do you want me to come with you?
Mav wrote it on her notebook and flip it to Erica, staring at her sister in the blue light. Erica shook her head, promising her silently that she could handle it as she ran out of the Crill house. Carrie put a hand on Mav's arm to reassure her, nodding as she sat down. They looked to Max and Lucas, the both of them across from each other and seemingly communicating with their notebooks too.
Mav nudged Carrie, flipping it to her. why didn't you kiss him goodbye?
Carrie gave her a crazy look, making Mavis return it with a little, hidden giggle. She went to writing now. you are insane.
The light from the window flickered, making them all look over. Mavis put Hungry Eyes on her ears, keeping it low so no one would be able to hear it aside her. Max gave her a little nod, though neither of them seemed fully confident in it. Lucas blinked back with their flashlight, a few times to make sure Erica saw it.
Mavis walked with Max, blue light in hand. Carrie and Lucas shared a look as they followed the girls upstairs, Max kept looking back to make sure Mav hadn't taken her headphones off, that at least she'd be safe. They made it to the attic, the stairs creaking under them. Max breathed in, shutting her walkman off. Mavis gave a hesitant look, brining her hand to her own, but Max shook her head at her, telling her to keep them on.
"Hey! Asshole!" Max shouted at the bright light in the middle of the room, indicating Vecna was there with them. "I'm here. No more music. No more games."
Carrie pressed into Mav's back as she watched the light grow bright before diming, going the same rate her own heartbeat had been. "What are you waiting for, huh? Come on! Do you want me or not?"
Nothing.
"I don't-" Max started to Lucas, but she was cut off.
"Carrie!" Mav's scream echoed through the house, looking back at her friend but only to be met with white eyes.
"Oh my god!" Lucas jumped back in fear.
"Carrie!" Max grabbed her shoulder. "Holy shit, he got her?"
"I h-" Mavis wanted to talk but was struggling. She dug into her pocket.
Carrie opened her eyes with a gasp, staring around. Her heart fell. "No. No. No."
Her fears, her constant state of anxiety, was coming true. Right where she was about to have to never worry about Vecna again, he'd gotten her. She was back where she had been when she first met Will, hiding in a tree hole. Only, no Will this time. She contemplated if she should just stay there, not being able to make that choice as a vine wrapped around her ankle and yanked her out.
The girl screamed, the Demogorgan screeching loudly in her face as the vines pinned her to the tree. This was a memory, one that haunted her more often then she'd admit. The Demogorgan was dead, she knew that, but it felt too real. She cried, tugging on the vines around her neck, like she had when she was just a child and was taken.
The laughter of the girls from the orphanage, the one she lived at prior to being taken, echoed all around her.
'Carrie smells!'
'Carrie can't read!'
'Carries a cry baby!'
Their voices and teasing echoed in her head as she squeezed her eyes shut, being dropped from the vines and hitting the ground. But, it wasn't the Upside Down now, she was locked in the cellar at her first foster home. She tugged on the door, the darkness scaring her.
"That'll teach you to have manners!" her first foster father shouted, the air was getting tighter.
"Please!" Carrie yanked on the handle. "Let me out!"
She wished Dustin was here. She wished Mav was here.
"Carrie." a deep voice rung behind her, one she wasn't familiar with. Turning, she stood face to face with Vecna as he approached her in the darkness. Her back shoved against the wall, breathing heavy. "I'm the only one that knows any of this."
"Go away." she wanted her voice to be stronger, but it just wasn't.
"You don't tell your friends. Why?" he got closer to her, but she couldn't move. "I'll know if you lie to me."
Now she was crying, backing more into the corner. "Go away."
She placed her hands over her ears, but he was in her head, nothing was keeping him out. His claw touched her, she yanked away harder.
'Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me'
Carrie's eyes grew open, the portal behind Vecna's head growing wider. She could see herself, Mav's headphones over her ears while the four tried to wake her. Carrie yelped as Vecna rose his claw faster, scared he'd loose her. Carrie ducked down, slamming her hip into his side so he stumbled. She ran across the floor.
"I'll take her instead!" Vecna hollered at Carrie, just as her feet came off the ground and she jumped through the portal. She wasn't in the basement, she was in Mavis' arms, somewhere she always felt safe.
"Oh my god, Mav!" Lucas hollered out immediately, cupping his sisters face. "Erica, go! Hurry!"
Erica ran to signal Nancy and the others from the play ground. Carrie sat up, taking her head off Mav's chest and staring into her white eyes. Vecna had her, that's what he meant just as she was taken. If Carrie had known, she'd have stayed. She went to take the headphones off before Max stopped her, grabbing her wrist. "No, let me."
Max placed her walkman on Mavis's head, hurrying to swap Running Up That Hill with Hungry Eyes.
