far too young to die ✰ m.w.

CHAPTER FIVE

Jonathan gave his sister a look while Nancy tried to get the conversation back to what was originally being discussed.

"Um, so, wh- what time was your... sauna test?" Nancy asked the kids.

"Around 9," they all answered her.

"Well, that proves it. That proves my theory."

"She's flayed, just like Billy," Mike said.

"Flayed?" Jonathan repeated.

"The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their mind. Once they do that, they basically become him."

"If there are two flayed-" Lucas began.

"We have to assume there are more," Will finished for him.

"Heather," Eleven said in realization. "Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."

"What's a good scream?" Lucas questioned, confused as to why Eleven had felt the need to clarify that they were 'bad screams.'

"Oh, no, not this again," Emily groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"Max said-" Eleven began.

"Doesn't matter," Max stopped her.

"Oh, thank god," Emily said, sitting up again.

"I'm sorry, I'm lost. Who is Heather?" Nancy inquired.

"She's a lifeguard at the pool," Max told her.

"Heather Holloway?"

Eleven and Max nodded.

Jonathan and Nancy looked at each other and said, "Tom."

The two of them rushed the kids out to Nancy's car, quickly giving them a rundown of their boss at the post and the strange behavior he had exhibited the last time they had seen him, which turned out to be the day after Eleven and Max had seen him having dinner with Billy and Heather. Obviously, since they were taking Nancy's car, Nancy would be driving, and Jonathan took the passengers' seat, leaving just the back seats and the very back of the car open for the teens. The girls reached the car first, taking the back seats, forcing the boys to climb into the very back, which they didn't seem very happy about.

While she put her hair up in a clip, Nancy glanced back at the kids and said, "Seat belts." They all quickly buckled, and as soon as they had, Nancy started the car and took off out of the driveway in a hurry.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Upon arrival to the Holloway house, they all approached the front door and Nancy rang the doorbell. There was no answer, so she rang again. Still no answer. In order to allow them entry to the house, she and Jonathan stood aside so that Eleven could unlock and open the door using her powers. Once she had done so, they all walked in, and it already felt to Emily like they were the only ones there.

"Tom?" Nancy called out. "Heather?"

There was no response, confirming Emily's suspicions that the house had been empty before they got there.