𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙥! 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣

SCENE TEN. into the mill tower

'IN EDITING!'

the streets begin to blur as she drives, she can no longer see where she's going. she just hopes it towards the radio station.

"piper!" lucas screams out as his hands reach out to grab the wheel. her body feels cold and looks almost rigid. he feels the lump in his throat as his fingers brush against her very cold ones.

'i'm coming for you, you won't win' and she screams. her father voice fading from her head as her foot slams down hard on thr break. the car jolting to a stop. mike thankfully he put on his seat beat as he jolts forward. and without another word she's out of the car. falling to her knees in the dirt and letting out a harsh cry. she can hear joyce's voice calling out for her. the smell of her patchouli perfume hits her senses as the warm arms wrap around her. she allows the older women to drag her towards the barn as lucas and mike talk in not so hushed voice to will and robin. quickly filling them in on the plan as will pins derek turnbow to the floor. joyce helps piper inside the door as lucas and mike rush to help close the big wooden doors. the wood slotting in the gap just as derek throws a handful of dirt straight into will's face. the kid runs for the ladder, throwing it back down before robin could climb up to grab him. that's when piper noticed it. the flicker of one of the barn lamps. she goes cold, colder as if possible, the temperature in the barn had significantly dropped. when she watches wills hand raise to his neck. and it flicks.

"will." she speaks, her voice creaking slightly. but it's too late, his neck snaps back as his eyes go white. the slightly flashing and the same vibration noise fills her ear as a distance snarl that she recognised oh so well plays. the doors jolt. once. then twice. then nonstop.

"stay back." joyce orders the group of kids as piper stands. her mind screaming as it is delayed due to the pounding headache. joyce grips at the axe. holding it, ready to swing. the doors finally give in. slamming open. and the disgusting creature stands there. it snarls. baring the rows of teeth. derek screams in fear.

"you want him, you're gonna have to come through me!" the demo steps forward as if accepting the challenge. and joyce is quick to reply in actions. she swings the axe, grunting as it just misses it's slimy body. the demo falls back as she continues swinging in its direction. making that familiar clicking noise. stumbling back out of the doors of the barn. when it collided with the front of the car. the disgusting sound of flesh slamming against metal rang out as it cried. the car zooming past the doors. steve's beamer. and piper's at the door. holding on to it as if holding herself up. steve looks to her. the blood soaking through the jumper. the flesh exposed on her arm. his heart races. his eyes glancing between the demo charging towards the mill tower and back to his pained girlfriend. quickly explaining his theory to tge passengers on the gate as it flips. he wants nothing more to then rip the car door off to get to her. but he knows better then that. they needed to save holly. and his eyes laid on her face. she's smiling softly. eyes fluttering. she looks almost relieved. she's happy to see him.

"do it." he hears nancy's voice in the ba k of his mind. his foot slams down. the car revving up and speeding towards the gate. and he's grateful to have seen her one more time as he accepts his fate driving into the gate. she stumbles, watching the car disappear into the cavern of red. her eyes fluttered as he disappears, her body falls. and will snaps out his vision. gasping for air as her body hits the ground hard.

she awakes a short time later, a wet rag rests on her forehead. will is painting on the wall, everyone watching curiously. piper notices the walkie talkie to her left.

"steve. steve it's piper. please, are you okay?"

"steve, if you can hear me please just give me a sign. anything."

"he'll be okay. he's steve the hair harrington." a voice speaks, she looks up to find robin walking over to her. holding a bucket of water. water sloshes as she walks. she nods softly. she knows robin is right. steve could handle anything at this moment. after everything. thats when piper notices the lack of clothes she's wearing on her top half now. she can see her jumper hung over the wooden fence of a pen. she sits in her pink tank top, rags placed gently over her arm.

"how bad is it?" piper asks robin as she kneels beside her. robins lip quivers downward, the slight smile falling from her face.

"it's not pretty. does it still hurt?" robin tells her in honesty. piper takes a small wait before giving a small nod, almost debating whether to give her answer to the girls question.

"stings a little. oh my god. that's disgusting. ew. put that away." she starts pretending she's not bothered when robin moves the rag. the exposed damages revealed in full. and it is disgusting. the skin was raw, ripped open in whole jagered swoop across her tricep. the layers of skin torn in that ugly shape. blood still spotting in places. she covered her mouth as if she's about to throw up. robin chuckles gently before returning to her humming a familiar tune. it's one of the newish songs on thr radio. will still rapidly painting on the wall, and her stomach twists. her throat suddenly dry, and stratchy. it's something she's seen before, in one of her nightmares. fleshly like walls. she stands, walking up to the wall and the boy. her hand rests gently on his shoulder and he snaps his neck to the side. so quickly she could have sworm it was going to snap.

"what is it?" joyce askes as the group joins the around the painting.

"i don't know. but i could feel it was important to him.

"to mr....whatsit?"

"his real name is henry."

"aka vecna."

"aka one."

"aka my dad."

"mr whatsit is your dad? and that's too many names." the young boy speaks as he takes a swit step to his left. almost as if stepping aay from her.

"why won't you just zip it and listen, dipshit?"

"i had this feeling he didn't want me there. i wasn't supposed to see it."

"you've never been this close to the hive mind before. i mean, that thing was like, feet away. and piper being too close nearby. sometimes at the squawk, when a signal comes in too strong #. it overloads the whole system. i think that's what this was. an overload. you didn't just tap into the hive mind. you jacked right into the godamn control centre."

"that's why it's good when she nearby. he gets confused. he switches. he doesn't know what to do. stop me getting in or trip into her mind."

"but what about holly? where's holly? did you see her?"

he steps forward. pulling the paint can back up. dipping the brush inside as he focuses again. a buzzing noise filling piper's mind as she watches. watches as he draws this stick figures. hung up to the fleshly walls of the caves. explaining that they were attached and that they were becoming a part of it almost. explaining there's others. 12. twelve kids attached to this thing. and she vomits. straight into an old milk pale. mike and lucas started to explain what they had seen. the kids being rouned up into bus and driven away. something bigger was going on here. and she really just wanted a break. joyce rubs the girls back gently, and when she looks over her shoulder to thank her. for a second. it's her mum. she helps her sit as they stop to think. they needed to come up with a plan. to figure out what they wanted those kids for, and how to get them out.