Insane in the membrane-Stranger things

Chapter 40

Without hesitation Max, Dustin and Lucas had already left the basement as Steve and Jess ran after them. ''Max, Max, seriously, seriously, I'm not joking. I'm not driving you anywhere, okay?'' Steve exclaimed, going full on overprotective babysitting mode.

''If you think I'm going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement, you're out of your mind. Either take me where I need to go or tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a miner and if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute,'' Max explained. She pulled at Steve's locked car door. ''Open the door.''

''Uh, no,'' Steve challenged the red head.

''I know a good lawyer,'' Max fired back, eyeing the older teen in front of her.

Jess reached into her boyfriend's jacket pocket and pulled out his keys, she jangled them. ''Come on, Stevie, let's go,'' she exclaimed. Steve just rolled his eyes and aggressively took the keys from his girlfriend and put them into the ignition.

''You're lucky I love you, Jessie bear,'' Steve said.

''And you're lucky to have me,'' Jess smiled as she sat in the passenger seat beside her boyfriend.

''Henderson that super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst,'' Steve exclaimed.

Steve pulled out of the driveway and started driving down the roads of Hawkins, before going to East Hawkins however Max wanted to drop off some things at her trailer, Steve stopped the car. ''This better be fast Mayfield,'' he exclaimed.

''Twenty seconds,'' Max replied, getting out the car and heading into her trailer.

''That thing's got batteries in it, right?'' Steve asked Dustin, turning his head to face him.

''I'm not even answering that question,'' Dustin replied.

Jess rolled her eyes but sighed, just give him a minute she thought. When Steve however didn't say anything back, Dustin had assumed that he obviously didn't know. ''Yes, it's got batteries,'' Dustin said.

''Yeah, I got it,'' Steve rolled his eyes.

''There it is, took you a while to realise it,'' Jess laughed.

Meanwhile Max was with her mum, she seemed to be getting into a really good and long conversation with her. Suddenly a few dark clouds started to roll in as Max hugged her mum and that's when things took a turn, as the young red head hugged her mum, she felt a long hand stroke her ponytail and that's when she realised she wasn't with her mum, but with Vecna, she jumped back instantly and he told her how her time was almost at an end. Max fell to the floor and the sky was blue again, she tried to catch her breath before heading back to the car. Jess, Steve, Dustin and Lucas were all stood out of the car, clearly worried for their friend.

''That was more than twenty seconds,'' Steve exclaimed angrily and then he noticed the distressed look on the red head's face. ''Whoa, hey are you all right?''

''I'm fine, just drive,'' Max demanded as she got into the car and Steve drove off.

They quintet drove all the way down to East Hawkins, Jess sighed as she took a glance through the review mirror at Max who was gazing out the window and Lucas was looking at her, worried about his ex-girlfriend.

''Turn here,'' Max demanded.

''Here?'' Steve questioned as he turned the car and parked. Max stood up out of the car and Lucas followed her, they had a little heart to heart.

''She'll be okay, right Stevie?'' Jess asked her boyfriend.

''I don't know, Jessie bear, I hope so,'' Steve replied, placing his hand on top of Jess's now twiddling thumbs.

After Max and Lucas' little heart to heart talk Max walked into the cemetery, she took a seat at her brother's grave, she took a deep breath as she pulled out a letter and started reading it. ''Dear Billy, I don't know if you can even hear this. ''Two years ago, I would have said, that's ridiculous, impossible. But that was before I found out about alternate dimensions and monsters, so...'' Max started, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. ''I'm just going to stop assuming that I know anything, so much has happened since you left, your dad was a total mess. He and my mum started getting into fights, bad fights. I don't think he could stand being here without you, so he left and he didn't leave mum much. She's taken an extra job and we moved to that lovely trailer park off Kerley, basically ever since you left everything's been...a total disaster. And the worst part is, I can't tell anyone the reason you're gone, I can't tell them that you saved Ell's life...that you saved my life. I play that moment back in my head all the time and sometimes I imagine myself running to you, pulling you away. I imagine that if I had you would still be here and everything would be...everything would be right again. I imagine that we...that we could have become friends, good friends, like...like a real brother and sister and I know that's stupid. You hated me, I hated you but I thought that maybe...maybe we could try again. But that's not what happened, I just...I stood there and I watched. For a while, I tried to be happy, normal but I....I think that a part of me died that day too and I haven't told anyone this. I...I just can't but I had to tell you, before it's too late. If you can even hear this, I really hope that you can, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, Billy. Love your shitty little sister, Max.''

After sitting there for what felt like hours on end, Steve looked down at his watch and started getting out the car. ''All right, it's been long enough,'' he exclaimed.

''Steve, just give her some time,'' Lucas implied, as he sat on the hood of Steve's car.

''I have all right, Sinclair? I'm calling it, if she wants to get a lawyer she can,'' Steve exclaimed, walking over to the young red head. ''Max, time to giddy up, yeah?''

However, Max's eyes were glossed over and Steve shook her. ''Max?'' he questioned, shaking her shoulders. ''Max! Max!''

''Shit, shit, shit, shit,'' Jess yelled and rushed over towards her boyfriend as Dustin and Lucas followed after her. When Jess saw her red head friend's glossed over white eyes she started panicking, her heart started to pound in her chest and her hands turned clammy, she had no idea what to do.

Steve continued to shake Max but it was no use, she was stuck in her trance and Jess was worrying more now. ''Call Nancy and Robin,'' Steve shouted. Dustin did nothing. ''Call Nancy and Robin, go,'' Steve shouted again, pulling at Dustin's hoodie and letting him go so he fell over and onto the ground as he made his way over to the car and called the two girls that he hoped had found an answer.

''Please, Max you gotta wake up. Shit, shit, shit,'' Jess panicked, now helping Steve with shaking her.

After about what felt like ages, Dustin had finally received a call from Robin, he gathered up all the cassette tapes and Max's Walkman and dashed over back to his friends. ''How's any of this going to help?'' Jess asked, still panicked.

''What's her favourite song?'' Dustin questioned, looking at Lucas.

''Why?'' Lucas questioned.

''Robin said if she listens...it's too much to explain right now. What's her favourite song?'' Dustin asked again.

Jess, Steve, Dustin and Lucas started rummaging through the different cassette tapes for Max's favourite song which Lucas had informed them was 'Running up that hill (a deal with god)' by Kate Bush. After searching for what felt like forever, Steve grabbed the cassette tape and clicked it into the Walkman which Jess grabbed and she hooked the headphones over Max's ears, pressing play on the Walkman, sending the music to blast into Max's ears which opened a portal for the Max that was pressed up against a pillar with vines wrapped around her wrists, ankles and one vine had even enclosed around her neck, choking her.

Suddenly on the outside of the portal Max slowly started to levitate into the air, Jess clapped a hand to her mouth and fell back onto the ground, hiding behind her boyfriend as she clung onto the grey jacket he had on. ''Holy shit, holy shit, holy fucking shit,'' she screamed, not knowing what to do.

Suddenly after what felt like waiting forever Max fell to the floor into Lucas' arms, she cuddled up to him and they both held each other tightly as Jess, Steve and Dustin all huddled around them. Thankful that their friend was safe.

''I'm still here, I'm still here,'' Max panted.

''Thank fucking god,'' Jess said, relieved.