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the message from dustin
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. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧
Gabe tucked his Hawaiian shirt into his shorts and moved along the aisles, searching for a bowl. He was, in a way, glad Max had asked him to do this, because it gave him a couple seconds to be by himself, to let his mind whirl freely. He was trying to decide when he should tell Will how he felt, but the problem with that was that the chances of them dying in the next twenty-four hours were astronomically high. Sure, they had a little peace now, here in Bradley's Big Buy, but when would peace end? When would the Mind Flayer reform itself—because of course, it would, it wouldn't let them go that easily—and come crashing through the roof of wherever they were next?
Maybe he should just try and enjoy this momentary relief. But he couldn't help being scared, couldn't help but see those groping appendages burst through the wall. Another thing to add to his growing pile of images he would never quite unsee. Another ingredient for a nightmare. God, his nightmares were going to be awful if he managed to survive this. And... shit. Even if he did survive, he should probably start digging his own grave anyway, because, although his grandparents were cutting him a little more slack now because it was summer, he hadn't seen them in days. Dolores Burton was probably readying a spatula to kick his ass with when he returned. If, of course, she wasn't flayed.
Well, grandma, you'll just have to get in line, Gabe thought, before stopping in front of a packet of paper bowls. He'd found them.
He grabbed the pack and then set off back to the group to help patch up El's leg, but when he got there, it seemed that there was another problem entirely. Mike was practically in hysterics, and, as the group clustered around him, he revealed he'd just been contacted by the one and only Dustin Henderson, who, Gabe was extremely happy to learn, had not, in fact, been flayed.
"He said something about the gate," Mike continued, as Max, the healer, shooed his hands away from El's leg in order to clean the wound. El still seemed like she was hurting as Gabe crouched beside her, but she was managing to keep a neutral face. "The gate. I mean, he kept cutting off, and it sounded like he was in danger, so what else would it be? We have to find him!"
