☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ
°•. ┊ Daylight┊.•°
✧ ˚ ━ i understand, act three
CHAPTER TWELVE — the piggyback
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"Okay. I wanna run through it one more time." Nance starts, pacing back and forth in the RV, as we go over each phase again. You can practically feel the anxiety radiating off each of us and my hand finds Steve's instinctively. As he gives it a gentle squeeze, it reminds me of that night when we were standing outside of the lab; the start of a seemingly never-ending nightmare.
Phase One: We meet Erica at the playground. She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready.
Phase Two: Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance.
Phase Three: Dustin, Lila, and Eddie draw the bats away.
Phase Four: We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and...flambé.
"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?" Nancy orders and we all agree with her, then head into the Munson trailer in our world. Steve tosses his stuff through the gate, before climbing up. The older boy lands with a flip, causing Robbie to make a remark about him showing off, and a smile to form on my face. I go in next and Robin kneels down, giving me a leg up and I land on my back. Harrington pulls me to my feet and my body is held against his; our faces dangerously close. We breathe each other in and my eyes flick between his eyes and his lips, then up again. I break away from his grasp, so everyone else can jump through.
"Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay?" Steve starts, looking between the trio in front of him. "Draw the attention of the bats. Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just..."
"Decoys." Dustin interrupts his speech. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."
"Absolutely." Eddie adds and looks between Steve and the Henderson boy. "I mean, look at us. We are not heroes."
"Hey, Slam, can I?" Eddie gestures to the side and we part from the group. "No sacrifices, okay? No sacrificing yourself for anyone and no letting those dweebs sacrifice themselves. There's no shame in running."
"Says the guy who has been beating himself up for running." I offer. "Maybe it's time you take your own advice."
"Alright." He smiles. "I will, if you do."
"Deal. Let's kick some ass." We shake hands. We re-approach the group and I place my hand on Dustin's shoulder. "Don't do something stupid. And don't die." The four of us leave the three teens and start our trek to Vecna's lair. After a while, Robin's voice sounds; her tone dripping with worry.
"Uh...I don't mean to freak anyone out, but I swear we've seen this tree before." She says, looking around us. A breathy laugh escapes my lips at her remark. "That would suck, right? If Vecna destroyed the world because...'cause we got lost in the woods?"
"That's impossible." Nance responds, as all of us glance around us. "We're not lost, Robin." Her attempts at soothing the Buckley girls' nerves.
"Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind. Remember?" Steve warns, the blonde giving a quick thumbs up while continuing to rush ahead. Nancy looks at us and decides to head after her. "Uh, Don't worry about her. She's just stressed. You know, scared." I agree with him, starting to mention how the blonde is a bit of a mess. She's tall and has limbs that she can't entirely control, but he reads my mind instead. "She's a super klutz."
"Well, there was this one time when she told me that it took her longer to walk than most babies, so..." My sentence veers off, as Steve laughs slightly.
"I really shouldn't laugh. When I was a baby, I actually crawled backwards."
"Crawled backwards?" I look up at him through furrowed brows.
"You know, I'd push with my hands like this. Beep. Beep." He explains, making motions with his hands. "Always in reverse, you know? Come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?"
"That makes absolutely no sense, Harrington."
"Well, it did to my tiny little Harrington brain." I laugh at his response and shake my head at him. "That is, until I reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs and thumped my head really good."
"You know...that explains quite a lot." I smile at him teasingly, yet he agrees with my statement. And it catches me off-guard a little.
"I think, like, right out of the gate, like, I'm super confident. But I'm also, like, an idiot. Which is just...I mean, it's a brutal combination." Steve starts and I listen intently, while looking ahead for any sign of the girls. "But, I mean, the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know? I can learn. I can crawl forward. Listen, I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um...is thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
"For giving my head the biggest thump of its life two years ago. Nance may have ended things with me in a hurtful way, but you were an olive branch. You gave me something worth changing for. I wanted to become the kind of guy who deserved even a fraction of your love..." The boy looks at me with a smile and scratches the back of his neck, clearly unsure of how his words will affect me. "I needed it. It's changed my life. You changed my life. And now I'm crawling forward. Slowly."
"Steve..." My voice is so low, that if the thunder sounded, the words I said wouldn't have been heard by the brunette in front of me.
"Sometimes I wonder if all of this never happened. You know, the monsters, the parallel dimension and shit. If this didn't exist, maybe...just maybe we would've made it. If you weren't unfairly thrown through the emotional ringer last summer, that we'd still be together today..." A look of understanding passes over my features. He's right. Had I not lost my shit, we would be so disgustingly happy right now. Although, I think that would make this fight so much harder. I wouldn't be able to do this. I can barely keep it together now and he's not even mine.
