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CHAPTER FORTY | HE'S BACK
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submerged in my own past and my own madness.
-for the year of the insane // anne sexton
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Jackie spent fifteen perilous minutes sitting on her porch, waiting for El and the rest of the kids to show up. Those minutes were spent biting off the expensive manicure she got and bouncing her leg up and down, casting nervous looks at the Sinclair house next door. Lucas's parents had no idea what their son got up to, and she felt awful for keeping it from them. All she wanted was for Lucas — for all of the kids — to be safe and not spend their childhood worrying about the government and its monsters.
The kids showed up on their bikes, El surprisingly on the back of Max's instead of Mike's. Dustin wasn't with them, which meant he was probably still with Steve and Robin trying to figure out what Russians were doing in Hawkins. God, Jackie prayed they were just on a wild goose chase. Before any of the kids could get a word in, Jackie sprinted up to them and pulled El into the tightest hug she'd ever given. Then, she did the same to Lucas, then Max, then Will, then Mike.
"Come on," Jackie said. "Get inside."
The kids did so without complaint. Not even a minute later, they were all sat in Jackie's living room and she thanked God above that Peggy was in the middle of a long, long shift. She wouldn't be home to hear the conspiracy talk any time soon, which was probably for the best because she didn't really need to be involved.
"Tell me everything," Jackie said. "El said it's not safe. What's not safe? And why?"
"He's back," Will said.
He. Jackie furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Will. Then, it hit her.
"The Mind Flayer?"
The kids nodded solemnly, but Jackie only could think of Will right now.
"Will, are— Are you okay? I mean—"
"He's not in me," Will assured her. "But, he found a new host."
"What?"
"He's in Billy," Max said quietly. "We weren't sure, so we trapped him in the sauna at the pool and... He almost killed El."
Again, Jackie felt like she was submerged in ice. To keep herself from falling through the couch, she ran her hands up and down her shins and let out a long exhale.
"Why didn't either of you say anything when you were here last night?" she hissed, looking between the two young girls.
"We weren't sure until this morning when they—" Max gestured loosely to the boys. "—called me and El at my house," Max said defensively.
"I felt him," Will said. "First at the movies, then by Hess Farm, and then last night in the woods. And again tonight when we had Billy trapped."
"Jesus," Jackie muttered. "Okay, fine. You're all staying here tonight, okay? I'm gonna try and get ahold of Hopper and your mom, Will. They should know about this. And, um... Have any of you talked to Dustin?"
