Hawkins, Indiana - Community pool
third person pov
it was all set up. they were ready. they were ready to have their lives at risk.
billy's shift just ended, he was rinsing off in the showers. el and y/n used their powers to make noises.
"pool's closed."
they made more noises. metal scraping on the floor and doors slamming shut.
"hey." he slammed his locker shut and charged towards the noise. "do you hear me? pool is closed." he tried to push the door open the the restroom, but it was locked.
"billy!" mike's voice could be heard from across the bathroom.
"who's there?" billy began walking towards the voice.
"billy!" he called again, in a sing-song voice.
"who's there?" the older boy asked, in a sing-song like mike's.
the younger boy laughed into the microphone as billy began looking through showers and stalls for the person.
"billy! billy!"
"you think this is funny, huh?"
echoed laughter. "billy. come and find me."
"i find you, it is your funeral." he walked towards the door to the gym room.
"come and get me. come on!"
as he walked into the room, the voice got louder. "billy!"
the dummy could be seen through the window of the sauna. billy paused. "got you." he began to cackle as he got closer and closer to it.
"come and get me, you piece of shit."
the curly-head swung the door open, to reveal the doll. he walked into the little room and grabbed it by its neck, holding it up.
"hey." mike said through the radio. "behind you."
he flipped around and glared at el and y/n.
"hi." the two girls spoke in unison.
billy tried to charge at her, but she nodded her head and threw him against the wall. y/n did the same, slamming the sauna door shut.
everyone else appeared from behind, switching the lights on. mike and lucas went to the door and chained it closed, also adding a tangled metal pipe for extra protection. they ran behind y/n and el.
billy grunted as he slammed his body against the door, trying to open it. he made eye contact with the two girls in front, then the ginger girl behind them. "max."
everyone turned to look at her. saying she looks scared was an understatement. she looked terrified.
"do it." she spoked quietly.
will charged over to the thermostat and turned it all the way up. he ran back to his spot behind y/n, but also next to her.
the heat was crawling up on billy and the monster as well. "max! let me out of here!" he threw himself at the door repeatedly. "let me out." he was so close to the window that his voice was causing fog to blur his mouth.
"you kids...you think this is funny? you kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" he spat saliva onto the window. "you little shits think this is funny? what is this? open the door."
he hit the door again, causing the kids to jump back slightly. "open the door! open the door! open the goddamn door!" he bent over and was out of view, starting to scream.
will walked over to the thermostat and checked the temperature. "we're at 220." he walked back to his original spot.
they listened to the sounds that were coming from inside the sauna. he began to..sob? "it's not my fault."
the kids looked at each other confused.
"it's not my fault. it's not my fault, max. i promise you, it's not my fault."
the ginger girl got closer to the window, to see billy on the floor. "what's not your fault, billy?"
he had his legs crossed and his knees to his chest, his hands were in a praying position. "i've done things, max. really bad things. i didn't mean to." he cried.
the group got up closer, still behind the other two girls.
"he made me do it." billy whispered.
"who made you do it?" max questioned.
"i don't know, it's like a shadow."
y/n looked at will and he looked at her. he looked scared. she knew what was coming. and she was prepared to fight for him.
"like a giant shadow. please, max."
"what did he make you do?"
"it's not my fault, okay?! max, please." he begged. he put his head on the seat of the sauna. "please, believe me, max, it's not my fault. i tried to stop him, okay? i did." he sniffled. "please believe me, max."
max was crying herself too. she put her hand on the glass. "billy, it's gonna be okay."
"max, please." what the girl didn't see was billy reaching under the seat and grabbing a sharp, broken piece of tile.
"it's gonna be okay." max assured. "we want to help you. you just have to talk to us, okay? you have to talk to us. i believe you, billy."
y/n saw a motion from beside her. will brought his hand up to his neck. "i feel him." he shuddered. "he's activated."
mike must've heard too because he began to speak. "max, get away from the door."
"what?"
"get away from the door!"
y/n thought quickly. with her abilities, she moved max aside. billy threw his arm through the glass window, breaking it. shards went everywhere.
"let me out, you bitch! let me out! i'll fucking gut you!" he threw his arm at the door, trying to cut max with the broken tile. he reached for the pole that held the door closed and threw it at the girl, barely missing her.