"Remember the dream I told you about? About the Winnebago? Seeing the country with my six lil' nuggets?" I give him a nod, as we both stop moving. "It's all true. Every last word. But I left one part out. It's the most important part. You're there. You've always been there." There's a lull in the conversation, as the two of us stand there, gazing at one another like lovesick idiots. And for the first time in a long time, it feels as though I can breathe again. Truly breathe. "Marry me."
"What?"
"Marry me." He re-states and my eyes are wide. "Listen, this is looking pretty bad and we're about to walk into certain death. I don't want to go into this without ever getting to ask you that question."
"Technically, you made a statement." I tease.
"Okay, Samira Reign Mayfield..."He starts, taking my hands into his own. "Will you marry me?"
"Yeah, yes. I'll marry you." I answer, causing a smile to break out onto his face.
"Yeah?" I nod my head, pulling my lip between my teeth and he pulls me into his arms. "I, uh, I wish I had a ring. But I will get you one, when this is over."
"Don't worry about it." I breathe with a smile. "I've already got one." I reach into my shirt and pull out the chain that sits around my neck, revealing the Christmas gifts he got me last year. The ring sits beside the charm. I remove it and take the ring, placing it in Steve's hands, before clasping the chain back around me. Harrington takes my left hand and slides the band onto my ring finger, then brings my knuckles to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against them. I wrap my arms around his neck, as his hands make their way to my hips and just as we start to lean in, we're interrupted.
"Hey, guys!" Robbie shouts, running towards us. Steve's head drops and he releases a groan of annoyance, causing me to laugh. I remove myself from his grasp and turn to the girls. "You guys! Awesome news! Looks like we weren't going the wrong way after all. Come on."
"Let's go!" Nance yells and the two of us share a look, before following after the pair. We shout at them, specifically Robin, attempting to slow their movements. Which fails completely. We push forward and finally make it to the treeline, watching the bats circle Creel house with loud screeches. Our eyes travel to the rusted playground structure, finding the same sparkly particles from the lights at the Wheeler house and we rush towards it.
"Okay, the lovebirds have copied." Erica's voice can be heard, only it's echoey and she sounds like she's talking through a vent. "Max is moving into phase two: distracting Vecna." Steve and Robin share remarks about the way the plan is moving fairly well; for now. Nancy watches the house, while muttering to herself. A tension has fallen over the four of us and we know that there's a million ways this could end. And there's a very slim chance of it working in our favor. This plan isn't flawless. It's going to take exact precision to pull it off and even if we do, it still might not be enough. But if it comes down to trying with a small chance of winning or not trying at all...I'm glad we're trying. I will not let my sister die simply because she has trauma. We all have trauma. She was just unfortunate enough to be targeted by this asshole. It should be me. I can handle it better. She's strong, but she shouldn't have to be. She's fifteen. She deserves to be a stupid teenager. Everyone does. All of the kids have been robbed of a childhood. They deserve their reckless adolescence. And I will make sure they get it. Whatever it takes. "Okay, she's in. Initiate phase three." I feel my entire body tense at Erica's announcement. Robin informs the distraction team that it's their time to shine. We duck underneath the structure to keep away from the bats and after a few moments, we hear Eddie start wailing on his guitar. 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica. A small smile finds its way onto my face at the idea of Eddie working his ass off for the past couple of weeks to perfect it. When we were discussing the track on the day of its release, he made a comment about how he couldn't wait to learn it, and I bet him twenty bucks that he couldn't master it within the next month. That son of a bitch did it. And now I'm out twenty dollars. Great. My smile slowly begins to fade, as the creatures fly off the house and head for my friends.
"Don't be heroes. Don't be heroes." I quietly whisper to myself, hoping that somehow they'll be able to hear it. The pit in my stomach expands and my heart is in my throat. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and work on reminding myself that all of this is for Max. And that this is the last time we'll ever have to deal with the Upside Down and its monsters. For Max.
"Okay, it's working." Nance says, moving from under the playground. "Let's go." The three of us follow in suit, heading towards the ominous house. Steve opens the door to reveal that inside is covered wall to wall with vines. Fuck. This is going to be a struggle. The music has subsided and I look over my shoulder, feeling as though something's wrong. I know that the plan is for Eddie to play until the bats get so close that they have to get into the RV and then go back through the gate. But something about this feels wrong. My gut is telling me that something is wrong. And it's usually right. Steve begins to jump through the house, avoiding pissing off the vines, as Robin seems pale. "It's okay. You got this." Nance reassures her, giving her hand a light squeeze. Robin looks over at me and I flash her a smile and a small nod. The blonde starts maneuvering through the house, followed by Nancy. I glance between my three friends and the direction of Eddie's RV, before shaking my head and focusing on the task at hand. I get to the bottom of the staircase, as everyone else is just reaching the top and I halt my movements.
