[ 𝚂𝚞𝚗 & 𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗 ] ~ 𝙹𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

XXI - Go, Go, Go, GO!

Everyone was behind the red car that Twelve had previously flipped, pushing on it and prying big rods of metal against it in an attempt to get it right side up. "Push!" Jonathan called. With heavy breaths and a big shove, they got the car onto its side rather than leaning. "Alright, great. Alright, now, all the way. Ready?" They all took their velvet rope stands and pressed the bases to the car.

"Three, two, one. Push." Rylie ordered, rather unenthusiastically. They all jammed the metal against the rundown car and shoved, the car falling flat on its wheels with a loud hiss. 

"I told you." Tiny Wheeler mused. "Physics."

Jonathan, Lucas, and Justin immediately hopped off the counter. Jonathan held a hand out to Nancy, helping her down. Justin snickered, dramatically holding her hand out for Rylie. The blonde laughed, taking her hand and hopping down. Justin dramatically waved her arm into a bow to Rylie. "M'lady."

"Thank you." Rylie smiled, rolling her eyes. The blonde then jogged to the front of the car, trying to manually force the hood up with Jonathan and Nancy's help, to no avail.

"How do we get it open?" The devil huffed.

"Uh, there should be a latch." Jonathan replied.

"Check under the wheel." Rylie gave a small nod. Nancy walked over and leaned her head into the car.

"You see it?"

"I don't know, hold on." She devil replied to her boyfriend.

The kids all seemed to run off, but Rylie was too focused on the car to bother. She pulled the hood open.

"Do you see it?" Nancy asked.

"I don't know. It should be right here." Jonathan said. "Distributor. . .distributor. . ."

"What's wrong, kid?" Justin bumped Will's shoulder gently, noticing that he kind of seemed out of it. Thuds echoed somewhere in the near distance. Justin looked up, the roof shook and electricity crackled through the walls. The glass on the roof cracked. "Oh shit-"

"Got it." Rylie yanked the cable out, taking care not to break it.

"Nancy!" Mini Nancy yelled across the food court. The four teens looked over to where Mike, Max and Twelve were, confusion written on their faces. Mike grabbed Twelve by her arm and yelled "Come on!" The three kids ran, making their way over to the side of the room. Something slammed into the roof and the monster they'd narrowly escaped a few hours prior crashed to the floor. It shrieked, screaming out at the teens and kids. Its mouth opened wide, showing off dozens of rows of teeth.

"Oh, fuuuck. . ." Justin muttered, grabbing Lucas and Will's arms and scampering to hide behind the car. Jonathan, Rylie and Nancy joined them.

"Fucking hell-" Rylie let in a sharp breath.

The monster roared and threw something plastic. The radio signal from the other group came through on the TRC, which was much closer than before. "Griswold family, this is Scoops Troop. Please confirm your safety! Griswold Family, this is Scoops Troop! Please confirm your safety! Are you en route to Bald Eagle's nest?" Dustin.

"Dust, I don't- I don't think they're going to-" Baby Steve.

"Please confirm your safety! Please confirm your safety!" The flesh monster screeched and roared, unable to find either of the two groups they'd split into. It was angry. . . "Someone, please just answer. Is anyone there!? Just answer! Anyone, please!"

The loud squishy steps clamored, moving forward. It chittered and growled, roaring out at the kids that it couldn't quite locate. "Griswold family, do you copy? Griswold family, do you copy? Griswold family, do you copy? Do you copy!?"

The monster stopped just over Twelve, Mike and Max's heads, unaware of their presence as it chittered. It turned, destroying columns as it waded through the area, on the prowl for any sign of motion or sound. It crushed tables and half walls in its way. It picked up one of the dead Russian bodies and threw it. Will was shaking. Glass and metal clanged as Twelve, Max and Mike ran through a broken window into the Gap, alerting the monster of their location. It ran, breaking through the wall of the Gap with ease and snaking tendrils inside to look for them. It grabbed a mannequin, snarling at it before throwing it against the wall.

Jonathan sat peeking above the car's side, just barely looking over to see if the others were alright. Lucas was looking around off the front of the car in a similar manner. The creature turned and they both ducked back behind. "Oh, shit-" Jonathan hissed. Lucas panted, his chest rising and falling with his breaths. He grabbed his wrist slingshot and put it on his arm, holding it firmly.

"What are you doing!?" Nancy whisper yelled.

"Who cares!?" Justin said with a slightly raised voice, probably louder than it should've been but not loud enough to get them caught.

"Don't worry." Lucas ensured.

The creature hissed and chittered. Lucas stood up fully, turning in its direction with a bolt or something he found off the floor loaded into the slingshot. He pulled it fully back, aiming in the direction of the creature and fired just a bit to its side. Letting it go right into a stack of balloons. Two popped, making a loud noise and drawing the flesh monster's attention away from the three kids. Lucas dropped back down, hiding again. Jonathan popped back up, watching and waiting for the monster to get far enough distracted before nodding and standing up. "Go! Go, go, go, go!" He called, and the group of six ran through a food stall and into the back halls. They ran all the way up the stairs and kept going. Getting far away from the creature and running out of the building. "Go, go, go!" Jonathan yelled again, urging them all toward the car. Rylie slid to a stop in front of the car, scuffing her nice Doc Martens against the asphalt. She pushed the hood all the way back up, holding it with the hood prop rod, and starting putting the new ignition cable into place. Billy's engine revved but she ignored it, tears pricking her eyes slightly at the knowledge that her boyfriend was gone.

"Get the car started. Go!" Nancy ordered Jonathan who slammed the hood shut. Nancy cocked her hand gun.

Jonathan got into the driver's seat and turned the keys, the engine sputtering just as before. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Come on!" He turned it again, hitting the steering wheel. Rylie moved to stand in front of Nancy, not really giving a shit that she was holding a gun. Justin slid into the back seat of the car, in her spot from before. "Get out of the way!" Nancy urged, but Rylie didn't move. 

"Fuck!" Justin yelled, watching anxiously as Jonathan sputtered the engine. Billy sped forward, facing Rylie and Nancy head on. But at the last second he swerved and hit a light post instead. Hairington sped the Cadillac he'd taken before into the spot next to the car. Rylie ran off toward Billy's car which was now a little bit on fire. . .only a tiny bit though. The car finally started up and Nancy hopped into the seat beside Jonathan. Justin started laughing when she saw Rylie smack Billy and the blond woke up, with a smile. Why was he smiling? His girlfriend just hit him. Way to ruin the moment, William.

Sailor girl stood up inside the Cadillac as the creature screeched into the night. "Oh- Oh shit." She breathed out as the flesh spider climbed onto the roof of Starcourt and roared.

Jonathan honked the horn of Nancy's car as Justin yelled out the window "Get in!" She opened the door, Russell Hargrove sliding into the spot next to her. Justin smirked. "Well hello, beautiful."

"Justin!" Jonathan scolded, causing the dirty blonde to grumble. 

"Justin, they say. Stop flirting with people, they say. Russell's way out of your league, they say." She mutters under her breath, getting a laugh out of the blue wearing Hargrove. 

"Go, go, go, go!" Lucas rushed out his words and Steve slammed the back hatch shut.

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Word Count - 1363

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Published - August 18, 2024

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