ACE OF HEARTS
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: A WALK
THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND
TAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN OFF of Cornwallis Road, Max Mayfield clenched the steering wheel in her fists — focusing her eyes on the road ahead. Thumping her knee up and down nervously, Cassie Harrington watched from the passenger seat as Max pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal.
Taking a deep breath, Cassie informed the girl, "Okay, then you'll take a left-"
Before she could finish, Max already began turning the wheel; sending the car abruptly to the left as the force pushed the kids to the right.
"Jesus," Mike whispered under his breath as he grasped onto the large tank of gasoline that made slushing noises with each movement. "Take it easy."
"Nancy?" A voice questioned in reply.
With confusion plastered on his face, Mike Wheeler furrowed his eyebrows at the elder boy. He was obviously delusional. With a busted lip, a bleeding forehead, a broken nose, and two bruised eyebrows, the kids were surprised he was still functioning.
"Mhmm," Steve groaned as he lifted his hand to his face.
Noticing this, Dustin Henderson quickly pulled his hand away, speaking, "No, don't touch it. Hey, buddy, shhhhhhhhh,"
Steve blicked a few times, "Huh?"
"It's okay, you put up a good fight," Dustin continued. "He kicked your ass but you put up a good fight. It's okay."
From the front of the car, Max turned to Cassie and asked, "Where to next?"
"You're gonna keep straight for a half mile," Cassie informed, her eyes falling onto the map in front of her. "Then, uh...make a left onto Mount Sinai."
"Got it,"
Suddenly, a raspy voice spoke from behind the two girls, "What's going on?"
Biting her lip, Cassie turned to face her brother, her blue eyes filled with guilt and worry. Blinking a few times, Steve's gaze fell on Max, whose eyes filled with the same expression. Letting out a few laughs, the boy suddenly went into panic, "Wo-ah, oh my god."
"Steve, just relax, she's driven before," Dustin assured him.
Mike scoffed, "Yeah, in a parking lot."
"That counts!" Lucas defended.
Switching her gaze from her own brother to her red-haired friend, Cassie leaned over to the girl and whispered, "Step on it."
Without hesitation, Max slammed her foot on the gas, shooting them forward with a zoom. As the engine roared, Steve Harrington's voice grew louder, "Woah, woah, woah, woah, what's going on? Oh my god! No!"
"Steve, be quiet!" Cassie hissed.
Clenching his jaw, Mike Wheeler turned to Dustin, "I told you he'd freak out!"
"Stop the car!" Steve bellowed in panic.
"Everybody shut up!" Max Mayfield shouted over the voices. "I'm trying to focus!"
"Shit, Max!" Cassie yelled in reply as she noticed a familiar gravel road. "That's Mount Sinai! Turn left!"
"What?"
"Left!"
Max then lost control, the tires screeching as she went off the road, completely taking out a mailbox. A high pitched scream sounded through the red-head's ears, causing the girl to turn to Cassie and say, "Stop screaming!'
"That wasn't me!" Cassie defended, turning to Lucas, who shyly turned away.
Closing her eyes, the brunette prayed for her life. With her older brother's protests to stop, Lucas Sinclair's abnormal high-pitched screams, and Max Mayfield pleads for silence, the girl thought this would be the end. That was, until the tires screeched to a stop.
"Ah, hello!" Steve yelled at the top of his lungs, letting out a large puff of air.
"Incredible!" Mike admitted, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.
"I told you," Max breathed, turning off the car. "Zoomer."
After the five kids swiftly filed out of the car — and Steve, well...fell out of the car — they all grabbed their weapons and masks from the trunk. Not a single one of them had been down in that hole, nor had they wanted to. But, it was the small price to pay to save Hawkins...to save the world.
"Here, Cass," Mike spoke softly, handing the brunette a pair of blue-rimmed goggles.
Thanking the boy, Cassie pulled the goggles over her head and threw a red bandana over her mouth. From below her, Cassie's brother, Steve, let out a groan, "Guys? Oh, no. Guys?"
Picking up the large container of gasoline, Mike Wheeler stepped past the boy, who had now perched himself up to a standing position. Moving his gaze, Steve spoke to the raven-haired boy, "Hey, where do you think you're going?"
When receiving no response, Steve continued, "What are you, deaf? Heelloooo?"
Slamming the trunk shut, Cassie Harrington moved past her brother and fell beside Mike, who was busy connecting a long rope to the bumper of the car. As she helped him unravel it's twisted knots, her brother continued to shout in protest.
"We are not going down there right now! I made myself clear!"
No response.
"Hey, there is no chance we're going in that hole, alright?!"
No response.
Letting out a huff, Steve Harrington pushed himself off the supporting car and grabbed Dustin's bag, throwing it to the ground. This, unlike all of his other protests, finally got their attention. Stepping up to the boy, Dustin shouted in reply, "Steve, you're upset, I get it. But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance."
