We were at the pool right now, where Billy worked.
I purposefully kept my distance from the others by a few inches.
Max was looking at him with binoculars.
"I don't know, he seems pretty normal to me." Max said.
"Normal?" Lucas questioned. "How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?"
"I mean, it's a little weird." Max admitted.
"More than a little." Mike said. "He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else--"
"But he's lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever." Max said.
"Not necessarily." Will said. Everyone looked at him. The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like... like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated." He said, looking at a very odd, and covered up Billy.
"Okay, so we just..." Max began. "Wait until he gets activated."
"No. What if he hurts someone?" Mike stated.
"Or kills someone." Will stated.
"We can't take that chance." Mike said. "We need to find out if he's the host." Then he started leaving, everyone else trailing behind him.
"Where are you going?" Max asked.
"I have an idea. Boys only!" Mike yelled.
"Seriously?!" Max asked.
"Just trust me on this one!"
Max rolled her eyes.
I tried not to look.
"So. Pyrokinesis, huh?" Max said, looking away, clearly lowkey angry.
"Look, I'm sorry--"
"For a whole year?" She interrupted.
I stayed quiet.
"Friends don't lie." I heard El say. She seemed like she was trying to stay strong, but was lowkey hurting inside.
"I swear you guys weren't supposed to find out this way--" I said.
"Well then how were we?" Max snapped.
I didn't answer. I felt a small tear managing to squeeze out my eye, and wiped it away before anyone could see.
My skin around my eyes was still irritated, and I could feel that it was red.
My eyes also stung from crying so much last night, and this morning, before... all this.
"Why do you lie?" El asked.
"I just-- I never had the chance to say anything!" I said.
"But you had a whole year!"
"Let's just say I gave up, okay?" I said.
Max scoffed, and El followed, doing the same.
-
El went inside to get stuff, and Max and I were in an awkward silence, until Max decided to turn the walkie on.
"Mike!"
"YEAH!" He shouted through the walkie.
"Where are you guys?"
"I'm coming. Just... hold on a second."
Then she put it down and looked at Billy again through the binoculars.
"God, I hope it's not you." She said to herself. "I really hope it's not you."
-
We were now in position. Our plan was to lure Billy into a sauna room, using Mike's voice, and a dummy.
Billy was taking a shower, from what I could hear.
We made the sound of a door closing.
"Pool closed." I heard faintly.
No response from us.
"Hey. Do you hear me!?" He slammed a locker shut. "Pool is closed!" He was pounding on a door.
"Billy!" Mike started calling in a sing-songy voice.
"Who's there?" I heard, extremely faintly.
"Billy!"
"Who's there?" He said, also in a sing-songy voice.
Mike laughed obnoxiously. "Billy! Billy!"
"You think this is funny, huh?" Mike laughed annoyingly again.
"Billy. Come and find me."
"I find you, it is your funeral."
"Come and get me. Come on! Billy!"
Now Billy was close. I could hear him really clearly.
"Got you." He said He must've seen the dummy's silhouette.
Billy cackled, and clapped his hands.
"Come and get me, you piece of shit." Mike said, and the blue door slammed open.
El got out into the open, behind Billy.
"Hey." Mike said again. "Behind you."
I could practically sense he turn around.
"Hi." El said, and slammed the door with her mind, and pushed him back against the wall.
"NOW!" Mike said, and we all barged out the closet in which we were hiding in.
Mike shoved a metal tube through the handle, and Will secured it with a chain.
"Got it!" Lucas said.
We all stood in shock, and Billy was pounding on the door.
He looked at Max. "Max." He said.
"Do it." Max said, but I could tell saying it was hard for her.
Will cranked the heat up all the way.
Billy was starting to freak out know.
My heart started thumping harder and harder.
"MAX! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" He shouted.
Max looked hurt, but trying to stay strong on the outside.
"Let me out." Billy said, his breath fogging up on the little door window thing. "You kids... You think this is funny? You kids think this is some sort of sick prank, huh?" He spat on the window. "You little shits think this is funny!?" Will and Max looked at each other. "What is this? Open the door." No response. "OPEN THE DOOR!" We jumped. "OPEN THE DOOR!! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!" He then backed down from the window and onto the floor, where he started screaming.
Will went to the thing to check the temperature.
"We're at 220." He said.
He went back to where he was, which was next to me.
Then Billy started... sobbing?
We all exchanged each other looks.
"It's not my fault, it's not my fault." Billy said, in a weak voice, as if pleading. Max slowly went to the door. "It's not my fault, Max. I promise you, it's not my fault."
