The Vanishing (Stranger Things AU)

The Vanishing, Chapter Four

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot echoed as the sunrise leaked through the branches, it was early, almost 5am as Billy lead Steve through the trees. No words were passed between them as they walked, Billy stopped every so often to check he was going the right way until eventually with a loud snap of his fingers and a point he charged towards the tree where he had last seen you.

"Here, this one" he crouched down onto his haunches and looked up at Steve, who was examining the wood carefully.

"You last saw her here?" He asked as he pointed loosely and placed a hand on his hip.

"That's what I said" Billy replied impatiently.

"So just...explain to me again what happened?" Steve asked as he ran a hand through his brown, tousled hair.

Billy sighed hard through his nose and stood up, his voice low and aggressive as his patience was slipping away from him.

"I fucking told you, man. We were here in the woods and then some weird thing dragged her off, to here." he jabbed at the tree once more.

"Some weird thing?" Steve asked, narrowing his eyes in thought

"Yeah, like, a greasy dog but it's face, like, it's face—"

"–Opened up?" Steven cut him off and Billy frowned as he nodded.

"How do you know that?" Billy asked

Steve sighed and looked at him, before eventually squatting down to look into the hole in the tree trunk, he grimaced at the slimy substance lining the bark, he then outstretched his arm through the gap cautiously, Billy studied him as Steve took a side step and reached further into the hole, a confused look leaked across his face when there was no sign of his hand hitting the other side of the tree.

"What's in there?" Billy asked quietly.

Steve pulled his arm back and looked at his skin, brushing an ash-like substance off his palm with his fingers.

"She could be through there, but there's no guarantee she's okay. You need to know that." He told Billy sternly

"Harrington, stop being a cryptic asshole and tell me what is going on" Billy demanded with a look of pure irritation.

Steve stood up, brushed his palms together and looked at Billy

"Alright, so you've been told about that girl who went missing right, Barb? And the Byers kid?"

"How many people know about this?" Billy asked Steve eventually, he chewed at his thumbnail as he tried to process the information he had just been told, 24 hours ago he wouldn't have believed a single word, but after what he witnessed in the woods, he was a little more open-minded.

"Not many" Steve replied abruptly as he watched Billy nibble at the skin of his finger

"So what are we waiting for, man? Let's go" Billy urged as he stepped towards the hole in the tree

"Hey, hey!" Steve grabbed Billy's shirt and tugged in order to stop his movement, but was met with an aggressive shrug to remove his hand and a glare.

"Look, you can't just go in there, alright?" Steve pleaded as Billy looked at him, his breath hard as his impatience grew.

"Why the fuck not?" his voice raising somewhat

Steve sighed and shook his head slightly at his rising temper

"It's dangerous, we don't know fully what's through there" he explained

"I don't care, Harrington, I have to help her" Billy voice dripped with anxiety as it cracked slightly