S4 x E02 — Vecna's Curse
DONT FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT PLEASE!
——
Melanie woke up, sitting up quickly in fright. Another nightmare. This time it wasn't another replay from that night in the mall. It was Max, she was dead.
Melanie shook her head and rubbed her eyes reminding herself it's all a dream and that Max was perfectly fine. She walked out of the small room she had in the trailer not seeing Max next to her. Due they're living situation Max and her shared a room.
She walked out seeing Max and her stepmom at the front of the trailer. She joined them standing outside as police cars were across the park. Right at the trailer of Eddie's uncle. Melanie wanders off as Max follows her to check it out.
Inside the home they see a body, Max sees who it is and gasps. Melanie finally realizes and she feels her heart drop, her eyes start tearing up and before she can even grief her bestfriend they get sent off. A police officer scares them and tells them to leave. Melanie and Max do as the man asks and run back to they're trailer.
——
Meanwhile in the family video store Steve and Robin were working. Robin rambling about Vicki as Steve was making the store more tidy.
"Then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either. It was like... It was a real, genuine laugh."
"Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious."
"My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like... It was perfect."
"But?"
"But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking. I have said everything I need to say. But then I guess I get nervous, and the words keep spilling out, and it's like my... my brain is moving faster than my mouth, or... or rather my... my mouth is moving faster than my brain. I'm digging this hole for myself, and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't. And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are."
Robin exhales, "Oh, I'm hopeless."
Steve sighs, "Eh. We both are."
"If only we could just, like, combine."
"Combine?"
"No, think about it. I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams, but I can't get the courage to ask her out."
"Mm."
"Meanwhile, you go on a million dates. And you have no idea what you want. I mean you know what you want she just doesn't want you, no offense."
"Mm-hmm."
"So if we just combined, all our problems would be solved. Because, I mean, alone, let's face it..."
"We totally suck."
"Totally and utterly." Robin gasps, "Ooh, I think I found our morning movie. Doctor Zhivago."
"Ugh, you know I don't do double VHS."
"But it's about doomed love."
"Oh, well, that's relatable."
"Precisely. Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this. Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature I have seen in my life."
Robin turns on the tv and it goes straight to the news. Both of them turn silent as they listen, there barely was news in they're town so it must be important, "We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County. We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name..."
Steve could feel his heart drop knowing Melanie lived there and was also a student now again, "Holy shit."
"...although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family."
——
At Dustin's house Max and Melanie are in his room. Melanie sitting on the bed with a blank expression trying to accept that her bestfriend is potentially gone. While Max is filling Dustin in.
"Chrissy Cunningham? You're sure it was Chrissy?"
"Yes, in her cheerleader outfit. Same thing she was in when we saw her with Eddie."
"Did you guys tell all this to the cops?"
"No. No, but We... We can't be the only one who saw them together. They stood out."
"Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?"
"Exactly. You know, his name's not in the news yet or anything, but I guarantee you Eddie is suspect one now."
Melanie looked up at this, "That's crazy. Eddie didn't do this. No way. No way." Melanie said as Dustin agreed.
"We can't rule it out." Max said interrupting her sister.
"Yes, we can."
"Melanie!"
"You don't know him like I do, Max. He's my bestfriend and he knows that Chrissy means the world to me. He would never do that!"
Dustin nodded agreeing as her added on to it, "When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us. No one except Eddie and Melanie of course."
"Okay. Well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy. Yeah, he's a super nice guy, but then he's murdering women on the weekend."
Melanie squinted her eyes at her sister, "So you're saying Eddie is like Ted Bundy?"
"No, I'm not saying... I'm saying that we can't presume anything, okay? But it doesn't look good for Eddie."
Dustin sighs and plops down next to Melanie on his bed, "Why haven't you guys told the cops this?"
"I... I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"After we saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer something else happened." Max says.
Melanie nods as she remembers how they heard Eddie screaming in the distance. As they looked out the window they saw him ran out his trailer in fear speeding off with his van.
"Nothing that weird or anything. I mean... Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at our place all the time."
Melanie nodded agreeing, "It's a piece of shit. But... This morning, I started to think back, and... I don't know. The look on his face. He was scared, Dustin. Really scared. Maybe he was scared because, you know, he... he just killed someone, or... Maybe, um... Maybe be... because... I don't... I don't know, maybe..."
Melanie interrupts as her sister wouldn't get to the point, "Something else killed her."
Max sighed, "But that's impossible. Right?"
Dustin turned to them, "I don't know. It should be. Only one person knows what actually happened."
The three of them looked at eachother and nodded, "Eddie." They said in sync.
——
After lots of begging and begging of Melanie to not go to the family video store they went anyways. Melanie forced to join since she was the only one who could drive. Well sort of, she only drove in parking lots. And that one time when Steve was knocked out in the back by Billy which wasn't an exactly safe drive.
They walk in the store, Melanie behind feeling awkward. "Hey, Steve."
