[ 𝚂𝚞𝚗 & 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 ] ~ 𝙹𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

IX - Ten Year Olds

"It was the same thing. The exact same thing that happened to Will last year." Nancy told the group of literal children as she paced through her basement. 

"Why are we including ten year olds again?" Justin huffed, leaning back in a chair with her arms crossed to her chest.

"We're fourteen-" A redhead Justin didn't really recognize snapped. 

"Did I ask?" 

"Just shut up, Justin." Nancy grumbled. "You're not helping."

"And you are?" She quirked a brow. 

"Okay, wait- So the Mind Flayer's back, right?" Mike asked.

"The what now-" 

"We need Rylie here." Lucas Sinclair added in. 

"Watson?" Justin seethed. "Jonathan, you're insane." She mumbled.

"What?"

"You're friends with some weird people, is all I'm saying." Justin shrugged. "Why the hell do we need the Hawkins' Queen? Oh my God, is she in on this shit too?" 

"Yes." The redhead girl nodded. 

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You're making me wait for Rylie before I continue?" 

"Yes." A brown haired girl nodded, she had a yellow scrunchie in her hair that reminded Justin of one Dustin kept on his nightstand. She still didn't get where it came from or why he had it. 

"Great." Nancy sighed, watching the brunette girl walk over to the phone. 

Justin grumbled something about 'Watson being a grade A bitch just like Steve Harrington' before pulling her dirty blonde hair up into a tie. She couldn't be bothered with how hot it was in the Wheeler's basement. 

Thirty minutes later and a grumpy looking Rylie Watson was knocking on the basement door of the Wheeler's house. Despite it being seven in the morning, Rylie was dressed like she'd been up for hours. A tight black crop-top, white skirt and red jacket all accompanied by a red scrunchie that held her impeccable blonde hair in a loose ponytail. She even had her makeup done. She never used bright colors like most people, subtle colors that were barely there just enough to accentuate her natural features. Maybe that's why Justin hated her so much, she was just naturally pretty. It wasn't fair. 

"Okay, Rylie's here, can I continue now?" Nancy huffed, getting a nod from the five kids. "Great. Look at the body temperatures." Nancy pushed a paper toward the group of kids, the readings were low. All between ninety-six and ninety-five.

Jonathan's little brother looked up at Nancy, murmuring. "He likes it cold." 

"What?" 

"He likes it cold." Will repeated, turning his attention to Justin. That explained absolutely nothing. 

"Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer-"

"Mrs. Driscoll." Justin corrected. 

"Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll."

"Nice lady." 

"I'm sure." Nancy's little brother continued. "What time was this. . .attack?"

"Last night." Nancy answered.

"Right, but what time, last night?" 

"Why is this important?" Justin groaned, running a hand down her face. 

"It just is." Rylie snapped, the first words she'd said since she got there. 

Justin put her hands up in mock defeat. "Sorry, Ice Queen." She mumbled. 

Rylie rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Nancy. "What time, Wheeler?"

"Around nine." 

"You waited all night to call?" Jonathan questioned his girlfriend.

"What, like you weren't busy?" She huffed in response. 

"Nancy-" 

"I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests." 

"You weren't there?" Jonathan's little brother asked.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Jonathan put his arms up in a shrug before crossing them again. 

"Hallelujah." Nancy scoffed.

"Ooh." The Sinclair boy shook his head softly. 

"They're not as puppies and rainbow's as you'd think." Justin grinned. 

"Shut up, Justin!" Nancy huffed. "It's none of your business."

"Whoops." Justin chuckled, covering her mouth as if she were realizing she 'shouldn't have said that'. 

"Uhm, so, wha- what time was your sauna test?" Nancy asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Around nine." Rylie huffed. 

"Well, that proves it. That proves my theory."

"That doesn't prove shit. All it proves is that weird fuck happens all the time in Hawkins, Wheeler." Rylie snarled. 

"No, no wait. She's flayed, just like Billy." 

Rylie practically growled as the Wheeler boy said the name.

"Flayed?" Jonathan asked. 

"The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their mind. Once they do that, they basically become him." 

"But we might've saved Billy-" Rylie says, for the first time that morning, an emotion that wasn't anger or distaste clear in her voice. It was hope, fear even. 

"Y- Yeah. . .maybe." The redhead nodded. 

"If there are two flayed-" 

"We have to assume there are more." Will cut Lucas off. 

"Heather." The brunette girl with the yellow scrunchie spoke up, the redhead turning to her. "Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."

"W- What's a good scream?" The Sinclair boy asked. 

"Max said tha-"

"Nuh, nuh, no." Justin shook her head. She was not going to give these new teens, that she didn't even know, the sex talk. Not now, not ever. 

"I'm sorry, I'm lost. Who is Heather?" Nancy asked. 

"She works at the pool with Billy and I." Rylie answered. 

"Heather Holloway?" Justin perked up slightly, getting nods from the two girls. 

"Tom." Nancy and Jonathan said in unison. 

"Oh, shit." Justin huffed. 

"Come on, let's go." Nancy declared, walking up the steps of the basement and throwing the door open. 

"Ooh, fun." Justin huffed. She followed behind Jonathan up the stairs, noticing multiple steps of footsteps behind her. "Why are the ten year olds coming?" She grumbled quietly. 

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Word Count - 912

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Published - January 28, 2024

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