Jailbird || Stranger Things

thirty-three ➵ the (ex)terminators

    Meanwhile, Dustin started to panic. "Shit! Help!"

    "Dustin," Teresa said, already tired of the bullshit.

    "Shit!"

    "Dustin!" the other three kids snapped at him.

    "What happened?" Steve asked, looking down at Dustin, who was frantically reaching for his face.

    "It's in my mouth! Some got in my mouth! Shit!" he continued hysterically, as Steve aimed the flashlight in his face, but the rest of the party were just watching him, waiting for him to calm down. His whimpering coughs turned into splutters, and then finally, he looked up at the group, a sheepish expression on his face as he realised there was no effect of the blow. "I'm okay."

    "You serious?" Max snapped, Teresa switching to hold the axe in her other hand, and helped Dustin up off the floor.

    "Very funny, man," Steve scoffed, pushing forward as the others followed him, still muttering. "Nice, very nice."

    "Jesus, what an idiot."

    "Hang on!" Dustin called as even Teresa left him behind. "Wait, wait!"

    The Henderson kid hurried to catch up with the group, but by the time he reached them, Teresa had walked to the front again, only to stop beside Steve as she took in the familiar sight.

    She could tell where she and Jim had been absorbed into the floor and wall, the vines having grown over in weird splotches. As well as a few more tunnel openings, there were more skeletons now too, and she could see a human skull in the mess. "Holy shit."

    The kids were just as shocked, and even they felt the chill that was starting to settle into Teresa's bones. Even if the painkillers she kept throwing back every few hours was helping, she could feel the pressure hitting against her skull, even more so as she stood in the tunnel.

    Seeing the slightly haunted look on her face as well as the pain she was holding back behind clenched teeth, Steve gave a soft nod. She was all the confirmation he needed. "All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub," he spoke, taking in the numerous tunnels leading away. His free hand reached for Teresa's, managing to shake her out of her living nightmare.

    It was a good thing Dustin was still at the back, since he was grinning his little head off at the slight movement between his babysitters.

    Mike took a look around, noticing the way Teresa's eye was on the vines. "Drench it."

    He led the way, splashing the gasoline everywhere possible, at all he could see. Dustin and Lucas followed his lead, spraying the ceiling, and Teresa and Max worked seamlessly while swapping weapons as Teresa reached into her bag for the bottles of alcohol. She gave the stick with the gasoline drenched cloth to Max, then passed her Billy's lighter.

    "You lose it, I hurt you. All right, Mayfield?" Teresa pointed to her, the younger girl nodding in agreement. They both knew the significance of the pair of zippos that belonged to the ex couple.

    Steve watched as Teresa moved as if she was in her element, before she handed Dustin the shovel, and she then effortlessly twisted off the cap from a bottle of overproof rum. There wasn't a lot of alcohol in Joyce's house, but Billy's trunk had been helpful.

    The group drained their supplies and Teresa instructed them to lead the liquid towards their exit tunnel. Steve watched Teresa pull out two cans, slipping one into her pocket, and holding the other, leaving the top off. The two older teens pulled out their lighters in sync, before Steve squatted by the end of the trail of gasoline.