Imagines and Preferences: Book 2

Preference: We're All Gonna Die | Stranger Things

Somewhere in all of it, Y/N seems to shut down.

"Y/N/N?" Billy asks, nudging her shoulder. She just stares forward, mouth agape. Tears are forming in her glazed eyes. "Y/N," Billy says urgently, shaking her. "Y/N/N, talk to me. What's happening?"

Her eyes are above him, looking at something he can't see. Her breathing becomes more rapid, and she finally moves, running out of his hands, in the other direction.

"Y/N!" Billy shouts, chasing after her. He glances behind, almost expecting something to be chasing them, but there's nothing. Whatever this is, it's in her head. She's never done this before. It's like she's dreaming while awake.

People quickly move out of her way as she runs for her life, Billy pushing himself to catch up, stop her before she gets hurt. Finally, she stumbles in the gravel. Billy manages to speed up, getting to her before she can even raise her head.

"Y/N!" he shouts again, crouching next to her.

She turns to him, her eyes no longer glazed but containing a fear that stops his heart. "We're all gonna die."

Dustin -
Even after hours, the school hallways have never looked creepier, but at least the usual smell isn't lingering in the air — not that they would notice if it was. The monster chasing them probably wouldn't care, either.

Somehow, they all forgot every episode of Scooby Doo ever and decided splitting up would be a great idea. So now, Y/N and Dustin are basically Scooby and Shaggy running from the monster by themselves. Except this monster is real and not a person in a suit.

Probably.

"I can't keep running much longer!" Y/N says.

"Me neither!" Dustin agrees. They both quickly regret wasting breath on talking when their lungs begin to burn. Roaring sounds from behind them.

Y/N looks back to see how close the monster is, and it's not good news. Its breath is worse than any BO that's ever lingered through that hallway. Adrenaline manages to get her legs to move faster, and she grabs Dustin's hand, pulling him along.

When they round the corner, she yanks him into the first classroom on the left. They duck, sitting in the floor, away from the window in the door. Dustin presses his ear against the wood, listening for the monster.

"Can you hear him?" Y/N whispers.

"Not yet," he replies.

They go silent, waiting, trying to quiet their breathing. Y/N would love to stay here forever, but she knows they can't; the monster would find them eventually. And that won't help them get out of here.

She turns, just to check, and confirms that there is, in fact, no window in this classroom. They'll have to go out the door, back into that hallway.

"I say we wait for him to pass and then make a break for the front door," she says.

"We can't just leave the equipment in the AV room; we need it," Dustin argues.

"Do we really?"

"This is a world-saving level situation, Y/N/N. We definitely need it." The gate is open, again, but this time it's much more complicated than El throwing all her power into closing it. The Russians have really up-ed the anti with this new tech, and the Mindflayer is getting creative.

"Can we bring back reinforcements and get it later?" Y/N asks, wanting nothing but to be out of this school and the immense danger lurking over their shoulders.

"We might not have time. And, anyway, we can't just leave this thing running around the school."

She groans quietly. "Well, we're running in circles; we can't keep this up forever."