Into The Vale of Shadows // Max Mayfield

II; ix. I want to know what love is

chapter nine
I want to know what love is

    THE SCORCHING SUN was long gone, the moon now ruled the endless void of the sky, letting darkness settle on the lands, crawling down every corner there is in the town of Hawkins. The lack of light made the atmosphere eeriely unsettling, add in the sounds of Billy's clapping footsteps, one that felt heavier and louder to Raven's ears.

     Raven hid in the darkness, sure that not even her shadows can be seen by Billy. The said teenager was walking down to the locker room, where the plan was thought to be done in, Raven waited for him to enter, quick to lock the door with a pipe and a chain that the boys found in the storage room as soon as he slammed it behind him. Raven then sneaked inside again, wiggling through the open windows of the bathroom cubicles, hiding there as she listened to Billy's loud thundering movements.

     As soon as she heard Billy enter one of the cubicles and let the water flow through him, Raven sneaked out from her own cubicle to meet with her friends who hid inside lockers and closets. She decided that she was too big to fit in the lockers so she hid inside the closets instead.

     It was a tight space, but she made it work, having to be crammed inside the small closet with Will and Mike, it was a good thing that she was pushed in a corner with Will and not Mike, or else she'd be gagging the shit out of herself, for the Wheeler boy already have this not so good smell sticking to him. She hugged Will closer to her, keep him away from the being seen on the small crack they left on the door.

     It wasn't after another hour did Billy turn the water off. They saw him walk pass the closet, oblivious to their presence as he carried onto his locker to change. As Billy busied himself with clothing himself, Mike walked out of the door, slamming the nearest locker to them.

     "Pool's closed," said Billy. Mike slammed another, hurrying pass rows of lockers Raven heard Billy's footstep nearing them. Mike slammed another of the metal lockers, earning a yell from Billy. "Hey!" Raven watched with her breath held as she heard Billy slam his locker door shut. "You hear me? The pool's closed!" She then heard a thump that sounded to come from a fist, then small clanking of metal.

     There were groups of punches and grunts, seems like Billy still continued to assault the door, the barrier's hinges letting out a clanking moans. Everything then went from dark to darker, it seems that Mike had already cut the lights out.

     "Billy," she heard Mike's voice, calling for him in a sing-song taunting tone, fueling the anger inside the Hargrove teen.

     "Who's there?" He then started to search for the source of his name, walking past the closet blinded with fury, into the hall that lead to where their plan was thought to be commenced.

     "Billy . . ." There were more rattling that came to Raven's ear, then came a squeaky laugh that echoed through every corner of the room.

     "Who's there!" Then came again another slamming, then the sound of plastic rubbing against each other. Raven was blinded by the dark but she can hear everything, even Billy's ranging heart and Mike's nervous breaths.

     Mike continued to call and mock, Billy still searched, almost looking into the closet where Raven and Will hid, but Mike called for him, directing his attention to the voice.