𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE THIRTY. seeing isn't believing

she did her best at explaining what she had seen, her frame shaking as she sat alone. turned away not wanting to meet their eyes as she looked out of the window. the sky is hopefully blue above them. unlike the cloud of grey she had seen over hawkins. she made sure not to mention anything related to genetic things, because it wasn't real. he was taunting her, tricking her. she wasn't, she couldn't. when a shiver ran over her, like someone else had joined the room. the same feeling that passed over her when she lay nearly lifeless in the russian base. like an interdimensional being. maybe vecna stood in the same spot watching them, knowing that she was scared to say.

el stood watching her friends, max trying to ring the wheeler house phone with no avail. dead signal, line busy. and she looked over to piper, the girl almost looking right at her. and she sa it, the link in features between the two. piper had the same eyes as her father. same blue eyes, unlike his, her’s were not tainted with evil. not yet anyways. she didn't think piper would do something like that, she hoped it a merely possibility.

"this phones been busy now for what, three days now. it's not joyce, no way. somethings wrong."

"she's right. it can't be just coincidence. it can't be." nancy spoke as she stood up, moving to look out the window. hoping what piper said to be false. hawkins would not fall.

"but vecna can't hurt them, not if he's dead. we have to go back in there."

"back to the upside down?" piper questioned, her eyes wide. she didn't know if she had any strength left. deep down, she hoped he would just kill her. let her die. but she knew he wouldn't. he couldn't or she would be his final kill. no, he needed her. what for she did not know, but there was something missing from his plan. like a puzzle piece hidden under a rug.

"no, no, no. what?"

"nope." eddie and steve started almost immediately standing in response.

"let's think this through." steve ordered striding towards nancy who had almost moved from her spot. stood in front of piper

"what is there to think through?" she complained standing up against him once more.

"we barely made it out of there." he cried. failing his arms around in defence. he looked almost like a kid having a tantrum, but in his defence, fair enough.

"yea because we weren't prepared. but this time we will. we'll get weapons and protection." nancy replied, looking through the group. hoping at least one of them agreed. they weren't all terrified of him, where they?

"piper nearly died, i got bit!" steve shouted back, pointing to the still stiff girl and the blooded bandages on his hips.

"well go through the gate, we'll find his lair. and we'll kill him."

"or he'll kill us. the only reason piper survived, twice may i add, is because he wants her too. he's not scared of us." he sneered again, forcing himself not to poke his finger into her shoulder like he used to when people irritate him.

"and for a good reason. we were wrong about vecna. henry. one. sorry, what are we calling him now? right. we've learnt something new about vecna, henry, one. he's a number like eleven.only a sick, evil male child nurding version of her with really bad skin. but my point is, he's super powerful. he could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. it's not a fair fight." robin exclaimed, clambering up from her spot. stumbling to join the lovers quarrel.

"so then why fight fair? you're right, he's like eleven. but that gives us an upper hand. we know elevens strengths. and weakness." dustin added as he too joined the conversation. the whole group adding snippets to the conversation but she found herself keeping her eyes trained away from anyone. she couldn't look at anyone without seeing herself. the image of herself covered in blood. it made her wonder, was it hers? or somebody else's blood? she wanted to be sick, it wasn't real piper.

"weaknesses?"

"god, this is ridiculous. i am going for a piss." and so she ran for the bathroom, the sudden realisation of her dreamstate still lingering cold on her skin. did that mean she had powers? it would explain the glass in the mall. but she had neve experienced something like what el had told her. she couldn't have powers. she was quick to lock the door behind her. cold hands wrapping against the porcelain edge. ignoring the reflection that was most definitely blank judging her. her eyes stared down into the sink. the sting of tears soon disappeared as her breathing calmed. when she could have sworn she saw red liquid lifting up the pipes. painting the white sink as it rose. she leaned closer, wondering if the pipes were blocked or something. when blood bubbled over the drain and slowly filled the sink. and she bucketed it out of the room. feeling her heart tracing in her chest as she ran back to the group. finding them all still stood there. real.

"i can still feel him. i'm still marked. cursed. i ditch kate bush, i draw his focus back to me." she heard max speak as she joined them oncemore.

"over my dead body." piper shouted, standing tall as she strode into the room. she was imagining things. the red blood in the sink and for a moment she was thankful she didn't look at her reflection. god doesn't even know what would be looking back at her.

"max. you can't. he'll kill you." lucas cried, turning to look at the ginger girl.

"but he can't kill me." and everyone turned back to look at piper. her eyes were lit up, a plan on her face. anything to save max. even if it meant handing herself over.

"what?" eddie questioned, not understanding what she meant. here goes nothing.

"i think... i think i'm like him." she mumbled, eyes growing even more confused.