Steve turned to the two and then noticed Melanie. He smiled at her but didn't get one back. He sighed and turned back to Dustin, "You see this?"
"How many phones do you have?"
"Someone was murdered." Steve says offended and Melanie feels her heart drop again thinking of Chrissy.
"How many phones do you have?"
"Two. Why?"
Robin interrupts, "Technically three, if you count Keith's."
"Yeah, three works."
Suddenly Dustin puts his bag on the counter sliding it to the floor behind it. Steve looks at him confused, "What are you doing?"
"What are you..." Dustin suddenly slides himself over the counter falling over a few tapes. Not caring he gets up and goes over to the computer. Melanie and Max just take the little door at the back of the counter and join at the back.
"My pile!"
"No, no, no! My tapes! Dude. What are you doing, man?"
"Setting up base of operations here."
"Base of operations?"
"Get off."
"I need it."
"For what?"
"Eddie's friends' phone numbers."
"Your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?"
"Yes. I never said that. You're just jealous cause he hangs around Melanie."
Melanie looks up at this turning her eyes to Steve, he was already looking at her. Steve felt his necklace beat, it was the necklace that was connected to the one he gave Melanie the other day. He looked up confused and then noticed that she was wearing the necklace he gave, he smiled a little to himself.
"Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around, but it's Saturday. It's our busiest day."
"Robin, I empathize, but this cannot wait."
"Oh my God."
"Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?"
"Correct!"
"Want me to strangle him or you want to?"
"We could take turns."
"Can you fill them in while Max and I do this?" Dustin says turning to Melanie.
"Fill us in on what?" Robin and Steve ask turning to the blonde.
After filling them in on what happened. With Eddie and Chrissy they went and called all people that they found have a connection to Eddie.
"Have you seen or heard from Eddie recently?"
"Eddie Munson. When's the last time you talked to him? Seen him? Okay. Sorry to bother you. Know anyone who'd know where he is?"
"I really don't think he's at the arcade. Yep, I'm pretty sure."
"Reefer Rick? No. Does this Reefer Rick have a last name? I mean, it's kind of..."
Suddenly Max spoke up, "Hey, guys, I might have a lead."
Melanie turned aswell as the others, "Seriously?"
"Yeah. Apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there."
"Sounds promising. Where does Reefer Rick live?" Robin asks.
"See, that's the thing. No one knows. He's more of a... a legend than someone that people actually know."
"Last name?"
"I don't know that either."
"Bet the cops know the last name." Steve says speaking.
"What?"
"Cops. I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer, I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system."
Melanie scoffed, "The cops? Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?"
"I think they should be filled in on what we know, what's going on."
Melanie scoffed again, "You think Eddie's guilty, don't you?"
"Whoa. I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit. I just, you know, don't think we can rule it out."
Max rolled her eyes, "That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve."
Dustin thanked Max, "And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck if you spent less time trying to hit on Melanie, making her jealous with girls that come in here and more time trying to find Eddie."
Steve scoffed, "I am so not hitting on Melanie! And somebody has to attend to the customers."
"Especially if they're babes, right?" Robin said knowing damn well he did it because Melanie was there.
"Hey, not fair. Okay? I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike. We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for people."
Robin gasped as she got an idea, "Yeah, it can be."
"What are you doing?"
"Maybe we don't need a last name."
"Twelve Ricks have accounts here."
Melanie gasped, "Lot of Ricks."
"So, let's narrow it down. Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo. Chances our drug dealer has a family?"
"Not likely."
"All right. Rick Conroy. Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the Stone."
All four of them said, "No" In sync ad Robin said more and more people.
"Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon and Splash." The five of them laugh, "Definitely not."
"Okay. Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams. Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke."
"Bingo." Dustin said chuckling.
"Lipton?"
"Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road."
Melanie gasped, "That's out by Lovers Lake." Remembering the address as she went there with Steve multiple times.
"Middle of nowhere."
"It's a perfect place to hide."
——
After driving for a while they finally made it. Dustin rings the doorbell continuously as he doesn't get a response.
"Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here."
"Eddie! It's Dustin!"
"Great."
"Look, we just wanna talk, okay? No cops, I swear. We just wanna help. Eddie!"
Melanie speeds over to Dustin, "Shh."
Dustin ignored her and kept ringing the doorbell, "Rick!" Dustin bangs on the door more, "Reefer Rick!"
Steve and Melanie turned to him, "Don't scream that." They say in sync.
"Rick!"
"He's not there." Steve says.
"Reefer Rick!"
"Just..." Melanie tried.
"He could just be really high."
"Is that a foot?" Steve asked pointing inside.
Dustin and Melanie sighed, "No, that's a shoe."
"Hey, guys?" Max yelled. The four of them came to join her seeing her stare at a large shed next to the house.
They walked over to the shed Melanie opened the door peeking her head inside with a flashlight, "Hello? Is anyone home?"
