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LEADING THE WAY into Steve Harrington's backyard, Valentina pushed open the wooden gate that was never locked with Nancy following close behind.
The two girls moved to stand side-by-side while inspecting the area. It was quiet, the only sounds resulting from the slight breeze, the dried leaves rustling and the clear water padding against the edge of the pool.
"Barb?" Nancy called out.
Valentina looked at the girl, distress written all over her face. She didn't want to announce to her that she doubted Barbara would still be in the backyard of Steve's house, but she also had no idea what was going on. Who's to say that Barb wasn't still there?
Val was just as clueless as her companion, so she followed behind the brunette as she began walking around the pool.
A different kind of rustling came from their left, beyond the concrete flooring and somewhere within the trees.
Glancing at each other, the girls held eye contact for a short moment before making their way toward the source of the sound. Valentina gulped, letting the brunette take the lead in case they were to find something they shouldn't.
"Barb?" Nancy called again, quieter than the last time as they broke through the gap between trees and entered the woods behind the house.
Black Chucks treaded through the coarse dirt, brown speckles covering the dark fabric of the shoes. The blonde paid no attention to the mud staining her shoes that she'd been gifted two years ago.
Scanning the dense woods around them, two sets of blue eyes skimmed every inch of their surroundings.
Nancy was intent on finding her missing friend, as was Valentina, but the latter knew that her friend was not going to be found in Steve's backyard.
The Varner was not quite sure what she witnessed last night, but she knew for a fact that Tina did leave the house.
Valentina was the last person to see the brunette before she disappeared, and that fact was neither comforting nor helpful to her.
"Barb!"
Another crackle, similar to the one that led the pair into the woods in the first place, came from somewhere nearby. A chill ran through the blonde's body as the rattle crept through her ears.
"Did you hear that?" she asked, sparing a glance at Nancy for a split second before frantically checking their surroundings again.
The sound was inhuman, like a chittering vibration that fused with the air, making it shallow and difficult to breathe. Dark blue eyes darted across the length of the backyard, not even able to visualize where the thick trees came to a stop.
There was nothing. No Barb, no Tina, no animal, nothing but Nancy, Val, and the woods that were growing creepier with every second they stood defenseless in the middle of them.
