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Grace Harrington

My legs are crossed while sitting on a chair that's near the door of the boat house. Steve, Robin, Max and Dustin left me to watch out for Eddie while they get him some supplies.
  I don't mind, but I haven't slept in awhile so I'm fighting to keep myself awake.

I look over at Eddie and see him staring at me. "What?" I ask. He snaps out of his gaze and looks away.

"Sorry" he laughs. "Zoned out for a sec"

I nod.

"Grace?" He says. I look over at him and he looks at me again. "Are you sure you're ok? I mean last night you seemed really freaked". I sigh and nod my head. "I'm alright, just think I scared myself" I laugh.

He nods. "Well I'm here if you want to talk. I know we don't really know each other that well, but Dustin told me that you were one of the only ones who really believed I didn't do anything to Chrissy" He states. I smile and nod.

"I knew you didn't, they way you were with her. I knew you couldn't hurt her. And I know you wouldn't have" I state. I see a small smile form on his lips.

I smile as well and turn away.

"Can I ask you something" He says. I nod.
   "Your boyfriend last year, Billy? Did he really die in a mall fire?" My eyes slightly go wide. That's definitely not what I was expecting him to ask me.

I look down at my hands that are rested in my lap then back at his face. I shake my head and close my eyes for a second. "What is taking them so long? Im literally so exhausted".

"You can sleep if you want," He states "I have my beer bottle to protect us if you do" he adds and holds up the broken bottle with an added laugh.

"I might just take up that offer" I joke and shift in my seat. Eddie stands up and walks over to the desk next to me. He lifts up a blanket from the table and drapes it over my legs. "It's kind of cold in here" he says with a small smile.

"Thank you Eddie" I say. He nods and starts to walk back to his spot. Before he does I reach for his arm. Once my hand touches his wrist he slightly jumps. "I-I'm so sorry" I say with a sad tone.

"It's alright, I'm sorry. I guess I'm still a little jumpy" he jokes. He sits down next to me and leans a little closer to me.

"Is it ok if I rest my head on you?" I say as my eyes start to close slowly. "Of course"

I lean my head on his shoulder and my eyes fully close. I start slowly drifting to sleep when I hear him say something. I wish I could hear what it was. But I was already fast asleep.

I wake up to a loud noise outside. "Gracie" Eddie whispers and taps my shoulder. I slowly get up and look around me realizing where I am. "What is it? How long have I been asleep?" I say frantically.

"Only thirty minutes, but I hear someone outside" He states. I sit up and he does the same. We make our way to the window careful not to show ourselves and we look out at the space around us.

"I don't see anyone do you?" I whisper. He shakes his head. I hear another noise outside and Eddie and I look at each other. Our faces are extremely close as we crouch near the window.

All the noises now are just our heavy breaths and the splash of the water from the lake onto the side of the boat.

All of the sudden the door opens abruptly causing Eddie and I to jump towards the wall. "Holy shit!" I yell.

I look over at the door and see Dustin and everyone with bags in their hands. "Delivery Service has arrived my good sirs" Dustin says and holds up two bags in the air.

"Finally" Eddie and I say in unison, then walk towards them and help them with the bags.

Eddie and I take a few bites out of the sandwiches they brought us while they start talking. "Ok, here's the thing. We have bad news and good news, which do you want to here first."

"Bad news" Eddie and I say.

"Always" he adds. I nod and shiver into the blanket that I wrapped around myself. The same one Eddie handed me earlier. This is probably a weird thing to say, but it smells nice...it smells like him.

"Cool got it, bad news...we may have tapped into Hawkins PD dispatch, and they are one hundred percent looking for Eddie." Dustin explains. I look over at Eddie and he sighs.

"Oh yea- how could he forget, they're like totally convinced you killed Chrissy" Steve jokes and places his hands on his head.

"Good news?" Eddie asks.
  "They haven't put your name out there yet" Robin states from beside max.

"But if we found Eddie, it's only a matter of time before others do. And once that happens all the shit talkers of town will be looking for him to fit him like a fish" I say and set down my food.

"Hunt the freak right?" Eddie says with a tone of disgust. There's layers to what he just said. The first layer of we pretends to like that nickname acting like it doesn't bother him, and the second layer being it actually does bother him and he seems truly hurt on the way everyone treats him.