"Lucas!" Mavis cried out for her brother as she breathed heavy, standing in the middle of the football field. Her heart was beating so fast she swore it would kill her faster then Vecna would. The stadium lights began to flip on, one by one, making her squint from the sudden blinding light.
"I think Fish Eyes is gonna cry!" it was Troy, only he was little. Third grade maybe, pointing at Mavis and laughing with James. She looked down, realizing she was closer to the ground then she usually was, her hair wasn't pink, her clothes were the complete opposite then what they use to be.
She was eight years old again.
"My Dad says you're just a bunch of trash." Troy pushed her hard, Mav hit the ground with a jolt. "He said that's why your brother died, because he had it coming. He says the world is better now, one less Hilton to worry about."
Mavis whimpered as her lip trembled, little her never being as tough as she was now. No, because she was made into that person. She wasn't born angry and tough, she was shaped into it because of people like her mother and people like Troy and James.
"One less Hilton." the voice was behind her, looking back and staring up at Vecna. Mavis screamed as he reached down, picking her up by the throat. The higher he held her, the older she was getting. As he reached as high as his hand took him, she was her age again with pink hair, leather jacket, and heavy boots.
Heavy boots.
"I know you think what he said was true, you always have." he mocked her, holding her still as she tried to fight her way out of his tight hold. "Even you believe your family is trash, that the world is better without them. Your brother was nothing but a high school drop out that had no future, your father a criminal that's crimes caught up with him, your mother just a junkie whore who abused you. And you-"
He brought her in closer. "-are just like her."
Mavis screamed, raising her feet and kicking him with those heavy boots. He stumbled, dropping her onto the field. Mavis winced, her eyes looking back when she heard Hungry Eyes start to echo. Her portal was behind her, by the guest bleachers. Lucas was holding her, Carrie still with her headphones, and Max without.
Mavis looked back at Vecna with wide eyes, he lunged at her quickly before she could escape. But, just as his claw was inches from her face, he froze. He was fighting, but he couldn't move. Mavis breathed heavy as he was lifted off the ground, moving backwards. Her chest heaved as she watched him go, her eyes wide when he was high enough to see what had him.
El.
Mavis gasped quietly, staring at her as her nose bled and her hair gone. She hurried to get to her feet as El circled the field to stand infront of her, holding Vecna, not letting him touch her ever again. Her eyes shifted backwards. "Go."
"Without you?" Mavis winced, wrapping her arms around El's waist and hugging her from behind. She couldn't hug her back from using her powers, but she dropped her head ontop of hers to show her affection.
"Mav, go." El spoke quickly. "Can't hold him much longer, need to hurry!"
Mavis looked at Vecna, back at El. "But-"
"Trust me." she stared at her, Mav inhaled before she took off, running to her portal and diving through.
Her body smacked against the Crill House floor, yelped as her nose collided. It had already been bleeding, but that likely had made it worse. She felt someone's weight ontop of her, hugging her. "God, you scared the shit out of me."
Lucas.
Mavis wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Carrie leaned down and did the same, she was crying. "Thanks for saving me."
"I-" Mavis started, realizing Carrie had the headphones still. Her eyes went to Max, lost in Vecna's curse without Kate Bush. Mav stood up and took the headphones off.
"No." Lucas caught her. "This is her plan, it's why she saved you."
"It doesn't have to be her." Mav swallowed, her throat scratchy. "It can be me."
"She knows that." Carrie caught her attention. "That's why she went."
Mav's lip started to shake as she looked at Max. It didn't set it until then that she was sacrificing her life so Mavis didn't have to. She was saving her, protecting her, putting her first, loving her. She hugged her still and stiff body. She didn't hug Max enough, she didn't tell her she loved her enough, she didn't do nearly enough for Max. So, why her? Why risk dying just to save her?
The answer? It would be in Mav's letter.
"What was that?" Carrie walked to the window. "I thought I heard-"
Lucas looked back. "What is it, Car?"
"Mother fucker." Carrie stared, the Sinclair siblings ran over and looked out at the window with her.
"Erica." Lucas spoke in a panic at the older jock, pinning her down. "I-"
"You stay with the girls." Mavis spoke fast, dropping her headphones around her neck to still play slightly to keep her safe, but now out of her way. She was running down the stairs immediately, not letting Carrie or Lucas say anything else. She jumped down the final set, not wanting to waste time on each one.
She'd been going so fast, flooding with so much anger, that she missed Jason hiding behind the stairs behind her.
The outside air that night was refreshing against her skin, needing it. Her hair flew back, looking across the road to locate exactly where her sister was. She heard her yelp, seeing the back of a Hawkins High letterman jacket. Mavis ran over, her legs started to burn, but it didn't hurt in that moment, it felt good because she was getting closer.
