WILDFIRE ↝ E. MUNSON

[7]

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Nick exclaimed as the group rushed out of the store and towards where their cars waited, Nick, Steve, Dustin, and Robin hopping into Steve's car while Lily, Debbie, and Max piled into Debbie's.

While she was normally one to wait until all of her passengers were safely buckled inside their car seats, the doors were barely shut before Debbie peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing beneath them against the asphalt with Steve's car not far behind. She pulled out onto the main road through downtown Hawkins, following the familiar path towards Lover's Lake that would hopefully bring them face-to-face with a safe, unharmed Eddie.

"So what's our plan of action here?" Debbie asked. "Find Eddie and talk to him?"

"We need to figure out what really happened last night." Max explained. "He's the only one who knows what attacked Chrissy. If it's what we think it is, then we know we're really in trouble here."

Lily's eyes met the floor of the vehicle as Max's words registered in her head. If they were right, if Chrissy had been attacked by something from the Upside Down, then that was just the start of their troubles without Eleven here, with or without her powers.

"What do we think it is?" Debbie asked as she pulled off the road just before Lover's Lake, turning onto Holland Road. "What do you all know that I don't?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, alright?" Lily spoke up, not wanting to hear any of the words spoken aloud as her breathing started to become more ragged, and instead she forced her gaze up out of the window, where the name Lipton was scrawled across a mailbox.

"Well this is... nice," Debbie mused as she slowed the car to a stop, and the three girls hopped out to see Dustin already running to the front door. Robin was right behind him with flashlights in hand, passing one to each of the girls, and Lily instantly clicked hers on, illuminating a small glow in the darkness to investigate the house.

The house sat alone in front of Lover's Lake, with plenty of space and a cover of trees separating it from any nearby houses. The lights were off inside the house, despite the sun already having set, giving the impression that no one was home. It was quiet and secluded, the perfect place to hide for someone trying to escape. She could only hope Eddie had the same thought about it.

The group followed Dustin to where he paused in front of the door, instantly reaching for the doorbell. He pressed the button, and a muffled ringing sound could be heard inside the house. She peered in through the window to try and catch any sign of movement, but nothing stirred inside the empty house. Frustrated, Dustin rang the doorbell again, pressing it repeatedly, but still, nothing moved.

"Okay, well that's settled." Steve said as Dustin continued to ring the doorbell. "I guess he's not here."

Instead, the lack of response only made Dustin pound on the front door harder. "Eddie!" he yelled. "It's Dustin!"

"Great," Steve sighed exasperatedly.

"Guys, maybe he's really not here." Debbie pointed out.

"Where else would he go?" Lily asked. "He has to be around here somewhere."

"Look, we just want to talk!" Dustin yelled through the locked door. "No cops, I swear, we just want to help!" He began to pound on the door again. "Eddie!"

"Thank you, Dustin, let's wake up the whole neighborhood and show them where Eddie is, shall we?" Lily scolded the boy, turning her flashlight around for any sort of sign that Eddie had been anywhere in the yard, but she came up short.

"Rick!" Dustin changed tactics, switching back to ringing the doorbell again. "Reefer Rick!"

"Don't scream that," Steve hissed at the younger boy. "He's not there."