Rhiannon // Max Mayfield

13: Hounds of Love

"Alex, give her a little time," Lucas called to her, sure he wanted to make sure the girl was safe but her trusted her.

"No Lucas!" Alex snapped back to the boy, her anger mostly drowned out by her voice breaking, "You.. you didn't see her by that trailer, it was scary shit. She's had enough time."

"Yeah, i'm with Lexi on this one," Steve said, jumping up from the car and following his sister, "If she wants a fucking lawyer, she can get one."

The two siblings jogged up the hill to where Max sat. The two of them worried for the girls safety and wanting to keep her nearby, in case Vecna struck again. Steve went up to Max first, shaking her shoulder.

"Max! Time to giddy up, yeah?" He said, kneeling down to the girl.

Alex rushed to her other side and let out a short cry at the girl's eyes, they were white, like they had been in her yard earlier.

"Max!" Alex shouted, shaking her shoulders roughly, her face dropping in horror, nope. Max couldn't go out now, not ever. "Max?" Alex called again, her voice breaking and becoming hoarse.

"Shit," Steve mumbled, moving in front of the girl more, shaking her shoulder, Alex had stopped, panic taking over. "Max? hey! Wake up!" he said desperately, clapping his hands in front of her face as Alex clutched Max's unmoving hand.

"Max! please," Alex pleaded, cupping her hand on Max's cheek, trying to snap the girl from her trance.

Steve shouted down to Lucas and Dustin, for them to come help.

"Come on," Alex begged, "Max, you can fight this,"

"Max!" Dustin and Lucas yelled, screaming at the girl, hoping the noise would break the trance.

"Max you gotta get out of there!" Lucas yelled, clicking his fingers in the girls face. Alex stood behind Steve, not wanting to watch it if Max followed the same fate Chrissy had.

"Steve, she can't die, she promised," Alex cried to her brother, Steve's heart broke for the girl, her desperation reminding him of when they were younger, the usually mature girl breaking down in front of him.

"She won't die, she won't," Steve reassured, rubbing circles in her back, trying to calm the girl down as he turned to Dustin, "Call Nancy and Robin!" he yelled, pushing Dustin towards the car.

Alex moved out from behind Steve, crying about it wouldn't help to save Max. She ran over to Lucas and helped him, "Keep yelling, i has to work!" the boy said, yelling the girl's name and clicking his fingers to try and help.

"Max, you gotta get out of there!" Alex called, squeezing the girl's hand, hoping physical contact would bring her back around.

"Max!" Lucas yelled right after, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking it a little.

"Please Max, you have to come back. We can't loose you," Alex cried, her voice unable to keep screaming, "Please, i... can't loose you, Max! Please!" She cried.

Dustin broke the tension, running over with Max's Walkman and a tonne of tapes, dropping them all to the floor.

"What is this?" Lucas yelled, unsure how this would help to save their friend.

"Her song! What is her favourite song!" Dustin yelled, turning his attention to Alex, who looked at the tapes frowning, her mind racing through thoughts like a drag race.

"Why?" Lucas yelled again.

"Robin said if she listens - it's too much to explain right now. What her favourite song!" Dustin stress yelled, they were running out of time.

"Fucking Kate Bush!" Alex yelled, searching through the pile of tapes for the one she needed, "Where the fuck is it, hounds of love by Kate Bush!"

They all scrambled through the tapes, before Steve jumped up, "Kate Bush, here, here!" he yelled, throwing the tape to Alex so she could put it in the walkman Dustin had brought over.

Alex had shaky hands as she shoved the tape inside, shutting it quickly and plugging the headphones in, clipping the box to Max's jeans and pressing play. Alex was praying, to whatever the fuck was out there that this would work and Max would be okay.

"Max!" Steve yelled, clapping his hands un front of her face, if he kept doing it then maybe it would work.

"What the fuck!" Alex shouted, noting Max's legs uncross themselves, "Oh my god, what the fuck is happening?!" Alex shouted, stumbling backwards as Max started to raise into the air.

"Max!" Lucas yelled, jumping to try and grab her arms, but ultimately failing because she was too high.

"Do something!" Dustin yelled to Steve, clearly panicking.

"What am i supposed to do?" Steve yelled back, even he wasn't tall enough to reach the floating girl.

Alex let all the sounds drown into one as she panicked internally, Chrissy had started to float before she died as well, oh my god, is Max dying.

But it was one gasp that broke Alex from her trance.

Max had gasped.

Alex rushed beneath the girl, falling backwards as Max dropped. Alex groaned, taking all of the fall on herself, but that wasn't important, she wrapped her arms around Max. The three boys crowded around the pair.

Max gasped again, getting a grip back on real life.

Alex jumped into her senses and pulled the girl closer, feeling her staggered breaths against Alex's chest.

"It's okay," she whispered into the girl's ear, "It's okay. I thought we lost you."

"I'm still here," Max gasped, clutching onto Alex's shirt, "I'm still here," she breathed, essentially convincing herself.

Max let go of Alex's shirt and turned to face the girl, her breath still rough and uneven. Alex couldn't help but see the pure fear in Max's eyes, she couldn't blame the girl, she had quite literally just outrun her death.

"You saved me," Max said to her, her voice rough as tears fell from her eyes. Alex looked up, her own tears falling down as she looked at the girl, "You saved me," Max repeated, leaning her forehead in on Alex's.

The pink-haired girl put her hand on the back of Max's neck, an act of comfort as they looked at each other, so many words needing to be said but neither finding the right words.

Alex couldn't help it when she leant in, connecting their lips for the second time that day, neither girl pushed it further and broke apart after a few seconds. Breathing heavily and ignoring the presence of Steve, Lucas and Dustin.

The boys slid down next to Max and formed a little group hug, all their unfiltered feelings merging into one.

Max was alive, that's all that matters.