𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙾𝚗𝚎
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𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚞𝚜
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Genie leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She was tired and upset and most of all she was scared.
Ever since she learned of her powers, her emotional senses seemed to be heightened. It's like her feelings were dialled to eleven.
"Hey, kid." Steve came around the corner and put an arm around his little sister. She turned and hugged him.
"Hi." She said, her voice cracking.
"Are you okay? Be truthful." Steve kneeled to her eye level an put a hand on either of her shoulders.
Just like that, Genie started to cry. She broke, cracked, snapped, whatever you wanna call it.
Steve wrapped her in a hug and reassuringly stroked her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. He was concerned. His sister hadn't cried since she was about seven years old. Now at thirteen she was bawling her eyes out. She had a good reason though.
"I-I was supposed to protect-protect him." She blubbered, tripping over her words, "Not the other way around."
Steve sighed, heartbroken by the amount of pressure his sister had put upon herself.
"Don't blame yourself, it wasn't your job to protect anyone."
"But, with El gone...I don't know it just feels like I have this new responsibility." She exhaled shakily.
"It's not your job to protect us. Just take care of yourself, kid."
Genie was glad for the consoling brother she had in front of her. It was comforting knowing someone was there for her.
After about two more minutes, Genie sniffled and pulled away.
"Thanks, Steve." She said in a quiet voice. Steve smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Anytime, Genie. Now, let's go help them cure your friend, shall we?" He stood up and gestured to the kitchen where the others were gathered. They payed no attention to the puffiness of Genie's eyes.
"His army." Mike was saying, "Maybe if we stop him we can stop his army too!"
"It got Will that day on the field," Genie spoke up from the doorway. She approached the table and leaned down, "It's like a disease, a virus."
"And this virus, it's connecting him to the tunnels, the monsters, everything!" Mike exclaimed in realization. A small smile of hope appeared on Genie's face.
"Woah, woah, slow down." Steve tried to grasp what the younger kids were saying.
"Basically, the shadow monster is like the mastermind behind it all. It's in control of everything. Meaning if it gets hurt then so does Will." Genie informed her clueless brother.
"And so does Dart." Lucas chimed in.
"Yeah, it's like what Mr Clarke taught us. The hive minds." Mike nodded.
"Hive minds?" Steve echoed.
"It's a collective consciousness, like a super organism." Genie said.
"And the shadow monster, the thing that controls everything is the brain." Mike added.
Dustin looked up with wide eyes, "Like the mindflayer."
"The what?" Max and Steve asked in unison.
"Oh you are so uncultured." Genie sighed, patting her brother on the shoulder.
Dustin stood up and grabbed Will's book of D&D characters and creatures, gesturing to a picture of the mind flayer.
"What the hell is that?" Hopper asked.
"It's a monster from another dimension," Dustin started his explanation and Genie saw Hopper roll his eyes, "It's so ancient that it doesn't even know it's true home. Okay, it enslaved other dimensions using its highly developed psionic powers."
"Oh my God, none of this is real. This is a kids game!" Hopper seemed frustrated.
"No, it's a manual. And it's not for kids. And unless you know something we don't, this is the best metaphor," Dustin argued.
"Analogy," Corrected Lucas.
Dustin rolled his eyes at him, "Analogy? That's what you're worried about? Fine, it's the best analogy for understanding whatever the hell this thing is."
"Right, this mind flamer thing-"
"Flayer," Dustin interrupted, "Mind Flayer."
"What does it want?" Nancy finished.
"To conquer us. It basically thinks it's the master race."
"Like the Germans?" Steve asked and Genie sighed in sisterly disappointment.
"The Natzis, Steve. You mean the Natzis." She swivelled around to face him. Steve huffed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Natzis."
"Uh, if the Natzis were from a parallel dimension, totally! It sees other races as inferior." Dustin shrugged.
"It wants to spread and take over our dimension." Mike said.
"We're talking about the destruction of our world as we know it." Added Lucas
"That's great, that's great. That's really great!" Steve sarcastically fumed.
"Okay, so this is like a brain and if we kill it we kill everything it controls?" Nancy asked
"We kill everything it controls." Mike nodded.
"And we beat that bitch ass shadow spider." Genie said enthusiastically.
After a few more minutes of the others arguing, they came up with a solution. They boarded up the shed and moved Will into it with a light. Genie stayed inside the house as they carried him into the shed.
"Genie, are you coming?" Mike asked. The corners of her mouth twitched downwards and she shook her head.
"I can't face him." She sighed, "I don't want to see him, not like that."
Mike stayed silent for a moment, "You could talk to him through your mind. That way you don't have to face him."
Genie thought it over before nodding.
"Sure, that'll work."
And the plan commenced.
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Helphelphelp
I have a crush on a real person
*collective gasp*
And he's a straight, white douche.
I WANT TO GET OVER HIM BUT I ALSO DONT BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE HIM AND I NEED HELP.
Sorry I go to y'all for advice because my friends can never know about this crush. Ever.
See you in part two <3