love me - stranger things²

[024] the acrobat.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

the acrobat.

JENNIFER'S HEAD SPUN AS SHE GAINED HER BEARINGS, THE SUDDEN CHANGE OF FOOTING THROWING HER OFF. She coughed up the water she had accidentally swallowed during her descent to the bottom of the lake, brushing her now wet hair out of her face. "Steve?" She called out, sniffling softly. "Steve?" She repeated, this time a little louder. 

The sky crashed above Jennifer, bursts of red light shining through the dark, dense clouds, the floor feeling as if it were rumbling beneath her. Her eyes strained as she spun around trying to spot Steve, her vision soon locking onto a figure just a short distance away, swinging what she figured to be an oar at what appeared to be a small cluster of large bats. "Steve!" She called out yet again, her boyfriends eyes moving away from the bats in attempts to locate her for a moment before focusing back on the creatures at hand.

"Just stay over there!" He yelled back, his voice strained. Jennifer's heels bounced against the cold ground, her heart beating crazily in her chest, part of her wanting to rush over to help Steve, the other not wanting to get in his way. All of her contemplating ceased however the moment she saw Steve's body get whipped back, his body making harsh contact with the ground beneath him.

The girl's legs started moving before she could even thing, only just catching herself the few times she had almost tripped over the large root-like structures scattered around the ground. As she neared closer, Jennifer saw one of the bats' tail wrapped tightly around Steve's neck, the boy desperately trying to wave away the other two which were continuously attacking his torso, their teeth leaving deep gashes in his skin. 

As she reached her boyfriend, her eyes scratched at the ground looking for the oar Steve had only moments ago attempted to use as a weapon, her ears ringing with an irritable metalling sound. The wood felt secure in her hand, the slightly scratchy material giving her a better grip on the oar as she lifted it above her head, only to smash it back down moments later, the head of the oar hitting one of the bats in the centre of its back. 

The creature let out a harsh cry, flying back up into the air only to swiftly turn back, its leathery body aiming right for Jennifer. Jennifer's arms swung at the bat, her feet simultaneously attempting to kick the second bat away from Steve's torso, though, the moment she looked down to try get it away from him, she felt a pain shoot through her arm.