Halley's comet | Steve Harrington

ii.vii this sleepover sucks

"𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

⇜☾✩☽⇝

Bullets ricocheted against the wall behind her as she scrambled to escape the demogorgon. It's large, claw-like hands sweeping out, trying to grab her.

Nancy was behind her, shouting, shooting without hesitation, but the monster wasn't reacting.

She was backed up against the wall, frantically looking around for something to distract it, to save herself. But she was stuck. Trapped. It reached out to her. Talons ripped into her shirt and pierced her skin. Its mouth was open, teeth glistening to a point from the saliva on each petal.

Closing in. There was a single unguis pressed against her throat, prodding deeper with a threatening push. It's mouth was throbbing; it seemed to grow with every ragged breath the beast took.

And then she saw it. The same slimy speckled vein from before, creeping out from the center hole of its head. The hand around her neck tightened, forcing her head back. Her eyes went wide and she gasped for breath, but just as her mouth opened, the vein shot toward her, and forced its way inside of her.

Halley was screaming.

Steve practically flew out of bed, yanking the chain on the bedside lamp on and kneeling down beside her.

Surrounded by a broken cocoon of blankets and pillows, she had jolted from her sleep. A layer of cold sweat clung to her as she brought shaky hands up to her throat.

"Halley, hey, hey," he said, trying to get her attention. "What's wrong?" He took her shoulders. She was barely listening to him, and instead clung to him. Despite the momentary confusion, he hugged her back.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she spoke nearly inaudibly, and more to herself than Steve. "It's fine. Nothing happened." she slowly pulled away, her heart still beating rapidly and adrenaline pumping through her blood. "Sorry."

Steve was dumbfounded. "Sorry?" he said, his eyebrows jumping. "Halley, are you okay?" his hands were gripping her shoulders and keeping her grounded. She palmed at her dry eyes, trying to shake the vivid images.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She forced her voice to be steady, despite the sporadic thrum of her heart threatening to jump from her chest. "Just a dream." It was one of the tamer ones— or, at the least, one of the less detailed ones.

Still holding on to her, Steve didn't seem to buy it. "You don't look fine," he said. She licked her lips, trying to figure out what to say to convince him. What lie would be most believable.

"It's nothing," she said, finally. Her eyes were glued to her own hands, picking at the ragged skin around her nails. "I didn't mean to wake you."

He was quiet. Honestly, a little too quiet for Halley's liking. Steve was always talking—spewing some nonsensical joke, but silent and somber Steve was uncomfortable. It was like he knew.