Fued//Book 2

Chapter 16

A/n: Hello everybody! Today is October 22, 2020. I have a really painful stomachache, but my issue is I can't decipher a regular stomache ache from period cramps and gas cramps. I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M IN PAIN BUT I'M IN PAIN

Eleven appears from the bathroom and looks at everyone, who is still looking at Mike in awe. "What's going on?" She asks.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just a family discussion," Mike says.

"Oh. I found him."

"Found who?" Y/n asks. Suddenly, chills ripple up her spine. She shudders. 

\--/

Steve is punched in his gut. His face is bruised, bleeding, and scarred. "That one stung," he groans.

"Who do you work for?" A Russian officer asks in a thick accent.

"For the millionth time, I work at Scoops Ahoy!" He yells.

"Scoops Ahoy," The man repeats.

"Look at my outfit! Look at my outfit! You think I just wear this?! Think I'm a spy in a sailor's uniform?"

The man leans in. "How did you get in? I already told you. I told you before. My delivery didn't come, and my friends and I, we thought that it was left at the loading dock, so we went in the room, and then it turned into an elevator, and then... and then we dropped and then, next thing we know, I open my eyes, and we're in this," he looks around and grimaces, "wonderful facility. But I swear to God, nobody knows about us, nobody saw us. You could just let us go, all right? And I'm not gonna tell anybody about this, okay? Shit happens, life goes on."

He scans his brain for anthing else to grasp onto to gain favor. "And, uh... ice... ice cream. Ice cream, okay? You guys know what ice cream is. Everybody loves ice cream. I don't know if you have Russian ice cream or if that's considered gelato. I don't know what's what, but whatever you guys want, seriously. USS Butterscotch, I mean, you gotta try it. It is out of this world, I'm telling ya!" He begins laughing nervously.

The man erupts into boisterious laughter. Steve chimes in, looking around. "I like this guy! 'USS... Butterscotch.'" He leans in again. "Who do you work for?"

Steve groans. "Oh, come on. No, no! No, seriously..."

The man punches him in the head and Steve loses consciousness, blood oozing out of his head.

\--/

Eleven pulls off her blindfold. "He's just... sitting. In his room."

"And that's not normal, right?" Nancy asks.

"Billy staying in his room on the Fourth of July? No, that's not normal," Y/n scoffs. "He wants us to find him."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. If we go to Billy, then the rest of the flayed know where we are," Mike says.

"It's a trap, I agree. We'll be ambushed," Y/n agrees.

"We won't be surprised.We'll know that they're coming, and we will kick their flayed butts," Lucas says.

"You mean El will kick their butts," Mike corrects. "It's too risky and unnecessary. Killing the flayed won't stop the Mind Flayer."

"We have to find out where it's spreading from. We have to find the source. Billy knows it. Billy's been there. To the source," Y/n says. "It's a trap. I know."

Eleven's eyebrows scrunch. "We can't go to Billy, but I think there's another way. A way for us to see where he's been."

"Us?"

El looks at Y/n. "I think you should come with me. You deserve to see what happened."

"El, I know you think you have to do this, but you don't. It's just, you've only done this before once. And your mom, she loved you, and wanted you to know what happened. And Billy's mind is... is sick, diseased. The Mind Flayer is in him," Mike protests.

"He can't hurt us. Not in there."

"We don't know that."

"Mike. I need you to trust me."

"Yeah. Just... be careful. You too, I guess, Y/n."

Y/n rolls her eyes. "Mm, yeah, thanks, Mike." She sits in front of Eleven shakily. "Are you sure this is possible?" She asks.

El nods. "It should be possible."

"Yeah, that really reassures me," Y/n mutters, tying a spare blindfold around her eyes. She holds out her hand and Eleven takes it. 

"Are you ready?" El asks.

"Yes," Y/n responds. With that, the static coming from the television increases and a pressure seems to wrap around Y/n's head. It squeezes tighter and tighter, in a borderline painful way. Right when it is about to become painful, Y/n opens her eyes. She is standing with Eleven in a dark void.

Shallow water laps over her feet. "What is this place?" She asks.

"In between." She takes Y/n's hand and leads her through the darkness. A figure begins to become visible.

"Billy," Y/n whispers. He's sitting on the bed that they made love in. He stares off into space in a white tank top and jeans. She kneels in front of him and takes his hands in hers. "I want to see what happened."

His head slowly turns and he locks eyes with her. His large hand grabs her forearm. "Billy," Y/n gasps.

He stands up and grabs Eleven as well. He pushes them down, but they don't fall. They're trapped in slow motion. Billy stares down at them, eyes full of hate, as Y/n opens her mouth to scream, but no sound comes out.

In the basement, Y/n and Eleven begin whimpering and clutch each other's hands tighter. "Y/n? Y/n, are you ok?" Will asks. His voice drifts to her ears, as if he's at the end of a tunnel. It helps ground her.

"I'm okay," she whispers. Blood begins dripping out of her nose.

OH MY GOD IM IN LOVE WITH THE CONCEPT I CAME UP WITH HOLY COW