Sage's legs shook anxiously as she was squished up in between Max and Dustin, facing the cops in Mike Wheeler's living room. She knew Steve was alive, she looked into his mind- but it wasn't exactly going well for the older group, they currently had no exit out of the Upside Down. Anger filled Sage's mind, she should have stood her ground and followed them in- despite whatever Nancy had ordered.
"Now, what exactly were you all doing at the lake?" Officer Powell questioned.
Dustin began to stutter as the four looked back and forth at each other.
"We... we were just going for a walk." Max says confidently.
"A walk? At 9pm?" Officer Callaghan speaks up accusingly.
"To the lake! We were gonna... take a lil swim... little night swim." Dustin speaks up.
"We also enjoy fishing in our free-time!" Sage interjects, giving the officers her best grin which reminds Powell so much of her father.
"We didn't realise that it was where someone was murdered- so we didn't swim." Lucas clears up.
"And Nancy, was she with you at this night swim?" Karen asks desperately.
"No." Max and Sage say quickly.
"Yes." Dustin says at the same time.
"We um, we're not sure. She was there and then she left, it's all a bit confusing." Lucas rambles.
Sage sits back further on the sofa, she sends a threatening glare at Erica as she attempts to jail her own brother by calling their bluff. Erica slowly steps away, her eyes fixated on the blonde's expression.
The tension thickens and voices get louder and louder, Sage flops her head back massaging her throbbing temples. She keeps her eyes snapped shut until Powell yells at everyone to shut up.
"We are going to try a more civilised approach, one at a time- you first." Powell extends his finger towards Sage.
"What! Why me? I'm not even in the Hellfire, I'm just visiting from California!" She yells.
"Do I need to cuff you? Up! Chop-Chop!" Callaghan orders.
"You are Hop's kid, Hawkins is your true home." Powell says calmly.
"Where is Hop now!" Sage shouts.
Officer Powell fights to stay professional as he brings his deceased dear friends daughter into the next room.
--
"I don't need to answer any questions." Sage says, leaning back in the chair.
"Right... but if you didn't you'd look suspicious." Callaghan interjects.
"Sage, we just want to know what went down." Powell says tiredly.
"We. Told. You. Went on a walk, lost track of Nance and decided to play some games on you." Sage says simply.
"Come on Sage, pranking cops is dumb- didn't Hop teach you better?" Callaghan asks.
Sage's face turns cold, she leans up against the table- placing her hands flat on the table as she makes eye contact with Callaghan.
"My father- is dead, so unfortunately he cannot teach me much anymore. He worked his ass off to keep this town in check, just for you two to take over and spend your time questioning a group of kids when there is teenagers dying left right and center!" Sage yells.
"We understand this is hard for you- but we need this cleared up-" Powell starts.
"No! You don't understand Powell. How do you think this makes me feel? It feels like I was visiting the station to go to lunch with Dad yesterday, but it has been 8 whole months. He is gone and now you guys expect me to act like I'm fine with you casually taking over his job?"
Powell takes a deep breath, looking at the child sympathetically. "I know I will never be anything like your dad was- nobody could be, but we are trying to get through it... so please Sage, help us."
Sage stares at the two for a moment before scoffing, she stands up- tipping over her chair. "Screw this." She spits before leaving, slamming the door.
--
Max was brought in to be questioned the moment Sage walked out, as Sage wanders through the Wheeler Home looking for Dustin and Lucas she notices the hallway lights getting brighter and brighter.
"I hope to god that's you Harrington and not this creepy teen murderer." She mutters.
"Who the hell are you talking to?" Lucas questions.
"Steve." Sage says obviously, tilting her head at the lamp.
"How did you know they went through? We've spent the past hour figuring it out!" Dustin exclaims.
"I knew all along, is someone gonna create a plan to get them out orr?" Sage sasses.
"One step ahead of you."
10 minutes later, the group created a device that should glow and spell out words from Steve, Nancy, Eddie and Robin. The group crowded around waiting for a word to pop up.
"You guys seeing this?" Dustin calls out.
The screen brightens and Dustin begins to laugh.
"Holy shit!" Erica exclaims.
The group waits as Nancy spells out the word 'Stuck'
"So you can't get back through watergate?"
"Okay... no, so watergate is guarded." Dustin calls out.
"We can get to them through Eddie's trailer." Sage speaks up.
--
Sage and Dustin creep around to find Max with her headphones waiting behind the officers as they spoke to the Wheelers.
"We shouldn't have gone with them first... they're really mean, especially the blonde one she just stormed off." Callaghan mutters.
Sage beckons Max to follow them upstairs, where they jump out the window and ride their bikes down to the trailer park as fast as they can, Sage feeling more and more uneasy. The blonde brushes it off, assuming its due to her having to see another gate.
"God that's disgusting." Sage squeals as she pokes the membrane of the gate with a brush, she looks further up and spots Steve staring back at her. "Hey! What the hell happened to you?" She questions.
As the kids tie together blankets to make a rope and drag over the mattress, Sage stands to the side- feeling off, a deep sinking feeling in her heart as her breath quickens. Dustin tosses the rope up and lets go, creating the perfect route out of the Upside down. Sage steps up to pull on the rope as a sturdy test.
The girl tugs slightly before she feels herself falling into darkness, it was very similar to the void she spent a lot of her childhood in- but this wasn't right, she wasn't slowing down. Suddenly, she lands on her stomach, Sage grunts and pulls herself up- only to hit the ground again watching her leg tear apart in front of her, Sage screams out for someone but deep down she knows, she's been chosen.
Chosen by Vecna.
And little does she know...
Steve is holding her in the upside down, as she lays in his arms not breathing.
Dead to the world.
THOUGHTS??
We're coming to the end of the season now... :(
Ellie x
YOU ARE READING
THE LABORATORY'S CURSE | STRANGER THINGS
ParanormalPREVIOUSLY CALLED : STRANGER THINGS | SAGE Sage Levins, everyone thought she was the quiet middle-schooler with short blonde hair and a scar across her left eye. What happens when she is reunited with someone from her past and she has to drop the ac...