Just friends?

Chapter 24 : Long Game

Steve's Pov

"Close gate" Everyone read out loud as Nancy dropped the crayon. 

My eyebrows ruffled together in confusion when the phone started ringing. Everyone's head snapped in the direction of the phone. 

Dustin ran across the room and stopped the ringing. We all took a deep breath before it started ringing again. Dustin tried to pick it up again, but Nancy had already crossed the room and ripped it off the wall. 

We all flinched as we watched the phone fly across the room. 

"Do you think he heard that?" Max asked quietly. 

"It's just a phone. He could be anywhere. Right?" I replied, looking over at Nancy. 

Everyone stayed silent and we all looked around each other. Then, there was loud screeching in the distance. 

"Shit." I cursed under my breath as we all walked into the living room. 

"That's not good." Dustin sighed. 

The back door banged open and we all jumped. We turned around and saw Jonathan running in with Will over his shoulder. He ran down the hall, I'm assuming to Will's room. Sofie was right behind him and her nose was bleeding. She came up beside me and looked up at me. 

"What did it say?" She asked breathlessly. 

"What happened to your nose?" I threw back. 

"What did it say?" She repeated.

"Close gate." 

Her eyebrows ruffled in confusion. The back door banged again and everyone turned around. This time it was Hopper. He had both guns and was walking towards the living room. He looked above our heads and started shouting. 

"Hey. Hey, get away from the windows!" He shouted at the kids. 

I grabbed Sofie's face softly and wiped the blood from her nose. 

"Thank you." She said softly and pulled me with her into the living room. 

"Do you know how to use this?" Hopper asked Jonathan who had emerged from Will's room. 

"What?" He responded confused. 

"Can you use this?" Hopper repeated more forcefully. 

Jonathan was stuttering and looking for an answer when Nancy stepped up. 

"I can." She cut in. 

Hopper nodded and tossed her the gun. I stepped away from Sofie and walked over to the couch. I picked up my bat and stood on the other side of Nancy. All the kids, Mrs. Byers and Jonathan stood behind me, Nancy, and Hopper. Sofie stood at the very front, blocking everyone. 

We all waited in agonizing silence. We aimed towards the door and the window. We had no idea if the monsters knew we were inside, but they were going to find a way to get in.

We could hear the screeching getting louder. That meant that the monsters were getting closer. 

"Where are they?" Max asked as the screeching only got louder. 

We heard loud thudding outside. There was a loud screech that came from the side of the house. We all snapped in the direction in the dining room window and watched as the bushes outside the window moved. 

"What are they doing?" Nancy asked as the bushes moved more fiercely. 

The bushes moved and moved, then they stopped. There was still screeching coming from outside though.