✓ | FLOW ( eddie munson )

twenty-seven. metal as hell

veda henderson

          My vision becomes dark, the pain in my bicep starts to dull despite the creature not slowing down. After everything, I didn't expect this to be how it ended. I've fought through so much even outside of the paranormal world and I'm so close to uncovering the truth I can almost feel it. 

    A thought plagues me as my throat aches. If I die here, who is going to help Max? 

    Even worse, how will Dustin cope? He seems like a strong kid when it comes to this world but he's not. The upside down is something interesting and explainable, my death would be something he can't find reason or meaning to. I don't want him to fall into the same pit I'm stuck in. 

    And Eddie. Poor Eddie. I'm the only person who witnessed Chrissy's death who can vouch for him. Besides that, I haven't had the chance to actually talk to him about everything. How I feel, and how he possibly feels the same. I want to have the conversation, no matter how mundane and silly it may seem in comparison to what's going on. I need mundane, something so boring and normal it distracts me from the craziness of the world around us.

    Feeling a surge of anger fuelled by adrenaline, I reach for the oar lying discarded near me. I groan, screaming as my bicep flexes in a way that sends pain surging through me. My fingertips graze the wood enough for me to pull it towards me, my hand enclosing around the object before I swing upwards, hitting the creature holding me by my neck. I cough, rubbing at my bruised throat as I hit the bat away from my skin. The bat hits the ground, giving me time to grab the oar and drive it onto the creature, hitting its head. 

    The bat falls limp, my foot moving until I'm stomping on it over and over again, yelling out. I stomp one last time, its flesh squelching as I scream in pain, almost doubling over. 

    I look up, my vision slowly clearing as I see a figure enter my sights. I lift the oar up over my head, preparing to swing before Eddie's concerned face becomes clear. His hands fold out in front of him, approaching me slowly as his eyes dart to the blood from my bicep. 

    The oar is still positioned high above my head as I inspect the situation. Nancy and Robin are over at Steve, fighting the bats off of him in a rage. I slowly look back to Eddie, a part of me still not believing he's actually here and rather a hallucination due to lack of oxygen. 

    "Veda?" Eddie's voice meets my ears, the softness melting my shaking body. I fall forward, wrapping my good arm around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder. I feel the tenseness of his body as if he's scared and doesn't know what to do. But then, he tightly wraps his arms around my waist and holds me close to him. 

    "Those fucking things are tough to beat," I huff into his shoulder, his head moving until his lips were pressed into my hair, just sitting there as if he's inhaling my scent to reassure himself of my presence. 

    "No match for you. I meant it when I said you're metal as hell," He comments, pulling me back from his embrace to look over my face. I turn from him and back to Steve just as another bat flies in from the distance, latching onto Nancy's back.

    "Nance!" I scream, clutching the oar in my hands as I run towards them, Eddie hot on my tail. 

    We reach the group in no time, more bats fly in from the distance. I turn and toss the oar to Eddie who catches it and immediately swings at a bat mid-air. I turn to Nancy, running up to her and grabbing the bat by the tail, pulling until it lets go of her. Nancy regains her composure as I swing the bat onto the concrete, my hands holding onto its grimy tale as blood spills from its body. Robin jogs over, lifting her boot and stomping on the animal until it lets out a screech of agony followed by silence.