"Of course! Of course it's creepy! I knew this place would feel like we're in a horror movie but does it have to look like it too!" i exclaimed as we all stood in front of the abandoned old Creel house.
"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" Steve asked as he tried to open the door. "We're not sure. We just know this house is important to Vecna" Nancy said as she helped him.
"Because Max saw it in Vecnas red soup mind world?" he questioned. "Basically" Nancy replied. "Great."
"Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is. Why he's back. Why he killed the Creels. And how to stop him before he comes back for Max" Dustin said.
"Or... Maybe he's in there" i said. "Guess we'll find out" Max said. Steve began trying to wiggle the doorknob but nothing was working. "This door isn't going to budge" he said in frustration.
"Maybe your just not trying hard enough" i said pushing him out of the way. I tried to wiggle the door knob but it didn't work. He gave me a condescending smirk when he saw i couldn't do it.
"So what, do we just knock and see if Vecnas home?" Lucas asked sarcastically. "No need" Robin said as we all turned to her. "I found a key" she said holding up a brick.
Robin threw the brick through the window above the door as we finally got inside. "Hello? Anyone home?" i called out as we walked into the house. "Shhh!" Steve exclaimed. "What? Do you think Vecna is just going to walk down the stairs in his bath-robe and kill us?" i questioned.
"I mean... It's a possibility" he mumbled as i rolled my eyes. Lucas tried to turn on the lights but they didn't work. "Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill" he said.
Dustin smirked as he pulled out flashlights. "Where did you get those?" Steve asked. "Do you need to be told everything? You're not a child " Dustin snapped. "Thank you" Steve said sarcastically as i let out a small laugh.
"Hey, guys?" Max called out from the other room. "You all see that, right?" she said as she stood under a huge grandfather clock. "Yeah" we all replied. "Good. So i'm not going completely crazy."
"Is this what you saw? In your visions?" Nancy asked. Max nodded. "I mean... It's just a clock, right?" Robin questioned. "Why is this wizard so obsessed with clocks? Maybe he's like a, clockmaker or something?" Steve said.
"I think you cracked the case Steve" i said. "What is up your ass today?" Steve snapped. "I don't know. Maybe it's all your dumb questions" i snapped back.
"Guys! Not the time" Nancy exclaimed as we both went quiet. "The answers are here. In this house. They have to be... Somewhere" Max said.
"Okay, everyone stay in groups of two. Max and Lucas stay together and look downstairs, Dustin and Joy, look after Robin and..." Nancy said but stopped as she realised who's left.
"I'll stick with you Nance" Steve said with a small smile. I gave them both a confused look. Last time i saw them, they didn't even talk. And now they want to go try find Vecna together? It's... Weird.
"No! I mean... I'll stick with Nancy and Joy, you stay with Steve" Robin said standing next to Nance. I gave her an annoyed glare as we all stood there uncomfortably. "What? I don't need a babysitter. Dustin you go with Lucas and Max" she said.
Steve sighed as he walked up the stairs. "Was that a sigh?" i questioned angrily. "No, i did not sigh" Steve mumbled. "Why did you sigh?" i asked. "I didn't sigh, Joy! Just... Come on."
"I heard you" i said. "It's just we're always partners, okay?" Steve exclaimed. "And what? I'm not a good partner?"
"I never said that! It would just be nice... To mix it up a little bit!" he said. "Mix it up a little bit with Nancy you mean" i mumbled under my breath. "Sorry, what was that?" Steve questioned.
"Oh nothing lover boy" i said as i grabbed the flashlight from him. He rolled his eyes as he slowly ran to keep up with me.
We walked into an eery attic as we looked around for any clues. "Hey, Joy?" Steve said. "Yeah" i replied. "Could you maybe clarify what clues we're supposed to be looking for here?" he asked.
"'The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes'" Dustin said in an English accent as he poked his head through the door. We both gave him a confused look.
"Sherlock Holmes... Joy you say it, it will sound better" he said. "Yeah, no, i'm not doing that" i said. "Oh come on Miss England, do it" Steve said with a smirk.
