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Trigger warnings for this chapter - the mind flayer, guilt, possession, voices, death, sacrifices, burns...
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Ezrae had been carried over to him by Jesse and McKenzie as she was passed out and then McKenzie stood next to Billy.
"I can do it, please.. I can't lose you guys, I just started living again, so.. I'm not letting you stop me from this" McKenzie spoke.
Dead settled inside Gator as he wanted to stop her, pull them both away from where they stood.
Gator wanted to get up, do anything in this moment, but whatever connection he had to the Upside Down was stopping him.
Gator couldn't feel anything on his body except his head, so he knew he was being made to watch whatever was going to happen next because every time he tried to look to see if anyone was okay- his head would face the mind flayer again instantly and that alone terrified him.
"Please.. please don't.. Billy.. Kenz.." Gator said desperately but the words were lost on them.
Because Gator knew the truth,
Knew who they both were,
And that meant, as soon as Billy or McKenzie had decided on something..
There was no changing it.
Gator was made to watch helplessly as El tried to crawl backwards in attempt to get away from the mind flayer.
Gator was made to watch how Billy and McKenzie were stood in front of him and El like some sacrifice to some god.
How Jesse even tried to pull Billy and McKenzie away from their death that Gator knew was going to come because he felt it.
The stupid connection of being Prince..
This was all for Gator to become this 'Prince', the voices were ringing around his head telling him that exact fact.
"This was nothing more or less than a curse that you do not understand yet"
Gator watched helplessly as the mind flayer had lunged on of its tentacles from its mouth and aimed for El, but Billy caught it in his hands and attempted to stop it in attacking her as Billy yelled out a desperate "No!" As he screamed.
"The sacrifices are beneficial for the Prince to rule"
Gator watched helplessly as the mind flayer started producing more vines as McKenzie used her Pyrokinesis to light up the tentacle that Billy kept back, before the spare tentacles latched into both Billy and McKenzies bodies- their sides- which made them both go silent.
"The Prince shall experience pain like no one before and then he will be ours"
Gator watched helplessly as even more tentacles appeared and brought both Billy and McKenzie to their knees before the mind flayer shot its tentacles at them again- right in their hearts, as they both fell limp.
"The Prince of the Upside Down"
Gator could only hear Max yell out for her step-brother in desperation, just like Gator wanted to do for McKenzie, but no sound came out of him.
It was like Gators voice had been taken away from him as his throat felt like it was on fire as extreme pain ran all through Gators body, silently screaming in desperation for it to stop.
"The Prince of Death itself"
Gator's wrists started to get burn marks, which Gator couldn't even feel anymore.
He couldn't feel anything anymore, not when the paramedics picked him up and carried him outside to get looked at,
Not when his body had stopped burning and the veins had gone away,
Not when he saw Joyce and Will hugging and that everyone else was safe.
"The price to become Prince of this world.."
But not everyone was safe, were they?
Billy fucking Hargrove, the guy that Gator hated to love and loved to hate had just had his heart plunged into by the very same thing that Gator wanted to protect him from.
"Is usually death itself.."
His half-sister, McKenzie, also had her heart plunged into by the mind flayer, because Gator couldn't protect her well enough.
"..but for you.."
Heather and Emery Holloway had been possessed by the same thing that Gator could supposedly control because he didn't know how to control it.
"..death will not greet you.."
And even now, Hopper, Gator's new adoptive father had died as well, just when he was starting to finally feel comfortable in having a family away from being a Tillman.
"..but to everyone around you.."
Gator felt like it was Barb all over again. The he could do more for all of them than what he had done for them before they all died.
"..and that will be your downfall.."
".. Nine-Four-One-Zero-Five.."
"..after all.."
"..Gator Tillman.."
"You Are His True Prodigy"