on and off - mike wheeler

thirty eight

"this is only the beginning. the beginning of the end. you have already lost."

-

march 1986

hawkins and california

EL SAW a little h/c girl in the skatepark memory.

"shouldn't you be playing with dolls or something?" a guy walking around asks the h/c little girl.

"shouldn't you bag your face?" the h/c girl asks, then flips him off.

"y/n." el calls. "y/n."

but little y/n just walked past el, not hearing her.

she set her skateboard down and began skating.

"i found her." el announced. "but she's young. she can't see me. can't hear me."

"do you see anything weird in this memory?" will asks.

"any sign of vecna or.. of the mind flayer?" mike adds.

"no, everything is normal." el replies, but then she heard the song playing at the snowball 'every breath you take' playing in the distance.

"there is something." el says. "that doesn't fit. i think it is another memory."

"a memory within a memory?" argyle asks.

y/n and max were sitting at the snowball alone, they felt calm somewhat.

then they heard a balloon pop, and they both jumped from their chairs with fear.

the balloon behind them started to pop with blood.

then the others, one by one.

then they heard the song 'dream a little dream of me' playing.

then the poster for the snowball distorted to a red color.

"max, i'm scared.." y/n says.

then thunder started to rumble, everything going to a dark color.

el saw it too in the memory.

y/n and max started blocking off the door with chairs.

but then they saw another door come up, the door from the creel house.

"you can't hide from me, y/n." vecna says.

y/n heard a clock ticking in the distance.

her and max both closed their eyes and thought of the good memories.

"you think i don't see what you're both doing?" vecna asks. "you think i don't see everything? you thought you could trick? you thought your friends could stop me? i see them. i see your friends. just as clearly as i see you both. i can feel them dying."