"Sam?" Steve's voice causes me to look up, as he leans over the railing. "You okay?"
"Yeah..." I breathe, glancing out of the open door once again. "You guys can do this without me, right? You've got more than enough fire power. You don't need me."
"I guess not, but why?" Robin questions.
"I don't know." I respond truthfully, while looking around at the three of them. "I just- There's something wrong. I have to check on them. I'll see you guys in a minute."
"Wait, Sam." Steve's voice sounds and our eyes meet. We're too far away for me to be able to see what emotions are present behind his eyes, so I wait. I wait with a heavy heart for him to tell me something. Only this time, I am hoping that it'll be those three words. The words I wouldn't let him say only hours prior. "Be careful, Firefly." I inhale deeply, the air thick and getting stuck in my throat. I know that if I were to speak, my voice would fail me, so instead, I give him the best smile I can muster and nod my head softly. I spin on my heel and jump back through the labyrinth of vines; a small voice in the back of my head screaming at me to say something, but I ignore it. We don't have to say it. I know that he loves me and I feel sure of the fact that he knows I feel the same. Once I reach the doorway, I pause, fighting the urge to look back at my friends, fearing for their well-being. But I don't. I push forward and rush out of the building, sprinting through the woods, one more, not being mindful of my steps. Despite the burning pain in my chest from my lack of endurance, I continue running as fast as my legs will carry me. After a while, I find myself at the treeline on the opposite side of the forest and take a few breaths, before following the road to the trailer park. I spin around, feeling a little lost and the exhaustion from the past few days finally catching up to me. I start to wonder whether I missed a turn, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
"Eddie!" The familiar cry rings through my ears and my head snaps in the direction that it came from, rushing towards it. I notice the bats swarming Eddie. He's gonna get himself killed. Running. We agreed to run. Being a hero was not on the table. And I refuse to lose anyone else. I get closer and shoot fire at a torn couch cushion on the ground near him to scare them off. Then I whistle, drawing them to me. I use as much power as I've got to protect myself, but it's not enough. There's too many of them. I feel them start biting at my abdomen and as much as I try to fight them off, they win. My body goes limp and I can't feel anything anymore, physically. I lay on the cold, rough concrete and watch as the bats start dropping. They did it. They killed him. Pretty soon, I'm being lifted from the concrete onto Eddie's legs. I give him a painful smile, as Dustin and Lila reach us and drop down on the other side of me. I reach up and grab the young boy's hand. "You're gonna be okay. It's gonna be alright, Sammy. I promise."
"Don't make a promise you can't keep, Henderson." I choke out, laughing slightly. My smile fades as reality truly sets in and so does the fear. "I don't wanna die, guys. I know these past eight months I've been acting like I couldn't care less, but I do. I care so fucking much. I like living. And I really want to graduate. I've barely lived." A sob escapes my lips as my grip on Dustin's hand tightens. "I have so much to say to all of you. So much. And Max. Max needs to know everything."
"Take a breath." Eddie commands, brushing the hair from my face. "We can relay a few messages, Mayfield. Although, I don't like the idea of you making me look Harrington in the eyes and telling him that you're dead." We both laugh softly. And I remember how Eddie kept mentioning that all he does in the face of danger is run.
"You didn't run." A smile finds its way to my face. "You're a hero, Eddie Munson."
"I don't feel like a hero."
"Does it hurt? Does everything hurt?" I question, searching his eyes for an answer.
"Yeah, it really fucking does."
"Then you are a hero." I breathe. "Because hero's never win. Not truly. They watch the people they care about die and live with unnecessary guilt. You feel guilty about Chrissy, when you couldn't have done a single thing to stop it. And you're gonna feel guilty for me, but I didn't have to do this. I chose to. Because it's your year Edwardo."
"Sam. Please don't leave." Dustin says, tears streaming down his face. "Who's gonna take us to the movies and go to all of Lucas' games? Who's gonna tell Steve when he's being an idiot? Who's gonna help Robin make fun of Steve and tell Delilah when she's being overdramatic? We need you. Please."
"You don't need me. You just need to hold onto each other." I say. "You guys are going to do just fine."
