MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

14

Will was still in there somewhere. It was.. weird. Like some Exorcist-type shit.

He couldn't talk. But, he could tap out Morse code. Hopper had a walkie-talkie in there and we had the other with us. 

"C.." Lucas calls.

I wait for the next signal from Hopper. When the radio begins beeping, I write out the code on the paper.

Lucas' finger trails the paper. "L.."

Everything felt so hectic. 

"O.."

I hold the radio close to my ear to hear it clearly.

"S.."

I glance at Nancy who was writing each letter down.

"E.."

Dot.. Dash. Come on, Will.

"G.."

"G or B?" Nancy asks.

My heart clenches.

"G," Lucas restates.

B? B. Billy.

"A.."

No. No, Racueul. You have to focus. This is life or death.

"T.."

"Holy shit," Dustin whispers behind me.

"E!" Lucas exclaims.

The radio goes silent. Those of us that were sitting jump out of our chairs and rush behind Nancy.

"Close gate?" a few people mutter- reading the paper.

I lean forward. Gate? What gate? Did this have to do with that Upside Down place? Thing?

I choke on a gasp as the phone suddenly rings.

Nancy, Dustin, and I all rush toward it.

"Shit!" Dustin curses, picking the phone up and slamming it back down.

"It's just the phone, right?" Max asks. "It doesn't matter, right?"

The shed had to be far enough out. Max was right. I put my hands over my head and take a deep breath. Dustin got to the phone in time.

"Pinche!" I curse as the phone rings again.

Dustin picks it up and starts to hang up again.

"Ms. By-"

My eyes widen.

Nancy jerks the phone off the wall.

"Wait! No!" I shout.

The phone flies across the room and breaks into pieces.

My jaw slacks in shock, unable to form words.

"Do you think he heard that?" Max continues to worry.

"It was just the phone. It could be anywhere," Steve offers. "Right..?"

I couldn't stop staring at the phone. I knew that voice. It was a split second and my mind was a mess.. But, just hearing that voice eased my nerves before Nancy threw the phone.

"Oh, shit," Dustin whispers.

I blink and force myself out of my trance. Then, I could hear the distant sounds of those demodogs as Dustin called them.

"He knows," Nancy gasps.

I follow the group to the window. 

"That's not good," Dustin mutters.

We all startle and reach for each other as the backdoor bursts open. Hopper stomps through with two guns.

"Hey!" he shouts. "Get away from the windows!"

I pull Max behind me. She loops a finger through my belt loop and holds on.

"Do you know how to use this?" Hopper asks, holding a gun out to Jonathan.

"What?" Jonathan panics.

"Can you use this?"

"I can," Nancy and I speak up at the same time.

"Oh, damn," Dustin comments.

"But, it's all good," I assure, taking my gun out from he side of my jeans.

Hopper tosses the spare gun to Nancy.

"Max, get back," I warn.

She scurries backward and stands beside Lucas. Nancy, Hopper, and I load the guns in synchronicity. Steve picks up his bat and gets into a fighting stance. I nearly laughed when I saw Lucas pull a slingshot out and step in front of Max to protect her.

"Where are they?" Mike questions.

I keep my aim on the window. My arms were tired from the day, but I'd never felt more ready to fight.

A whoosh. We all turn as a group, aiming our weapons at the other window.

"What are they doing?" Nancy asks.

It was like there were a dozen out there. They seemed to be everywhere just from the noises they made. I look up at he ceiling. I swore I heard one go overhead. Did they suddenly sprout wings? What the hell?

Again, another sound goes by the previous window. Our aims change course again.

One of them wails out like it was in pain. A cracking sound- like bones breaking.

I ease my finger to the trigger.

Screams erupt from the group as the window is suddenly smashed open. One of the demodogs flies through and splats against the floor.

My aim follows it through. It doesn't move. I point my gun back to the window as Hopper creeps forward.

"Holy shit," Dustin whispers.

"Is it dead?" Max asks.

Hopper kicks the body and it slumps to the side. Dead. How?

A clicking sound turns our attention to the door. Then, the chain begins to move on its own. Slowly, the door eases open and a young girl walks in with a bloody nose.

Nancy touches my arm and pushes my aim to the ground gently.

Mike walks forward from behind Nancy with a smile and tears.

"Eleven," he calls, wrapping the girl in a hug.

"Mike," the girl cries, hugging him tighter.