ACT TWO, SCENE ONE: Look Up!
"Just keep holding on, Billy, I'll get you out of this."
MALLORY FOLLOWED ELEVEN AS THEY returned to the bulk of the storm. Billy was yelling out in the open, trying to get someone's attention.
The Camaro had a crack in the windshield, and Billy was all dressed up. When was this? Mallory couldn't tell.
"I think this is it," Mallory said, wiping a few stray tears from her face.
"We found it. The source. Brimborn... Steelworks," El said. Mallory grabbed her hand, knowing that it was time to go.
"Okay, uh, steelworks... steelworks... got! We got it guys, get out of there. Get out—!" It sounded like the person was cut off.
El and Mallory took off their blind folds, back in the cabin. When she looked towards the couch, Mallory couldn't see Debbie. She couldn't see anyone for that matter, just an empty couch. The two frantically got up.
"Deb? Debbie? Where are you?"
"Mike? Mike!"
"They can't hear you," Some one behind them said. Mallory turned around, instinctively putting herself in front of El. Billy, looking as dark as ever, slowly stalked towards them.
"You shouldn't have looked for me," He sounded sincere at that part, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray, "Because now I see you. Now we can all see you."
"Billy, stop, we're trying to—," Mallory started.
"You," He pointed at Eleven, "Let us in. And now... you're going to have to let us stay."
Eleven and Mallory slowly took more and more steps back. Billy's prideful sneer turned towards Mallory, transforming into real anger.
"And you, you should've done what I told you. You should've left it alone," Billy said.
"You know that I couldn't. I could never, ever leave you alone," Mallory spoke.
"I don't know how protect you anymore, Mal," Billy's glare had tears.
"Just keep holding on Billy, I'll get you out of this," Mallory whispered.
Billy shook his head, like he was shaking off his old self, "All this time, we've been building it. We've been building it, for you, Eleven. All of that work, all of that pain, for you."
"Billy, you need to stop. I know that you can fight it," Mallory took a step towards him.
"And now it's time...," Billy continued on, fully possessed.
"Billy, please," Mallory stepped again, raising her hand to cup his face.
Billy grabbed it in an instant, gripping her tight enough to bruise. His eyes met hers, and Mallory knew Billy was not in there. He continued to pierce her soul as he hissed out, "To end it."
"And we are going to end you," Billy harshly threw Mallory to the ground, her body thudding painfully. He stepped over her, walking towards El.
"And we will end you," As he approached, Eleven could only shrink backwards, "And when you are gone, we are going to end your friends."
"No!" Eleven shouted through sobs.
"And then, we are going to end... everyone!"
"Get away from her!" Mallory shouted, scrambling to get up. She fell into a lap, and immediately tried to escape again.
"Mallory, Mal! It's me, it's Debbie!" Mallory looked up, seeing everyone in there respective places. Eleven wailed while Mike held her.
Mallory had few tears left to cry. Her eyes were crazed and her nostrils flared as fear set in. Debbie's hand gently brought her to look at her sister.
"Mallory, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Debbie carefully wiped Mallory's bloody nose. Mallory pulled back, dabbing her nose to see if it was actually bleeding.
"I-I'm fine. It was just, really weird down there," Mallory tried to shrug it off.
"Down there?"
"In there, whatever, it doesn't matter. What matters is that they revealed their plan," Mallory raised her voice to garner the attention of the others.
"What're you talking about? What plan?" Will asked.
"We already know the plan, world domination, right?" Lucas added on.
"He said he was building something," El said, wiping a few tears, "That it was all for me."
"Building something..."
"Is he talking about the flayed?"
"He must be."
"Think about it, you guys!" Mallory shouted, "What use would El have with a bunch of hypnosis dummies if she's not in control?"
Everyone looked at Mallory like she was a crazy theorist. She continued, "The Flayer is building an army, like we thought. But he's building it to stop El, not to spread. To kill her."
"Last year, Eleven closed the gate on him," Debbie spoke up.
"I bet that pissed him off," Mallory said with an angry smirk.
"Like, royally," Lucas added.
"And the Mind Flayer knows that she's the only one who can stop him," Mike said.
Mallory looked away from the group. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.
"But if she's out of the way...," Will said.
"Game over," Lucas finished.
Mallory walked towards the hallway, where the ashtray was. Eleven continued rehashing the horrible experience, "He also said he was going to kill all of you."
Smoke rose out of the ashtray from a freshly put out cigarette butt. Mallory knew no one had been smoking.
"Do you guys hear that?" Max asked.
"We're not safe here, we have to go, now!" Mallory shouted, storming back over to the group.
"What? Why?" Nancy asked.
"Billy was here, in the cabin! When-When he said all of this, he was here," Mallory responded, as El's face contorted.
"He knows we're here," Eleven said.
Another noise came from outside as the lights began to flicker. Mallory grabbed Debbie, who shrugged herself from the grip.
"Get away from the windows," Jonathan commanded.
Everyone could hear it slithering outside. Debbie grabbed a lamp from the side table, ripping the cord from the wall. Mallory wondered when her little sister had become so resourceful.
The lights finally went out and the noises stopped, however it didn't ease the group's tension. From the corner of the room, a large fleshy tentacle sprung out and raced towards Eleven.
Jonathan was quick on his feet, using an axe to inflict damage and distract the monster. Mallory moved closer to the children in an attempt to protect them.
The monster shrugged Jonathan off, forcing him to lose the axe and become helpless on the floor. As the tentacle approached Jonathan's face, Nancy acted. She shot off two rounds from her shotgun, landing both before running out of ammo.
Mallory raced to the axe as Nancy slowly got cornered against the wall. Before she could act at all, Eleven reached out, using her powers to decapitate the supposed head from the rest of the tentacle.
"What the fuck," Mallory breathed out to no one in particular.
Two more tentacles shot in, occupying Eleven's power as she struggled to hold them both off. Mallory gripped the axe, hoping she was ready.
She wasn't ready when the monster's head broke through the cabin ceiling and seized El. The young girl was practically flung through the air, but Mike quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arms. Others joined while Nancy shot the beast's face, only to see minimal damage.
"Mallory!" Debbie shouted as her feet slid forward, "Do something!"
Mallory acted quickly, using the axe to struck the tentacle holding on to Eleven. As the anger surged through her and the axe, she began mumbling on every strike.
"You.. took him," She hit the monster, "From... me!"
"I want him... back!" Mallory hit the tentacle again, severing it from the head. The entire group fell to the floor with Eleven.
El wailed in pain as the head of the tentacle still gripped her leg. Mike quickly ripped it off, leaving El's ankle a bloody mess.
With some struggle, El stood and faced the monster. She reached out her hand, mustering all of her energy, and started tearing at the monster. Mallory could see the flesh burst at invisible seams. Eleven ripped the monster straight down the middle with a carnal scream.
A pause of silence fell upon the group, that Mallory easily broke with a, "Holy shit."
"C'mon, let's go!" Jonathan commanded, "Everybody out! We gotta go!"
words: 1360
date finished: 12/17/22
a/n: i've started writing my own book. lmk if you guys would want to see it on here.