slay 'em dead//Steve Harrington

33

After another trip to the grocery store, we're on our way to see Eddie.

"Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car?" Robin asks. "'Cause this is gonna totally and royally suck."

"It'll be fine," Nancy insists.

"I just can't stand to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really, really can't," Robin says.

Steve holds up a six pack. "At least he can drink himself into feeling better."

"That's what my mom does," Max states.

"Why don't we give it a trial?" Robin asks. "Hey, Eddie. Uh, good news first this time. We got you some Dustin-approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh yeah, and we found Vecna. Bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension, and the gate's closed, so we have no way of getting to him. He's entirely shut off to us, so basically, you're screwed. And, no, I know you were already screwed, but now you're doubly, triply screwed."

"Wait. Maybe we don't put it like that," Lucas states.

"We're one step closer to finding Vecna," Nancy offers. "That's what we say. That's what's important."

"See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference," Steve teases.

"Uh-huh," Robin says.

"Oh shit," Nancy states.

As we pull up to Reefer Rick's it's surrounded by cop cars and news vans. We get out of the car.

"Come on. This way," Nancy tells us.

We head around the side of a news van.

"As many of you know, the Roane County line received a call a little after midnight... reporting a homicide here on the lake. Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lover's Lake, about ten yards from that house you see behind me. It was there that we found the victim, an 18-year-old senior from Hawkins High, Patrick McKinney. His limbs... his body, it was disfigured. There was an eyewitness on the scene. We have also identified a person of interest. Eddie Munson. We encourage anyone with information to please come forward."

"Oh man," Steve remarks.

"This is not good. Really not good," I state.

"You've got a lot of questions, and I'm going to answer as many as I can. Two o'clock at town hall, where anyone from the Hawkins community is welcome. But right now, I've got work to do, and I appreciate your understanding."

"Dustin, can you hear me?" Eddie asks over the radio. "Candy?"

"Eddie. Holy shit," Dustin whispers. "Are you okay?"

"Nah, man. Pretty... Pretty goddamn far from okay," Eddie confesses.

"Where is he?" I ask.

"Where are you?" Dustin asks Eddie.

"Skull Rock," Eddie tells us. "Do you know it?"

"Uh, yeah. That's near Cornwallis and..." Dustin starts.

"Garrett, yeah. I know where that is," Steve states.

"Hold tight," Dustin tells Eddie. "We're coming. We're coming."

We follow Steve off and into the woods. That is until Dustin pulls out his compass and tries to lead us.

"Dude, I'm telling you, you're taking us the wrong way," Steve insists.

"It's north," Dustin insists. "I'm positive. I checked the map."

"You do realize Skull Rock, it's a super popular make-out spot?" Steve asks.