LOVE HEARTS- max mayfield

Chapter 11- The Water Gate

It was dark by the time they reached a break in the woods and when the group finally emerged from the trees, Ruby saw that they were back exactly where they'd been that same morning. Dustin's compass had an eerie talent of bringing back the past.

"Oh not here," she whispered. Lover's Lake. The place where Patrick had been killed.

"Oh man. You gotta be shitting me," Steve groaned as the Lake came into view.

"Yeah. I thought these woods were familiar," Eddie sighed.

"Lover's Lake," Robin mused.

This is confounding," Dustin raised an eyebrow.

"There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max frowned. How strange it was, the summer hangout and make-out spot that all the kids flocked to each year was in fact housing a portal to another dimension.

"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way," Nancy spoke intelligently.

"Yeah, only one way to find out," Steve shook his head as he realised what they'd have to do. They would have to dive.

Pulling the tarp of an old boat, the gang pushed it into the shore of the lake. Eddie got on first, helping Robin and then Nancy on too. Dustin went next, putting one foot on the boat before Eddie stopped him.

"Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us? This thing holds three people tops, okay?" Eddie scoffed.

"Are you kidding? We're not just gunna hang around here," Ruby spoke angrily. She wanted to be involved, she wanted to be there when they tried to kill Vecna. She wanted to make sure that his haunting of her finally came to an end and Max would be safe.

"It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Max. Keep an eye out for trouble," Nancy spoke, trying to calm them down.

"You keep an eye out. It's my goddamn theory," Dustin mocked in indignation. Nancy scrunched up her face in confusion. 

"You heard Nance," Robin shrugged. 

"Who put her in charge?" Dustin whined like an angry child.

 "I did," the blonde returned.

"Compass,' Nancy commanded as she held out her hand.

"Hey, there you go," Steve spoke as he chucked the bag into Dustin who groaned in pain. He then groaned again as Steve pushed off the boat and hopped on the back, not wanting to be left as the babysitter again.

"You said three!" he whined.

 "Sorry," Steve whispered with sincerity. 

"Bedtime at nine, kiddos. Miss you already!" Robin yelled as they paddled the boat across the lake.

"What a joke," Ruby scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey it isn't all bad being stuck with me," Max grinned.

"That's very true," Ruby grinned back. 

"Hey give me those," Lucas gestured to the binoculars Dustin was gripping. "Wait, wait, wait. They're stopping. What are they stopping for?" he asked worriedly.

"Guys, what's going on? Come on, talk to me. What's going on?" Dustin asked on the walkie.

"Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital aah!" Robin replied as her voice crackled through. Her words were followed by silence, leaving the group on the shore in the lurch.

"Hey what's going on?" Ruby asked agitatedly as she snatched the walkie of Dustin who groaned slightly.

"Steve's going down," came the reply from Robin.