'tis the damn season

Forty-Seven: New Years Day

"Don't read the last page"

*Two Days Later*

Normally if I was living out of a suitcase for a week, I'd be a little more organized about it; and I was for the first couple of days. But now I just had clothes everywhere. They were scattered across Steve's bedroom floor, the bathroom, the guest room where I had originally been staying, and the hallway. Anything that was actually in my suitcase, was thrown in unfolded and wrinkled.

Since everything had happened in the upside down on Thursday, Steve and I haven't left his house. Sometimes it almost felt normal. Like nothing had happened at all because we were in our own little bubble. I felt guilty thinking like that. But every time I thought about what happened, I'd start to feel empty.

It wasn't long after we'd found Dustin with Eddie that the gates started to break through Hawkins and connect, just like Vecna showed me when he'd entered my mind. The entire town had crumbled, people died, and lost their houses. Lots of families had already left; deciding that to move away was the best solution. I didn't blame them.

All of the news stations on TV claimed that Hawkins was cursed. They'd been telling people that it was a serious earthquake that tore up the town. Only we knew the truth. Vecna had won. The only question was, when was he going to carry out the rest of his plan?

In the vision he'd given me, there were monsters everywhere, coming into our homes, killing everyone in their path. That hadn't happened yet. Every minute that past I was on edge. They could come at any time, any day.

We'd failed in our attempt to protect everyone. And we'd failed to protect Max too. By the time we made it back to the Creel house in Hawkins, the ambulance was there, about to take Max to the hospital. At the time, we thought she hadn't made it. Lucas said he couldn't find a pulse. But when we made it to the hospital, the doctors had told us it had been a miracle. Her heart stopped for over a minute, yet she was still alive, and holding on now. She was in a coma, with two broken legs and a broken arm, and she hasn't woken up since. The doctors had also made us aware that it was possible she may never be able to see again. They wouldn't know for sure until she woke up.

Lucas has been at her bedside ever since. He calls with an update everyday, letting us know how she's doing. The conversation is usually the same. She hasn't woken up yet, her heartbeat is steady, the doctors are still running tests, and they don't know when or if she'll wake up.

I wasn't even going to be around if she did. My flight back to California was tomorrow afternoon, and that's why I was sitting here on the floor, folding my clothes and trying to pack them neatly in my suitcase.

I still haven't heard from my family. I've called countless times now, and still nothing. They may not even be there to pick me up from the airport. I had no idea what was going on with them. What was I supposed to do if they didn't show up to get me? How was I supposed to get home? On the other hand, I couldn't not get on the plane, because if Joyce was there waiting for me and I never showed, she'd have a full blown panic attack. She'd think I accidentally got on the wrong plane and ended up in Europe.

I got up from my spot on the floor, padding across the room, picking up every scrap of clothing that was mine. Steve and I had fallen into this pattern the past two days, of not being able to keep our hands off of each other while in the same room. Wherever our clothes were taken off, was where they were left. I realized it sounded kind of morbid to be so in love with each other and having sex every chance we got with the world the way it is right now; however it was a great way to get your frustrations out.