~~~FIVE YEARS AGO~~~
My chest was burning, screaming for air as I ran through the forest, tree branches jutting out and cutting my face and clothes as I did. I had been trapped in this place for about a week, as far as I could tell. Days and Nights weren't so visually different, so I was counting the hours on my watch in order to keep track.
My first night here, I spent the night in a ditch. I covered myself in dirt and leaves and fell asleep clutching a rusty pocket knife to my chest that I had found in said ditch. I didn't get much sleep, but I knew that I'd need at least some kind of rest if I was going to survive whatever hellscape I was trapped in. The second night, I found my way back to my house, which was pretty separated from the main part off town. Even with that distance though, I quickly discovered that it was far to dangerous to stay in a house for too long. The creatures that swarmed this parallel universe were well aware of the houses existence, and were just as likely to attack you there as they were outside.
It wasn't until day number three that I concluded that the woods were your best bet. Sure, the trees were bare and void of leaves, but it still provided you more shelter from the sky, as well as ambiguity. You could be anywhere in the forest...houses were just landmarks for the monsters if anything else. I slept under a tree, using more natural camouflage to keep myself from being discovered.
Days four and five were spent back in town, gathering as many supplies as I could carry. This, strangely enough, mostly consisted of fishing wire and empty cans. Once my watch told me that night was falling, I would go back to my tree and tie my can strings on the trees that surrounded me, making a square. They acted as noise makers, so if anything came close, I would hear it and know that it was time to run.
In fact, it was those very noise makers that alerted me to the presence of a monster now, resulting in my hurried trek through the barren forest. I heard a low, menacing screech that I had heard a few times before. I turned to look over my shoulder, trying to spot the creature taht was chasing me. When I didn't I turned my head forward again, just in time to see a sharp, broken plank of wood sticking straight out towards me. I barely managed to skid to a stop, pausing with only one or two centimeters protecting my eyes from being gouged out.
I took a step back, looking up to see that the structure that the plank was attached to was an old decrepit shed that was, for some reason, built around the base of a tree. The trunk was inside of it, with the branches billowing up through the roof and into the air, providing a natural barrier that hid the shed from view of the sky. The combination of the way it was built, as well as the color and texture of the wood made it nearly impossible to see; meaning that if I hadn't almost been impaled by one of its broken planks, I might not have even known that it was a building at all.
I heard the screech echo from behind me again, so I ripped the door of the shed open, dove inside, and pulled it closed behind me. It was a relatively decent size, with the truck of the tree residing in the middle of the structure, with ample space between the tree and each of the walls. Inside of the door was a small, rectangular window that was covered in a sort of camouflaged mesh material, which is what brought me to the conclusion that in the real world, this must have been someone's homemade hunting blind, design to keep them hidden so that they could shoot animals without being detected by them first. There was also a small hole, just big enough for the barrel of a hunting rifle.
I sucked in a breath, holding it as I peered out the secret window, keeping an eye out for the creature who had been pursing me. Its loud, attacking screech had faded to a sort of low chittering noise, and I had to physically put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming as its long, fleshy limbs became visible.
I assumed it could pick up on my sent, but I didn't know for sure considering the creature didn't have a face, so I slowly backed away from the window and dropped to the ground. I dug my hands into it, gathering as much dirt into them as I could before rubbing it all over my body. The smell of this place, from the trees, to the houses, to the dirt of the ground had a putrid, rotting smell that could overpower anything if there was enough of it. I desperately hoped that it would be as I coated it all over my clothes, before holding my breath again to wait.
What little light there was outside of the shed filtered through the cracks at the bottom of the door. The shape of the monster obstructed this light, casting shadows on the ground, which prompted me to squeeze my eyes shut, which pushed the tears in my eyes down my cheeks as I reached into my pocket to grab my rusty knife.
You have to remain calm, I thought to myself, Think of something that calms you down. Think of-
Instantly, the bright, airy sound of Sara's laugh filled my mind. I pressed my lips into a line, willing my breathing to slow as I occupied my mind with memories of the two of us running through the park, playing with dolls,, and having tea parties that she would beg for for hours until I finally gave up and agreed to it.
