it's the end of the world as we know it.

22. a never ending story

Frankie grabbed Jonathan's hand and they ran, everyone tumbling behind the car with Nancy, Will, and Lucas, while Max, El, and Mike hid behind a counter. They all squished together as close as they could, and Frankie clasped a hand over his mouth to hide his breathing.

"Griswold Family, do you copy?! Over!" Dustin's voice shouts over the walkie, but they had left it on a nearby bench. They must have noticed the mall lights flickering wildly from Weathertop, and radioed over. Frankie could hear the Mind Flayer flinging benches against the walls. "Griswold Family, I repeat, this is Scoops Troop, do you copy?! Do you copy?!"

He could hear Dustin practically screaming now, and the Mind Flayer howled into the walkie before tossing it against a sign on the wall, and the walkie shattered on impact and fell to the floor, spluttering slightly. He was pretty sure he was cutting Jonathan's circulation off in his hand with how tightly he was squeezing it, but neither of them cared, and neither of them could express a different opinion on it. They could hear Dustin continue shouting at them on the walkie, but the audio was crunchy now and faint. They could hear the Mind Flayer moving, and it howls again.

Glancing to the side, Frankie watched as Mike, Max, and El jumped up and silently ran through the mall (well, El hobbled), towards the Gap. Frankie looked at Jonathan. "What the hell are they doing?" He whispered, and Jonathan looked at him with wide eyes before shrugging.

Jonathan and Lucas shifted onto their knees and glanced over the car, watching the Mind Flayer fumble around in the store, trying to find the trio hiding inside. Frankie watched as Lucas grabbed his wrist rocket and loaded a rock inside.

"What are you doing?" Nancy hissed, grabbing his arm.

"Don't worry," Lucas responded.

Frankie rolled his eyes. "That's just gonna piss it off more!"

Standing, Lucas stretched it back as far as he could, and flung it at a set of balloons. One popped, and the creature howled, turning and stomping off towards the balloons that were on the other side of the mall.

"Go!" Jonathan exclaims, jumping up. Wide eyed, Frankie jumps up too and so does Nancy, Lucas, and Wil. "Go, go, go, go!"

They took off across the mall, and they ran through the back of one of the stores, climbing up a set of stairs. They finally made it up the set of stairs to the second level where the ground exit was, and they ran through the mall doors back to the Wheeler's car. The kids ran towards the car and climbed in as the teens got to the hood, and Jonathan fumbled with the settings as he tried to start the car with the pressure of Billy still sitting across the lot revving his engine.

"Fucking loser is still across the damn lot just taunting us? How long is he gonna wait for?" Frankie hissed, watching the Camaro.

"You're not helping!" Jonathan exclaimed, as he put the ignition cable back in. Nancy grabbed her hand gun from her back pocket and cocked it, and Jonathan ran past her, climbing into the driver's seat. He turned the key, but the ignition spluttered again. Frankie's eyes widened as Billy sped at them at high speeds, his tires peeling against the cement.

He ran to the car, climbing into the back seat to be ready to leave the second Jonathan got the car started. Nancy stood firmly at the front of the car, determined as she rapid fire shot at Billy's car.

"Honestly, before I'd never expect that Nancy Wheeler knows how to use a gun. Multiple, in fact. But it's pretty cool." Frankie hummed in appreciation.

"Come on!" Jonathan cried as the car wouldn't start. The Camaro got dangerously close as its headlights shown into the car, and Frankie shouted at Nancy as she still stood in front of them. She jumped out of the way, but another car came flying across the lot, slamming into the Camaro and sending it out of commission. Frankie looked to the car to see its drivers, seeing Steve and Luke in the car. Luke had his hands on the steering wheel as it seemed it was Luke's decision to crash into the car, based on Steve's horror stricken look. The Camaro caught on fire, and Frankie glanced to the top of starcourt, seeing the monster climbing on top of the roof.