𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

the plan that goes sideways

Asher, Lucas, Erica and Max had been dropped off at the Creel house. The four had taken their shoes off before entering the house, just in case Vecna would hear them wandering around, which they didn't want until their part of the plan was up. So, as they entered the house in dead silence, Asher had realised how creepy the house looked at night. During the day, the house sort of freaked him out, but now knowing that this house is a part of his family history and looking around it while it is nighttime just made the house even more horrifying. While looking around the house, he noticed things that he didn't the first time. He wasn't sure whether it was because he saw the house as it originally was when Vecna was showing Asher his past, or if it was because that he noticed habits that Asher himself did at his own home. For example, the bowls were stacked right next to some old cereal boxes and there were labels on each shelf in the fridge for certain foods, just like Asher always does. Asher had started noticing that some of his habits weren't just a thing he does, but a thing that his family does.

As Asher walked into the living room, he saw Max sat on one of the couches, so he decided to go and join her, which made Max pick up her notepad and pen. After doing this, Max holds up her notepad to show that she has written "Hi", which makes Asher do the same, making the two smile at each other.

"I'm glad you're here" Max writes, holding up the notepad so Asher can see. The two were both scared of losing each other, so the two wanted to spend as much time together as possible. While Asher was worrying about how Eddie and Dustin were doing, he knew he made the right decision to go with Max. As long as the three of them made it out unharmed, Asher was going to be okay, no matter what happened to him.

"Me too" Asher writes in his horribly handwriting to show to Max, before getting a blank page out and writing "Where are Lucas and Erica?"

"They're outside" Max writes to show to Asher before getting another page to write something else, but gets stopped when they see a light flashing into the room, knowing that they were at their stage of the plan.

So, the two make their way up to the attic where they knew Vecna would be, and Max takes off her headphones. Asher hated the idea of Max being the distraction, but he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to be able to talk Max out of it, so, he just wanted to be there for her in case anything didn't go to plan. As the two walk further into the attic, the light that Max is carrying starts to shine brighter, showing them that Vecna is where they're standing, but suddenly, the light goes away.

"What are you waiting for, asshole?" Max asks, looking at the light "Hmm? I'm right here. I'm right here! I know you can hear me. I know you can read my thoughts. Even the worst ones. Maybe mostly the worst ones" She says before placing the light down and taking off her Walkman, placing it near Asher, before she sits down on the floor "I thought about what you said. About how I wanted my brother to die. I thought that you were just trying to upset me. To anger me. But you weren't, were you? You were just telling the truth. Billy, he made my life a living hell. Every chance he got. So, sometimes... when I would lie in bed at night, I would... I would pray... I would pray that something would happen to him. Something awful. I knew he drove too fast, so I would imagine him crashing. Dying in that stupid car. I just... I wanted him out of my life. Forever. I wanted him to disappear. The day that he died... I think that's why I just stood there. Watched. Not because I was scared or weak. But because... I didn't know if he deserved to be saved. And I've tried to forgive myself. I've tried, but... I can't. I can't. So now... now, when I lie in bed at night... I pray that something will happen to me. That something terrible will happen to me. So that's why I'm here. Because... I just want you to take me away. And I want you to make me disappear."