Erica was freed when Mavis tackled the jock, the two rolling. He had the upper hand at first, sitting up on his knees fast. Erica acted fast, kicking him in the face to give Mavis a second to recover. She sat up, punching him in the face. She punched him again, and again, and again. He fell back on his back, holding a bloody face. Mavis sat down ontop of him, holding the collar of his jacket and laying two more punches into his face.
"Hey." she pulled him in closer to her. "You touch my sister again, and i'll fucking gut you. Okay?"
He winced, coughing and spraying blood on her face. Mavis punched him again, then one more time. "I said okay?"
"Okay." be winced, not being able to talk much. Mavis slammed him back into the ground, standing up as he rolled over on his stomach and cried out. He was trying to crawl away.
"Hey." Mavis held Erica's face. "Did he hurt you?"
"No." she rubbed her arm. "But, he said he's break my arm."
Mav stood up more, once bending on her level. Her eyes narrows, if Erica wasn't tough as nails, she'd probably be scared of her evil eyes and blood on her face. But, Erica wasn't afraid of much, and neither was her sister. "Right before you got here."
Mav shifted her eyes toward the boy as he was continuing to crawl away, getting about six feet by now. Her head nodded, like she was confirming something with herself. "Don't watch."
She didn't want Erica to see her so angry, but Erica watched anyways, because she'd always looked up to her, even before they were sisters. As long as Erica could remember, Lucas had brought a girl home on most weekends. She was tough, nothing scared her, she got in trouble, she never took anyones shit, but she was always nice, she was always supportive, she never let anyone hurt her friends.
And now, her family.
"Mav." Erica tried to stop her, not looking away like she was asked. She knew what she was doing, and she didn't care, but a probation officer would. "Your probation!"
Just like Erica, Mavis didn't care.
She latched onto the boys arm, pulling it behind his back. Her hand gripped onto his wrist, the other right above his elbow. "You wanna snap my sisters arm? Huh?"
"Please." he begged her, coughing the blood.
"You wanna hurt her?!" she yelled, loud enough to alarm anyone if they were passing in a car. "You tell anyone and it'll be much worse, I can promise you that."
Then, she pulled his wrist in one direction, pulling his upper arm in the other, snapping his arm in two.
As he cried out in pain, she rose to her feet, looking down at him. It felt good to do it, at first, but then another feeling started to set in. She'd do it again in a heartbeat if anyone said it to Erica, but that didn't stop the faint guilt that lingered. She broke a kids arm, now he was screaming and crying as she got to her feet. It took her a second to realize why she felt that way, not because she cared about his feelings, but because she had just proven Vecna's point.
She was just like her mother.
Mavis didn't have time to linger on the topic, the ground starting to shake and crack. It traveled, Mavis pulled the boy out of the way to avoid him dying, then pulled Erica away. They laid on the hill, she held her in her arms as the ground grew deeper. Erica held onto Mavis, because while she wasn't scared of anything, she still felt fear. And like the rest of them, she felt safe in her arms. The shaking came to an end moments later, the pair staying huddled as one.
Then, they heard the screams. Looking at the Crill house, Carrie came sprinting from the house in tears. "We need help! I need a phone!"
"Carrie." Mavis stood up, her and Erica running. "What happened?"
"I need to call an ambulance." she was sobbing, panicking, not breathing correctly. "I need to use someone phone."
"There!" Erica pointed to the house down the road.
"Go with her, go!" Mavis encouraged Erica as Carrie ran, making her sister take off in a sprint with her. On the other hand, Mav ran to the Crill house. She thought she worse, Lucas, Max. There was only one thing worse then what she saw, and it was the feelings she had going up those stairs. The unknown, the ache in her chest, the constant state of anxiety because she didn't know what she was about to find once she reached the top.
The second worst feeling was seeing Max, lifeless in Lucas' arms.
She didn't talk, because what was there to say to a dead girl that died so she didn't. Mavis fell onto her knees next to the two, Lucas still sobbed and didn't pay her any mind, but had been glad she was there. Mavis started to cry as she wiped Max's bloody eyes.
Guilt. That was the third worse feeling.
"Max." Mav did talk then, leaning over her for one final hug. "I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry."
She shouldn't have listened to El, she should have stayed and kept Vecna away from her. But, she didn't, she ran and saved herself. The only reason she was alive was because Max put her headphones on Mav's head. But, Mavis didn't give them back. If she'd have taken them off, placing them on Max's head, she'd have been saved.
She had a choice, and Mavis chose to let Max continue to sacrifice herself rather then do it for her. Because she was scared, because she wasn't thinking. At the time, she didn't realize what she was doing, but now she knew what she'd done.
She killed her best friend.
•
kylie speaks
i hate it here