𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xiii. the abyss.

WHEN THE melting gunk finally stopped, they rushed up the rest of the way in a different staircase to the top floor. When they found the room that Nancy and Jonathan were in, James stood back with Dustin as Steve tried to break through the wall with a fire extinguisher. "So... feel better now that you got to join our cuddling?" James asked the Henderson quietly who looked up at him, squinting his eyes.

"Shut the hell up, James." He says before looking away, an annoyed look and James is just grinning ear-to-ear, holding in a laugh as Steve finally broke through the wall, peering inside. "Sorry we're late." He told the two who both let out sighs and small laughs of relief, before they began making their way over to the hole.

Steve takes Nancy's hand in his, helping her out of the hole, "thanks." She said to him as James looks at her. "You two okay?" He asked as the girl turns to look at him. "Yeah. Yeah, we're okay." She nods, giving him a smile and James nods, giving her a small smile. Dustin embraced Nancy suddenly, as Steve now helps Jonathan out next, "thanks." The Byers said.

The three other boys turn to Nancy and Dustin, who were still hugging, before the Henderson finally pulls back. "Was that weird? I'm sorry. That was weird." He apologized. "I didn't..." He looked at Jonathan, then at James and Steve, gesturing to them. "We just... we all thought..." He explains. "We were goners. Yeah, we did too." Nancy said as Dustin nods his head.

"Turns out that shield generator of yours..." Jonathan began, looking at Dustin. "Isn't really a shield generator." James said, as the Byers turns to look at him and Steve. "Yeah, we know." The Harrington says, nodding. "Well, you'd think that would have been good information to share." Nancy said, looking at the couple standing to the left of her. "Well," Steve then raised the supercomm in his hand with the antenna taped to it, "we tried." He added.

"The antenna snapped." James says, looking at Nancy who's staring at the radio with confusion. "His fault." Both Steve and Dustin point at one another. "Both their faults." The Hopper says and Nancy looks away, confused. "Okay, so then what the hell did I shoot?" She asked as she then turns her head to look at Dustin. "Exotic matter." The Henderson answered.

"And we're supposed to know what that is?" Jonathan asked as Dustin reached for the journal and James held up the flaslight now. "It's all in here. Look. Check this out." The youngest said as he held up the book for them. "Dr. Brenner's notebook from '83. This thing is a goldmine. All his research into the gate, how he created it, what it really is. I'm still deciphering it, but..." Dustin explains. "Yeah, this shit will fry your brain." James said in agreement.

"Cliff notes, Holly isn't on the other side of the wall." Dustin said as he looks up at Nancy. "Then where is she?" The Wheeler asked as the Henderson closed the book. "I don't know... exactly." He answers her question. "But wherever she is, it's not the Upside Down."

"Mike? Mike?" Dustin shouted as they walked out of the building, before he went running. "El!" James exclaimed, smiling as he started running over to the others as well. "Jesus, it's good to see you guys!" Dustin said as they meet in the middle, Mike and Dustin hugging and El jumping into James' arms as the taller swayed them side to side, rubbing his sister's back. James gently set her down, looking at his dad who pats his arm, the others approaching them and Mike looking over at his sister.

Mike walks towards his sister, "Nancy? Where is she? Where's Holly?" He asked as Nancy looked up at her, El looked worried, staring at the Wheelers before looking up at James who glanced down at her. The group had been flipping through the pages, well, Nancy and Jonathan were, with Dustin, Steve and James watching rhem and waiting, when a scream echoed and Nancy quickly got up.

"What was that?" She asked, but the four didn't notice. "What was what?" Steve said as Jonathan stood up, flashlight in hand. Another scream, "Holly," the Wheeler girl whispered before she ran and Jonathan followed quickly, along with James, Steve and Dustin, the Henderson grabbing the journal. They ran up the staircase and out onto the roof, "Nancy! Nancy!" Holly screamed for her sister. "Holly! Holly!" She shouts as the other three looked over.