"Yeah, Steve," shouted Cassie from afar as she stepped closer to the hole. "You got two options here. You can sit here like a little pussy, or you can help us save El. Now, the brother I know wouldn't just chicken out...he would fight."
Taking a deep breath, Cassie finished, "So, Steve...help us fight."
"But I told Nancy I would keep you safe," Steve argued, rubbing his hand over his blood-covered forehead. "I made a promise."
"Well, then," Dustin trailed off, pulling one last item from the trunk. "Keep us safe."
Letting a slight smirk appear on her lips, Cassie Harrington immediately recognized Steve's infamous nail-covered bat -- to which he used almost every time they were in trouble. Letting out a long, dreadful sigh, Steve muttered a "fine" and took the bat in his grasp.
"Holy shit," Cassie Harrington muttered as her feet met the mushy brown substance that covered every inch of the area.
"Cass, c'mere," Mike Wheeler called from a few feet away, causing the girl to carefully jog past the others; making her way over to him. As she fell by his side, Mike asked the girl, "Which way do we go?"
Biting her lower lip, Cassie let out a quiet breath, her eyes falling down to the poorly-drawn map in Mike's grasp. Searching the lines, Cassie traced over one in particular. Switching her gaze, Cassie spoke to the group, "Guys, I'm pretty sure it's this way!"
"Are you pretty sure, or certain?" Dustin called from behind.
"She is 100% sure, Dustin!" Mike defended immediately, causing Cassie to smile at the boy. "Just follow us and you'll know!"
Watching the kids turn, Steve Harrington shook his head and protested, "Woah, woah, woah. Hey, hey, hey. I don't think so."
Cassie furrowed her brows, "Steve, wha-"
"Cassie, let me handle this," Steve answered, stalking up to Mike, who looked up at him in confusion. "Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?"
Rolling her eyes, Cassie watched as her older brother turned to the rest of them, shouting, "From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go."
As her friends looking in Cassie's direction, all she did was shrug her shoulders. Steve was a handful, and sometimes way too overprotective, but he was a good leader. And, giving the situation, that was all they needed. So, with a huff, Cassie stood tall and spoke to her four friends, "You heard the boy, let's go."
Following her brother, Cassie Harrington listened as he yelled to the group, "Hey, a little hustle!"
"Sir, yessir!" Dustin Henderson chanted in reply, causing Cassie to let out a snort of laughter.
The six then began to make their way towards the center of the maze of tunnels, to which Mike Wheeler properly named the "Hub". Evidently, no one in the group had any idea what to expect when they got there. But, with a few gallons of gasoline, a lighter, and Steve Harrington's infamous nailed bat, they were ready to take on whatever was coming for them.
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"Alright, you guys ready?" Steve asked, pulling a silver lighter out of his back jean pocket.
"Yeah," Dustin replied, gazing up at the boy. "Light 'er up."
Flicking it open, Steve Harrington let out a few breaths, shaking his head and whispering to himself, "I am in such deep shit."
Then, in one swift motion, the boy released the flame from his grasp, throwing it in the center of the Hub. Immediately, as fast as the blink of an eye, the large atmosphere went up in flames, and a loud shrieking cry escaped from the inhuman monster.
The shriek was then immediately followed by multiple howls; only this time, it was the call of something much familiar...demo-dogs.
"We need to get out of here..." Cassie trailed off, taking multiple steps backwards. "Like, now!"
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Dustin shouted, quickly following Cassie's request. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"
As the group filed out of the Hub and raced through the tunnels, the five kids desperately listened as Steve Harrington's voice echoed in shout, "Hey, this way! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"
Taking a few steps forward, Cassie Harrington realized something was missing. As she turned to look behind her, she was passed by Max, then Lucas, then Dustin. From what she remembered, Steve was the only person in front of her. Then, as she came to realization, she stopped.
Where was Mike?
Suddenly, a loud cry echoed through the tunnels. Not the cry of a monster, but a familiar cry of a boy. Eyes widening in panic, Cassie's heart began to race. She knew that scream — it was Mike's. Breaking into a sprint towards the opposite direction, Cassie desperately tried to follow the voice.
"Mike?" Cassie shouted at the top of her lungs, her gaze whipping in every direction. "Mike?!"
The girl then saw a limp shadow of a body from a few feet away, screaming the words, "Help! Help! Help!"
Mike Wheeler desperately tried to wiggle his way out of the monster's snake-like grasp as Cassie fell to her knees. Muttering a few swear words, the girl searched for her knife in her back pocket. When wrapping her hand around the grip, she whipped it out and frantically started chopping them away.
