𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 | 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

chapter twenty; at what cost

꒰꒰・┄┄・𓆩♡𓆪・┄┄・꒱꒱

"SUMMER, HELP US!" Max cries out as she sees the older girl running towards them. Both herself and Mike were struggling to carry Eleven as she limped across the pavement.

"We don't have long until the others get back so we have to hurry!" Summer frets and rushes to their aid, taking over from Max in the hopes that she could help the girl move a bit faster.

As the four of them reach the electric gate created by the Russians to keep everyone out of the loading dock, Max notices Billy emerging from the fiery mess that was now his car. Smoke sizzled up into the air and a crackling sound ensued but he so much as brushed himself down, without a care in the world for the car he supposedly loved more than anything, before storming towards them.

"Shit, go back! Go back!" Max says with fear and pushes the button to close the gate as the others race back towards the mall. Summer practically carries El now, trying to create as much space between them and the captivated boy as she could.

However, their attempt to hold him off with the gate does not go as planned and he stops it just before it fully closes. With the strength he now possessed from being flayed, he pushes the metal bars open with ease and slides through.

Running as fast as they possibly could, Mike leads them the way they had come - right back to The Gap. Except now, unfortunately for them, the door had locked from the other side, stopping them from entering and creating a dead end.

They try to push and pull the door open but it was no use. There was no way of getting the door open without either a key or some sort of an electric tool. But the worst part was that Billy had found them.

With fear streaming through her, Max steps out into the hall, tears pricking at her eyes as she watches her brother advance toward them like some kind of serial killer.

"Billy. Billy you don't have to do this. Billy." The redhead pleads. "Your name is Billy Hargrove. You live on 4819 Cherry Lane. Billy, please, I'm Max, I'm your–"

Though the words coming from the girl fall on deaf ears and the boy doesn't even hesitate before hitting her, knocking his little sister unconscious. Her body falls limp to the floor and Mike runs out to see if she's okay only to be shoved into the wall and knocked out cold too.

Summer stands protectively in front of El, her arm out as though it were a shield and the two retreat backwards against the door. She clenches a fist as Billy appears in the doorway, his muscles taut and hair a tangled mess.

He takes a step inside the smaller room and for the first time, Summer sees the magnitude of what the Mind Flayer had done to him. Dark tendril-like veins etched across his skin as if they had latched onto him and refused to let go. A pang of guilt develops in Summer but Billy wasn't himself right now and he was dangerous.