"I didn't need a hero, Billy." Darian sneers, dusting off his coat, eyes glaring.
Billy only smirks, reaching over and untangling one of Darians dark curls, quickly catching himself, pulling his hand back. "It didn't seem like that a minute ago." B...
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Hawkins, Indiana
July 1985
。.✦ ☾
Wheeler's
。.✦ ☾
The curtains of Darian's window were shut, blanketing his room in darkness when suddenly he sat up straight, gasping. Darian reaches up and touches the base of his neck, his eyebrows furrowing.
Suddenly his walkie comes to life. Darian turns to his desk, listening to the static. "Hello! Hello! Does anyone copy?! Nancy! Darian! Anyone!" Dustin yells, his voice is choppy and hard to hear, but Darian quickly struggles to his feet, grabbing the walkie and pulling the antenna.
"Dustin! It's me!" Darian exclaimed into the walkie-talkie, but there was no response.
....
A motorized four-wheel truck races by. Driving the truck is Dustin with his co-pilot, Erica. In the back, Robin, Jeffery, and Steve were jostled around. Dustin curses and he hands the walkie back to Erica. "No response?" Erica asks
Dustin sighs, shaking his head.
Gripping harshly at the grate, Steve yells out to Dustin, "Jesus, slow down!" He slurs, face still bloody and swollen. "Yeah, what is this, like, the Indy 500?" Robin asks, also slurring her words.
Steve and Jeffery meet each other's eyes, shaking their heads. "It's the Indy 300." Steve says "No, dingus, it's 500!" Robin yells "It's 300!" Jeffery slurs, cursing as a box stabs his side. "Let's say a million." Robin exclaims, throwing her hands out in the air. The three fall into a fit of giggles.
Erica looks back at them with a grimace. "What is wrong with them?" Erica asks
Dustin sighs, shaking his head. "I don't know." Dustin says
Erica's eyes then widen. "Dustin, watch out!" She yells, gripping to the dash. The truck crashes into steel drums and comes to a complete stop.
Off the groans and moans coming from the back: "You guys all right back there?" Dustin asks, he meets Erica's eyes when he receives no reply. "They're fine." Dustin says with a shrug and he motions to Erica to hop out.
Dustin follows after her and opens the back. The three older teens are sprawled across the floor of the truck, groaning and laughing. "Come on. We gotta go, now." Dustin says, but he's ignored. Frustrated, Erica begins clapping her hands. "Come one! Get out!" Erica yells "Let's go!" Dustin adds for extra measure. Steve, Jeffery, and Robin painfully roll themselves out, huffing to themselves while straightening out their clothes.
Meanwhile, Dustin walks over to a wall panel and uses the key card to open the secret elevator doors. The panel's red light becomes green.
....
The elevator quickly ascends, jostling the people inside. Dustin and Erica make sure to hold on while, Steve, Jeffery, and Robin are enjoying the fast ride. Steve is mounting a wheeled handcard and using it as a surfboard. He shouts out in excitement.
"Hey! You look like you're surfing!" Jeffery yells, jumping up and down in excitement. Steve laughs. "Surfing! Yeah! Whoa!" Steve yells, his lips spread in a wide grin. "They seem drunk." Erica says to Dustin, who nods and watches the three with a worried look. "Why would they be drunk?" Dustin asks
"I'm a natural! Check it out!" Steve yells
Robin yanks the cart away from under Steve. He falls to the floor. "Wipeout!" Robin yells, laughing hysterically. Jeffery also falls into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach with a pained look.
Dustin kneels beside Steve who's visibly sweating. Dustin puts a hand on his forehead, grimacing. "He's burning up." Dustin says
With a goofy grin. "You're burning up." Steve says and he begins to bat Dustin's hands away. "One sec, one sec. Steve, Steve." Dustin says frustrated. Dustin pries open one of Steve's eyes. Steve jerks away, "God, no. Ow!" Steve yells and tries to resist, but it's futile. Dustin looks worried. "His pupils are super dilated." Dustin says, pulling his hand away. Erica shrugs, "Maybe he's drugged." Erica says
Suddenly, "Boop!" Steve yells and he boops Dustin on the nose. Dustin briefly closes his eyes, annoyed, before looking back at the duped-up teen. "Steve, are you drugged?" Dustin asks
Steve chuckles, "How many times, Dad? I don't do drugs. It's only marijuana." Steve says, causing Robin and Jeffery to giggle. Steve boops Dustin again. "This isn't funny, okay? I need to know what they did to you. Are you gonna die on us?" Dustin asks
Steve grins. "We all die, my strange little child friend. It's just a matter of how... and when." Robin says morbidly, but the grin fails to prove her point. Dustin shakes his head and he looks back at Steve. "They're gonna be looking for us up there, so I need you to tell me where you parked your car." Dustin asks
Steve ignores him and he gasps excitedly. "Oh, can we make a pit stop at the food court?' STvee asks, Jeffery groans at the thought of food. "I would kill for a hot dog on a stick." Jeffery says "Ooh!" Robin and Steve moan. Dustin groans. "All right. Yeah, food. Yes, you can have as much food as you want, but only if you tell me where your car is parked." Dustin asks
Steve pouts. "Uh-oh." Steve says "Uh-oh?" Dustin asks worried. "The car's off the board." Steve says "What?" Dustin asks "They took the keys. The Russians, they took the keys. Like, forever ago." Steve says and he begins to laugh; Robin and Jeffery join. "That's a bummer, right?" Steve asks, staring widely into Dustin's eyes.
....
Loading Dock/Moments later
The doors swing open. Erica, Dustin, Robin, and Steve walk out. "Oh, my God, that tastes so good. Ah! Steve, Jeff, can you taste the air?" Robin asks as she sticks her tongue out. Steve and Jeffery mimic her and they stick out their tongues. "I taste it! I taste it!" Steve yells
Just then, two armed guards, walk through the loading dock gate. They were approaching quickly, they ready their pistols.
Dustin and Erica's eyes widen. "Shit! Come on! Come on!" Dustin yells and he pushes Steve back towards the mall. "Why are we running?" Jeffery asks
