"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 Nineteen: Reconnaissance And Conspiracy
(The Flayed)
***
Alistair picked at the skin around his index finger, sharp stings ricocheting through his finger as blood stained the edge of his fingernail, but he didn't care. It was better to focus on that pain, no matter the reproaching glares from Hugin or the smacks Cami and Mike gave him.
Better to focus on that than on the fact the Mind Flayer was back, and Billy was definitely possessed by it.
They'd returned to Mike's basement and never left, where Alistair alternated between comforting Max as best he could and assuring they'll free Billy and stop the Mind Flayer, making sure Will was okay and holding his trembling hand because even though the Mind Flayer had its host both of them were fucking terrified it could still go for Will again, and trying to contact the ghosts and ask them what they'd seen of the Mind Flayer returning. To no surprise at all, they only give Alistair more cryptic riddles laced with their static-buzzed panic, and grave warnings tonot go there and that he shouldn't have come back and it was only getting worse. Which, really helpful. Even Allie was hesitant to tell him. And of course, Alistair hardly slept all night, mind plagued with nightmares of Billy succeeding in choking El or Will being possessed again or the falling-frozen pain nightmare.
Safe to say, Alistair had been a figurative zombie when he woke up, and in desperate need of coffee.
The minute he could, he went upstairs and helped himself to a cup of coffee and came back to the basement, where everyone else had woken up. He'd drank his coffee, feeling more awake with every sip while letting it distract him from what happened last night, and when it was gone, he substituted for picking at the skin around his nails.
Especially now, as they all crowded around El, who had a blindfold around her eyes and the walkie crackling static as she tried to find Hopper with her mind-walking abilities. Earlier, Alistair had tried to ring his sister, aunt, Dustin and then Steve, but nobody picked up. He'd reasoned they were busy, but the Mind Flayer returning had a knot of fear constrict around his heart. It didn't help his skin-picking habit at all.
Minutes seemed to pass as El tried to find her dad. Alistair moved onto his middle finger, stripping the skin red and bloody. Unwittingly, he looked at El, at the red ring around her throat. Alistair swallowed, at the reminder of how close El had come to dying. If she had, if neither he or Mike had jumped in...
A hand was placed on his shoulder, jolting Alistair. He looked to see Will responsible, holding his shoulder, comforting him. Alistair sent a smile of appreciation as Will let go and he looked back at El, as she said, "I found him."
"Where is he?" Max asked, as Alistair paused in picking at his nails, waiting anxiously for the answer.