My breathing slowed, and I opened my eyes just in time to see the monster's shadows move away from the door. I slowly and silently rose to my feet again, moving to the little window to see the back of the creatures tall, lanky body. It was retreating...my lack of smell, noise, and the appearance of the shed had saved me from perception, therefore saving my life.
So naturally, I decided to keep a good thing going.
~~~FIVE YEARS LATER~~~
"Watch your step," I warned, holding up a hand, "This place is drowning in traps so if you step, look, or even breathe in any direction that I don't ok first, you most definitely will die."
"Traps?" Nancy asked. I shrugged.
"When your survival is on the line, you sometimes have to get creative." I explained, coming to a stop as the old tree-shed came into my field of vision. "I set up traps all around this place, going up to a three foot radius. I had a very specific step pattern in order to get to the shelter so...hopefully my memory serves me correctly."
"Yeah, that's...reassuring." Robin said nervously as Steve stepped up beside me. He winced in pain, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"You lived here?" He asked. I nodded.
"Discovered it in my second week," I replied, "It saved my life from a Demogorgon, so...I didn't really see the appeal of leaving it."
I combed the ground, my eyes flitting between hidden nets and trip wires until I spotted a small circle of ground that I recognized. I slowly and hesitantly took a step, putting my foot inside of it and waiting for the potential consequences. When none came, my other foot joined it.
"Ok, follow me, step by step, ok? No going rogue, because Upside Down Riley was not playing games."
I took another look around before doing a small jump to the right. When nothing happened again, I turned around to look at Steve, who stepped into the circle that I'd just left.
"So, when you say traps..." Eddie stated, stepping up behind Steve.
"Trip wires, nets, a pit hidden under a tarp, and about fifteen different ways for you to get impaled, pummeled, or blown up."
"And sorry, how old were you?" He asked. I took another step before turning around to look at him.
"Fifteen," I answered, "Why?"
Luckily for me, once I got to my third step, I remembered the sequence pretty quickly, even after all these years, so I managed to lead them all through my homemade minefield and into the shed. I quickly ushered them in before shutting the door behind them and lowering the latch.
"It looks like a tree." Nancy pointed out. I nodded.
"Yeah, wish I could take credit for that one, but in all reality, some hunter in the real world got creative and I got lucky, so...it is what it is."
I looked away from Nancy, looking over to Steve as suddenly he stumbled against the trunk of the tree, barely managing to remain on his feet.
"Steve?" I asked, rushing over to him and putting a hand on his arm.
"I'm fine...I'm fine." He slurred, wincing in pain.
"No, you're really not. I need to dress that, you're losing blood. Come here, sit down." He dropped onto his knees and I dropped down in front of him, dumping my duffle bag on the ground and unzipping it. I pulled out a first aid kit.
"You really did think of everything." Robin stated. I nodded.
"Yeah, well, I've had a lot off time to think about it. I think I might even have some boots in here that might fit you." I said, pulling out a bottle of hydrogen Peroxide. "Now Steve, this is going to suck, and I'm sorry, but I need you to stay as quiet as possible, ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." I put the bottle down, grabbing his hands and putting them on my shoulders.
"Squeeze if you need to, ok?" He nodded, lifting one of his hands and putting it on the side of my face. I placed mine over his. "I've got you." He nodded.
"I know, Barbie."
I let go of his hand, screwing the top off of the peroxide and pouring it onto his chest so it dripped down his torso and into his wounds. He gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into my shoulders, but much to my surprise and appreciation, he didn't make a sound.
"Ok, so here's the good news," Robin said, crouching down beside me, "I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies, but if you start getting hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling aggressive like you wanna punch me or something, then you should totally let me know, yeah?"
"Robin." He answered.
"Yeah?"
"I kinda wanna punch you." She laughed nervously.
"Sense of humor's still intact. That's a good sign.
"These aren't typical animals Robin," I pointed out, pulling out some gauze and medical tape, "And tot be honest, I really wish I could tell you now those bites are going to affect you, but to be honest, I have no idea."
"Didn't one get you too?" He asked, gesturing at my bleeding hand. I ignored him, pressing a gauze pad over one of his sides before beginning to tape it into place. "I see Dr. Riley has made a reappearance."
I smiled at this, glancing up at him.