"You really believe that?" Lila chokes out and my features soften at the amount of tears falling onto her flushed cheeks. My emotional pain outweighs the physical, as I realize just how much I'm about to put her through. Losing your best friend hurts like a bitch. I almost didn't survive it and I hate that she is going to feel that same pain. An experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
"Yeah. I do." I breathe. My breaths are more shallow and I can feel myself fading. "Okay, I'd like to give you those messages now." Both boys nod, and force smiles onto their tear stained faces. "Apologize to Sarah for me. You have to tell her that this isn't her fault and she did an amazing job. And that I love her and I'm so grateful to her and everything she's done for me and Max. You have to tell Max that I love her. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't a better sister and I'm sorry for what happened. Tell her to let people in. She has to let you guys in. She has to learn to love and to smile again. I want her to smile, Dustin. Promise me that she'll smile again."
"Sammy-"
"Promise me, Henderson."
"O-okay. Okay, I promise."
"Lila. You have to know that I'm sorry for putting you through this. The grief of losing a friend royally sucks. But you can survive it because you're strong. You are so strong. Without your friendship, junior year and Hawkins would have been so bleak. I love you and you have to know that."
"Sam-"
"Oh, my bag. Dustin, I want you to make sure you keep that with you. You might need it." I breathe, praying that he'll get the hint. I don't have time to say everything. I guess, we never really do. Even if you think you've said it all...there's always going to be more. "Eddie, you crazy son of a bitch. You pass your final, you get your diploma, and you get the hell out of this town."
"Yes, ma'am." He gives me a soft smile and a few tears make their way down his face. I bring my hand up and wipe his face gently, causing him to lean into my touch.
"And Steve." My eyes close, at the fact that we'll never get our happily ever after. Never get six kids and an RV trip across the states. Even though six kids never would've happened because it sounds extremely painful. And I'm going to hurt him badly. Worse than I ever have before. The words don't come out and the three people around me force sad smiles. "I- I love you all. So- so- so much..." I lie there, my body giving out, and I feel the presence of someone or something else in mind. I allow my consciousness to slip into it and find myself in the red realm once more; the connection is faint, due to my physical state. Vecna's got my sister pinned and he's about to cover her face with his hand; the way he did when Fred died. A scream omits from my mouth and the creature stops his actions to locate me with his eyes. My feet move faster than my brain can process and I'm approaching them fast. I pause, my eyes landing on Eleven, who's being held by vines; the shock catches me off guard, but I quickly refocus on the enemy. "Get away from them." As the sentence leaves my mouth, a surge of energy exudes from my body and it sends the creature flying backwards. The scenery changes and I'm in the empty, run-down Starcourt; a familiar voice calls out to me and I turn towards what's left of Scoops. Genny runs out and crashes into my arms, sending me spiraling. "Are you, are you real?"
"Yeah, you know, in a strange supernatural sense." She breathes, squeezing my hand tightly. The two of us look for a way out; if Vecna chose this place, it means that he has the upper hand. We circle the entire building, stopping back in the middle of the courtyard. I start pulling her towards the ice cream parlor, but she stops me. I look at her, as her grip tightens on my arm. "Sam, Sam, Sam. Haven't you learned? You lose. Every time. Just. Let. Go." My brows furrow in confusion and I fight against her grasp, knowing that there'll be bruises tomorrow. When my eyes find her face again, her eyes are white. Vecna. I finally break free from him, her, it. And run in the opposite direction, my surroundings change once more, taking me back to the red realm and my sisters. As my eyes lock with Max's, I decide that running isn't helping anyone, so I spin to face him.
"You have taken everything from me!" I scream, my emotions pouring out. "Leave my family alone." I slam him with fire, feeling my entire body get hot.
"If you insist." The creature pushes forward through my offensive actions and I feel a force attempting to move me, but it fails. He's not strong enough. Unfortunately, neither am I. I resist his efforts, but I can feel my strength fading. I turn on my heel and start making my way towards my sister; needing to give her one last hug. Needing to tell her how much I love her and that everything's going to be okay...but I don't make it. A vine coils itself around my ankle and drags me to the ground. Vecna forces me to my feet before him and his hand encompasses my face. Better me than her. And as my eyes close for the last time, tears fall, and memories of those I love rush through my mind; causing one final, tired smile to fall onto my face. I've never known true peace, until now. Knowing that my fight is over and that they'll be taken care of. Because they have each other. And they'll know to lean on one another. Peace is painfully beautiful.
[word count: 4123]
lexi's letters; ...don't hate me