"Exactly" Robin says.

"Before that happens we find Vecna, take him out, prove you're innocent and then you're free" Dustin says.

Eddie tilts his head towards him "is that really all Dustin?" he says sarcastically.

Dustin nods "yes I think I covered it all". I lightly laugh and shake my head.

  "Look Eddie, I know what Dustin is saying is crazy and seems like a delusion but we've been through this kind of thing before, I mean I have once and they have been through it more times. But don't worry we can do this. You will be able to get out of here without being a wanted man." Robin explains.

"She's telling the truth Eddie, we will help you and save everyone else" I say and lightly bump his shoulder with mine.

  "Yes you see we usually rely on this girl who has super powers but those-those are gone so uh" Robin cuts him off. "The brainstorming phase" she adds. Steve nods.

"There is absolutely nothing to worry about Ed!" Dustin says. Eddie looks at him with a warning look, probably about that name he just called him.

Before anyone else can talk many sirens start blaring. They seem to be getting closer and closer.

I look at Eddie and he looks at me. "Tarp, Tarp" Robin says and points towards the boat.

Eddie and I jump from our seats and head towards the boat. Eddie climbs in and I place the tarp over him to make sure he's hidden.

The rest of us walk towards the windows to see what is happening outside.

Two sirens pass the lake house along with an ambulance. They rush past going further down the long road heading somewhere unknown.

"What the fuck is going on out there?" I whisper.
  "I don't know but we should go check it out" Max says. I nod in agreement.

I turn back towards the boat and lift the tarp over Eddie. "They aren't here for you, but we're gonna go see what happened. Are you alright to be here alone?" I say. He looks up at me and nods.

"A-are you coming back though" he asks. I lightly smile and nod. "Of course I'll be back" I say and place my hand on his.

All of us walk out of the boat house leaving Eddie with his supplies, we head to Steve's car and prepare for whatever we are about to see.

I look over at Robin as I buckle in and she's smirking at me. "What?" I ask.
  "Of course I'll be back" she mouths in a mocking way. I roll my eyes and look forward.

We drive in the same direction the police cars went hoping to spot where they went. As we drive we start to see the road ahead is blocked off and a few cars have lined up with the drivers looking out to see what has happened.

Steve parks behind another car and we all get out. We look towards the sheriff and he happens to be talking with Nancy.

Nancy finally notices us and smiles, she seems relieved to see friendly faces. She waves and her eyes start to fill with tears.

"What happened?" Dustin whispers. We all slowly nod in agreement to his question.

"So...whatever this thing is, killed Chrissy and Fred?" Nancy ask after we explained everything. "And it's from the upside down?"

"If the upside down shoe fits" Steve states. I look at him and shake my head. He shrugs to my disapproval to his terrible joke at a time like this.

"Our theory as of now, is that he attacks with some kind of spell...curse, something that is making them in a trance" Dustin states.

"And we don't exactly know if he's doing all of this for the mind flayer or he just really likes killing teens, we don't know"

"All we know this is something different" Max says. "Something darker, and something we really know nothing about. And without the help of El or anyone we can really trust, we don't even know where to start" I add.

"This doesn't make sense" Nancy wonders. "It's only a theory. Like Grace said. We know nothing about this yet, and don't know where to start" Says Dustin.

  "No- no, I mean...Chrissy and Fred don't make sense, why them, and if they do have something in common who's next?" Nancy restates.

I look at Max, unknowing why. The thing I saw last night makes me fear things. Things I don't want to fear.

  "Maybe it's a wrong place type of situation" Max says.

"They we're both at the game" Dustin says.
"And near the trailer park" I add.

"We're at the trailer park- uh... should we maybe not be here...I don't feel like getting cursed anytime soon guys" Steve states.

We all look around us, at everything in close view. The trailers, the cars...empty playground. Everything seems more eerie.

I've tried to not look at Eddie's trailer, I'm afraid of seeing what I saw again. I don't need that image in my mind again.

"There really is something about this place that's just..." I start but am unsure on how to finish this sentence. I look over and see Nancy nodding.