"Maybe we should've added it to the vows." I suggested before moving onto the other side. "Ok, once these are taped, I'm gonna go ahead and wrap it up in a bandage to apply pressure and stop the bleeding. Its probably not gonna be too fun either."
I grabbed the roll of bandages before looking up at him.
"You ready?"
"Yeah, just do it." He said, holding his arms up by his head. I ripped off a length of the bandages with my teeth, wrapping it tightly around his waist. He groaned slightly as I pressed my head against his ribs, reaching around him to cross them before bringing it back around to the front and tying it tight.
"Is that too tight?" I asked.
"No, its good." I nodded, finishing it off as he moved back onto his legs, leaning against the wall with his eyes locked on my face. I finished up before meeting his eyes again. "Its weird...seeing you like this. I mean, you've told me some stories here and there, but...actually seeing it, its..."
"Scary?" I tried, glancing down at his chest as I looked for more wounds. He tucked his index finger under my chin, prompting me to meet his eyes again.
"I was actually gonna say, 'Its weirdly kinda hot'." I shook my head, putting my hand on his face again.
"Please don't scare me like that again." I whispered. He put his hand over mine, holding it in place as he turned his head and pressed his lips to my palm. I sighed, leaning my forehead against his shoulder for a brief moment before drenching my own bite in peroxide. "Everyone else good? Any other bites or scratches or anything?"
"No, I think we're all good." Nancy said. I nodded, putting a bandage on my hand.
"So uh..." Eddie stated, looking out the window, "This place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty crap?"
"Pretty much." Nancy told him as I helped Steve to his feet. "Don't forget to watch out for the vines. Its all a hive mind."
"Its all a what?" He questioned.
"All the creepy crawlies around here dude," Steve explained, "They're like, one or something. You step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna."
"Pretty much, yeah," I confirmed, "Its why this place is so dangerous. If you're not careful, every dangerous thing in this place will know where you are at all times."
"But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people? Obviously?" Robin inquired. I nodded.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades, and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate."
"Yeah, I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades Robin, but guns, yeah sure."
"I don't fully trust guns when it comes to these things," I admitted, "But having them can't hurt. I probably would've tried that back then, but it was too dangerous to do on my own. Maybe with all five of us though..."
"Well, we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns," Nancy said, "I have guns. In my bedroom."
"Oh, right." I hit the ground again, reaching into my duffle bag and pulling out my handgun and a box of ammo, handing it off to Nancy. "I usually prefer a more hands on method. Besides, you're a better shot than me anyway."
"You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?" Eddie asked skeptically.
"Full of surprises, isn't she." Robin stated.
"A Russian Makarov and a revolver."
"Yeah, you almost shot me with that one." Steve said. I chuckled, remembering when Steve showed up in the Byer's living room.
"You almost deserved it." Nancy shot back.
"Oh, speaking of things that Nancy almost injured Steve with," I crouched down, pulling yet another object out of my dufflebag, "It seems about time you reunite with an old friend."
"Oh, yes!" Steve exclaimed, taking the nail-riddled bat out of my hand. "I wondered where that went!"
"Stored for safe keeping," I said, looking over at Eddie, "Told you you'd like my duffle bag."
"Does it happen to have a shirt for King Kong over here?" Eddie asked. I shrugged.
"The boots, maybe, but I don't know if the clothes I have will fit him." In response to this, Eddie took off his vest and threw it into Steve's face.
"For your modesty, dude." Steve nodded, when suddenly a loud rumbling sound shook the ground. Robin fell into Eddie, taking them both to the ground while Steve grabbed the wall of the shed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders to hold me steady. My hand shot out, grabbing Nancy's arm and keeping her on her feet.
Once the shaking and rumbling died down, it was quickly replaced with the distant roaring of some unknown creatures.
"Yeah, so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me." Eddie stated.
"Yeah, me too." Robin agreed. I let go of Nancy and moved away from Steve to grab the boots from my bag as he pulled Eddie's vest on over his bandaged abdomen.
"So what are we waiting for?"
"Give these a shot." I said, pulling them out and unlacing them so he could just slide his foot into them without having to bend over. He did just that, and luckily they fit, so I tied them for him before grabbing my flashlight and leading the way out of the shed once again, navigating through my minefield as we headed off towards the Wheeler's house.