𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE TWENTY EIGHT. real or not real

"those stains are, uh... i dunno what those stains are.'' eddie commented as max and lucas dropped the mattress from eddie's bed on the floor below the opening on their side. the group of three girls staring up in disgust at the boy.

"eddie, that's disgusting." piper groaned, turning to look away, the yellow stained sheets making her feel sick. she knew he was dirty, he was a metalhead but a leave it on the mattress kinda guy. ew. dustin held what seemed to be a makeshift rope in his hands,made from pillows and sheets the had found. and steve looked at piper as it fell through, almost begging her to go first.

"i would go fist, but i have bad luck." she commented pushing robin forward slightly who tugged on the rope almost testing it before looking back to glare at her.

"okay, guess i'm the guinea pig." she snarled, lifting up the rope slightly. so the rope held. she climbed up, using all her strength and a weightless pulling pulled over her as she fell down on the mattress on the other side. nancy is going next, not wasting another second. clearly wanting to get out badly. landing softly on the other side with a slightly thump where she hit the mattress. her hair was a mess but she was happy to be safe. and eddie looked between piper and steve. he didn't want to give them a moment alone, but he still found himself reaching for the rope. she wanted steve. not him. and she definitely wouldn't want him now seeing the mattress so he climbed, ignoring the lump in his throat like something bad was going to happen. and he found the face of dustin blocking the two on the other side as he landed on the mattress. the curly haired boy reminding them of a puppy meeting his friend again.

"see you in a minute." she smiled, looking back at him. knowing he wanted her to go before him anyways. and she she did, reaching for the rope. struggling to climb up as a shiver ran down her spine. the sting of cold on her hip. no. and she let go of the rope. hands slipping as a weightless feeling covering her. but her back didn't meet the mattress instead. she hit water. the sting of ice cold water concealing the one on her hip. and steve noticed the girls pause in between before she fell back to him. a look of worry painted on his face as he reached out. only to find her eyes white. frame frozen.

"vecna.'' max whispered and steve screamed, shaking her shoulder violently as if attempting to wake her up. he didn't have music.

piper cried as she swimmed to the top, breaking ot to find herself in the woods. a tent set up in the trees. no. she spun in circles, screaming. hoping that he would reveal himself. when he did. just as a something passed her in the water. the lump of a rotting body.

"how many people are you going to kill." he snarled and she screamed in anger. covering her ears, be fake. be fake. not real.

"or will you deny, you helped me kill." no. she didn't. it's not real. he drowned. he saved her. he wasn't cursed. vecna wasn't even around. he died. she swam for the edge. maybe she could run again. but once she did. her fingers don't touch the dead grass of the bank. but touching the wood of stairs. she found herself at the grand staircase of the creel house. and she watched as the place change once more, the reddish glow growing natural as a family entered the now fixed house. a young girl that remind her of  youngerself passed her, rushing up the stairs. she followed, a memory was playing. he was showing her something, something he wanted her to see. a young boy playing with spiders from a vent. figures rushing past as different memory played. no. she didn't want to see this. she had no idea what was going on. why couldn't someone like nancy see this. someone smart. so she ran, for the door. only to appear through others. he was explaining it to her, everything that happened. victor creel was not vecna, his son. henry was. and henry was the first hawkins lab rat. she was listening to the dr standing before henry. dr martin brenner.

"but the truth is he didn't just want to study me. he wanted more. he wanted to control. when papa finally realised he could not control me. he tried to recreate me." it explained. she stared at his particular vision. a young boy strapped to the bed screaming, crying as needles poked his skin. she could only stand and watch as dr brenner ordered for more. he created more, just like him.

"but he had an idea. an awful, inhuman idea. what if he were to not just recreate my powers. but me." she watched as a random pregnant women lay lifeless. blood covering the white room. staining it all in red. all over but a baby who lay in her arms. and her face concelad in a blur. he didn't know her. poor girl.

"piper.'' dr brenner whispered, taking the girl from the dead womens arms. and he found himself staring back into the bright blue eyes of his invention. of the creation he had made from 001. the lights buzzing as the baby screamed, it whailed. piper held her breath. not real. he was playing with her.

"you are just like me." he snarled. she screamed, feeling the warmth around her ears. lifting her hands to find red coating her fingers.

"you are me."

and she ran, finding a door to her left she slammed it open. electricity buzzing around her from the lights which flickered. white halls painted with blood. bodies. and she turned right, left, then right again. not even knowing where she was going and she was sure she was stuck in some kind of maze. when the word exit buzzed above the door at the end of the corridor. wooden planks hammered into the door. and she sprinted. ignoring the sounds of him walking to her. she had to escape. maybe if she ran the tear would appear. they would save her right. but behind the door was nothing but the same room she started in. the dead women. the crying child. her. the baby. piper. a lab rat.

and the electric buzzing finally stopped, followed by a swift pop and smash as the room filled with darkness and all she could hear was the sound of her own gasps. not real.