𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗬 // 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

044

The lights are flickering as we enter the next room, it's scary, but I've seen scarier things now.
The unsettling buzz still fills my ears however, making me shiver as Steve places an arm around my hip and draws me in for warmth.

It's sweet but useless, I'm not cold at all. 

Another light turns on, that same buzz ringing out into the room and as I turn to look into the hallway I notice all the lights are doing this, turning on and off in a psychotic rhythm.

From downstairs we can hear max's music blaring and I think of what she must be feeling. She's just a kid. This must be terrifying her.

I know a fake brave face when I see one. Miss Cook always said it was useless to fake that sort of thing.
Miss cook.. my dream..
I shudder at the thought and once again Steve draws me closer.

We're all together now, using Steve's flashlight to find where vecna would be in the other world.
And of course.. "it's an attic.." I breath out at the irony and Robin laughs, "of course it's an attic."

Once we're at the top our torches seem to brighten in one place, like a pentagram of light buzzing softly. My head hurts once more, but only lightly this time, as if I wasn't the focus, as if the pain was only in the back of my head.. waiting.

Steve's hold tightens on mine, eyes never swaying from my face despite my own being glued to the display around us.

"What the fuck is happening.."

The faint sound of a voice echoes from my pocket, "princess? Ruby are you there?"
It feels like my imagination, and once I blink it's gone.

***

The next morning we're on our way to Eddie, me, Dustin and Steve sat cramped in the back of Nancys car as Robin rambles and I try to swallow my guilt with m&ms.

"I can't bare to see Eddie's doe eyes break again.." the imagery in my head breaks my heart. What if that voice was real? What if he needed me and I couldn't be there for him.

I shake my head.
No.
He would've said something by now.
He would've.

"The gates closed so we have no way of getting to vecna so basically you're screwed!" Robin finishes her rant and I feel my eyes slowly glaze over to max's fire born hair, only to be met by the small glint of her eyes locking with mine.

Yup. Robin's rambling definitely wasn't helping.

"Robin please! You're not helping!" She turns to him from the front seat, eyebrows furrowed in confusion causing him to gesture me and max's way, "two vecna victims here!"

She glares, "if I wasn't so stressed I would've LOVED that alliteration Steve."
I snort. Dustin hits me on the arm lightly, "Ruby take this seriously, you could be next any moment.."

The reminder isn't helpful. It's something I already know. What's wrong with seeing life lightly before my possible death?

I've not been letting it hit me. Not really. Only in small conversations with Max do I let myself really believe this thing is after me. Because a part of me still doesn't really understand, I've grown to believe I'm more important then I think I am, but special enough to be hunted by some murderous otherworldly monster? That doesn't seem right.

People like Steve fight monsters.
I'm not a fighter.

I've run from everything that's every scared me other than that time in the mall last year.
I ran from my dads death, I ran from Billy, I ran from my mother, I even ran from steve in the past.

I guess he's my only constant. The one thing that stopped me from running.

"We're one step closer to finding vecna, that's what we say that's what's important." Nancy confirms and as I pop another chocolate into my mouth I smirk, "see guys? A positive spin makes all the difference."