Other Friends

Chapter 18 - Hot in Here

Walking through the woods at night was easier said than done. Bella followed Liz closely not wanting to get stuck in some trap or get lost honestly. The girls carried the supplies while Jonathan carried Will up to the cabin. They all look around, Liz not seeing anything out of the ordinary while Bella turns on a few lights.

"It's actually kinda nice." Nancy comments as Jonathan places his brother on the couch.

"Thanks?" Liz replies, unsure if that was a compliment or not.

Joyce walks around before turning to face the teens, "We'll do it here." She tells them approvingly that this place would be unrecognizable for Will. They quickly begin to work, grabbing one of the beds from the other room and sliding it into the larger space.

Bella throws more blankets on top to make it warmer for the boy before Jonathan places his brother on top. Liz begins to gather the firewood while the other four begin to tie Will to the bed to prevent him from escaping the heat. Once that was done, Liz had Bella help her find the heaters from the other rooms while the other three set up the heaters they brought along.

This was about to be the warmest cabin on an autumn night anyone's ever seen. They all stand beside one another as the heat gets turned on low, waiting for Will to wake up. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jonathan asks his mother.

"This thing has had Will long enough. Let's kill the son of a bitch." she replies with determination in her voice.

Liz finds a match and lights it before putting it into the fireplace. Bella turns the heaters up now. "Now or never." she whispers to her friend as they take off their jackets.

It took a little bit but Will finally woke up with a small gasp. The heat in the room was affecting him as they planned. Liz, Bella, and Nancy all put their hair up to cool off but the relief was temporary as the group sweats.

Will attempts to get up but sees all the heaters and the rope on him and begins to squirm in a panic. "What's happening?" he asks them. "It hurts." He begins to groan in pain and she struggles with the rope. "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" he screams out. "Let me go! Let me go! It hurts!!"

Bella bites the inside of her cheek, hating to see Will this way. Joyce sighs before turning the heaters up more. Will screams more from the heat. "Mom?" Jonathan questions.

"No." she simply says, continuing to turn them all up.

"This has to work." Bella says in a whisper before looking at Liz, "Right?"

Liz nods, grabbing her hand, "It has too." she reassures her, feeling bad for the screaming boy.

The bed begins to shake from his struggles. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" Will cries out more.

"More wood!" Joyce instructs and Liz nods, going to add more wood making Will scream in protest.

"It's not working. It's not working." Jonathan tells them.

"This has to work Johnathan." Bella tells him in a bit of desperation.

"No, are you two not listening!" he shouts slightly looking at Bella and his mom.

"Just wait!" Joyce replies, staring at her youngest who continues to scream.

"How much longer?" Jonathan questions. "Look... look at him!"

"Jonathan just wait!" she shouts back at him.

"You're killing him!" he argues with her.

"He's dead either way, at least this way we have a chance to save him!" Bella shouts at her friend, tears in her eyes. "We have to try for Will's sake!"

"No!" Jonathan cries out, moving to one of the heaters but Joyce goes to stop him. "Mom, you're killing him!"

"Leave it!" Joyce argues back.

"Wait, Jonathan, Jonathan!" Nancy shouts, "His neck! His neck!" This gets the two to stop arguing and look over to see black veins crawling up the boy's neck and to his face.

Will begins to shake, the lights begin to flicker and suddenly he pulls up breaking one of his arm restraints. "Grab him!" Liz shouts.

Joyce was faced to grab his arm to prevent him from freeing his other arm. But this wasn't Will, he grabs her neck with strength he shouldn't have, black veins all along his face as he chokes her. Jonathan rushes over to help free his mom but this thing that has Will was just too strong. Liz goes to help as well but it was no use he was just too strong.

Bella looks around, trying to find something to help them before seeing the fire poker. Rushing over to where Liz had dropped it, she sees the end still in the flames making it hot. "I'm sorry Will." she whispers before moving to touch his side making him scream in pain, and let go of Joyce.

The three were able to hold down Will's free arm as he shook. The lights flickering more as Bella drops the poker in shock that her plan worked. "Get the hell out of my son!" Joyce shouts at the creature.

Will lets out a scream that didn't sound like his own as he stopped fighting them and just shook. Suddenly he opens his mouth and a large black mist comes flying out of him and flying out the door and away into the night.

The Cabin was silent. No more screams. Jonathan unplugs all the heaters quickly as Joyce unties her son. "Will, baby. Will. Will." she cries at his closed eyes.

Bella backs up, a pit in her stomach as she grabs Liz thinking he's dead. The two Byers continue to call for him and cry. Suddenly Joyce gasps, "Mom?" Will asks before he's pulled into a hug.

The teen girls all let out a sigh of relief seeing he's alive. "I... I need the walkie." Liz says rushing to the couch and stepping outside. "Jim you there? Do you Copy?" she says into the walkie.

"Yeah, I copy." His voice replies with a little static interference, but she understood.

"Close it! He's fine, close it now!" she tells him, relief settling over her. This nightmare was about to be over.

Bella walks over to Will, sitting next to Joyce. "How are you feeling Will?" she asks softly.

He replies by pulling her into a tight hug, making her laugh. "Thank you for being here." he whispers to her, and she just returns the hug just as tight.