PAINKILLERS || max mayfield (ON HOLD)

xiv - the mind flayer.

"We need to assume the worst. The Mindflayer's back."

--

IT WAS DAYS like these that Andy wished she were old enough to drive a car, with her very own air conditioning and able to drive wherever she wanted. But instead, she was stuck on Max's Madrid Rampage skateboard in July's usual ninety-degree weather, warm sweat tricking from her forehead. She couldn't wait until Fall when the leaves dried brown and Hawkins finally stabilized to a reasonable temperature. But for now, she was stuck in the hottest month of the year, risking heat stroke every time she stepped outside.

Her skin felt as though it was being boiled by the afternoon sun. She parked her skateboard in Mike's driveway next to Max's bike, desperate for any sort of breeze to cool her down. Her wife-beater shirt stuck itself like glue to her skin, her chest shiny with sweat.

Andy walked into the door that led to Mike's basement, and the girls were greeted with awkward smiles as they got comfortable on the floor next to the couch. They were not sure how to speak to each other after what happened with Mike and El, so the awkward silence was painfully obvious. Mike gave each of them a Coke and a bag of chips, and also gave El a small bag of skittles.

Max rested her head on Andy's shoulder as they waited for one of the boys to speak.

"I didn't think it was anything at first," Will said quietly, breaking the silence. "I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it."

He glanced up at them, making sure they were listening. "The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead."

Mike raised his eyebrows. "The power went out that night, too."

Will nodded, "and then I felt it again at the field near the Nelson farm the next day." His voice got louder. "Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers."

Max lifted her head from Andy's shoulder. "What does it feel like?"

"It's almost like...you know when you drop on a roller coaster?"

Every person in the room nodded except Andy and El, as they had never been on a rollercoaster before due to living apart from others their whole life. She had went on a roller coaster when her dad before everything happened --- but it was so long ago she had forgotten the feeling.
Will sighed, "It's like...everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but...this is worse. Your body...it goes cold, and- and you can't breathe. I've felt it before," he said, his voice breaking. "Whenever he was close."

"Whenever who was close?" Andy crossed her arms.

"The mind flayer."

"I closed the gate," El replied, reassuring him, worry overtaking her pale face.

"I know, but..." he trailed off, "what if he never left?" Will turned to El, their eyes locking. "What if we locked him out here with us?"

The gang looked curiously at Will, not understanding what he was talking about. Suddenly Will stood up and walked around the basement, searching for something. He returned to the couch with a blank piece of paper and black chalk and pushed the empty coke cans onto the floor. The gang crowded around him, watching as he drew what looked to be a giant spider, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

Max and Andy shared similar curious looks as they gazed at the drawing, not sure what it was supposed to be.

"This is him, the Mindflayer. All of him. But, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me." He smeared the drawing with his hand and held his palm up for them to see. "My mom got it out of me. And Eleven closed the gate."

Andy jumped as he slammed his hand on the drawing. "But the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?"

He flipped the paper over and placed his hand on it, leaving a dark handprint on the paper. "In Hawkins."

Max shook her head, her shoulders falling up and down. "I don't understand. The demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies."

"We can't take any chances," Mike replied causing the girl to roll her eyes. "We need to assume the worst. The Mindflayer's back."

"Yeah, and if he is-" Will continued, "he'd want to attach himself to someone again. A new me."

Lucas nodded, "a new host."

"How can you tell if someone is a host?" El asked.

Recognition dawned on Andy's face. "I know who the new host is."

The gang turned to her, each giving her a puzzled look. Max shook her head, knowing exactly what Andy was about to say. Max didn't want to admit it, that her brother was the new host of the Mindflayer.

Everything pointed to him, but she couldn't get herself to accept it no matter how hard she tried.

--

"I don't know. He looks pretty normal to me," Max said looking through the binoculars at Billy. The gang was now at Hawkins Pool, where they knew Billy worked for his summer job. Although he was acting strange since for the first time in forever he had a shirt on. Not to mention it was long-sleeved, and it was almost one hundred degrees out. At that point, Andy was sure Billy had gone crazy.

"Normal? How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Andy asked, crossing her arms over her wife beater shirt. Max chuckled and lowered her binoculars.

"I mean, it's a little weird."

Mike tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "More than a little. Andy said he was in a tub with ice. And the Mindflayer likes it cold. Plus, everything else-"

"But he's lounging at the pool," the redhead cut him off, shooting him a dirty look. "Which is, like, the least Mindflayer thing ever." She looked at Andy who nodded in agreement, also confused as to why he was out in one hundred-degree weather dressed like it was winter.

Will shook his head. "Not necessarily." The gang quickly turned to him except for Max and Mike who were still glaring at each other. "The Mindflayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like...like you're dormant. And then when he needs you, you're activated."

Max scoffed. "Okay, so we just...wait until he gets activated."

"No." Mike furrowed his eyebrows like Max had just said something stupid. "What if he hurts someone?"

"Or kills someone," Andy added to which Max rolled her eyes.

The redhead groaned, "Like he would kill someone, anyway. Seriously, you guys need to stop. Billy is not a murderer."

"We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host." Mike replied, leaving his spot in between Max and El. Will and Lucas followed, leaving the three girls alone in the parking lot.

"Where are you going?" The girls said in unison, annoyed that they forced them here just to leave them.

"I have an idea. Boys only." Mike yelled, his voice growing farther and farther away.

Max gave an annoyed sigh, "seriously?"

"Just trust me on this one!"

--

A/N: Hello and thank you for reading! I just wanted to let you know this is probably the only chapter I'll be writing this week due to me being busy. If not then the next chapter will be out by Friday. But thank you so, so much again for 2k reads!!  <33

Until next time,

Aya