𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍
JULY 2ND, 1985

The air inside the men's locker room felt heavy as Scarlette stood next to Henry, watching the others move into position. Mike and Lucas were prepping the chains, Eleven and Max keeping watch by the doors, their voices fading into the background as her nerves took over. It was just her and Henry now, the weight of what they were about to do pressing down on her chest.

Scarlette shifted on her feet, her arms wrapped around herself as she stared at the sauna in front of them. The thought of Billy being trapped inside, forced to endure whatever this test revealed, made her stomach twist. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Henry stood beside her, his presence grounding her in the chaos. He glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly at the fear in her voice. "We have to, Scar," he said softly, moving closer until their arms brushed. "It's the only way to know for sure."

She nodded, though her heart was pounding against her ribs. "But what if something goes wrong? What if... what if we can't stop it?" Her voice cracked, betraying the fear she was trying to keep at bay.

Henry gently took her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in that familiar way that always calmed her. "Hey, nothing's gonna happen to you. I promise." His voice was steady, but there was a softness to it, a reassurance that made her believe him. "I'll be right here the whole time."

Scarlette looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. There was a determination in his eyes, but also something else—something unspoken that made her feel a little less afraid. "I don't want to do this without you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Henry shook his head, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. "You won't have to," he promised. "I'm not leaving your side."

She swallowed, her throat dry, but nodded again. With him there, she felt like she could hold it together, like the panic bubbling inside her could be kept at bay just long enough to get through this. "Okay," she whispered, leaning into him slightly as the weight of the moment settled between them.

Henry pressed a quick kiss to her temple, his breath warm against her skin. "We're in this together, Scar," he whispered, his hand never leaving hers. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄

The group held their breath as Mike's voice drifted from the sauna, the tense quiet between them thickening. Henry crouched behind the wall with the others, his pulse quickening in the stillness of the moment. He felt Scarlette's slender fingers slowly slip into his, their cool touch sending a shiver through him. Her grip was tight, betraying the fear she was trying so hard to hide. He glanced at her, catching the way her eyes flickered anxiously toward the sauna, her face pale and drawn with worry.