Stranger Things: Riley's Version

Chapter Eight: Separation Anxiety

After two hours of fitful sleeping Riley woke to a squeeze of her hand and a gentle shake. She blinked groggily trying to force her eyes open. Her vision cleared and she immediately tensed at the sudden thunderous boom she heard. She sat up quickly, her head knocking hard onto something that was in front of her. She was met with a quick but quiet ow and her eyes snapped over to the person she had just rammed into. She locked eyes with Will and calmed almost instantly before remembering the situation the two friends were in.

"Nothing exciting happened, just the same old spooky sounds and thunder storms." The boy told her, handing her the flashlight and watch. She nodded and took the objects from the boy's hands, glancing around to make sure everything was in order.

"Alright, guess it's my turn for watch then," she responded. He nodded back, settling beside her with a sigh. "I'm gonna get you out of here, okay Will." She told the boy. He glanced at her wearily, "I promise I will do everything in my power to get you out of this place." She then spit on her hand and stuck it out to the younger boy. He looked at her hand then up at her before reaching out and shaking her hand. She nodded at him then and he laid down to try and get some rest.

About half way through her two hour shift she suddenly heard a howl, but it wasn't a normal howl from a dog. It had an eerie almost unnatural sound to it, and it immediately put her on edge. She clutched at her pocket knife and listened for anything. Then she heard it, it was quiet but she heard the rustling of something off in the woods. She grabbed Will shaking him with one hand while trying to keep her eyes open and looking around them for the potential threat. He woke up and sat up, eyes wide with question, "what?" He whispered to the girl.

"I hear something," She told him, ears still straining to pick up any sound. Then there it was again this time closer to the two. And from the look on his face Will had heard it too. "There's something out there." She whispered eyes wide with alert, she then turned to the boy, "we need to get out of here. There is no way to know if this thing knows we're here until it is right on top of us." She gathered their stuff up quickly shoving a granola bar and fruit snacks into Will's pockets before grabbing her compass and throwing her backpack on. "Stay close to me and try to be as quiet as you possibly can." He nodded back a determined look on his face.

Creeping forward, knife at the ready, she slowly peeled back the curtain revealing the rest of the world to the two scared kids. Seeing the coast was clear she made a break for it. Not running but not walking either she crept forward trying her best to see the compass in her hand and their surroundings. Occasionally she would glance back seeing Will following close behind. Looking out into the dark gray forest surrounding them she couldn't see anything that appeared to be after them so she kept trekking forward.

After about ten minutes she paused trying to regroup because they were no longer in danger. As she turned back to Will the hairs on her neck stood up as she, suddenly something slammed into her from the side. She tumbled to the ground and lashed out with her knife which connected with whatever had grabbed her. Whatever it was almost yelped in pain as it got off of her. She turned looking for Will and saw the boy being dragged off by whatever it was that had tackled her earlier. She ran ready to defend her friend from the dog-like beast dragging him away but was cut off by two more of the dogs. Looking at them they seemed to be almost exactly like the demogorgon, just walking on all fours. She looked around seeing two in total circling her. She didn't know what to do, she had to get to Will, she couldn't let him get killed by these dumb mutts. So she ran straight at the beasts who looked startled at her choice but they all reared up ready to attack the girl.

The dog on her left pounced first, coming at the girl mouth wide open in a flowering shape. She quickly stopped driving her knife forward trying to land a blow anywhere possible before ripping the knife out and turning to meet the second dog. He ran straight into the knife, piercing his skin with a squelching noise. Spinning out from between the two wounded creatures she ran towards where she had last seen Will. She could see drag marks from where he was fighting the beast. Following them quickly she ran for a few minutes before hearing the howling noise from earlier quickly followed by branches snapping from behind her. She was on the edge of town by then and she quickly jumped behind the nearest building pressing herself against the cold stone. Before long she saw the dogs run past her position in the alley, but they didn't even pause, they just kept running to the center of town.