"Fred started acting weird the minute we got here," Nancy says.
  "Acting weird as in...he is seeing things weird or as in...he doesn't like this place weird" I ask.

Nancy looks up at me. "Actually...I think...I think he saw something. We got here and the officer talked to us, he acted like he'd seen a ghost"

  "Chrissy was seeing things to, I think, I mean I don't know why else she'd be acting that weird. Alone, in the woods." I start. "When she was in the woods talking with Eddie, she had this look on her face like something was standing in front of her, or she saw something that scared her that was in front of her"

"What was there?" Robin asks. I shrug my shoulders "to me it was a big tree, but she acted like it was a demon"

Robin and Nancy slowly nod trying to take in all that I've said.

"Was Fred acting a certain way before you went to find him?" Max asks.
   "Scared, on edge he seemed that way until the last time I saw him right outside those woods" Nancy answers.

"Eddie said Chrissy was like that too, wound up, she seemed upset" Dustin says. I nod "until the last moment he saw her alive. And then- well- you know" I add.

"It wasn't just here though...she was crying and throwing up in the bathroom." Max states. "Not only that but I saw her go into the counselors office right after me-" Max cuts me off. "Yea yea! She was leaving when I went in. She seemed really off" Not looking up and meeting a single person in the eye. I nod in agreement.

  "Fred has been talking with the school counselor as well" Nancy adds.
  "Do you think there's anyway we could find out what they had been talking about?" I ask.

"We'd have to get the files, I doubt there's any online records. And I would ask Suzie but she's been MIA" Dustin states.

"Killers usually stalk their prey right?" Robin states. We all nod. "What if Fred and Chrissy saw the heckman-" Dustin cuts her off to correct her "Vecna" he states with a shake of his head. Robin shrugs her shoulders not caring and continues.

"What if they saw this thing and talked to the counselor about it. Maybe those records have a description on what Vecna looks like"

   "Guys, I wasn't- totally honest with you last night.."I start. Everyone looks over at me with furrowed brows and confused looks on their faces.

"I- I think I know what this thing looks like" I finish.

I finally explain to them, to the best of my abilities, what I saw when Eddie was talking last night. Having to relive it stresses me out enough. But then I pictured it all. It made me want to throw up again.

None of us know what I saw last night. Or why Vecna was the main character of my daydream. Or how it even happened. But for now we can't worry about that.

We wrap up talking and make our way back to our cars. Nancy starts walking towards her own car leaving us with Steve.

"Nanc, Nanc, where you going?" Steve says and runs after her. "I have to check on something first" She states.
  "Anything you want to share with the rest of us?" Dustin asks and throws his hands up in the air like a small child who just got his toy taken away.

"No-no I don't want to waste your guys time, it's a real shot in the dark" She answers.

"Are you really going to go alone with this wizard demon on the loose...you're crazy, I can't let you go alone" Steve states.

I look down at my watch and see the time. "Steve it's getting late we have to go"
  "Look Steve I'll go with her" Robin says and walks next to Nancy.

Steve's mouth stays open as of his words have disappeared. "What, do we need a big strong man like you Steve to protect us?" Robin jokes. I slightly grin and shake my head.

"Ok, just, stay safe alright" Steve says. Robin and Nancy walk to her car, and get in.

I hop in Steve's passenger seat and buckle up, everyone else does the same.

"Shit shit shit" Steve says as he starts the car "always the babysitter, always the goddamn-" I cut him off.
  "Do Max and I look like babies to you?" I firmly ask. Steve slowly looks over at me and rolls his eyes. He starts pulling out of the trailer park and onto the road.

