The Long Game, Lucas Sinclair

053. the one where sam isn't there

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE.
4x09: The Piggyback

TWO DAYS LATER

There wasn't a single car in the lane heading towards Hawkins, except for the pizza van Corey was forced into. In the alternating lane next to them, however, cars and cars were lined up after each other—they were desperately escaping from the cursed town in the distance. Each fearful family after fearful family passed the large red sign reading LEAVING HAWKINS—COME AGAIN SOON.

Corey looked out the window, watching each car drive by. Occasionally, he would make eye contact with a concerned passenger wondering why the hell their big clunky pizza van was driving towards Hawkins.

Frankly, Corey was sure he was the only one so desperate to get back.

Each car ride in the stingy van had been torturous. Corey didn't know how long he'd actually spent in Argyle's nasty vehicle, but they'd been riding in it since Tuesday when they started their journey to find El.

It was now Saturday.

For someone with claustrophobia, five days really started to feel like five months pretty quick—especially now, with the addition of El. Corey was stuck in the back, squished next to Mike, who was squished next to El, who was squished next to Will. Argyle and Jonathan were in the front, free with room to breathe, although they weren't getting away so lucky, because both boys were harboring black noses.

That may or may not have been Corey's doing.

Now the claustrophobia combined with desperation. Corey needed to get back home. He needed to see his family. He needed to see his friends. He needed to see Sam. While El hadn't discussed much of what happened when she was fighting Vecna, Corey knew enough to be worried about Sam. In El's words, one second she was there, and the next she was gone.