"What a dump." Steve said following in behind with Dustin and Max.
Steve started hitting the tarp with a stick, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"
"He might be in here."
Melanie groaned, "So take the tarp off."
"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off."
Melanie turned her head looking at him confused. "Hey, look over here. Someone was here." Max said.
"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran."
Dustin sighed, "Don't worry. Steve will get him.."
"..with his oar." Melanie said finishing his sentence.
"I know you think you two think your being funny, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight..."
Suddenly someone jumped up from under the tarp. Going straight at Steve, "Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!"
Melanie yelled, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eddie! Eddie! Stop! Eddie! Eddie! It's me. It's Melanie. This is Steve." Melanie said trying to not laugh at the situation.
Dustin nodded joining in, "He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?"
"Right. Yeah."
"Steve, why don't you drop the oar?"
Steve dropped the oar to which Eddie only held him tighter. Melanie started panicking, "He's cool. He's cool."
"I'm cool, man. I'm cool."
Eddie finally spoke, "What are you doing here?"
Dustin took over the conversation, "We're looking for you. We're here to help."
Dustin turned to behind, "Eddie, these are my friends. You know Melanie, she's your bestfriend." Melanie smiled at Eddie hoping to release the tension in the air.
"You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"We swear."
"On Dustin's mother." Melanie said.
Steve spoke with the little air he had, "Yeah, Dustin's... Dustin's mother."
Eddie finally let go of Steve. Melanie ran over to him but not too fast, she didn't want to make him think that she still liked him. Which she obviously did.
"Jesus Ch... Eddie... We just want to talk. Okay?"
"We want to know what happened."
Eddie sniffs, "You won't believe me."
"Try us." Melanie said smiling at her friend.
"Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh... And she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones... Uh, she... Her bones started to snap."
Melanie felt her stomach drop more and more with each sentence. Realizing her bestfriend was truly gone.
"Her eyes, man. It... It was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling. I... I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away. I left her there."
Eddie scoffs, "You all think I'm crazy, right?"
"No. We don't think you're crazy."
"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds."
"We're not bullshitting you."
"We believe you."
Dustin exhales looking at Melanie. She nodded and walked closer to her bestfriend. She kneeld down a little sitting eye to eye with her friend, "Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little... difficult to take."
"Okay." Eddie said listening.
"You know what I told you right, about me. What I am.." Eddie nodded and let her continue.
"You know how people say Hawkins is... Cursed? They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours."
"Like ghosts and shit?"
Max answered his question, "There are some things worse than ghosts."
"These monsters from this other world we thought they were gone." Melanie said. She remembered how Billy sacrificed himself to save her and Eleven who were at the time the target of the mindflayer. Was that all for nothing?
Melanie continued, "But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you. If they're back again, we need to know."
"That night, did you see anything?" Robin asked.
"Dark particles, maybe?" Max asked.
"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust."
Eddie thought back, "No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh... Or touch. There was this one thing tho.. You were there." He said pointing at Melanie. Everyone turned to Melanie looking at Eddie waiting for him to explain.
"You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she... she was in a trance or something."
"Or under a spell."
"A curse."
"Vecna's curse."
"Who's Vecna?" Steve asked.
"An undead creature of great power. A spell caster. A dark wizard." Melanie said remembering it being mentioned whenever she was watching them playing D&D.
Steve nodded confused and cleared his throat, "Hey, Eddie. What did u mean before? About seeing Melanie."
Eddie looked up confused before realizing, "Oh right. It was like an image sort of the future? I think. But it can't be. It's not possible."
Melanie turned, "What? What's not possible Eddie?"
"Y.. You.. You were pregnant. But it can't be right? You told me yourself, vampires can't procreate."
Everyone turned silent as Melanie thought for a long time. Her heart dropped when she realized, it was not impossible. If someone had cursed you or put a spell on you it would be possible.
Melanie cleared her throat, "Well, not impossible. But I couldn't be pregnant. The last time I even slept with someone was three months ago, I would've noticed by now right."
When nobody responded to her she panicked, "Right? Guys?"
Max cleared her throat, "You have been acting different lately. Maybe it's safe to.."
"What? Buy a pregnancy test? Max you can't be serious."
Steve agreed as he realized that if she was indeed pregnant that it was his, "You know maybe it's best to just check?"
"No! No way! I'm not pregnant. I'm not—" Melanie felt her stomach drop as she realized.
All the morning sicknesses, all the extra cravings for blood. Was she really pregnant? It was as if in that moment it all was too much for the blonde hargrove.
She closed her eyes making everyone confused. When it finally hit Steve and Max what she was doing it was too late. The girl had already flipped the switch in her head and wasn't going back easily.
The girl had lost her brother, her dad and her bestfriend in the same year. And now she was supposedly pregnant while she was still in her senior year? She just couldn't anymore. And without even realizing what she was doing it had already been done.
Her humanity was off.