The Protector

The Piggyback Part 1

Maddie was walking through the Creel house while listening to "Should I Stay or Should I Go" through her headphones.

She was currently holding a lantern while walking around the first floor waiting for a her light to glow.

Maddie thought she heard something but just reminded herself that she was in the house with three other kids.

Shaking off her doubt, Maddie kept walking. She looked up towards the ceiling before running into something.

Maddie quickly raised her hand before a flashlight was flashed in her face. She looked around the flashlight to find a nervous looking Lucas. Maddie gave the boy a small smile while continuing to walk with the boy.

After a few more minutes of looking, Erica came into the room. She showed Maddie and Lucas a notebook that said, "Found Vecna".

Lucas and Maddie shared a glance before following Erica into another room. Max met the three before Erica wrote, "Phase one?".

Maddie nodded to Erica who quickly left the house. 

Max and Lucas sat on the windowsill in the room waiting for Erica's signal. Maddie sat farther away in the same room.

While Lucas and Max had a conversation through hand written notes, Maddie thought about what was about to happen.

She knew for a fact that she wouldn't let Max go through with the plan. There was no way that Max would be in the Upside Down longer than a minute or two before Maddie pulled her out.

Maddie thought about how Vecna might not even take the bait and how he might just kill them all for messing with him.

No matter what happened she just prayed that her friends and family would be safe. Before she could think about a solution, a light flashed through the window. It was now time for phase two. 

The three teens walked to the room Vecna was in before Max nervously looked towards Maddie who gave her a reassuring nod despite the situation.

Max slowly turned around before turning her music off. "Hey! Asshole! I'm here. No more music. No more games. Do you hear me? What are you waiting for, huh? Come on! Do you want me or not?", Max yelled out pissed off from Vecna not taking the bait.

The light in the lantern slowly started to die out. Maddie looked on nervously before her own lantern lit up in her hands. The kids followed the teen up the stairs trying not to lose Vecna. 

The lantern let the group into the attic. Maddie swore she felt someone watching her but she shook it off. The light died out again causing Max to question, "What are you waiting for, asshole?".

"Hmm? I'm right here. I'm right here!", Max shouted out. "I know you can hear me, I know you can read my thoughts. Even the worst ones. Maybe mostly the worst ones", Max stated before putting the lantern down.

Max put her headphones to the side and sat down in front of the lantern. "I thought about what you said. About how I wanted my brother to die", Max started causing Maddie's eyebrows to raise in shock.

"I thought you were just trying to upset me. To anger me. But you weren't, were you? You are just telling the truth. Billy, he made my life living hell. Even with Maddie's influence, he took every chance he got", Max added while shooting a nervous look towards Maddie who stared blankly at the girl.

"So, sometimes when I would lie in bed at night, I would... I would pray... I would pray that something would happen to him. Something awful. I knew that he drove too fast, so I would imagine him crashing. Dying in that stupid car. I just... I wanted him out of my life... forever. I wanted him to disappear. The day that he died... I think that's why I just stood there. Watched. Not because I was scared or weak. But because... I didn't know if he deserved to be saved", Max said causing tears Maddie tried to hold in, to fall down her face.

"And I've tried to forgive myself. I've tried, but... I can't. I can't. So now... now, when I lie in bed at night, I pray that something will happen to me. That something terrible will happen to me. So that's why I'm here. Because... I just want you to take me away. And I want you... to make me disappear", Max finished looking towards the light.

After a minute of waiting, nothing happened. Max looked completely wrecked after telling her story. Maddie looked towards the girl before wiping her own tears away. She took a step forward while Lucas grabbed her arm in question.

Maddie smiled in return before walking closer to the girl. Before anyone else could say a word, Maddie stopped her music. 

"What are you doing!", Max asked angrily. "What I should've done earlier. I gave you your chance, it didn't work. Looks like I'm up", Maddie told the girl.

Maddie quickly took her headphones and put them to the side. Max grabbed her arm before she could do anything else. Maddie looked at the girl before the girl pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry", Max mumbled out.

"It's okay Maxi", Maddie responded before pulling back. "Put your headphones on", Maddie told the girl before offering Lucas a quick smile of encouragement.

Maddie then sat in Max's place in front of the lantern. Once Maddie saw that Max's headphones were on and music was playing, she quickly turned back to the lantern.

"Hey! Henry! Or one! Or Vecna! Or Vecny! I'm here! I know this probably seems like bullshit to you but I'm not even listening to music right now, I mean can you believe how stupid that is? I mean I was supposed to be here for moral support, but we all know that I'm the favorite", Maddie stated humorously.

"Anyway I guess it's time for you to sit through my story so here we go. I think I might actually be ready to join you as long as my friends and family stay safe. I mean Max will be safe, I'll be with Billy. I mean the possibilities will be endless. Plus, I doubt that it will be that big of a deal back home. My mom is busy with work, my younger brother hardly talks to me, my older brother is smoking weed most of the time, and my younger sister is writing letters to her boyfriend constantly. Hell, my friends talk to me once a week because I forced them into it. They probably don't even want it talk to me", Maddie rambled out. 

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm ready", Maddie finished. "Maddie, we do want to talk to you", Max said softly. "Let's not get into that right now, Maxi", Maddie stated dismissively.

"Maddie is this really what you think?", Lucas asked the teen. "You're not supposed to be talking Luc", Maddie said alarmed while looking at the boy.

"I thought you wanted to protect us", Lucas added. "I do, this is why I'm doing this", Maddie stated confused. "No, you're not doing this for us, you want to die don't you?", Lucas questioned.

"What are you talking about?", Maddie asked shocked by the outburst. "You always have", Lucas said simply. "You don't know anything", Maddie snapped at the boy.

"I'm sorry Luc, just stressful times", Maddie said while rubbing her head. "I thought you were getting better", Max stated causing Maddie to turn around.

"But you're not, are you? You are sick", Lucas added. "Luc, you don't mean that", Maddie said shaking her head in denial. "Maybe it is good he takes you. Maybe it's for the best", Lucas finished.

Maddie watched as the boy inched closer towards her causing her to back away. She watched as the boy's eyes turned white. "Damn it", Maddie muttered out. 

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted, I was on a vacation this weekend and I forgot my laptop at home. Just a heads up, the next couple of  chapters are going to be rather upsetting. Please feel free to comment, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions! As always I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to vote. Love from the author, over and out!