her he went over to the house to apologise to his ex-girlfriend only to fight these hellish demons with the said ex and her new boyfriend.

"vecna's here. in this house. just on the other side." the lights gave their final flicker. dustin trying to figure out if it were some kind of morse code message.

. - - . . . . - - . . . - .

before they flickered off.

"i think he just left the room." robin stated.

"did he hear us?"

"can he see us?"

"headphones.'' lucas ordered and max quickly put them on. following his orders, running up that hill played softly in her mind.

"it was a name.'' robin whispered, still staring up at the lights. figuring out what the code was.

"who?'' nancy questioned as dustin turned to them. looking to nancy, and then to steve. and then the empty spot beside him.

"steve-"

"no, why me?"

"no. where's piper?" and he turned to look at the now vacant spot between him and max. the lingering cherry scent still faded into the air. and somewhere in the distance a clock chimed.

she looked up at the lights, mesmerised by the pretty flickering when they cut off. the sparkles fizzled away, leaving her standing alone in the dark. wait. why was she alone, she looked around.no sign of the rest of the group. finding a figure looming in the shadows, a faint heartbeat and then a chime of a clock. no.

tick

"piper." a voice called, the figure stepping forward. watching the vine like skin fade into human flesh. blond hair and boyish blue eyes. the eyes of the forever seventeen brother. thomas stood before her, his skin wet and rotting. not real. his skin pale and held a grey touch, dead. drowned in the water. saving her.

"you can't stop him," he cried. the blood seeping through his shirt. it never made sense how thomas had drowned, he was an expert swimmer. but talent was nothing against unpredictable water. she moved back.

"he'll kill you, like you killed me." it cracked, water falling from the darkened lips as it stumbled.

"no. please, no." she cried, feeling the cold seeping in as she looked at her feet. water flushing into the dining room.

"steve! max! please!" piper screamed as her brother lifted into the air. unlike the others he wasn't flying, he was floating. hair swishing around him as if he were in water. watching as his limbs were thrown around. cowering into the wall of the dining room. trying to succumb to the thought of the water now at her knees. hearing the sickening crunch of a bone as his arm twisted in the opposite direction. her brother blankly stared, screaming in silence as it happened. no, it wasn't really her brother. it was an illusion. noticing a crack in the door she had come through with her friends. and she ran. ignoring the disgusting crack noise of his bones before he cried, water flushing into his body. unknown to her that on the other side her friends were screaming for her. trying to find where she had disappeared to, scared she would be caught in vecna's curse. but she was already here.