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Ian gasps, eyes widened, lungs burning as he pushes himself up, perched on his elbows. His legs lay straight out, jacket lying beneath him, creasing at the angle.
Beneath him, grass.
Green grass.
Soft, bright.
Sunlight radiates, warming his skin. Well, not really. It doesn't feel warm, but he feels like it should be. He feels a little cold, even. The golden glow reflects down on the canopies of trees above him, sunlight trickling down onto his face, creating freckles of light across his pale cheeks.
His breath quivers.
He looks around slowly, trying to figure out where he is. The last he remembers, he was rushing into the Upside Down to help Lucas and Mike. A Demogorgon got to them without him ever seeing, and he followed their voices into the gate.
Across the empty road, a brightly colored playground set. Metal. Painted bright red, yellow, and blue, not a spot of rust. It's familiar. A scary kind of familiar.
He turns around, halfway sitting on his right leg. His eyes trace the building carefully, up and up and up. Blue paint and white decor. On the door, a stained glass mural of a rose. At the top floor, presumably the attic, a circular window.
And then it clicks.
The Creel house.
He feels the air rush out of his lungs. He can barely breathe, but he manages to scramble to his feet to just run.
Run.
It's all he can do.
He can't even think. He can only sprint and run for his life.
Why is he here?
He went to help Lucas and Mike. How'd he end up here? With a non-rundown version of the Creel house? The- the door looks brand new, the paint only looks a few years old, it looks warm and cozy on the inside, warm lights all around, and decor visible from the outside. But... but it's not real.
It's not real, is it?
Is Vecna back?
Is he trapped in his own mind?
Okay, where's the clock? All he wants is to hear the chime and escape. He just... needs to find it? See something or hear something or...
What if he doesn't get out?
What if they don't get to his post in time and don't play his favorite song? I mean, its right there in his backpack, he brought it upon Mike's pleading every time they ran crawls just in case something like this happened. What if he can't get there in time to save him from this psychological mess?
What if he can't admit what he needs to Mike? What if he can't thank Robin or Karen for all they've done for him? What if-
