𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 [𝐬.𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

TW; Attempted SA (Billy's an asshole)

A loud squeal sounds through the area as Laurie twists Dustin's ear tightly, "Ow, ow! Laurie! I'm sorry!" he yells out in pain as she continues her assault on his ear. "Your weird lizard thing ate my cat! What has Mews ever done to you!" She screams at him before putting him in a headlock as he continues squealing.

Steve watches in shock at how quickly Laurie's emotions change. She went from calm and confused to raging mad in under a second, and he's terrified to even try to get between the siblings.

"Mews did nothing! I'm sorry, okay! I was wrong!" Dustin screams, which isn't a good choice, as she tightens her hold. "You promised me that Dart was safe! You liar!" She screams before releasing him. "We will have a more in-depth conversation later, but for now, we're finding that damn interdimensional lizard and killing it."

"No, Laurie-" he tries to argue but shuts up when she glares at him. Then, handing Steve a key, he unlocks the chain and pulls the doors open carefully. Dustin shines the flashlight into the shelter, but none of them can see anything. Steve takes the flashlight from Dustin and shines it down the stairs, but they still don't see anything.

"He must be further down there," Dustin says as Steve and Laurie continue to look. "I'll stay up here in case he tries to escape." Both teens look at him like he's crazy before looking at each other. Laurie gives Steve a soft smile before walking down the steps, and he follows right behind her.

Grabbing her hand, he moves to be in front to act as a shield so they can see better with the flashlight. She pulls the string that turns on the light, then gags when she sees slimy, shedded skin on the ground as Steve picks it up with the end of his bat. "He grew, he only does that when he gets bigger." She says, but he doesn't say anything as something catches his eye in the corner.

She follows where he's looking and sighs. Dustin calls out for them, and Steve tells him to come down, his hand not leaving Laurie's for a second. The youngest Henderson walks down the stairs, and Steve shines the flashlight onto the shedded skin, "Oh, shit." Dustin says, seeing that Dart has only gotten bigger.

Then he follows the flashlight's new path, which shows a hole in the corner of the shelter that wasn't there before, "Oh, shit!" He exclaims before all three walk over to see if they can see anything through the new passageway, but it's empty.

When checking her watch, Laurie sees she only has an hour before Billy comes to pick her up. "Look, it's getting late. Let's lock this place up, and we can look for Dart tomorrow. Okay?" She suggests, and the boys agree.

Locking the doors back with the chain, Dustin is the first to head inside while Steve and Laurie slowly walk around the house.

"I've never seen you go full 180 before. It was pretty terrifying." Steve confesses with a nervous laugh, but it turns genuine when she laughs. "I didn't mean to get that mad. It was just the heat of the moment, I guess. It's been so stressful these past few days, and it's almost the holidays. Everything seems to be moving so fast." He nods along with her words then something comes up in his brain.