Me, Myself, and Her

Chapter Eighty-Four

Chapter Eighty-Four: Right Where You Left Me

It was a small service. Annie's wasn't the only one happening in town, so the Harrington's didn't do anything spectacularly huge. Plus, half the town was destroyed. They didn't have a church to hold any kind of service in. Hell, there was barely enough usable cemetery for them to use.

Max's eyes were cast to the ground, unmoving from the blades of grass she had decided to find interesting. The pastor went on, speaking about how Annie was in a better place, and that her time in this mortal world will be forever cherished.

When he made some comment about loved ones, Max felt a hand gently place itself on her shoulder. It was Lucas's, she knew that. He was the only one to dare approach her. Even though the others had come back to Hawkins the day before- El, Will, Mike, Johnathan, and some dude named Argyle- they didn't know what the hell to do.

Max cast a glance at Lucas, but didn't want to look for long. She didn't want to see his pity, or anyone else's.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the memories from that night away.

When Annie's chest stopped moving, Max's entire world shattered.

"Annie? Annie?" she begged, shaking her girlfriend's shoulder. "Annie!"

But there was nothing. No movement of any kind, no pulse beneath Max's shaking fingers. It hit her all at once. Max let out a scream, pushing all of her emotion into it. She didn't stop screaming until her lungs were literally empty and her throat was raw. And even then, she'd get more air and keep screaming.

When her throat her too much to keep going, Max sobbed. She leaned down with her face as close to Annie's chest as she could get it and sobbed.

There was a groan off to her right, and Max slowly looked over and saw Jason struggling to get up. "You," Max spat, her word like venom. Jason froze and looked at her, the wild animal demeanor suddenly gone. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't shown up, if you hadn't ruined everything, she'd still be here! Annie would still be alive!" Max screamed.

She turned back to look at Annie's face. She didn't even die peacefully. Tears had spread blood even further down Annie's face. "I would still have the love of my life, the one thing keeping me going. It's all gone... she's all gone," Max sobbed.

Max's wails echoed around the house. Lucas and Erica sat on the bottom of the stairs, Erica crying silently into Lucas's shoulder. He had his arm around her, trying to stay strong, and failing.

It was not long after that the "earthquakes" hit. A gate started rapidly opening under Max and she had to quickly drag Annie away so she wouldn't be lost to it. Jason managed to slip away alive, but the spreading gate took his leg.

The pastor said something, and Max looked up to see the casket was being lowered into the ground. The official goodbye. She could hear Steve crying over to her left, but refused to look. Otherwise, she'd break down again.

Steve was over by his parents, who came back to town as soon as they heard of the "earthquake". When they did, they were met with news of Annie's death. It pissed Max off to no end how they suddenly decided to care. Now that she was gone, they cared.

Nancy, Robin, Johnathan, and Eddie were right beside Steve. Robin was hugging him, letting him sob into her shoulder and soak her black dress. Her own face was wet with never ending tears. Nancy and Eddie were the same way.

Once it was all done, Max just wanted to go. Lucas's family had given her a ride, she'd just go with them and get home. Once there, she planned to never ever leave her room again. Facing a world without Annie, her Barbie, by her side didn't seem possible.