MAURICE - harrington

x.

ACT ONE, chapter x.

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  Trying to navigate Mars along was difficult, especially since Lucas and Max were considerably shorter. He tried his best not to squirm or wince, but each step spent a spike of pain through his knee. 

"You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked, adjusting his grip on the older boy.

"Yes," Dustin said, exasperated. "He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt."

"Well, he was tiny two days ago," Max furrowed her brows.

"Well, he's molted three times already."

"M— Malted?" Steve asked confusedly.

"Molted," Dustin corrected. "Shed his skin to make room for growth, like hornworms."

"That's what you found in the cellar," Mars explained, his voice breathy and caught in his throat. Steve subconsciously sent him a look of sympathy. 

"When's he gonna molt again?" Max asked.

"It's gotta be soon," Dustin said confidently. "When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends."

"How big is that?" Mars asked.

"If my theory is correct," Dustin looked at Mars over his shoulder, "a bit bigger than you." Mars swallowed thickly.

Steve sighed, "He's gonna eat a lot more than just cats."

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas asked, removing himself from Mars's side and stopping Dustin with a rough hand on his shoulder. Dustin looked thoroughly startled. "Dart ate a cat?"

"No, what?" Dustin tried to poorly cover up. "No."

"What are you talking about?" Steve obliviously asked. "He ate that cat."

"Mews," Mars said, concealing a small smirk — he liked adding fuel to the fire. 

"Mews?" Max asked, peering up between Mars and Steve. "Who's Mews?"

"It's Dustin's cat," Steve explained.

"Steve!" Dustin scolded loudly.

"I knew it!" Lucas shoved the boy. "You kept him!"

"No!" Dustin poorly lied again. "No... No, I... No, I..." Max, Steve, and Mars's eyes flickered between the two. "He missed me," Dustin finally admitted. "He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas exclaimed.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?!"

"Oh, so now you admit it?"

"Should we step in?" Mars asked his two companions softly. Steve seemed to be enjoying the chaos, but Max seemed to agree with Mars.

"Guys, who cares?" Max said to the bickering boys. "We have to go."