Ambivalence

S2 Chapter 14 - The Spy

Hammer to Fall' by Queen plays in the background as we drive down the dimly lit streets. Steve and I catch each other's gaze every so often.

"Wait a sec. How big?" Steve looks in the rearview mirror.

"First it was like that." Dustin gestures with his hand to a small size. "Now he's like this." He largens his gesture with both hands.

"I swear to God, man. It's just some little lizard, okay?" Steve scoffs.

"It's not a lizard!" I groan.

"Oh, yeah. How do you know?" He pressures me.

"How do I know if it's not?" I sass.

"How do you know it's not just a lizard?"

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat!" Dustin shouts from the backseat. Steve goes bug-eyed before nodding his head in defeat, accepting the situation.

Steve pulls into the Henderson's driveway, taking notice of my car parked out front.

"Why didn't you guys just drive to the Wheeler's?"

"Don't get him started." I scoff opening up the trunk. Steve reaches past me and into the trunk for the bat. He gives Dustin a look before slamming the trunk closed.

We arm up with flashlights and head towards the cellar. Steve looks at the lock and chain with confusion evidently expressed all over his face.

"I don't hear shit." He looms over the red doors.

"He's in there." Dustin retorts from beside me. Steve glances at him before returning his gaze to the cellar poking it with his bat. He licks his lips in anticipation before smacking the bat down harder.

"All right, listen, kid. I swear, if this is some sort of Halloween prank, you're dead." He shines his flashlight directly in Dustin's face.

"It's not." I protest.

"All right?" He threatens once again.

"It's not a prank. Get it out of my face." Dustin groans.

Steve nods his head towards the lock. "You got a key for this thing?"

I hand over the key to him. Steve rips open the doors dramatically causing a loud screech. Dustin and I peer over his shoulder, shining our flashlights down the steps.

"Let me see that." Steve grabs the flashlight from my hands, his skin grazes over mine for a split second too long.

"He must be further down there." Dustin interrupts our short Moment. "I'll stay up here in case he tries to escape." He says looking at the both of us. Steve and I turn our heads to meet him with an 'Are you serious?' expression, Steve shakes his head in disappointment.

I begin to descend the stairs before Steve outstretches his arm in front of me.

"Are you kidding? No way you're taking the lead." He moves in front of me protectively.

Steve and I reach the end of the stairs, I peer over his shoulder into the dark.

"See anything?"

"Nope." He hums, scanning the light around the concrete room. We move further in reaching the light. That's when we notice it, shedded skin. Steve picks it up with his bat curiously as I eye around the room.

"Steve? Y/n, what's going on down there?" Dustin calls out. Steve shines the light back up the stairs obviously startling the pre-teen.

"Get down here," I demand.

Steve presents his findings now wrapped around the bat.

"Oh, shit." He groans. Steve merely shines the light elsewhere in response. "OH, SHIT!" He says louder now, noticing the large hole in the concrete wall. We all inch toward it looking into the darkness. "No way. No way." Dustin pleads to no one in particular.