"No! Now look for clues and he useful for once!" i exclaimed. They both walked away as we looked around for any signs of Vecna. I dragged my finger tips across the old walls. It seemed just like any other abandoned house.
I turned around suddenly as a strange sound rung in my ears. "Did you hear that?" i questioned. "Yeah, it's Steve being a freak as always" Dustin said.
"Oh... I thought it was... Never mind."
We both continued looking until we heard the sound of a glass smash and a loud scream. I ran out to see Steve freaking out about spider webs in his hair.
"Oh... Just... Just wait. Stay there" Nancy said as she made him stand still. She began trying to get the cob webs out of Steve's hair as i smiled. "You know, if there's a spider hiding in there, you're never going to find it until it lays eggs and all the babies spill out" Robin said as she walked past.
"What's wrong with you? Robin seriously!?" Steve exclaimed. I laughed as i walked into one of the old rooms. One thing in the room that caught my eye was a painting. It was a painting of the old Creel family. They all looked happy.
I tried to focus on the painting or finding any clues about Vecna, but i couldn't help but eavesdrop on Nancy and Steve's conversation.
"Robin has got serious problems" Steve mumbled. "Yeah, tell me about it" Nancy said with a small laugh.
"It's cool you two are like friends now. Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff, maybe we could all go out or something. You know, me, you, Robin and Johnathan when he's back. And we can try and drag Joy along but i'll tell you this, Joy is not much of a Joy so she'll probably either say no or rip my throat out" he said.
I smiled. "It's not like we're dating. Me and Joy. I mean... I don't... I mean... Did she tell you anything? Say if we're not or?" Steve rambled. "I haven't spoken to her a whole bunch since she's been back but i think you've both made it pretty clear you can't stand each other" Nancy said with a small laugh. My smile faded.
"Yeah, i guess. I mean, i would have dated her if... You know the whole moving thing didn't... We're friends! We're just friends."
I walked out of the room and looked at them blankly. "Joy? Did you find anything?" Nancy asked. "Um... No... Nothing" i said with a fake smile. She nodded as she continued looking.
I sighed as i walked past Steve. I stormed down the stairs and was stopped by the big ominous clock. It gave me the chills just by looking at it. My grandad used to have one and the loud chimes made me have to cover my ears.
I jumped suddenly as the clock began to chime. I covered my ears quickly. I thought the clock would be broken. It mean, it was sitting there for so many years. How could it still work?
"Joy" i heard a deep voice say. My breathing became quicker and quicker. "Joy" the voice repeated. Tears began to fill my eyes with fear.
"Joy!" the voice said once more as i snapped out of my daze. I turned around and realised the voice was only Max.
"Are you okay?" she asked as her and Lucas gave me a concerned look. I took a deep sigh of relief. "Yeah, i'm fine. I was just distracted by the clock" i said.
"What clock, Joy?"
I gave them a confused look. "The clock right-" i said turning around. I felt my breathing stop as i realised the clock was gone. I looked around the room and realised the real clock was at the opposite side of the room.
"Oh my god" i mumbled. "What's going on?" Steve asked as he walked in the room. I was in shock. I was frozen with fear. "You okay, Joy?" he asked as he put his arm on my shoulder. They all looked at me with pure confusion.
I knew if i told them, they'd worry. They were all ready worried enough about Max, i didn't want to add to that. "Nothing... I thought i just saw a spider" i said with awkward laughter.
"Are you sure?" he questioned. I nodded my head and gave him a fake smile. Steve gave me a small nod with a baffled look as he walked away.
I wasn't stupid. I was going to tell them... Just not now. For all we know, we might figure this out by tonight. I'll tell them when we're out of this house and we have more clues.
As i shook of my anxious feeling, i looked up to see Max giving me a stern look. She knew i was lying. I gave her a small smile as i walked past her. On the outside i was smiling, but on the inside, i felt like i needed to cry.
I got my wish. I asked Vecna to take me instead and he did.