"Hey, you remember what I said last year, right? We're Zombie Boy and Ghost Boy. I'm not ever gonna leave you."
"Promise?"
"One hundred percent."
***
In which Alistair fights the monster that possessed his friend alongside his friends, while trying...
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Chapter Eight: Contact Pending
(Suzie, Do You Copy?, Pt. 3)
***
Alistair's legs burned as he walked up the slope of Weathertop hill. After already biking like he was trying to break a world record to get to Dustin's place, it felt like his legs were on fire, his muscles screaming in protest with each step he took. It didn't help he was also holding one piece of Cerebro, which meant his arms also felt like they were on fire, too.
Alistair panted, trying to focus on breathing as beside him, Cami muttered, "I am so regretting wearing a dress today." Sweat dripped down her forehead, and she panted even more heavily than Alistair was.
"You okay, Cams?" he asked, concern for his best friend thrumming through him.
Cami flashed him a smile. "I'm peachy, Al! Just wish I wore shorts instead today."
Alistair smiled, shaking his head. "Should have guessed you'd be positive."
"What's not to be positive about? The sun is shining, this place is so beautiful and green with such pretty wildflowers, we're all getting some Vitamin D, and romance is in the air!" Cami declared, twirling around, her skirt and curly hair swishing with the movement.
Alistair rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and we're sweating bullets and our legs are seconds from committing mutiny if we take one more step."
"And that's why we work," Cami chirped, smiling as she looked forward, an extra spring to her step as she hiked up the slope of Weathertop. Alistair smiled, but it faded as he was harshly reminded of the sun beating down on him, huffing a breath as he forced his tired leg muscles to keep on going, tightening his grip on his piece of Cerebro.
Only Dustin was in high spirits with Cami—probably because of this supposed Suzie—but everyone else looked as miserable as Alistair felt as they walked up Weathertop. On any other day, Alistair would have appreciated Weathertop, but currently Alistair's face felt fixed in a permanent scowl as he kept on hiking.
A caw echoed in Alistair's ears and he shifted a glance to look at Hugin, resting on his shoulder and probably the most miserable of them all. While Hugin didn't smell or have any ill effects thanks to Alistair's powers, the bird still felt the effects of the heat due to still being technically half-dead. Alistair sympathised—he would pull a Rowan and feel miserable when the heat got really bad—and again telepathically promised an ice bath for Hugin when Cerebro was built and they could go home. He wondered if they were high enough now for it.
Apparently, he wasn't the only one to think that, as Lucas asked, "Aren't we high enough?"
"Cerebro works best at a hundred metres," Dustin informed.
"You know, I'm pretty sure people in Utah have telephones," Max said, looking just as grouchy as Alistair.
