Strange Things Are Happening. (Jonathan Byers x OC) Wattys 2017

22.

Slowly, the three monster hunters -and Steve- emerged from the bedroom, all on edge as they moved towards the living room, making sure to step over the bear trap.

"This is crazy," Steve whispered, slowly getting progressively louder until he was shouting, lunging towards the phone that was hung on the wall.

Nancy tore it from his hands quickly, tossing it to the other side of the room as she glared at him. "It is going to come back," she said harshly, "So you need to leave. Right now."

Samantha couldn't help the proud smile that crossed her face. She was finally standing up to people like him.

Steve looked at them one by one before hauling ass from the small house.

Honestly, Samantha felt sorry for the poor boy and really hoped that this whole thing wouldn't scar him too much. She looked up when the lights started flickering again, calling it to the attention of the other two.

"Do you see it?" Nancy asked, "Where is it?"

"Come on you son of a bi-" Jonathan was cut off by all the lights going off and Nancy quickly grabbed hold of Samantha's hand.

"Jonathan!" she cried out, pointing behind him and before the creature could harm him, Samantha surged forward and pushed him out of the way.

He landed with a thud on the carpet, his bat rolling somewhere out of sight and he watched in horror and fear as the monster pinned Samantha to the floor, roaring in her face.

Then she was gone.

"Samantha!" he yelled, wincing as Nancy shot round after round into the thing's back and it quickly turned on her.

Nancy continued to shoot as it advanced on her, whimpering quietly when the ammo came to an end.

Then, as if from nowhere, Steve appeared and started hitting the monster with the bat that Nancy had dropped in all of the confusion, slowly leading it towards the bear trap.

Jonathan was still on the ground, staring blankly at the spot that Samantha was just in. Where had it taken her? Was she alive? He realised that she had to be. The monster was there with them and there was no way that it could be in two places at once.

"Jonathan!" Nancy yelled, but he didn't register it.

"It's in the trap!"

"Jonathan!" she tried again, this time it got through to him and he shot up from the floor, wrestling the lighter from his pocket.

He tossed it towards the monster, setting it alight and the three of them watched it burn for a few seconds until he grabbed the extinguisher, yelling for them to get back before he put the flames out.

Once the smoke had cleared, they saw that it was once again gone.

"Where did it go now?" Nancy murmured but Jonathan shook his head.

"It's gotta to be dead. It's just gotta be."

"Where's Samantha?" Steve suddenly asked, "She was right there."

Nancy looked at Jonathan, who nodded as he ran his hands through his hair and she felt herself start to cry.

"She's in the Upside Down."

Jonathan could only hope that the monster was in fact dead and his mom and Hopper would be able to find her as well as Will.

++

Samantha woke with a start. Her eyes wildly looking around to try and figure out where she was.

She was still in Jonathan's living room. Well, it looked like Jonathan's living room.
But it was darker, colder and foggier.