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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR ; THE SLUG RETURNS
also known as;
( the gate ; part four )

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"I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S THIS WAY," MIKE CALLED OVER HIS SHOULDER AS STELLA COMPOSED HERSELF. The dirt beneath her feet felt as if it were about to swallow her whole at any given moment, so for a moment she clung onto Steve, trying to remain balanced with a spinning head. 

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin asked as the rest of the group gathered around the raven-haired boy. Mike huffed and whipped his head around irritably. 

"I'm a hundred percent sure. Just follow me and you'll know," he snapped, and Stella sighed softly, tucking the mallet under her arm as she and Steve moved through the crowd. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Steve pushed forward so that he was standing before Mike. "Hey, hey, I don't think so. Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame, Stella too. Got it, dipshit?"

"Hey," Stella piped up warningly, nudging the Harrington boy in the side. 

He didn't seem to notice, as he was too busy snatching the map off of Mike and waving his hands about to gain everyone's attention. "From here on out, I'm leading the way. Come on, let's go."

As much as Stella hated being underground, and having the kids underground, she knew they couldn't leave until they did what they had to do. She ushered them all in front of her and made sure they were moving at a speedy pace so that they could get out as soon as possible. She hung around at the back of the party so that she could keep an eye on everyone. 

Her favourite pair of sneakers crunched against the slimy waste, and she pulled a face as they reached a small space. She was too busy looking down at her dirty shoes as the others were marvelling at the strange place. She passed Dustin as she tried to dodge other clumps on the ground, her goggles being clouded by the strange matter in the air. 

Suddenly her train of thought was thrown off track when Dustin began to scream from behind her. She immediately spun around to see him writhing on the ground, cursing his little heart out.  "Dustin!"

"Shit, shit! Help!" He hollered, and she dropped to the ground to hold him down. Steve quickly came into view with the rest of the kids, all of them panicked at the sight. 

"What happened?" Steve inserted himself quickly beside Stella, neither knowing what to do. 

"It's in my mouth! Some got on my mouth! Shit!" the curly haired boy whimpered, coughing loudly before spitting something out. Stella grimaced. He then turned to looked at everyone though his thick scuba goggles. "I'm okay."

"Very funny, man," Steve muttered, shining in torch in the young teen's face. Stella exhaled softly and got to her feet with the help of Max and Mike, steadying herself carefully. "Nice, real nice."

"Come on, Dustin," Stella muttered, waiting for the boy to stand up, watching as he rushed after the rest of the group, weighed down by his tub of gasoline. The girl looked around as she climbed through the tunnels, feeling the walls beginning to shrink as she continued. Her main focus happened to be the fact that everything seemed to be moving, like it was alive. 

Needless to say, she wasn't having a good time. 

Five minutes later she found herself back with the group, who were huddled before a large clearing. Steve was at the front, staring before them in wonder. "All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub."

Stella's eyes were wide as took in the area, shocked to find at least ten different entrances to other passages, such as they one they had just come out of. They were all being fed into the heart in the centre, a large platform clearing marking that it was important. 

"Let's drench it," Mike responded, his voice filled with determination. No hesitated in stepping forward and fulfilling his demand, completely saturating the core of the tunnels. Stella ended up scouting the area, making sure the kids knew what they were doing (also that they weren't getting any gasoline on themselves), while Steve got huffy at Dustin for something he was doing wrong. 

"I'm all out," Lucas called.

"Me too," Max piped up, shaking her tin so that the last few droplets could fall before throwing it onto the ground. 

"Done," Dustin muttered, doing the same with the steel tub he was carrying. Mike soon joined, and Steve waved them over, making sure everyone was behind them. 

Stella reached into her pocket and pulled out the lighter Dustin had given her in the car, passing it over to Steve. He inhaled softly, trying not to let his nerves show. "You guys ready?"

"Ready."

"Light her up," Dustin ordered, and Steve flicked open the lighter, igniting the bright orange flame. 

"I am such deep shit," he mumbled, before throwing the flame into the gasoline soaked scene. Stella gasped as the room instantly burst into flames, flinching as the heat hit her face and sucked all of the oxygen out of the air. Before she could get herself up, Steve had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to her feet. "Go, go, go!"

