Escape ~ S.Harrington

104} The Final Blow

Jenna felt the entire space around her crash down about fifty feet or so. She fell hard on her butt. Before she could even process what had happened, Steve ran inside.
"Jenna!" He dropped to his knees, pulling her to him, "You did it!" He kissed her forehead, "You fucking did it!"
"Not without the help of you guys," She tried to catch her breath while she saw the rest of the group enter.
Nancy's smile that she initially had faded when she saw Holly against one of the spires, "Holly!" She ran up to her, pulling the dead vine out of her mouth and yanking her down. She gently lowered her to the ground, cradling her head in her lap, "Holly? Can you hear me? Holly?"
Jenna weakly stood up, hobbling over to the Wheeler's. She placed a hand on Holly's forehead.
It's time to wake up, kiddo.

Holly jolted awake, coughing up black particles that Jenna immediately obliterated.
"Nancy?" Holly smiled up at her sister.
"Yeah," A tear slid down Nancy's cheek, "Yeah, it's me. I'm here," She squeezed Holly to her chest, "It's me. I'm here. I'm here."
"Holly!?" Mike rushed in, joining their reunion, "Hey! Hey."
Holly looked up over Mike's shoulder, locking eyes with Jenna, "Thank you, Lady Jenna."
Jenna laughed, "No, thank you, Holly the Heroic. You saved those kids."
"That was definitely because of you, but whatever. I have the coolest babysitter of all time."
"Can't argue with you there," She laughed even more before remembering the rest of the kids, "Okay team, let's get these children down."

Each of them started to pull a different kid down. Jenna and. Steve both went over to help Derek.
"I've got it, Jen," He picked Derek up, "You're back is still bleeding pretty good."
"Jenna?" Derek peeked an eye open.
As he woke up, the black particles rose from his mouth. Jenna destroyed them.
"Yeah it's-" He practically jumped into her and Steve's arms, "It's me, bud. You're safe."
"I'm sorry I ever said you had zombie disease," He sniffled, "You're really cool," He looked around, "Where are we?"
"Doesn't matter," Steve patted his back, "We're gonna get you home."
Derek tightened his grip on Steve as Jenna walked around and obliterated the rest of the dark particles. She was adamant about leaving none of it behind. As she got to the last kid, she heard coughing behind her. When she turned around, she saw Vecna still barely alive.

"Jen... na," He gagged, "Please..."
"You don't have to, you know," El stopped her.
"I know," Jenna stared at him, "But I want to."
She knelt down next to him, "What do you need to show me?"
"Trust... me?" He quivered.
She looked around at everyone, nodding, "Yeah."
He held his only hand up above her face, claw out like he'd done to all of his previous victims. She was sucked back into his mind, right where they'd been before they left his mind. Young Henry stood, staring blankly at his wounded hand.
"This is where it all started," Henry spoke, watching his younger self grab a rock and hover above the man, "Where I became the version of me that he wanted," Kid Henry slammed the rock down on the man's head a couple of times, killing him. He sat there, a mix of tears and blood running down his face, "I was just..."
"You were just a kid," Jenna placed a hand over his, "A kid who got lost and attacked."

"One too curious for his own good," Henry cried as his younger self grabbed the briefcase out of the man's grasp, clicking it open.
"You didn't know any better," Jenna defended.
"But..." They watched him look at a rock from the Abyss, "I just had to go snooping."
Young Henry picked up the rock, watching it glow red through the cracks. Once it touched his wound, the powers from within it seeped their way into his bloodstream, connecting him directly to the Mind Flayer.
"Find... me..." The entity whispered, starting his craving to be with the Abyss.
Young Henry dropped down, screaming in total agony.
"You must resist it," The man blinked awake, "It will consume you. It will consume all."
Before the kid could even think, the Mind Flayer took control of him, using his abilities to kill the man; sucking his eyes to the back of his head. Both Henrys staggered back a few steps. The kid started to hyperventilate, feeling a bloody nose start to flow. He ran away down the shaft, trying to find his way back out.