To her dismay, the snake-like creatures came back faster than Cassie could cut — pulling Mike faster into their depths. Crying out for help, Cassie heard a pair footsteps come near — her brother immediately appearing from the corner, her friends appearing just after him. Pulling out the nailed bat, Steve Harrington shouted at his sister, "Cass, move out of the way!"
Immediately following his orders, Cassie found herself scooting away as her brother took multiple swings at the creature. Finally, the snake-like thing cowered back into the walls, vanishing from the scene.
"Mike, are you alright?" shouted the brunette, racing back over to him.
Holding Mike in her arms, Cassie felt the boy's body tremble in fright. But, before he could speak, a familiar monstrous shriek escaped from something nearby. Switching her gaze to the noise, Cassie dropped her arms to her sides and cowered back in fright. The sight alone was terrifying.
"Dart," Dustin spoke quietly as he raised his hand in front of the creature that stood before them.
As the curly-haired boy took a step forward, he was bombarded with protests from every single one of his friends. Turning to them, he spoke in assurance, "Trust me, please."
As the boy dropped to his knees, Cassie Harrington turned away. Though the brunette trusted Dustin Henderson with her life, she had a horrid feeling that this was going to end badly. From behind her, Dustin spoke to the monster, "Hey, it's me. It's you're friend, it's Dustin. It's just Dustin. You remember me. Will you let us pass?"
The monster let out a loud growl in reply, causing Cassie to flinch as her body shook uncontrollably. Shutting her eyes, the girl reassured herself:
Dustin is going to be alright.
Dustin knows what he is doing.
I trust him.
As the girl turned, she watched as Dustin Henderson pulled out a candy bar from his back pocket. Smiling down at the creature, Dustin asked, "You hungry? Yeah?"
"He's insane," Lucas muttered.
"Shut up!" Steve whisper/yelled.
Watching the scene with her mouth agape, Cassie Harrington was in complete shock. Just a few feet away, Dustin Henderson held out a Three Musketeers candy bar to the monster, swiftly dropping it in front of him.
"Eat up, buddy," Dustin spoke, signaling the group to pass by waving his hand behind him while the monster was distracted.
Cassie Harrington was the first one to pass the boy — racing as far away from the creature as possible. The rest of the group followed just behind her, but once they all passed, they all stopped and watched as Dustin stood, whispering, "Goodbye, buddy."
Then, with the tip of a hat, Dustin followed the group away.
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"We are almost there!" Cassie shouted as she gazed down at the map in her brothers hands. "Just a little furth-"
Before Cassie could finish, an abrupt rumble sent the group to the ground, shaking their bodies roughly. It felt almost like an earthquake...though, they never get earthquakes in a town like Hawkins, Indiana.
Scrambling up to her feet, Max Mayfield asked in confusion, "What was that?"
Before anyone could think to respond, another sound flew through the area. The rumbling, though rushed, was soon followed by a noticeably loud roar, sending chills down each of their spines. One roar after another, the sounds seemed to grow closer. So close, that the group was frozen in shock.
Mike Wheeler soon turned to the group, his raspy voice yelling in panic, "They're coming! Let's go! Run! Run! Run!"
Grabbing Cassie Harrington's hand, Mike pulled her with him, running as fast as his legs could possibly move. Snapping out of her daze, Cassie ran with him; turning corners and dodging the snake-like ropes at his side. Suddenly, the rope came into view.
Racing up to it, Cassie felt Steve's arms around her, lifting her upwards as she pulled herself through the hole. Digging her nails into the dirt and grass, Cassie Harrington clawed the rest of the way out, falling next to Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair.
Soon after, Mike Wheeler appeared, causing Cassie to stretch out a hand for him to grab. Once his hand met hers, Cassie called, "Come on, Mike! I've got you!"
With all of her might, Cassie Harrington pulled Mike out of the hole, his body crushing her against the dirt as he fell on top of her. To which what could've been a romantic moment, was soon ruined by the roars of nearby monsters ready to attack. Pulling off of one another, Mike and Cassie looked down below, only to find Dustin and Steve not trying to get out, but readying theirselves to fight.
"No, no!" Cassie shouted, stretching out her hand to the two of them. If they stayed down there, they were going to die. "Dustin! Steve! Grab our hands!"
"Come on!" Lucas Sinclair shouted beside her.
But, it was too late. The demo-dogs raced towards them at full speed. And then...
Nothing.
Letting out a gasp, the group watched as the demo-dogs raced past Dustin and Steve, not even looking in their direction. It was then they realized...they weren't coming for them, they were coming for something else.
Sitting up straight, Cassie's hands flew to her mouth as Mike muttered beside her, "Eleven."
—
finally an update!! [a pretty darn long one]
im so sorry guys ive literally been so busy with school and sports that i haven't been able to update in so long! i promise i will soon!
love you!
-vee