Hey Jude | A STRANGER THINGS Story

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Judy had laid awake in bed the entire night and kept a lamp on to keep the dark from consuming her. If it was dark, she saw the demogorgon. Time seemed to slip by as the sun came through her window. She was quick to get up and dressed for whatever was about to go down at Dustin's house.

The cabin notably lacked Hopper's presence, which seemed a bit odd given that when he was trying to prove a point to the girls, he'd stick around for as long as possible in order to get his point across. But still, things were tense even after a full day. El's locked door made that all the more clear.

"El? You awake?" Judy asked, knocking on the door lightly with her knuckles. No response. "Well, when you wake up could you leave me a few waffles?"

Still, no response. Judy sighed as she thought about what El could've been thinking on the other side of the door. She even contemplated bringing up the monster to El. But it seemed unnecessary.

Judy raced from the cabin to the Henderson house, barely thinking as she went on the ever familiar path over. Going past the house and out to the cellar where Dustin said he'd lure the demogorgon, Judy waited, looking at the back door the entire time.

A quick flash of white came into Judy's view as Dustin poked his hat covered head out of the side door. Seeing Judy, he hurried down to her and the cellar. Without a word, he opened the cellar doors and then ran back into the house, leaving Judy stranded between the cellar and the house. She wasn't sure what his plan was or if she should be following. But standing out in the open seemed like the only option.

But Dustin was as quick out of the house as he was in. This time, though, he was wearing head gear and hockey padding, screaming, "Get in the shed! Get in the shed!"

With Dustin running as fast as possibly could towards Judy she stepped into gear, opening the door to the shed next to her and closing it behind Dustin. The two panted as they looked through the small cracks between the wooden boards. "What's the game plan, Dusty?" Judy asked in a whisper.

"Dart's going to follow my trail of Bologna into the cellar, I'm going to lock him in there. Simple." He replied, also whispering.

Before Judy could disagree with his 'simple' statement, she saw the small demogorgon walking out of the back slowly make its way towards the cellar. Her and Dustin tools slow heavy breathes as they watch it pause in front of the cellar. It quickly turned around, growling as it walked closer to the shed. With their backs against the wall, Judy and Dustin listened closely to the outside. Dustin started to breathe heavier and Judy looked down at him, concerned. Only he didn't looked scared, he was huffing like a bull getting ready to charge and Judy couldn't react before Dustin kicked open the shed door, screaming as he ran towards the demogorgon.

Judy watched through the cracks as the beast ran backwards and Dustin putted him back into the cellar with his hockey stick. Hurrying to shut the cellar doors, Dustin yelled out and laid on top of the metal to keep the shut. Judy took this as the opportunity to assist. She ran out of the shed and grabbed onto the chain connected to the cellar doors, locking the lock against the shaking metal that held in the monster.

"I'm sorry. You ate my cat." Dustin said, breathless and still laying on top of the closed doors. The two of them sat outside, making sure that Dart hadn't somehow escaped as Dustin called each of his buddies over the walkie-talkie. Judy watched the cellar as well as Dustin as he paced up and down the driveway trying to reach anyone.

"I repeat, this is a code red!" He yelled into the walkie-talkie, finally stopping in front of Judy.

"Nothing?" She asked, sitting on the steps beneath the side door.

"Nothing, at all. Damn pieces of shit!" Dustin yelled yet again. Judy rolled her eyes and stood up to stretch. With a groan she replied, "We might have to just look for them."

After a short argument about staying here with Dart or going to find help, Dustin finally agreed to look for his friends. The closest house was the Wheelers. With bike beneath their feet, Dustin and Judy hurried, only to be stopped with the insolent man of the house, Mr. Wheeler.

"Is Mike home?" Dustin asked.

"No."

"No? Well, where the hell is he?"

"Karen, where's our son?"

"Will's!" Mrs. Wheeler called out to her husband from inside the house.

"Will's." Mr. Wheeler repeated.

Dustin sighed and looked at Judy. "No one's picking up there. What about Nancy?"

"Karen, where's Nancy?"

"Ally's!" Mrs. Wheeler yelled again, clearly annoyed.

"Ally's." Mr. Wheeler hadn't changed his stone cold face and tone since he opened the door. "Our children don't live here anymore. Am I done here?"

"Son of a bitch." Dustin shook his head. "You're really no help at all, you know that?"

Judy and Dustin both sighed in annoyance as the front door was shut in there faces. Judy turned around first, only to find Steve Harrington coming through the front lawn with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"Listen..." He whispered to himself, looking down at the ground as he walked. "I've been thinking... I love you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry? What the hell am I sorry for?"

"Steve?" Judy called slowly, already annoyed at what she knew he was doing there. He looked shocked to find Judy in front of him, in front of Nancy's house. She caught him red handed.

"Judy." He said, hesitant to acknowledge her.

"Those better not be for who I think they are."

"They aren't." He lied.

"Good." Judy said even though she knew he was lying. She walked through the grass toward him, ripping the bouquet of flowers out of his hand before he could even think of snatching them back.

"What the hell?"

"Nancy's not home," Judy said, monotone. She made it up to Steve's car and stood at the passenger side door, turning around to face Steve and Dustin who were still standing down in the yard. "And you didn't listen to a damn thing I said."

"I don't know what to do." Steve threw his hands into his hair, and whined.

"Doesn't matter. We have bigger problems than your love life. Come on, Dusty." Judy said, waving Dustin over to the car as well. Opening the unlocked door, Judy looked at Steve expectantly. He only looked at her dumbfounded.

"What are you doing Judy?" He asked.

"Do you still have that bat?"

"Bat? What bat?"

"The one with the nails?"

"Why?"

Judy and Dustin look at each other over the car door. Answering simultaneously, "We'll explain on the way."

Judy got in the car and shut and the. "Come on, Steve!" Dustin yelled before slamming the back door shut.

"Wh- now?!" Steve questioned, but scurried over to the driver side of the car. With Judy and Dustin already buckled in he turned on the engine and began to drive, only asking his first question minutes after they left the Wheeler's house.

"What's going on with you two?" He asked looking at Judy then back at Dustin through the rearview mirror.

Judy looked at Steve with raised eyebrows then turned herself around in the front seat to face Dustin fully. "How 'bout you tell him, Dusty? Since this is your fault."