TECHNICOLOR - stranger things.

vi. THE SAUNA TEST

wendy heard billy sobbing and she felt her heart break ever-so-slightly.
"it's not my fault. it's not my fault. it's not my fault, wen," he cried. the kids looked towards wendy and she had no other choice but to inch closer to the door.

her heart ached as she looked down to see billy sobbing. "i promise you, it's not my fault." he cried, sweat and tears beginning to mix on his face.

wendy stood at the window, looking at him.
"what's not your fault, billy?" she frowned, pressing a hand to the glass. she hated seeing him like that—scared, in pain.
"i've done things, wendy. really bad things. i didn't mean to. he made me do it." billy's hair was sticking to his face as he brought his hands together, pleading for wendy to forgive him. she had never seen him in tears like that before.

billy wanted to apologize for how he had acted days before, he wanted to apologize for everything that he had done wrong.
"who made you do it, billy? you can tell me." wendy comforted with her hand still pressed against the glass.

"i don't know, it's like a shadow. like a giant shadow. p-please wendy." billy sobbed, making wendy feel all kinds of emotions.

"what did he make you do? tell me billy, please." wendy frowned.
"its not my fault, okay? wen, please. please believe me, wendy. it's not my fault." billy pleaded, leaning against the bench in the sauna.

from behind wendy, max shed tears from seeing her step brother upset—she had never been close to billy, but something about him confessing his secrets made her sad.
"i tried to stop him, okay? i did. please believe me. please open the door, baby." billy sniffled, still crying.

wendy knew that she couldn't open the door, she couldn't risk their lives like that.
"i-i can't billy. it's going to be okay, you're going to be okay, i promise." wendy felt a tear roll down her cheek as she attempted to comfort billy.

will byers could feel the presence of the mindflayer—he was there, he wanted vengeance.

"just trust me, billy. you're going to be okay." wendy continued to talk to billy.
"wendy, get away from the door." mike ordered, causing wendy to turn around in confusion.

"wh-what?" she furrowed her eyebrows.
"get away from the door!" mike yelled out as billy lunged towards the window—the mindflayer had caught wendy off guard. billy grabbed a hold of wendy. the carmichael girl screamed out in fear, his grip around her bicep tightening. the tile piece in his hand was pressed against her skin, waiting to dig into it.

"wendy!" max yelled out, rushing over to pull the girl back by her other arm. the broken tile that billy had been holding pierced into wendy's bicep, and she could only let out a pained scream. max pulled her away from billy, the tile piece dragged along wendy's skin and the two girls fell to the ground, wendy next to max.

"let me out! i'll fucking gut you!" billy yelled, yanking the metal bar out of the door.

max and wendy held onto each other, blood gushing from wendy's right arm. lucas sinclair pulled back on his slingshot and the rock sailed through the air, hitting billy.
"max, wendy, come on!" he called out and the girls rushed over.
"oh shit!" mike stared at wendy's cut. the cut started from the middle of her bicep to a little past her elbow.

wendy tried to focus on something other than the pain that was searing through her arm. the fact that billy had rose to his feet with black veins all over his body seemed like a pretty good distraction. the possessed teenaged boy slammed his body against the blue door, and the door came crashing down from billy's strength and rage. he stood to his feet, a blood-curdling look in his eyes as he stared at eleven.

the courageous girl raised her hand, the weight on a stand next to them rising as well. she let out a scream as she sent the weight flying forward towards billy, sending him back into the wall.

a gasp escaped from wendy carmichael's lips, she had no idea that el was that strong. the young teenager used both of her hands to keep the weight against billy's neck, he struggled to push it off, but he did.

billy hargrove threw the weight towards el, knocking her down in the process. the kids stared in horror as they watched the two fight. billy grabbed el by her hair, the teenager letting out a scream. he looked up towards the group—his gaze locked with wendy's. she was terrified of him and what he could do, her bleeding and throbbing arm was the least of her concerns at that moment.

billy's hand wrapped around el's throat and the group gasped. they watched as billy lifted her into the air by her throat—wendy began to step forward, she would not let a kid get hurt. billy could hurt her all he wanted to, but she would not let him touch those kids.

"wendy no!" max held wendy back, motioning for lucas to help as well. the two young teenagers held wendy back from getting herself more hurt than she already was. max mayfield was not going to let wendy get hurt by billy again.

"no! no!" eleven screamed out in pain, kicking her legs in attempt to free herself—nothing helped.
"he could kill her! let me go, max!" wendy yelled, and the redhead only shook her head.

the three stopped bickering when they heard mike wheeler yelling out, hitting billy with a metal pipe.
"go to hell, you piece of shit!" mike yelled and brought the pipe down to hit him again, only for it to be caught by billy.

he threw the pipe back in a rage, stepping towards mike. suddenly, he was lifted off of the ground and he let out a scream. el grunted out and they both screamed as eleven forcefully flailed her arms, sending billy's body through the brick wall and out of the building. el dropped to the floor in exhaustion, sobbing as mike wrapped his arms around her.

the teens got up and looked over towards the giant hole in the wall, seeing billy flee from the pool grounds. as he disappeared into the dark of the night, wendy carmichael looked at max mayfield, mouthing a hesitant 'thank you.'