"Hey, are you calling me the baby?" Dustin yells at me finally catching on to what I said.

~~~~~~~

"We gonna talk about...you know" Dustin says to Steve. I look over at Steve and wonder what Dustin means.

Steve pulls his eyes away from the door Max walked into to, the door being Ms. Kelly's and furrows his brows "T-talk? About what?"

I squint my eyes at Dustin and he rolls his eyes.
"Oh you know, when you threw yourself at Nancy trying it be her knight and shining armor"

My eyes go wide and my jaw slightly opens. "You like Nancy again?" I state. Dustin hits my shoulder.
"Oh don't act like you aren't trying to get some action from somebody"

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" I state firmly and sit back in my seat. "Oh what are you talking about" He mocks.

"Whatever, back to me throwing myself at Nanc, I did not. That's literally not what happened. I was just being a good guy"

"Mmm, it was pretty public. I think everyone saw it. Even Robin" Dustin states.
"I mean, that was a little suspicious Steve" I add. Dusting nods agreeing with me.

"Robin didn't see anything because nothing happened" Steve states. "That's what you got out of this? Robin noticing" I joke. Steve rolls his eyes and looks back at Ms. Kelly's house.

"And your refusal to date Robin rests the case. That's the only logical explanation." Dustin says.
I lightly laugh. "That's not the only explanation" I say under my breath.

"And you know what- for Nanc. I was just trying to protect a friend, is that such a crime man?" Steve adds. "A friend! Got it? A friend!"

"I would like to not find her in the morning with her eyes smashed into her skull and her bones everywhere". Steve frantically states.

I roll my eyes as they argue and look out my window towards the sidewalk. I notice a small flower growing from a crack in the cement.

I smile at the purple flower and close my eyes for a moment. I open them again and see the flower slowly start to turn a different color...brown? Then black. The flower slowly disappears into the air.

I turn back to Steve and Dustin wondering when they stopped arguing. When I look back neither of them are there. The sky around me is dark. Nothing in the distance is there anymore. It's just dark pitch black nothingness.

My hands start to shake again. I slowly open the door to my brothers car. My boot heel hits the pavement and I close the door behind me.

When I turn towards the car, it's gone. I'm just alone in the dark.

I start to hear something, it sounds far. The sound is heavy, and wet?

It's getting louder and louder until my head starts hurting from the sound.

"Max...Max...Max" The same deep voice I heard from the other night bellows slowly. Why Max? What the hell. Where am I? Why is this happening?

I look around unsure on what to do. My feet start to run as if they have a mind of their own. "Hello?" I yell a few times.

"Hey!" I Steve yells. I'm back in the car. As if I'd never left. We are driving. I turn around and see Max back in the car.

"Sorry-" I start... " I-I zoned out"

"Like- zoned out, or like last time zoned out" Steve wonders. There isn't really a point in lying anymore so I just tell them the truth...well somewhat...

I didn't tell them about what the voice said said...only that it was mumbled. I don't need to worry Max anymore than she already is. And Steve would chain her up to himself. Never letting her leave his side.

It would all just be a mess.

We get the files from Ms. Kelly's office, both Chrissy's and Fred's and put them on the desk.
Max opens them and starts reading the files.

As she reads them, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The room feels cold. Colder then it was when we walked in, colder then it was the last time I talked to Mrs. Kelly in here.

I look around the room, it's almost as though a filter as been put on the room. The edges are darker.

"G-Guys..." Max slowly says.

"Max what is it?" Dustin asks. "Max!"

My body moved before my head does. I grab her shoulder and my eyes close. I open them again and I'm standing next to her in the hallway outside the office.

"Max?" I ask. She doesn't hear me. Or see me. I wave my hand in her face and she walks through it.
"I start to hear the same deep voice again. Calling her name."

My heart sinks, finally understanding what's happening. I run after her and try to grab her. She still doesn't hear me.

"Max!" I yell.

"Max!" This time using more volume.

"Max please, please wake up. Wake up. Wake up." She still continues down the hallway.
As we walk further down the hall a clock can be heard ticking. It keeps getting louder and louder.

We turn the corner and Max flashes her light down the hall. Inside the wall is a clock, a clock half out of the wall and half inside it.
Around the clock are cracks that have vines growing out of it.

"Max..." the voice speaks again. This time closer.

"Max, WAKE UP!" I scream

Right as I scream I'm pulled to the ground. I look around me and see I'm back in the office. And max is awake.

I run towards Max and grab her. I hold her in my arms tightly and close my eyes. "Max, I was there with you. I yelled for you to wake up, but you didn't hear me. I thought- I thought I was going to see it just like I saw Fred" I frantically state.

"I'm sorry Grace" She whispers.
"It was so real in there..." Max whispers.
"I know...I know" I say and whisper back.