Over the years nightmares have been a frequent friend in the Hopper house. Chills and a scream lodged in the back of her throat is the only way that Christine Hopper knows how to wake up. Her father tries hard to believe his daughter has a handle on...
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"Nic," Chris says urgently, calling out to him across the Void. "I'm so sorry."
"How...?"
They both stand still, gazing around the endless emptiness, their surprise palpable. Chris tilts her head, a flicker of hope and uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know...I've been practicing. We're here. Searching for you."
"We're headed to the hospital. Mrs. Driscoll..."
A flood of questions rushes through Chris's mind, but she forces herself to stay calm. "Okay, okay. Just fill us in when we get there. We'll see you soon."
She releases whatever tether had pulled Nic into the Void, a mixture of confusion and resolve in her heart, and together, they both awaken from the unknown.
If someone had told Ronda before she stepped into that surprise elevator, seeking Russian secrets, that it would lead her into a labyrinth beneath the earth, where mysterious green poison was being shipped back and forth to an unknown destination, she would have dismissed it as just a feverish, hellish nightmare caused by too much sun and chlorine from the endless summer she's been drowning in. Now, she, Steve, and Dustin are at the back of the group, exchanging anxious, knowing glances and hushed theories, desperate to make sense of why the Russians are here—desperate for a reason to hold onto some shred of understanding amid the chaos.
"I mean," Robin babbles, unable to stop herself, a flicker of excitement and confusion in her voice. Erica listens, captivated by Robin's words, although she's bored, longing for some genuine entertainment after being trapped in an elevator with a bunch of nerds all night. "Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places. At best, we're just a stopover on your way to Disneyland, right? Or maybe that's all it is—"
"Another theory," Erica mutters, eye-rolling.
Ronda shoots Steve a pointed look. "We cannot let them find out."
"What do you suggest we do? Blindfold them?" he grumbles, frustration slipping into his voice.
"I'm just saying... maybe we could play dumb?"
"How do you propose we do that?" Dustin cuts in, voice filled with cautious curiosity.
Robin and Erica pause ahead of them, turning to face the trio behind. Robin raises a sharp eyebrow at Steve and Ronda, her gaze flickering with curiosity and suspicion. Her eyes settle on her girlfriend, turning into a piercing look that blends curiosity with a quiet accusation. Ronda has never lied to Robin before, at least, not that Robin's ever known. But she can never reveal what truly happens in Hawkins.
"I'm sorry, is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
The boys hesitate, swallowing hard, their minds racing. Ronda parts her lips to craft a lie, but suddenly the walkie in Erica's backpack crackles to life with urgent intensity. Dustin and Steve lurch forward instinctively. "Walkie," they blurt out in unison, their voices tinged with a mix of anticipation and dread.