Stella didn't know she could run as fast as she did in that moment, her feet hitting the soggy ground at the speed of light. She didn't care about the quality of her sneakers anymore, she was a little more adamant on getting out of the damp, unearthly hell. 

She didn't know how much further there was to go, but she had faith they'd make it. By setting fire to the heart of the burrow, they'd grab the attention of the mind flayer, which meant Eleven and Hopper would have less of a struggle. Stella, as well as the other members of the party all managed to forget that by setting the mind alight, all the demodogs would be on their tail. 

As they reached a part of the tunnels that happened to look somewhat familiar, Mike tripped over in front of the teenage girl, who gasped as she saw roots appear from the ground and wrap around him. She immediately reached down to grab his arms, and he latching his hands around her wrist. She gasped out in pain as her broken hand was once again throw out of whack, but there was no way she was going to let anything happen to Mike. 

"Help!" Mike screamed, both him and Stella struggling to get him free. 

"Steve!" Stella yelled out desperately, feeling useless with her limited strength. Lucas, Max and Dustin quickly came to her aid and grabbed Mike by the arms and waist, trying to heave him out. 

"Get out of the way!" Steve called as he rushed forward, swinging his baseball bat over his head before slamming it down on the tentacle. A squeal escaped it as it coiled away from the Wheeler boy, who was instantly pulled into Stella's arms. The neighbours held each other tightly, Mike's frightened tears fogging up his goggles. 

"You're okay," she assured him, and he inhaled sharply as he tried to catch his breath. Before she could get another word out, a terrifyingly familiar voice caught the party off guard. Her head snapping to the side, her grip quickly tightened on Mike and she reached out with her other arm to obtain a grasp on Lucas. 

She hadn't even realised that she had dropped her mallet. 

Dustin had pushed himself to the front of the group, and for once, he had unconsciously decided to be the human shield. Steve reached to grab his shoulder, but the curly-haired boy didn't move. Stella's eyes were wide as she stared past the kid and towards the giant demodog snarling before them. 

"Dart," Dustin muttered lowly, taking a hesitant step forward. 

"Dustin, get back," Stella snapped, her breath hitching in her throat. She wanted to jump forward and stop him, but she also had to hold back Mike and Lucas from doing the same, as she didn't want them getting hurt as well. Her voice was one of the many trying to stop Dustin, but he didn't listen, he only held his hand up to shut them all up. 

"Trust me," he responded confidently, and Stella's jaw tightened as she was forced to watch him inch closer to the animal he had once befriended. He bent over slightly to interact with the animal, trying to maintain something of a confident persona as he pulled his bandanna away from his mouth to reveal his face. "Hey. It's me, it's me. It's just your friend, Dustin. It's Dustin, all right? You remember me? Will you let us pass?"

Stella suddenly forgot how to breathe as she watched the interaction take place. The tension was so thick you could slice through it with a blunt kitchen knife. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Dart's face opened up to reveal the haunting rows of teeth. Dustin, however, didn't flinch. 

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do," Dustin managed to apologise in a calm voice, before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a Three Musketeers. "You hungry? Yeah?"

"He's insane," Lucas whispered, to which Mike elbowed him sharply in the stomach (Steve then told them both to shut up).

"I've got our favourite, see? Nougat," Dustin began unwrapping the candy bar he conveniently had with him, drawing the attention of Dart, who stepped forward curiously. Dustin then placed the candy on the ground carefully, leaving the demodog some comfortable space to consume it. Shockingly enough, Dart did lean down and begin to eat the chocolate bar. Dustin used this to his advantage, waving towards everyone behind him, urging them to slip past. "Eat up, buddy. Come on, come on."

"Let's go," Stella whispered, loosening her hold on the boys and allowing Mike to hold her hand. She carefully pulled him around Dart and Dustin, eyeing the pair cautiously, hoping they weren't making things worse for themselves in that moment. 

Dustin slowly got up and Stella took a step towards him as he stepped away from his former pet, all of them watching as Dart turned back to observe them for a moment, before continuing to eat the candy. The curled boy sighed quietly. "Goodbye, buddy."

