𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑷𝒀 - Dustin Henderson

016. The Battle of Starcourt

    EL'S SCREAMS CONTINUED, CARRYING THROUGHOUT THE PLACE. Cindy's heart broke at the sound of her painful, gut wrenching screams. Cindy was having a hard time focusing on her breathing, she was breathing rapidly and she refused to look at the wound out of fear of puking or passing out.

"What is that?" Erica questions in disgust.

"There's something in there," Mike pointed out.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin said looking woozy. Cindy looked over at him and grabbed his hand, he turned to her and gave her an appreciative smile.

"Keep her talking. Keep her awake, okay?" Jonathon told them before he sprinted off.

"Hey, hey, hey. Stay awake, stay awake. Let's get her on this side, on this side," Mike said calmly. Cindy helped El into his lap.

"You know, it's not actually that bad. There was a... The goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg, and the bone came out of her knee, six inches or something, it was insane," Robin explained, clearly stressed and wasn't sure what to do.

"Robin," Steve muttered.

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping," Cindy shot her a sympathetic smile, she could tell she was terrified. This is all so new to her.

"I'm sorry."

Jonathon came back over with a knife and a wooden spoon, "okay. All right, El? This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"

"Okay," she sobbed.

"Need you to stay real still. Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this, okay?" Handing Mike the wooden spoon, she stuck it between her teeth.

Jonathon put the knife near her leg, and Cindy gagged, having to turn away from the scene.

Jonathon looked around at the group unsure, "do it." Mike finally said

He stuck the knife in her leg and the blood sloshed around, "jesus christ," Cindy sighed, putting her hand over her eyes.

She let out a deep shaky sigh, keeping her eye on El's face as she refused to look at her leg, but judging by her screams she knew it wasn't going well.

Cindy quickly looked back over since everyone gasped and Jonathon had stuck his two fingers in her leg. "Jesus Christ. Oh my god," Cindy exhaled, trying not to pass out. Dustin rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, feeling her distress.

"Jonathan!" Nancy yelled.

"Stop talking! Goddamn it!" He snapped.

"No! Stop it! Stop! Stop!" Eleven yelled, taking the spoon out of her mouth. Jonathon takes his fingers out,"I can do it. I can do it." She cried, sitting up.

She focused her power on her leg, she screamed again, but this time in anger. The creature inside wriggled all over the place, until eventually it came to the top and slipped out of the open wound.

The screams increased and caused the windows behind them to shatter. Cindy put her arms over her head for cover, inching away from the glass.

She looked up as El continued to shout in agony before chucking the creature away in the distance.

They had just now noticed Hopper, Joyce and some weird guy standing where El threw the worm. Hopper stepped on the creature causing it to splatter.

• • •

    The big group now circled together by the fountain, and explained to each group what has been going on. El laid in Hoppers lap, exhausted.

"The Mind Flayer, it built this monster in Hawkins, to stop El, to kill her and pave a way into our world," Mike started.