Starting Over

Chapter 10 (In the Eye Of the Storm)

The steady beating of my heart echoed as the reality of the situation sank in. We were preparing for a battle, and there was no turning back. Everyone around us had their plans set in motion while I tried to push away the ever-escaping sounds of my racing thoughts. Suddenly, I felt a mild panic attack coming on and quickly grasped Steve's arm to ground myself. His touch brought me back to the present moment, and my worries slowly faded.

Steve took my hand as everyone scattered to their positions and led us outside the mall, with Dustin and Robin in the lead. The parking lot was deserted, and we weren't sure how to reach our following location. That's when Dustin mentioned his girlfriend Suzie, who could help us.

As we looked for a vehicle to use, Steve spotted a car and winked at me. With Dustin as our navigator, we quickly got in and started our journey to the next destination.

As I sat beside Steve in the car, memories of leaving Hawkins without saying goodbye flooded my mind. The wind against my skin brought me back to when I left the school and put my letter in Steve's locker, revealing my true feelings for him and the numb feeling that never left me. It all came crashing down when I was back and seeing him again. Something always seemed to get in the way, but we wouldn't let it stop us from focusing on what lay ahead. Dustin suggested making a sharp left on the road, but Steve's last-minute decision caused the car to jolt back and the road to change to grass. We barely made it up the upcoming hill, but we weren't too far from our destination, so we decided to walk the rest of the way. Finally, we saw the antenna and hoped to get in touch with the others to put our plan in motion. We had covered our communication tracks and were ready to move forward.

We faced some minor setbacks with the radio signal, but we were able to transmit clear instructions on how to get back into the Russian base. The Police Chief's team needed to get back into the gate to stop the mess, so Dustin gave them directions while I went to Steve to see if he needed help. Suddenly, Steve looked away, and I followed his gaze to the mall, where we saw colorful lights in the distance. We sensed something was wrong and quickly returned to our position. We tried to communicate with the team at the mall, but the radio feedback was static. As Dustin attempted to send another signal, a creature's shriek pierced the airwaves. Dustin asked if they copied, but all we could hear was the creature roaring into the radio. I knew this was not just a demo dog but something much bigger. I wondered what we were getting ourselves into this time.

A chill ran down my spine as I thought about the dire situation the others could be facing. My emotions showed on my face, prompting Steve to comfort me with gentle strokes and kisses on my neck. We needed a new plan to save our friends from the terrifying monster. I didn't hesitate to return to them, but Steve didn't like me leaving alone. He insisted we go together, and I couldn't argue. As we ran down the hill to the car, we found Robin waiting in the back seat.

"Robin, what are you doing here?" she asked worriedly. "You should stay back with Dustin if anything were to happen, and you can be there for him."

"If you think I'm staying behind and doing the babysitting thing, you are very mistaken," I replied firmly. "Plus, if we are going to get along, we must have each other's backs."

A small tear ran down my cheek as I reached over and squeezed her hand. We were forming a close bond, but it had come at the price of saving the town from something even more dangerous.

Driving back to the mall, Steve had been driving like a maniac, but with his anticipation of making it there in time before it was too late to get the others out of there.

The atmosphere didn't feel right when we reached the parking lot. There happened to be already another car waiting for us in the darkness. I couldn't make out who was behind the wheel, but it was then that I saw the others also outside working to get their vehicle to start.