Honesty in the face of Destruction

Back to Hawkins

As soon as Jonathan, Argyle, El, Mike, and I returned to Hawkins, that terrible yet wonderful place, I felt everything flood back. All the memories and pain. The worst seven days of my life that were only the begging. Mike saw my face as we crossed the threshold into town.

"Will are you okay?"

"Mike." I paused. "No, look at this place. Everyone is leaving and...it's all my fault" I mumbled the last part under my breath. We hit a small pothole just as Mike was about to say something and El sat up from her sleep on the window. Mike immediately looked at her with an unreadable expression.

I saw Jonathan's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "Hey, El how ya' feeling?" She didn't answer, just stared out the window turned away from everyone.

As soon as the van skidded to a stop in front of the Wheeler home I felt a familiar surge of comfort that was opposed to the chaos around us and throughout Hawkins. I saw some joy flood into Mike's eyes and El finally turned from the window.

The van stopped and we all jumped out ready to see our friends, and family in Mike's case. El and I went right for Dustin. Neither of us had seen him for a year. I noticed his limp and wanted to ask, but at that moment I was more concerned about the absence of both Max and Lucas. I knew briefly that Max wasn't in the best shape from what little El had said after her fight with Vecna. Vecna. He was the one inside me, taking control of me, making me a puppet. So i asked "Where's Lucas?"

"He's at the hospital."

"Was he hurt?" El asked

"No no, he's... Oh God." My stomach dropped and I saw El's eyes widen. "You don't know." El and I exchanged glances.

"Know what?" I asked not sure I wanted to know the answer.

That was when we were told about Vecna's curse. The first time Max was put under his spell and what happened to the cursed. El didn't seem shocked. Dustin told us that to fight Max left herself open and she got hurt really bad. That's why El didn't want to talk, she couldn't help Max.

Jonathan drove us to Hawkins Memorial right away. Lucas and Erica were already there. I laid my eyes on Max and felt my heart sink. Both legs were is casts, both arms, and she had a neck brace.

"We've been calling you guys like crazy."

"I know. We came as soon as we heard." Mike said as we hugged into Lucas. We then let El have her moment with him, as we looked briefly at the bed where Max lay.

"I'm sorry" She said to Lucas quietly. I then noticed Lucas didn't look 100% either. He had a black eye, swelling on his cheek and some healing bruises covering his face. We slowly moved to Max's bed side and I wished that none of this had happened. That I wasn't born that El didn't blame herself. Wait El said she was sorry, like this was her fault. It wasn't it was Vecna's, and maybe mine. After all, if I would've died in the upsidedown would any of this happened?

Lucas then told us that she died. Max had died. But she was brought back. He said the doctors thought it was a miracle. I looked at Mike as we shared a look. Did El do that? Can she? I guess so cause here Max is, breathing.

After the hospital we pilled back into the van and drove to Hopper's Cabin. The one where he his El, the one where the meaty Mindflayer nearly killed El, killed us. "Holy shit. This place is a total disaster." Mike said expressing the thoughts I had inside too.

We all worked as a team, sweeping, boarding up windows, and picking up game reminets. Mike and I were sweeping together in the main room. I hated that he was easily better as sweeping than me. His perfect form, his nice hands, his... Jesus Will get it together, you're not here to gawk at him, you're here to clean.

After El went into her old room and slammed the door I asked, "Did she talk to you at all?"

"Not much. I mean, a little bit." Mike said as he turned his back and started away. I saw the pain in his eyes and wished I could make it all go away. "Dr. Brenner. He says that she wasn't ready." We plunked down onto an upended couch, together. "And now she's starting to think he was right."

"That's crap" I said feeling genuine anger, my sister was ready she is, and she's so strong. "If it wasn't for her, if she hadn't left the lab, Max wouldn't be alive right now."

"I know. It just. She's never lost before. Not like this."

"She'll have another chance."

"Let's hope not. Let's hope One is dead and rotting."

"He's not" As soon as I said it, it was real. I'd felt it since we arrived in Hawkins. The familiar presence, the slight loss of control, the need to be cold. Mike looked at me with more concern than I thought necessary. "Now that I'm here, in Hawkins, I can feel him." These thoughts always come spilling out around Mike. "And he's hurt. He's hurting, but he's still alive. It's strange, knowing now who it was this whole time but... I can still remember what he thinks and how he thinks. And he's not going to stop. Ever. Not until he's taken everything. And everyone. We have to kill him."

"And we will. We will." Mike said to me. Putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I felt it again. A jolt of electricity from where he touched me. I wanted to just curl into his arms, wanted him to protect me and keep me safe. But that's just a dream, not a reality.