"let me out!" he roared as he continued banging on the door.
lucas pulled out his wrist rocket and aimed at billy, hitting him directly in the face, causing him to stumble back onto the floor.
"max, come on!" lucas shouted.
the red head girl took her place back next to her friends. the lights above them began to flicker quickly. billy began to spit and tremble, his veins black and popping out. he struggled to stand up straight.
his whole body began to make squelching noises and turned black. the mind flayer was activated. he began to roar and scream. then he began to throw himself against the door with full force. y/n and el put their arms in front of their friends to protect them and keep them back.
"he can't get out, can he?" max inquired.
"no way." lucas shook his head. "no way."
billy continued to pound on the door. one last powerful roar and he threw himself again. the door completely flew off from its place. he rolled on the floor as y/n and el stood in front of their friends, ready to protect them at all costs.
the two girls made eye contact with the older boy in front. el brought up a weight with her powers and threw it at billy. y/n gushed boiling hot water at him, the force being so strong it threw him against the wall along with the weight.
y/n and el pressed the weight against his neck with all their power. he grunted while trying to break free. the walls crumbling from the weights being dug into the bricks.
billy groaned as he put his hands on the bar, trying to break free from the strongful grasp of the weights. he began to slowly push the bar away from him.
y/n threw more boiling water at him, hoping the force was strong enough to hold him back. but it didn't. el tried to hold the weight back, but that didn't help either.
billy threw the weight, almost hitting the two girls, but they ducked on time. he went right at them and pulled y/n by her neck, el by her hair.
y/n grunted and twisted under billy's grasp. her air began to get cut out. she got the hottest water she could throw and gushed it at him, but it didn't help.
"no!" she gasped for air. el tried to help from her position, which was on the floor under billy. he was holding her down with his foot.
the short haired girl threw her arms out, using all the power she could muster, but billy's hold remained on the girls neck as she fought to stay conscious. he held her up, still having her neck in his hand.
she coughed horsely and began to kick her feet, trying to hit him in the stomach. anything that could help.
the curly headed boy picked el back up by her ponytail and held her in place, glaring daggers at the two.
mike came from behind and swung the pole from earlier at billy. "go to hell, you piece of shit!" he swung the pole at him again, but billy grabbed onto it and threw the pole.
he began to walk closer to mike. the raven haired boy was walking backwards, but soon his back hit the wall. there was no where for him to run.
just as he was about to swing at the boy, y/n threw him across the room, letting mike take his place back with the rest of the group.
y/n began breathing heavily, everything was starting to get dizzy for her. she wasn't facing the possessed man, her back was to him.
in the blink of an eye, she was back in his grasp by her neck. he tightened his fist around her as she gasped for air once again. he threw her to the wall and walked over to her.
billy picked her back up off the floor and pressed her against the wall. he began hitting her head against the wall repeatedly. over and over and over. one last powerful hit and she fell unconscious, blood dripping from the back of her head.
he let her fall to the floor and was breathing heavily. his feet suddenly lifted off the floor. he was turned to face eleven as she held him up.
they both screamed loudly as el threw him into the wall with as much force as she had. the wall tumbled down, dust growing around it.
mike ran up to her and took her in his arms. she sobbed as they slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
will took this time to go check up on y/n. he ran over to her and held her in his arms. "y/n/n?"
her breathing was slowly, she was hardly even breathing.
"y/n, come on wake up. please." he shook her lightly, his heart pounding in fear that she w already gave up in the fight.
she groaned in pain as her eyes slowly opened. as soon as she woke up, the pain shot threw her skull and back. the girl began to sob as the pain ran threw her body. her head was pounding and the cut on the back of her head burned. her back was in so much pain and she was just so exhausted. physically and mentally.
"hey, hey. it's okay. i'm right here. it's gonna be okay." will comforted her. he put her head in his lap and moved all her hair out of her face.
the blood poured onto will's lap as y/n cried and shook her head. he held her up and put her in between his legs as she held onto him like a life line, sobbing.
a couple minutes later will helped her stand up and walked her over to the hole in the wall caused by eleven and billy.
it was still full of dust. billy's figure could be seen far away, running as fast as he could.