Insane in the membrane-Stranger things

Chapter 39

Robin and Nancy rushed through the doors of the school and joined up with Jess, Steve, Max and Dustin. ''It was here...it was right here,'' Max said softly when she shined her light on the wall where the clock had been.

''A grandfather clock?'' Jess asked, even though she already knew that's what it was she just wanted to make sure.

''It was so real,'' Max implied. ''And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just...I woke up.''

''It was like she was in a trance or something, exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy,'' Dustin replied.

''That's not even the bad part, Fred and Chrissy they both came to Miss Kelley for help. Uh, they both were having headaches, bad headaches that wouldn't go away. And then...then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things. Bad things from their pasts. These visions, they just...they kept on getting worse and worse until eventually... everything ended,'' Max stammered as her voice came out shaky and cracked. Jess pulled her friend into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

''Vecna's curse,'' Jess implied.

''Chrissy's headache started a week ago, Fred's, six days ago. I've been having them for five days and I don't know how long I have. All I know is that for Fred and Chrissy they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock, so...looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow,'' Max continued on.

''No, Max don't talk like that we will find a way to rid you of this curse, I promise, come here,'' Jess reassured her friend.

When Max didn't move, Jess just pulled her into another hug and squeezed her tightly, suddenly there was a loud banging noise outside in the hall. Steve had broken off a bit of a lamp shade. ''Stay here,'' he exclaimed.

Jess rolled her eyes. ''You think I'm gonna stay here? Clearly, you don't know me at all,'' Jess exclaimed, her stubbornness getting the best of her.

''I'm serious Jessie bear, stay behind me,'' Steve said. Again, Jess rolled her eyes but did as Steve said and stayed close behind her boyfriend. Everyone else followed closely behind as well not even listening to what Steve told them.

Suddenly Lucas rounded the corner. ''It's me...it's just me,'' he exclaimed.

''Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair? I could have taken you out with this lamp,'' Steve shouted, throwing the lamp down, clearly stressed that he could have knocked out one of his children.

''Sorry, guys. Sorry. I was... I was biking for eight miles, give me a second. Shit, we've got a code red,'' Lucas exclaimed, panting to get his breath back.

''What?'' Steve questioned, still not understanding what code red meant.

''Dustin, I've been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy and they've gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie and they think you know where he is. You're in terrible danger,'' Lucas exclaimed.

''Okay, that totally sucks but we've got bigger problems than Jason right now,'' Dustin said.

The group gathered in the Wheeler's basement, they tried to figure things out using newspapers. ''You guys understand any of this?'' Steve asked.

''No,'' Lucas replied.

''Pretty straightforward,'' Dustin implied.

''Oh, pretty straightforward? Really?'' Steve questioned, confused per usual as he scratched the back of his neck to try and figure some things out.

''Well what's confusing to you, Steve?'' Jess asked.

''So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He's the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse it's him. That's assuming he was cursed, which we don't even know. How can Vecna have existed in the '50s? It doesn't make sense,'' Steve explained.