Bullshit [Stancy]

Chapter 2

As she climbed with her slender arms along the sheet Dustin had thrown them,  Nancy thought that it was not a bad idea to do some exercise, after all.  One way or another, she seemed to keep getting herself in life-risking situations.

And as grateful as she was for her - modestly - brilliant mind, as she now struggled to drag herself up, she became more and more convinced that she should start doing some push-ups. Or maybe buy some weights. Has she always been so weak?

After a few seconds her triceps began to burn, but she had almost made it. Now gravity was supposed to reverse, wasn't it?

Her head was spinning, but she didn't feel like she was falling.

And why was it dark all of a sudden?

She looked around.

She was no longer climbing. Her feet were touching the ground, but there was no one waiting for her on the other side, and Steve wasn't even there anymore.

She had a bad feeling, which was soon confirmed when she heard her name being called from behind.

Vecna.

She knew this could have happened.  Although she believed she had done all she could over the years to work through her trauma, with all that was happening around her and Jonathan's absence, it was as if all her past wounds had started bleeding again.

Barb.

She immediately looked away from her friend's body. It wasn't real. A part of her, the rational part, knew it. Yet she felt as if that part was becoming more and more overwhelmed, crushed to the bottom of her mind by that unpleasant sensation that kept running along her nerves, from her head to the tips of her toes.

She tried to look around, to strain.

"It's not real. It's not real," she whispered to herself, thinking that maybe, -maybe-  if she doesn't let the fear overcome her, she might make it through.

And then he spoke. But not about her, about himself. He told her about his history, his father, his home, and finally, the last missing piece found its place in the puzzle she's been trying to assemble:

Henry Creel.

Focusing on the facts, she realized, was helping. If only she could manage to let him talk and gain time, maybe the others would find a way to bring her back.

"You..." she affirmed, when, as the images began to fade, one of the scariest beings she had ever seen slowly advanced towards her. She knew there would be no point in running. She couldn't go anywhere, so she remained still.

"Not your father" she stammered, trying to keep her composure and get him to talk more.

"Smart girl," he replied, still advancing.

As she stared at him, clinging with all her strength to logic and struggling not to let fear overwhelm her, a sound began to spread all around.

It was music.

They were trying to save her.

Something was supposed to happen now, was it?