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Grace Harrington

We've been walking for hours now. The sun has already came up and the time must be around seven a.m. I would have checked my watch but both of our watches got ruined while in the lake, along with our walkie-talkie.

My clothes are damp, I'm cold, and my socks keep squishing in my boots and the sound is making me nauseous.

We've stayed silent for the most part, both just thinking about everything. Coming to terms of the trauma we've endured today.
  Not that this is our first encounter with trauma, but this definitely adds to the list of top ten worst moments of our lives.

I just feel so...emotionless.

I wish I felt something, pain, anger...anything, but I just don't. I could be way off...but I think Eddie feels the same way. It's all too much to truly care about right now.

Things like this make me really scared about loosing my friends though, I can't go through that again. I just know that if one of doesn't make it out of here alive, it will truly be the end for me.

Just thinking about everything that's happened, since will went missing a few years ago. How the hell do we all keep getting up each morning? This is all insane. I wouldn't be surprised if the end of this ended with us in a group therapy session. Honestly...

"Grace, I think there's a construction sight ahead of us. Maybe if one of them have a walkie-talkie we can use it" Eddie explains. I nod and we hide behind a large rock that looks over the construction sight.

I lightly hit Eddie's shoulder and point towards a worker heading towards a porta potty. He lays down his bag which happens to have a walkie-talkie sticking out of it on the ground. I sprint down the small hill being careful so I'm not seen, and quickly grab the walkie.

I run back to Eddie and we sprint back into the depths of the woods.

I flip the walkie-talkie channel to the one everyone else is on and speak into it. "Hello? Dustin? Steve? Please someone answer" I speak.
"Grace?!" I hear Steve on the other end say loudly.

"I was so worried about you, are you ok? Are you safe? Where are you? I'm coming to get you now!" he says. "Steve, Steve, calm down. I'm alright. Both Eddie and I are alright."

"Where are you guys?" He asks. "Someone died Grace" He states. "I know, we uh- we were there" I stutter.

I look over at Eddie and his head is down. His hands are in his pockets and his shoulders are slouched. Jesus...he didn't even ask for this. He didn't want to be apart of this. He'll never be the same again.

"Meet us at skull rock Steve" I state. "Ok we'll be there soon"

With that I turn the walkie off and Eddie and I make are way to skull rock.

~~~~~~~

"It's not that much further" I mumble and move some branches so they don't hits our faces.
Before we continue Eddie grabs my arm and pulls me back a little. "I'm sorry I've been quiet, it's just a lot. You know?" He says. I lightly smile and place my hand on his forearm. "Don't worry about it Eddie"
He smiles back at me and we start walking again.

We finally make it to skull rock and now we wait for the others.

"Are you going to tell the others about your vision?" He asks and kicks a small rock into a near by bush with his feet.

I look down and play with the small gold ring around my pointer finger. "I think for now, they've got a lot on their plates. Especially Max. So could we...keep that between us?" I ask shyly.

I look up at him and he's slightly smirking. "Does that mean, princess Graceland Harrington and the freak Eddie Munson are going to have a secret together?" He jokes. I smile and tilt my face down hoping he doesn't see me blush. "Maybe..."

He moves closer to me and brings a strand of hair that has fallen on my face behind my hear. "Who would have thought" he whispers.

I look up at him and see him look from my eyes to my lips. My heart is beating so fast I'm sure he could hear it.

The world feels like it's come to a hult. It's like it's just me and him. In these woods. Ironically at a known make out spot. With the birds chirping and the bees buzzing. Just Eddie Munson, and Grace Harrington, Two High School kids.

I look at his own lips and he smiles. He places a hand on my cheek and moves closer. We stop just before our lips touch. Our breaths are in unison. I feel the heat of his mouth near mine. It's sending butterflies to my stomach and shivers down my spine.

God he's so pretty, his hair, his eyes, that damn smile...it's always the smile that gets me.

Right before the magic happens I hear Dustin and Steve arguing near us. We pull away and hide out of sight. Just in case someone followed them.

We see they are alone with the rest of the group and walk out towards them. Dustin's eyes go to Eddie's and his face lights up. "Eddie, you're alright" he says and pulls Eddie into a hug. I smile and look over at Steve.

His face is full of relief. "Hey brother," I say and hug his. He pulls me in tightly like he's never letting me go again. "You can bet your ass you are never leaving my sight again Graceland" He states face smushed into my hair. I pat his back and smile "I know Steve, I know"

We pull away and he pats Eddie on the shoulder. "You alright man?" Steve asks. Eddie slightly nods. "Far from it man, but hey. That's how this weeks been" Eddie jokes and places his hands on his head.

~~~~~~~

"We got to the shore, and wanted to call. But the walkie was totally trashed." I explained. "We couldn't go back either, we knew Jason would call the cops. Or someone would"

"Yea, about that. We've got some...news" Steve says.
Eddie and I furrow our brows.

"They've stated publicly that not only Eddie is a prime suspect..." Nancy starts.
"But now you are too Grace" Robin states.

