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( March 1986 )
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"THIS IS CONFOUNDING," Dustin commented. Lover's Lake. Cleo's literal nightmare was right in front of them and all Dustin could say was that it was confounding.
"There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max asked.
"Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way," Nancy theorized.
"Yeah, only one way to find out," Steve said. Cleo's heart dropped.
"EASY...HEY- I SAID EASY, MAN," Steve instructed as Eddie unintentionally put the boat that he and Cleo had used as an escape into the water.
"Sorry," Eddie mumbled.
Robin then came through, Steve offering a hand to her but she ignored it and used Steve and Eddie's heads as platforms to help herself into the boat. Eddie then went right after her.
Steve looked up at Cleo expectantly while her eyes seemed to be big and wide and her heart hammered away like construction in her ears as she stood with her arms wrapped around herself as a form of comfort. She still hadn't eaten anything but somehow her stomach threatened to vomit what she feared would be her organs next. Eddie and Robin shared a wordless look of concern for the girl.
"Cleo!" Steve finally got through to her after calling her name for so long. She blinked, her eyes darting to every face in front of her; Nancy, Steve, Robin, Eddie. "You coming or what?"
It was as if cement had been poured through her vocal cords because she couldn't seem to find a way to deny his question. "I, uh..." she mumbled.
"Hey, come on," Steve waved his hand to beckon her closer to the water.
"Hey, man, I don't think it'll be that big of a deal if she doesn't come with, you know?" Eddie spoke for her.
"What? No, she'll be fine. She won't even be getting out of the boat until we come back," Steve reasoned. "Come on," he held his hand out to her.
Swallowing her fear, she gazed at Robin and Eddie who both had the same you don't have to look on their faces, but she still took Steve's hand and sat down in the boat in between Robin and where Eddie would be sitting.
"Wheeler," Eddie commented with a nod while helping the eldest Wheeler child into the boat. Dustin came walking right after her but Eddie stopped him with a palm to the forehead. "Hey, hey, you trying to sink us? This thing holds four people tops, okay?"
"It's better this way," Nancy added. "You guys stay here with Max, keep an eye out for trouble."
Dustin's face twisted, "you keep an eye out!" Nancy forwarded her neck a little with a confused face. "It's my goddamn theory."
"You heard Nance," Robin butted in.
"Who put her in charge?" Dustin questioned.
"I did," Robin said.
"I did too, it was a majority rules thing, and we were the majority," Cleo added while cherishing her last few moments of solid ground.
"Compass," Nancy held her hand out in front of Dustin. With a toddler-like movement, he finally handed over the contraption.
"Hey, take this," Steve threw a backpack at Dustin before pushing the boat off of the shore and hopping in.
"You said three!" Dustin remarked irritatedly.
"Sorry," Steve whispered.
"Bed time at nine kiddos!" Robin joked as they rowed the boat farther and farther from shore. Standing up, not noticing that Cleo was trying to stop herself from passing out, Robin shouted, "miss you already!" while waving to the younger people in the group. Cleo's eyes widened as the boat rocked back and forth.
Eddie placed his hand on her knee reassuringly, "we'll be fine," he whispered. How fine would they really be though?
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NOTE. i offer this short chapter to make up for feeling cheated out of one 1000+ worded chapter so now you get two 600+ worded chapters
