melancholia. [ ALTERNATE SPIN-OFF ] [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xxiv. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

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warnings: mature language

     Mary's car slowly rolled back up to the cabin, and she saw the new car parked outside. She smiled to herself, jumping out of the car and rushing to the door. She knocked on it, Andrew opening it first. She stepped in past him to see Will, Jonathan, Nancy, and El standing in the room. They all turned to look at her, Mary smiling widely. She went to El first, the two engulfing each other in a hug. 

     "I've missed you so much, kid," Mary told her quietly. 

     "Me too," El whispered. They slowly let go, Mary looking to Will. She smiled, opening her arms to him. He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, Mary breathing out as she shut her eyes. 

     "You've grown too much," she said, chuckling slightly. "You're going to be taller than me." 

     "I missed you so much, Mary," Will told her. 

     "Me too, Will," she responded. She stepped back and smiled at him one more time. She turned to Jonathan, smiling wider at him. "Bring it in, ya weirdo." He smiled and stepped forward, the two hugging each other tightly. The hug lasted for a few seconds until they both stepped back. Nancy and Mary connected eyes, the girls smiling and laughing slightly. They hugged as they were happy to see each other again, both of them stepping back with smiles on their faces. Mary wiped her eyes quickly, then took a deep breath and looked at the people among her. "So, this is it?" 

     "This is what?" Andrew asked, Mary looking at him. "There's eleven people here, they have a hundred times more than us, maybe more than that." 

     "I don't like those odds," Robin spoke up. 

     "Look, I know that this is all really bad. Very, very bad. But... if we do this, if we all make it out alive, that's it. We are home free, no more Russian shit to deal with. No more Upside Down, and no more people dying. We'll finally get the chance to live our goddamn lives without looking over our shoulders," Mary told them, looking among the group. She sighed, looking around the room as she knew what they were all thinking. "Doing this, it won't bring back who we've lost." She looked to Nancy. "Barb." Then to Jonathan and Will. "Bob." She looked down, then over at El. "Hop." She sighed a bit, turning to Andrew. "Did you get it? What I asked?" 

     "It was difficult, getting back in to that wing of the compound. But yes, I reached him," Andrew told him, pulling out a key. "The key, to his home. It's not far from here." Mary nodded slightly, then looked to El. 

     "Kid, why don't you and I take a drive?" she asked, El looking around the room. She nodded at her, then began to follow Mary out. "Uh, Deems, you got the game plan I gave you. Give everyone the rundown of what the next week is going to look like." He nodded at her, leaving the two girls to themselves. They went to Mary's car, both getting in at the same time. 

     "Where are we going?" El asked, Mary breathing out at the question. 

     "You'll find out soon enough, kid. For right now, enjoy the ride," she said, starting up the car. She looked behind her, pulling away from the cabin. 

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     Billy screamed in pain again, back arched and toes curled at the sharp pain in his right arm. The could see the blood running down and dripping to the floor. He took deep breaths, trying to remember Mary, and how she was coming to save him. It would be soon, too. She would save him soon, before it was too late. Before that sickening poison kicked in. 

     "That glint of hope in your eyes is going to go away soon," Jackson said, cleaning Billy's blood off the knife. "She's not going to make it in time. Her strategies all wrong. She's going to get you killed."