"We should stick to the plan Nancy came up with," you say. You squeeze Steve's hands. "But I really appreciate you for wanting to be by my side."
You lean up and kiss him, suddenly realizing that if this plan goes awry, you won't be able to do that anymore.
When he parks the Winnebago by the Creel House, he walks you, Lucas, Max, and Erica to the house's front door.
"Be safe," he says, giving you a tight hug. "Stick to the plan. Listen to your song until we change phases. Okay?"
"Okay," you echo back. "I love you. Please be careful."
"I love you too, Waldenbooks. I will."
He kisses you goodbye, hopefully not for the last time. Your heart sinks as you watch him walk back to the RV. He glances back at you with one final smile before climbing in and driving off.
"You okay?" Max asks quietly. You realize you've just been staring at the street, and the younger teens look impatient and ready to get going.
"Yeah," you lie. "Let's do this."
***
Once you've figured out where Vecna is hiding, you remove your headphones and begin speaking to him. You're trying to goad him into putting you in a trance so the next phase of the plan can commence: Steve, Nancy, and Robin killing him in the Upside Down.
You tell Vecna all about the guilt you feel for arguing with your father the day he died. About the times you wished you'd spent time with him instead of going out with friends or staying up in your room alone. You lament about last summer, about how scary it was facing the forces of the Upside Down, and how you sometimes wish you'd never come to Hawkins.
Max and Lucas begin taunting and berating you, cluing you into the fact that you are now in Vecna's trance. You escape and run through the house, focusing on happy memories to keep Vecna at bay as much as you can.
When it finally seems like he's got you cornered and you're done for, somehow Eleven shows up to fight him.
But when Vecna gets the upper hand and has you pinned up, you keep expecting to hear "Better Things." You're waiting for your metaphorical, musical getaway car to the real world, and it never comes.
Instead, you're in a world of pain. When you finally do wake up again in the Creel House, you can't see anything, and everything hurts.
"It's okay, Waldenbooks!" Lucas says frantically somewhere to your left. "You're going to be fine!"
You don't feel very fine. Your head is swimming.
"Where's Steve?" you croak. "Is he okay? Did they do it?"
"We're not sure," Max says. "You just relax, okay? I'm going to try and get help. Hold on!"
You hear footsteps retreating. Lucas tries to keep you alert by asking you questions, but your consciousness wanes. You're so out of it, you can't even find it in yourself to be scared of what's happening.
Your pain ebbs away, and you drift off into a dreamless sleep.
GO TO PAGE 59 FOR THE "HAWKINSPOCALYPSE" ENDING.