"What's not your fault, Billy?" She asked, looking into the window.
"I've done things, Max. Really... bad things. I didn't mean to..." He cried. "He made me do it."
We all exchanged looks once again, but more concerned looks.
He's back?
Like, the Mind Flayer's really back?
"Who made you do it?" Max asked.
"I don't know, it's like a shadow."
My heart skipped a beat.
El looked to us all.
"Like a giant shadow." Billy continued. "Please, Max."
"What did he make you do?" Max asked, in a quaky voice.
"It's not my fault, okay?! Max, please!" He cut in, in pure pain and sorrow. "Please, believe me, Max, it's not my fault." I saw a tear slip down her eye. "I tried to stop him, okay? I did. Please believe me, Max. Please believe me..."
Max put her hand on the window. "Billy, it's gonna be okay."
"Max, please."
"It's gonna be okay. We wanna help you. We wanna help you. You just have to talk to us, okay. You have to talk to us. I believe you, Billy."
Then I saw Will put his hand on his neck. "I feel him." He said. My heart skipped another beat. "He's activated."
"Max, get away from the door." Mike said, in a low voice.
"What?" She asked.
"GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!!!"
As soon as he said that, Billy jammed a shard through the window thing, making us all jump.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I clutched Will's hand, and he did the same.
Billy was banging on the door with his life.
El backed us up.
"LET ME OUT, YOU BITCH! LET ME OUT! I'LL FUCKING GUT YOU!"
Then he slid the metal bar out of place, and was trying to pull the chains off.
Mine and Will's grip on each other got stronger.
"LET ME OUT!" Billy shouted.
Then Lucas got his wrist rocket out, and shot a rock at Billy's head, making him fall backward, as we all backed up.
"Max, come on!" Lucas said, signaling for Max to come over.
Max was panting, and scared to the death.
The lights started flickering all over the building.
I lowkey started hyperventilating, as Billy screamed and roared.
Billy started trying to shove the door open with all his strength and might.
"He can't get out, can he?" Max asked.
"No way." Lucas said. "No. Way."
He headbutted the door, making the metal pole, which was holding the chains, bend.
My heart filled with panic.
Billy roared, as black veins made its way more visible onto his skin.
He went to the back of the room, and ran to the door, headbutting it one last time, and this time, it flew wide open.
"Shit, shit, SHIT!!" I said.
Billy rolled out onto the floor, but barely damaged, physically.
El backed us up.
Billy got up, and stared at El.
Then El, after a few seconds, and she lifted a huge weight thing with her mind, screamed, and threw it at Billy, pushing him to the back of the room.
Will tightened his grip on me, and I did the same.
The weight thing (I forgot what it's called), made a huge cracking noise on the wall.
Billy grunted, and El pushed harder.
Billy was choking a little bit, as the black veins grew to his neck and upwards.
Billy then pushed himself and started pushing the weight off him.
El was screaming by now.
Billy then fully managed to get the weight off him, making it fly across the room, just missing El.
Then Billy grabbed El by her hair, and pulled her head back.
He looked at Max. And for a split second I believed that he'd let go of El, but instead, her grabbed her neck, and started to choke her.
El started choking, and her face started growing red.
"No!" El managed to choke out. "No! No!!" She tried slapping his hand, but it was no use. "No--"
Her dace was growing even redder and purpler, and Mike grabbed a metal bar, and knocked it over Billy's head, making him let go of El. "GO TO HELL, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" He yelled, before trying to hit him again.
But this time, Billy reacted, and managed to stop the bar from hitting him again, and Mike regretted what he did.
El was on the floor, gasping for air.
Billy then flew the bar across the room, and death glared Mike.
Mike backed up against a wall with a crack in it, and Billy got closer to him.
And as Billy readied his fist, he started levitating.
I looked at El, and she was pushing herself with all her strength, to lift him up.
She was trying so hard, and my heart rate must've been so high.
El's back was now facing the wall, and she was still trying.
She and Billy now started screaming, and then El threw him against the wall, well, THROUGH the wall, breaking it.
There was a pause.
I realized that I'd been holding Will's hand, and slowly let go.
I pivoted and looked at El, who collapsed against Mike, sobbing from exhaustion, fear, and pain, all in one.
I had no words for what had just happened.
We all looked out the hole in which El had made, and saw Billy on his feet, running into the forest.
Holy shit...
He's back.
He's really back.
The Mind Flayer is back...