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SUCCUMB
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"SHIT, NO, NO, no!" Steve exclaimed and placed his hands on Irina's shoulders, shaking her to try and snap her out of her trance. "Guys!" He yelled and gestured the other three over. "No, Irina, baby, come on. Don't do this, please, please, don't do this." He begged. He was completely helpless. The love of his life was dying in front of him and he couldn't do anything about it.
"Irina, wake up!"
"Can you hear me, Irina?"
The kids rambled on in an attempt to bring Irina back to reality. Her eyes said it all. Steve ran his hands aggressively though his hair and down his face before looking over to Dustin.
"Quick, go call Robin and Nance! Quick, go, go!" He ordered and Dustin sprinted down to the car.
Irina ran and ran as fast as she could through the graveyard to try and escape Vecna. He was everywhere. Wherever she went, he gained on her. She was literally running for her life. The heavy mist didn't help. A large stone slab caught Irina's eye and she leapt behind it for a moment so she could catch her breath. She poked her head around the side of it only to see Vecna's form emerging from the mist yet again.
"You cannot hide from me, Irina." He growled.
"Shit." She hissed and was on her feet once again. She didn't know what to do so she just ran again. Her surroundings were completely the same so she came to a halt and almost choked on her own breath. "Steve!" She cried. "Steve, where are you!" More tears were flowing down her face. But that's when she saw something. The heavy mist was now a bright red-orange and rapidly coming towards her.
Dustin came sprinting back up to where Steve, Max, Lucas and Irina were with Max's headphones and tapes in his hands, almost dropping them as he ran. He skidded onto his knees and dropped all of the tapes and the headphones in front of everyone and didn't even bother catching his breath.
"What the hell is this?!" Steve panicked.
"Steve, what is her favourite song?!" Dustin questioned.
"What?! Why?!" Steve asked frantically.
"Robin said that i-if... it's too much to explain right now! What is her favourite song?!" Dustin yelled.
Irina walked through the red mist, her eyes widening when it began clearing to reveal large spikes sticking up from the ground and many, many floating objects in the sky. At one point she could've sworn she heard something screech in the distance too. She proceeded to walk towards it, hearing the ticking of that same grandfather clock as she approached some stairs that lead nowhere. The floor was almost wet and gooey in places and the air was damp.
"What are you doing in here, Irina?" Vecna's voice echoed throughout the whole place again. Irina didn't answer. Instead she looked down at something that had just squelched underneath her feet. She lifted her foot up to see that there was tons of spider nests on the floor. A small gasp left her mouth as she took a few steps back, hitting something. She turned around to see Chrissy Cunningham's dead body wrapped to a sort of beam with what looked like tentacles.
Irina let out a sharper gasp this time and turned around to see that the same had been done to Fred elsewhere. Her breathing sped up and a loud clap of thunder made her jump.
"How do you like them, Irina?" Irina shot around to see Vecna slowly walking towards her. "Would you like to join them?"
Irina set off running but one of the tentacles tightly grasped her ankle, dragging her down.
"Shit!" She screamed. The tentacle dragged her backwards before more tentacles wrapped around her and pulled her against one of the beams that Chrissy and Fred were tied to. A tentacle slithered around her neck, making her desperately gasp for air.
Steve, Dustin, Max and Lucas were frantically rummaging through all Max's tapes in search for the Kate Bush cassette. It seemed so much harder to find when someone's life was depending on it.
"Where the hell is it?!" Steve growled.
"Shit, shit, shit." Lucas muttered.
"You definitely had it, right, Max?" Dustin questioned.
"Yes! It's in here somewhere!" Max hissed.
"It's here, it's here! I got it!" Lucas yelled, hectically opening the tape.
"Give it to me!" Steve ordered since he was holding the cassette. Lucas tossed it to him and Steve shoved it into the cassette before hitting play and placing the headphones over Irina's ears.
Irina choked out a sob as Vecna approached her. He was a gross-looking thing. However, just then, Irina could hear music. She could hear Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. Her favourite song. And in the distance it looked as if there was an opening. Or a tear. Irina could see herself. She could see Dustin yelling at her to wake up. She could see Max gently shaking her arm. She could see Lucas asking if she could hear him. She could see Steve. He had one of their hands interlocked and the other was stroking her shoulder. He was looking at her so hopefully.
"They can't help you, Irina." Vecna said, tightening the tentacle around her neck. "There's a reason you hide. You belong here. With me."
"Y-you're... not r-really here." Irina choked out.
"Oh, but I am, Irina. I am." Vecna said. He raised his hand and was aiming for Irina's face.
Steve was forced to let go of Irina's hand when her whole body began rising into the air. All of their eyes widened and they scrambled to their feet.
"Irina!" Dustin yelled.
"Holy shit." Steve muttered. She was going so high and there was nothing they could do. Steve couldn't just jump up and hold her hand again. All he could do was watch her and hope to God that their plan was working.
It only took one look at Steve's face through the tear for all the memories to come flooding back for Irina. Everything from the first time they spoke was running through her mind.
"Yeah, we won't have to fall out if you just leave her alone, okay? Just let her past, man." Steve said, pushing Tommy slightly by the shoulder to let Irina past.
Irina reminisced on all the times he'd been there for her.
"I-I don't know, you just have really pretty eyes, I guess." Steve mumbled and a smile pushed its way onto Irina's face.
She could feel the desperation to survive coursing through her.
"Hey, look at me." Steve cooed and Irina lifted her head. "You are not alone."
She couldn't leave him. Not like this.
Steve deepened the kiss and lifted Irina so she was sat on the bonnet of his car. His hands felt up and down her wet, silk-clad waist and he stood between her legs.
She could see Steve flaying his hands around and running them through his hair.
Steve smiled, bringing Irina's hand up and placing kisses on her knuckles. "I swear as long as I've got you I've got a future."
Steve needed her. And she needed him.
"I love you, too, future Mrs Harrington." Steve teased. Irina blushed and looked down, giggling at his words.
And there was nothing that could stop Irina from getting to him now.
"It's you and me, remember? Always."
Irina felt the strength in her to tear one of her hands away from the tentacle and rip off a chunk of Vecna's neck. The tentacles dropped her as Vecna stumbled away and she took it as the golden opportunity to sprint as fast as she could towards the tear. Kate Bush was still echoing around her as she ran.
Steve's form in the distance was enough motivation for her. A large object from the sky fell, making her fall and almost hitting her but she clambered back to her feet and continued running. All the other objects from the sky we're falling now too but Irina just ran and ran and ran, dodging them as they dropped. A few more steps and she would survive. She would make it back to Steve.