Angelica "Freak Two" Munson

Chapter 82

"This compass worked correctly when we left the Wheeler's," he explains, "It was correct when we got in the car on Kerley. But it started to slip the further east we went. Now, it's way off... When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong. The compass was."

Steve sighs, "So, you're telling us that you're using faulty equipment and you're still wrong?"

"Except, it isn't faulty," Dustin turns, "Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?"

He smiles with recollection, "An electromagnetic field."

"Yep,"

"I'm sorry," Robin squints, "I must've skipped that class."

"No, you were actually too busy glaring at Steve," Angie jests, standing up from her place against the tree, "In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle in the compass will deflect towards that power."

"Exactly," he smiles, "So either there's some super big magnet around her, or..."

"There's a gate," Lucas nods.

Nancy shifts, still puzzled, "But we're no where near the lab."

"But what if, somehow, there's another gate? A gate that we don't know about. It'd have to be smaller. Way less powerful."

Robin nods, "A snack-size gate."

"How? Why?"

"No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate. And I hope it is because then we'd have a way to Vecna."

Angie grins, "And a shot at freeing Max from this curse."

Dustin turns, taking off down the path with Angie close behind him.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Steve calls, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Eddie's still a wanted man. We can't just go for a hike in the woods."

He raises the compass into their view, "This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Max and Eddie."

Angie creates space between them, staring her brother in the eye, "What do you say, Eddie the Banished?"

Eddie stands, "I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if I'm being totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea, sis. But, uh, the Shire... the Shire is burning."

Dustin bounces on his feet, filled with excitement.

"So Mordor it is," He grins, lacing his arm with his sister's.

"What's Mordor?" Steve mumbles, following them out.

"It's a land in Lord of the Rings that's filled with volcanoes," Angie replies quickly.

"Oh," he shrugs, "That actually isn't a terrible metaphor, Munson."

Eddie simply bows in response, letting go of his sister.

They move swiftly through the woods, following Dustin as he mumbles occasionally to himself. It begins to grow dark, and Dustin seems to get more and more agitated.

He pauses in his steps, "Something's happening," he mutters, running forward.

"Dustin? Can you slow down?" Eddie requests, noticing how Angie's leg is starting to bug her, "Dustin?"

"I think we're getting close," he replies, almost falling in the lake.

Eddie grabs him by the collar, "Watch your step, big guy."

"Oh man," Steve groans, "you've got to be shitting me."

"Yeah, I thought these woods were familiar."

"It's Lover's Lake," Robin agrees with a sigh.