Family Line - Dustin Henderson

014|

It hadn't taken them much longer for them to find Mike's 'hub' as he'd called it, and within seconds they were getting to work on drenching it in gasoline. River hung back with Dustin trying his best to help but he felt completely useless. By the time it was done River felt as if he hadn't done a single thing to help, he was only here because he didn't want to disappoint Dustin. 

"You ready?" Steve asked as he lent down at the front of the group holding out his lighter.

"Ready." 

Steve glanced around at the group behind him, "I am in such deep shit." He threw the lighter infront of him watching as the 'hub' caught aflame. He pushed the kids back down the tunnel forcing them to go faster and faster back towards the entrance. 

Mike suddenly collapsed to the floor infront of them, screaming at them to help him. A vine had wrapped itself around his foot pulling him to the floor. Steve rushed over with his bat slamming it against the vine causing it to let go, retreating back into the wall.

Something screeched behind them and River spun round eyes wide, his breath catching in his throat when he found a demo-dog growling at them from the exact tunnel they needed to go down in order to escape.

Dustin pushed River behind him stepping infront of the group, slowly, as if he didn't want to let go, dropping River's hand, "Dart," He shushed the others who all started yelling at him to stop when he stepped forwards, "Trust me, please."

He pulled his bandanna down from around his face, "hey, it's me. it's just your friend, it's Dustin," he lent down getting closer to the creature, "It's Dustin, all right? You remember me? Will you let us pass?" Dart snarled his face opening to show his hundreds of mini teeth, Dustin didn't even flinch, "Okay, okay, i'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar."

"That was a pretty douchey thing to do. You hungry? Yeah?" He reached into his backpack pulling out a bar of chocolate, "I've got our favourite. See? Nougat." He placed the open chocolate bar infront of the demo-dog waving the other's to go around. 

River tried but he couldn't move, going around the creature infront of him meant getting closer to the demo-dog, he couldn't do that. As if he could sense his panic Dustin reached back carefully leading the boy around the demo-dog making sure to stay on the side closest to Dart. He took one last look back at Dart before moving forwards, "Goodbye, buddy."

River could hear the demo-dogs not far behind them as they turned the corner finally making it to the rope handing down into the tunnels. They were getting closer and closer and Steve waited no time helping Max climb out of the tunnels and into the fresh air. Lucas went next, then Mike, then River.

He turned round expecting to fins Dustin right behind him but the boy never came, instead they were stood still in the middle of the tunnel watching something running towards them. 

River called out to him and the Henderson boy immediately turned to look at him, but there was nothing he could do apart from watch as the demo-dogs swarmed around the two.  But they weren't going for Dustin and Steve, instead they kept running down the tunnel as if the two weren't even there. And then they were gone. 

River helped pull Dustin out of the tunnel immediately pulling him into a tight hug. Dustin sighed leaning into him half aware of the sudden bright light that shone from Billy's car headlight. But he didn't care, all he could do was hold River closer to him.

ONE MONTH LATER

River stood awkwardly infront of his mirror, tugging at his light blue waist coat. Susan had brought it for him all ready for the snow ball, it also came with a blazer but there was no way he was going to wear that, it was too uncomfortable. He'd tried to do up his top button as well to look just a little more presentable but it just felt as if it was strangling him so he undid it again.