𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒

twenty-five

sam immediately shot up worried about el, who had two streaks of dried blood coming out of her nose. everyone waiting for her to calm down and explain what happened.

"el, can you...can you tell us what happened." sam asked aloud after everyone had gotten her to settle down.

"he said..he was building something. that it was all for me." she said. "building something...is he talking about the flayed?" max asked.

"he must be." nancy replied. "so, he's building an army, just like we thought." lucas summed. "yeah, but he's not building this army to spread." mike added, looking to will. "he's building it to stop eleven."

"that's just great." sam scoffed, pacing to the kitchen. "last year, el closed the gate on him. i have a feeling that really pissed him off." mike continued, lucas adding on to the statement. "like, royally."

"and the mind flayer now knows that she's the only thing that can stop him. but if she's out of the way-"

"game over." lucas and mike finished, sam walking back to the living room.

"he also said he was gonna kill all of you." el said, looking to everyone's scared expressions. "yeah, we'll, that's nice." max added. "what a way with words." sam agreed, placing herself down in the recliner.

a very faint screeching noise catching everyone's attention. nancy walking towards the window closest to the woods. thumping following the screeching.

"do you guys hear that?" nancy whispered, almost as if it was in the room with us.

"it's just the fireworks." jonathan reassured. sam immediately furrowing her brows. she knew what fireworks sounded like, and that noise was not fireworks.

"billy...when he told you this, it was here, in this room?" nancy asked. el nodding silently, sam immediately to her feet again. "shit..." she mumbled.

"he knows we're here." will announced, his hand on the back of his neck. everyone shooting up from their seats, following sam outside to the car. stopping just next to it, to see a much bigger, scarier version of the monster at the hospital.

it's long arms knocking trees down one by one, snarling as it came closer to hopper's cabin.

"everyone, inside...go! go!" sam rushed, shoving everyone back inside. everyone running to find weapons to use against the much bigger creature. nancy and jonathan heading to grab things as sam began to baracade all of the doors and windows. turning off big lights. anything she could do to possibly help stall the creature.

nancy and jonathan, quickly running back inside. "hey, get away from the windows!" sam ordered, shoving the kids behind her like she had done many times this week. it became deadly quiet as everyone waited for the creature to attack. the only sounds audible were that if panting, lamps and floorboards squeaking, and electricity crackling.

as the creature came nearer, rumbling was heard, certain items in the cabin shuttered, and gasps of fear were the only things surrounding the group. "it's close." will said. "everyone stay aware." sam followed. glasses falling and shattering to the floor almost made sam jump out of her skin. the anticipation was killing her.

then it went silent. completely and utterly silent. no leaves rustling, no thumbing, no chittering, no anything. "where'd it go?" max asked. an arm suddenly shattering through a barricaded window, splitting the group in two. screams heard everywhere.