Billy's gone.
Ruby Buckley's world ended with him.
But Hawkins isn't done with her yet.
When strange deaths begin again, Ruby is pulled into the heart of the storm. Between shadowy nightmares, the town's newest outcast, and someone she was never s...
( songs for the chapter ) don't dream it's over // crowded house trouble // coldplay
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Steve slowed the RV as they approached the edge of the War Zone parking lot, turning sharply into the narrow service alley beside the towering metal building. The alley was half-swallowed by trees, branches leaning over the RV roof, shadows broken by stray sunlight filtering through the leaves. Dust stirred under the tires as Steve eased the vehicle into a stop, far from the open lot where two sunlit cars sat untouched.
Ruby watched through the passenger window. The yellow-and-green WAR ZONE sign was bolted crookedly to the metal siding, faded around the edges. A loading door sat beneath it, rusted and unused.
The whole place felt like the forgotten back-end of the world, the perfect place to hide a stolen RV and a wanted murderer.
Steve killed the engine. The sudden quiet swallowed the space.
Nancy was already standing, grabbing her bag, eyes scanning the alley with quick, precise intent. "This is good. No visibility from the road."
"Looks abandoned," Robin murmured, stepping closer to the window. "In a... deeply comforting, mildly serial-killer way."
Max hovered behind her, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the metal siding. "Let's just make this fast."
Erica snorted. "You're all acting like this is some big emotional mission to buy gasoline."
"Erica," Nancy warned.
"What? It is gasoline. And maybe a gun or two."
Steve finally turned in his seat, looking at the group. "Okay. Inside team. We stay together. No wandering. No talking more than absolutely necessary."
Nancy, Robin, Max, Erica and Steve started moving towards the door. Ruby stayed seated.
Nancy caught it. "You're staying back?"
Ruby nodded. "Five is already enough attention. Six is too much. And someone needs to stay back with Eddie, watch the RV. In case anyone comes back here."
Erica nodded, surprisingly mature. "Yeah. You're kind of the least suspicious-looking."
Ruby almost smiled. "Thanks... I think."
Steve looked at her again, a flicker of worry in his eyes that he didn't hide fast enough. "You sure you're okay to stay?"
Ruby nodded once. "I'm good."
Eddie spoke quietly from the floor behind the driver's seat, tucked deep into the shadows. "She's not alone. I'm here."
Dustin jumped in immediately. "And I'm staying too."
Lucas echoed him. "Yeah. We've got it."
Nancy paused at the doorway, recalculating. "Fine. That might actually make us look less like a suspicious pack of teenagers."
