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"WAIT A SECOND," Steve demanded after Dustin explained why they were going to his house. Jackie stared outside the windshield, gnawing at her lip, struggling to wrap her head around the entire thing. Steve's hand was still on the wheel even though the car was in park, and he was looking at Dustin in disbelief. "How big?"
"Big."
"I swear to God, man, it's just some little lizard," Steve insisted, and Jackie pressed a palm to her eye, holding back a groan. Her brain felt ready to explode.
"It's not!"
"How do you know it's not?" Steve pressed on, clearly not believing him. Jackie couldn't blame him. The entire thing felt like a big prank on her.
"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat!" Dustin snapped, and Steve grew quiet, quirking an eyebrow, before he nodded slowly in understanding.
"That thing was not a lizard," Jackie cut in. "I don't know what it was, but it definitely wasn't that."
Her experience with Dart was quite frankly the only reason she believed this entire thing wasn't a joke. Whatever Dart was... he'd been real. Which meant the horrors Dustin told her about.. they were real, too.
"You've seen it?" Steve asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I helped Dustin look for it." I just can't believe he ate your cat. She was completely stunned that something so small that could fit in your palm three days ago was now the size of a golden retriever. A thought sprung on her suddenly, and she turned in her seat, narrowing her eyes accusingly at Dustin. "You told us you didn't find him when we were searching at the school."
Dustin's face paled slightly. "I lied, okay? Jeez, I didn't want Lucas to get all pissy at me."
"Uh," Jackie gave him a look. "He kinda ate your cat. I think Lucas was in the right here."
They climbed out of the car, and made their way to the back of the vehicle. Steve popped the trunk, and pulled out the bat Dustin had mentioned. Her eyes scanned it in shock. "This is insane. Why the hell do you even have that?"
"Yeah, I thought so too." Steve admitted, looking back to Dustin who started to walk towards his house.
Jackie grunted. "Okay, guess we're going."
They walked to Dustin's backyard, and the youngest boy lead them to the cellar entrance. The three of them stared at the doors in silence, trying to listen for any sound of movement, or any indicator that something was alive down there. Steve leaned forward so he could get a better idea of what he was dealing with. "I don't hear shit," he stated after a minute.
Jackie straightened from her crouching position. "Yeah, me either. Are you sure you didn't imagine it? I mean Dart was small."
"No, Jackie," Dustin defended himself a little sharply. "I didn't imagine my cat getting eaten on my bedroom floor okay? I'm also not lying. So open the damn door. He's in there."
