𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒

twenty-nine

"where's el?" mike asked. loud screeching being heard from somewhere inside. "shit! go, go, go!" sam said running out of the door way.

she was frantic to search and find el. "this way, hurry!" mike yelled going back through scoops ahoy. sam running out to the entrance to see billy hunched over eleven. she froze as he stood up, looking the mind flayer straight in the face.

"billy!" sam yelled, though, the sound of the fireworks drowned out her yell. mike and max joining sam next to the entrance of scoops.

sam watched as an arm tried to shoot its way at el, but billy stuck his hands out above him to stop the arm from going farther. eleven scooting back from the monster. sam felt like she was watching slow motion. like she couldn't move either. she was frozen watching billy save el's life. she wanted to move, she wanted to scream but she couldn't. it was like she was paralyzed.

more arms forming out of the sides of the mind flayer. billy was yelling, putting up a fight from the monster. and it was like...like billy was finally unflayed. and she woke up, she woke up from this dream she thought she was in.

"billy move..." she mumbled. "move!" she screamed.

he didn't. he stood there. he stood there as arms propelled themselves into both of his sides, and then all through his back, and finally the mind flayer pierced one into his chest.

"billy!" sam screamed, tears stinging her eyes. the mind flayer retracted his arms, and began to screech in pain. it was stumbling around and wailing. sam didn't care, she ran out to billy and fell to her knees.

"billy! billy, you're gonna be okay. we're gonna get you some help okay?" sam breathed, leaning over the boy. he just smiled at her, taking her hand and placing it where his necklace was.

"it was nice while it lasted, huh shitbird?" billy coughed. making sam take his necklace off, leaving it in her hand.

"no. no. no. no. don't say that. you're gonna live. you're gonna get married, move, have a family, you're gonna live! you're gonna live!" sam said, tears streaming hard.

"sam..." billy mumbled. "yeah. yeah, i'm right here." she cried. the mind flayer falling to the floor with a thump. not distracting sam one bit.

"thank you for always being...there...for me, for max." he choked out, his breathing becoming audible as his eyes shut more. his necklace laying in sam's hands.

"billy?" max called, steadily walking to her brother as he coughed up black blood. max dropped to her knees, shaking his shoulders. "billy. billy, billy, get up, please. billy, get up, please, please." max cried. "i'm sorry." he mumbled, before laying in front of his sisters, lifeless. "billy...billy. billy." max shook him. "billy, no, no, no. stay with us billy. we're here. we're here." sam cried.

"billy. billy. billy, wake up. billy, get up. please, billy..." max frantically shook him. "no. please no. billy." sam sobbed. "billy!" max sobbed. their brother was dead. he was lying in front of them dead.

sam pulled max in close, them both sobbing on the floor uncontrollably. both sisters hugging each other tight, el pulling max into her lap as she tried to console her.

"sam! sam!" steve called, sprinting to his girlfriend's side, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"billy. he...he's gone. he's gone steve!" sam sniffled. "shh. hey, i know. shh." steve cooed, trying his best to console his grieving girlfriend.