My jaw slightly opens. Eddie jumps and moves forward. "What? How, why would they think that. She was just on the boat with me." Steve looks between Eddie and I then back at me. I lower my head slightly and turn away from him. He knows. Of course he knows.

"Jason must of said you two are killing people together or something, because now the entire town is going to be looking for you guys. So now we have to hide two fugitives. And if they find you it won't be good. It will be awful. And I'll never be able to live with myself if something happens" Robin

Steve puts a hand on Robins shoulder, "we won't let any of that happen to them."

I slightly smile at his response.

"I- I just don't get it. I've known this town...my entire life. I've grown up here, go to school here...how could they be so quick to pin us. I just don't understand." I mumble.

I look up at Steve and sigh "what do our parents think?" I ask. He shrugs "I haven't been home yet. But I'm our parents are thinking of a million ways to blame me right now" he states. I slowly nod.

"So wait, how's you guys get a working walkie?" Max asks. "We stole it, after we do the thing I apparently do now...ran, we just ran out of there. Walked for hours, stole it...and yea..." Eddie explains.

He takes a drink from whatever Steve and Dustin brought us and passes it to me. I take a large gulp and it fixes my dry throat almost immediately.

"Do you guys know what time the attack happened last night?" Nancy questions.

"Yea not only did our walkie bust, but our watches broke too" I state and look down at my watch. "9:27"

"That's the same time our flash lights blew up" Robin states and crosses her arm. The air picks up fast in these woods, causing a chill to run up my spine.

"You still cold Gracie?" Eddie whispers to me in a worried tone. I shrug. "I'm alright" He stares at me with a knowing look. "You sure?" I nod and smile and he turns back to the group.

"What does that mean?" Steve asks with his hands on his hips. It's always funny to me when he does that. He looks like a mother disappointed in his kids. But usually it just means he's confused...which is literally all the damn time.

It took us months to explain everything to him a few years ago, after we saved Will. And he still hardly understands. But that's my brother for you...we gotta love him.

"The surge of energy was probably Vecna attacking Patrick" Nancy states. "Well that's good news, we know how Vecna attacks" Robin says.

I look up at them "and you guys know where he attacks right?" They all nod. "Good, maybe we could use that to our advantage"

"Yea all we have to do is sneak into the upside down, and drive a stake through his heart" Max says.
  "If he even has one" Lucas adds.

"Stake? Is he like a vampire?" Steve questions. I close my eyes and shake my head. "Oh- oh my god...is he a vampire." Steve adds. I shake my head again "Steve she meant it as a metaphor." His eyes widen and he nods. "Right, Right..."

"We should blow his head off" Eddie says and rubs his hands together. "Or shoot him..." I add.
  "We could chop is head off" Max states.

"I say all of the above...but until we find a way into the upside down, we can't do anything to him. He can only do things to us" Nancy explains.

I look past them and see Dustin pacing back and forth with his finger on his chin. I furrow my brows and slowly tilt my head.

"Is he ok?" I tap Steve's leg and point to Dustin. Steve looks at him and furrows his own brows.
  "Is he cursed" Eddie jokes.

They all turn and look at Dustin. He hasn't noticed us looking at him yet but he came to a hult and looks out into the woods behind him.

"Cursed...no...mental...abso-fucking-lutely" Steve jokes.

"Boom!" Dustin screams. Making us all jump. We all look at him confused and scared and wonder what the hell he's on about.

"Bada...bada...boom." He whispers and points to Steve. Steve looks at him with a worried face and foods his arms over his chest.

"I was right Steve!" Dustin claims in a taunting tone. "Skull rock was north"

"Seriously? You're being serious right now?" Steve states annoyed. Dustin smiles and nods. "This is skull rock dip shit. You're totally, absolutely wrong. Right now."

I roll my eyes and cover my face with my hands.

"Grace" I hear in my ear. I turn to my side to see who it was. But no one's there. I look at the others and they are all looking between Steve and Dustin.

I look around and out into the woods but see nothing so I continue to listen.

"You're so close Grace..." I hear the voice again. The voice is deep...but not one I've recognize. I look around again but nothing.

"Who's there?" I whisper hoping the others don't hear me, and start thinking I've gone insane. That's the last thing I need.

"You're so very close Graceland...so very close to the end..."

"What the hell do you want" I whisper.

I feel a sharp pain on my shoulder, that instantly disappears. "Ow, what the fu-" I lift up my short sleeve slightly and see a small puncture that has a drop of blood forming on it.

Maybe Vecna is a vampire. Or maybe I'm just sleep deprived and loosing my god damn mind.

Eddie taps my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. "You alright, looks like you've seen a ghost...or you're about to puke. I can never tell the difference with people" He states. I lightly laugh. "No, no, I'm fine"

He places his hand on my knee and pats it. Then turns back to the group.

Hearing the voice made me a little distracted. I stopped listen to what they were talking about awhile ago. All I'm trying to figure out right now is...why me? What does Vecna want with me. I know I'm not seeing those visions on accident. Something just...doesn't feel right