further apart // max mayfield x oc

4: iii (the bite)

"and it's worth it, it's divine... the way she tells me i'm hers and she is mine "

——

fireworks exploded in the distance, sending coloured lights through the windows of the cabin. "he said he was building something..." eleven explained, tears still fresh on her face from the earlier events. "and he was building it all for me." mike took her hand and smiled reassuringly at her, despite being shaken up himself. "building something- does he mean the flayed?" max asked nervously.
"it must be. he's building an army, just like we thought" lucas confirmed, was pacing the room."yeah, but he's not building this army to spread-"
"he's building it to stop eleven," will realised, "last year she closed the gate, and that must have really pissed him off."
"the mind flayer now knows she's the only thing that could stop him, but if she's out of the way...?" el inhaled sharply.
"he also said... he was going to kill all of you."

the group looked uneasily around at each other. obviously they knew the mind flayer was powerful, but a direct threat? that was something very new, and terrifying. "well, that's nice!" max laughed, but her trembling hands  gave her masked confidence away.

nancy rose up from her seat on the armchair, squeezing el's shoulder affectionately and walking over to the window. she stared for a moment. "do you guys hear that?" she asked, bringing their attention to a distant rumbling. "it's just the fireworks-" jonathan brushed her off. she shook her head. "billy. el, when he told you this, he was here? in this room?"
slowly, felicity understood what she was saying. she turned to see will reach his hand to the base of his spine. "the mind flayer knows we're here" he grimaced.

the door to the cabin was flung open and the party rushed out. jonathan took the lead as they cleared the corner, freezing as they saw what they feared. the mind flayer was clambering through the trees, it's slimy fleshy reflecting the bursts of colour that the fair's fireworks gave of in an awful sort of juxtaposition. it was bigger than last time at the hospital, only it hadn't grown taller or longer, it had become more.

——

felicity and will set to work picking up the dusty sofa and hauling it over to the door to barricade it whilst nancy and jonathan gathered weapons. the cabin was a flurry of wordless activity, everyone preparing for whatever was about to happen. in a matter of minutes it was completely boarded up and they gathered in the middle

"it's close..." mike whispered, watching the plates clattering on the countertop from the impact of its footsteps. there was a second of silence before the mind flayer broke one of its limbs through the wall, sending el and max screaming. fortunately, mike began hacking at it with an axe before felicity had time to run towards it. it let out a roar then swung around and hit him. he crumpled. it advanced forwards, poised to strike the boy again, but it was put off by nancy shooting at it.

the creature turned, only to shrivel up and retract as eleven began to use her powers against it. with a shout of frustration and effort, she managed to sever two limbs. but the mind flayer wasn't giving up. it reached a third arm into the cabin, knocking el cleanly off her feet and moved to pull her upwards. in a moment of terror, felicity latched onto her hands. lucas, max and jonathan then followed. "nancy SHOOT IT!" will called from where he was helping mike up.

two shots were fired at the mind flayer' open mouth, then two more, then two more. mike swung at the arm around eleven fiercely with the axe. with one last tug eleven fell to the floor, cushioned by mike. "oh shit!" lucas swore, pointing to a piece of the mind flayer that was still attached to the girl's leg. he and max pulled it away and she screamed in pain.