She followed closely behind them then, trying to see where they were rushing off to. As she turned the corner she was met with the Hawkins public library, standing exactly how it did in her world, just darker and colder. As she turned the corner she saw six of the dog monsters run up the stairs and into the building, and in one of the dogs mouths being drug around by his vest was Will Byers. He seemed to be okay, besides the monster dragging him into the library.

But before she could get any closer one of the dogs turned looking straight at her. It let out another howl before three more joined its side looking at her. She knew she couldn't fight off all those dogs and whatever else was in that building to get to Will. Not with just her measly pocket knife, she needed help. So glancing down at her compass, and once more at the library she took off sprinting away from Will.

As she raced through the streets of Hawkins she heard the dogs right on her heels. Keeping up easily with the girl. It was almost like they were enjoying the chase, like it was a fun game to them. But she just kept running knowing that there was no way she was gonna be able to take on a whole pack of these things alone. After what felt like forever she entered the woods again, jumping over downed logs and weaving through trees. Her lungs were burning and she was gasping for air but she kept pushing. Knowing that if she were to stop she would die, and then so would Will.

Suddenly she slammed into a fence, a tall chain link fence, looking at her compass she had to go over the fence so she jumped up and started climbing. The dogs were below her now jumping up on the fence and biting at her heels but she kept climbing, reaching the top and swinging her body over. She tried climbing back down but slipped, falling through the air she quickly hit the ground hard knocking the air out of her. The dogs on the other side of the fence started running along the perimeter to find a way in but Riley didn't wait for them, she took off towards the building in the middle of the fence. Hawkins lab.

She entered the lab dreading having to try and find the gate in this big building. Flicking on her flashlight she started to look slowly creeping around corners and looking in different rooms. In one of the rooms her compass started freaking out, the needle spinning around and around. Taking off towards the closest stairwell she slid around corners, then she heard the howling again. Her heart started to pound as she entered the stairwell taking the steps two at a time trying to get down them. She heard the dogs enter into them stair well above her, their claws clicking against the floor as they scrambled after her.

She could feel them basically on top of her as she reached the exit to the stairwell, she threw it open and took off in the direction she prayed the gate was in. Because if it wasn't she was screwed. The dogs busted into the hallway behind her flying into the wall. She sprinted reaching for the door she estimated would lead her to under the room she had been in earlier. The dogs were just behind her then as she opened the door revealing a big glass window with a view of what seemed to be a giant crack in the wall that glowed orange. She paused for a split second looking at the gate in front of her, before scrambling to the sliding door that allowed her into the room.

She pushed the door open with all the strength she could muster. It creaked open just enough to allow her through as long as she kept pushing it open. She squeezed herself, through legs first then torso and followed by her head. She could see the dogs about ten feet away and closing the gap as she squeezed the last bit of herself through the sliding door. But just when she thought she was home free the sliding door slammed shut, closing on her left hand. She held back a scream as her pointer finger and middle finger on her left hand were shut in the door. She tried pulling them out as she could see the dogs throwing themselves into the glass door that was now holding her hostage.

She tugged and tugged on her hand trying to free it from the door, but she was unable to get any movement. The dogs were now beginning to crack the glass on the door and she knew that if she didn't get out of there quickly she was gonna be eaten. So in a last ditch effort to get herself free she grabbed her knife that had fallen to the ground beside her. And taking a deep breath in she raised it before starting to chop through her fingers. Her ears were ringing and she could barely see through the tears that had weld up in her eyes. But she kept cutting with a pop some pressure was relieved and she knew she had gotten through the first finger. She then started in on the second finger and after another good bit of cutting she was finally free from the door.

She dropped her knife then heaving as she wobbled her way towards the gate, her hand tucked against her side as she walked. Everything was a blur as she exited the upside down. She was surrounded by tons of people all wearing lab coats, she was grabbed and pulled and shoved in every which way before she finally just collapsed to the ground vision going black.