Steve then gestured them to hurry up, and now that Dustin was safe, they could move at a quicker pace. The group rushed through the tunnels towards where they dropped in, though moments later a loud rumbling shot through the ground, throwing them all off their feet. Stella managed to keep her balance, but had to bend down to help Lucas and Max up. The redhead seemed particularly bothered. "What was that?"

A distant howl echoed through the passage, and Mike's grip on his flashlight began to tremble. "They're coming. Run, run!"

"Let's go, let's go!" Steve shrieked, and everyone broke into a sprint, trying not to trip over anything before they reached the end. 

"There's the rope!" Lucas yelled as they turned the final corner, the hole above them providing illumination, like a beacon of light leading them home. "Come on!"

As soon as they reached the rope, Stella and Steve grabbed the first child in sight, which happened to be Max. They heaved her up the rope and she climbed the rest of the short distance on her own. Then it was Lucas, followed by Mike. The shrieking of the monsters grew closer as Dustin dashed forward. Stella knew they couldn't get him up in time. She grabbed a tight hold of him and put herself in front of his body, while Steve picked up his bat and held it high, ready to swing. 

The shadows of the mutant dogs appeared at the turn of the corner, and Stella felt Dustin's hands grasp her around her stomach from behind, and as the monsters advanced, she closed her eyes and hoped it wasn't the end. 

Instead of the pain she thought she feel once the demodogs reached their meaty bodies, she felt something brush against her legs. Then she felt it again, and again. Her eyes shot open and she looked down, gasping when she saw the hundreds of animals running past them all, towards something greater. 

So, thinking quickly, she pulled away from Dustin and forced the child between her and Steve, who reached out and grabbed them both, pulling them close so that they created more space for the dogs to run past. Their heavy breathing was synced, and Stella felt utterly sick to her stomach. 

In less than a moment, the tunnel was once again clear, and she could barely see through her fogged goggles. As she and Steve pushed Dustin out of the passages, it all seemed to be a blur. Soon enough, his hands were around her and he was lifting her up, and she was forced to clench her weak fists, groaning in pain as she thought about the new cast she'd probably need in the morning. The party had grasped her arms and tugged her the rest of way, checking on her as she collapsed in the dirt. 

"Star? Star," was all she heard, and she stirred slightly when she was lifted off the ground and forced onto her feet. An arm wrapped around her shoulders and held her steady, and she began muttering curses as the adrenaline completely wore off, leaving her feeling nothing but totally fragile, combined with an agonising pain that stretched across her entire being.

As she opened her squinted eyes, she lifted her hand to shield her view from the car lights, which seemed to be growing brighter by the second. She turned to hide her face in the shoulder of whoever was holding her up. Steve. 

Though just as quickly as the brilliance came, it left. The pumpkin patch was engulfed in near darkness, the limited gleam coming from the dim car headlights. Stella felt as if her chest were about to implode, and she reached up to pulled down her bandanna and remove her glasses. She then dropped them on the ground, knowing it was done. 

"I want you all to promise me something," she mumbled hoarsely, claiming the attention of the party. She glanced over at them, her downright exhausted expression clear as day. "Try not to let this happen again? I don't think I could handle a third time round."

Breathless chuckles ensued, and Steve pulled the tired girl into an embrace. One by one, the kids in their company joined in, all of them being relieved of duty for now. 

They deserved their moment of triumph.

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OOF BITCHES CAN YOU BELIEVE SEASON TWO IS ALMOST DONE?!?!?!

HOW WILD.

anywHOM ,, tell me what you thought of the chapter! it might have gone bit quickly, but the party's storyline down in the tunnels didn't get a lot of screen time, and homegirl stella is one tired bitch (do you blame her??)

ALSO!! i was nominated for best steve harrington fic in @strangerthingsclub2 's awards! it'd be lovely if you voted for me, i'm not expecting to win or anything but wouldn't it be cool?? obviously you don't have to, it's completely your choice!! xx

i'll see you guys later, possibly with the last chapter of the book until season three!! 

xo