ACT ONE
the tunnels.

ARLO GIGGLED TO HIMSELF as he listened to Steve yell at the children, his frustration seeming to get the best of him.

Arlo didn't quite understand why Steve was so mad over the kids game, not understanding just how dangerous what they were doing was.

"Where do you think you're going?——What are you, deaf? Hello?" Steve yelled keeping his eyes trained on Dustin, who was carrying a can of gasoline.

"I'll join!" Arlo caved in, not sure what he was joining in but liking the idea of pissing off his ex-friend.

"Absolutely not. We're not going down there, I made myself clear—Don't hand him goggles!"

Steve then yanked the goggles out of Arlo's hands, handing them back to Max.

Once the goggles were back in the redhead's hands, she shrugged once before tossing them back in the trunk. Helping her friends get ready to climb into the hole.

"There is no chance we're going in that hole, all right?" Steve yelled.

"Steve—calm down, man. They're not hurting nobody."

Arlo defending the kids only made Steve's head shoot towards the boy. His eyebrows furrowed as he mouth was dropped open, seeming to realize something. "Wait—Why are you here? You—you shouldn't—No.. No. This ends right now!"

"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—Now, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe, so.. Keep us safe."

Arlo scoffed at the mention of Nancy, his pounding headache seeming to make the argument that much more confusing.

The Harrington boy then sighed, grabbing a bat from the trunk as he did. The speech seeming to strike a nerve.

"Arlo, just—stay up here." Steve spoke, beginning to trudge towards the hole. Dustin behind him.

While Arlo didn't say anything in response, he knew he was far too nosy and bored to stay above the large dirt hole.

     Arlo landed on the ground with a thud, grimacing as his hand touched a slimy vine. His headache never ceasing.

He then glanced both ways before standing up, squinting as he examined the tunnels.

"What the hell.." He mumbled to himself, wiping the excess slime onto his pants.

It was then that he heard Steve rushing the kids, making the bleach blonde boy followed the sound of his voice. Deeper into the tunnels.

Arlo tiptoed over the vines, an anxious feeling humming in his chest as he did so. He wasn't sure why the tunnels made him so nervous, he assumed it was just an adrenaline rush.

Yet when Dustin's scream loudly echoed throughout the tunnels, Arlo figured that maybe he had a right to feel so anxious.

Despite the nervousness he still ran closer, hoping to save the child from whatever lingered in the shadows.

"Help! Help—shit!" Dustin screamed as Arlo finally reached him, his first instinct being to pat the boy's back.

"Dustin—hey, man—damn, calm down."

"It's in my mouth! It's in my mouth!" Dustin yelled, panicking far too much to question the boy being in the tunnels. "Shit!"

It was then that the group rounded the corner again, seeming just as panicked as the curly haired boy.

"What happened?" Steve yelled, making a mental note to ask why Arlo was here after he was sure Dustin was okay.

"Some got in my mouth!" Dustin screamed again, this time ending his sentence with loud coughing.

The group stared in pure shocked as he coughed, not sure how to help him. Fortunately for them, when Dustin sat back up in a much more calm manner. He seemed to have gotten in out. "I'm okay."

"You serious?" Lucas mumbled.

"Very funny, man.. Nice." Steve placed his hands on his hips, now turning his attention to Arlo. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Don't worry about it." Arlo stood up from his previous kneeling position, following behind where Max and Lucas had walked off to.

"Dont worry about it?" Steve repeated the words, making Dustin giggle a little as the Harrington boy helped him up.

        Arlo still didn't understand what was going on. His confusion only worsened when the group refused to answer his questions, rending him silent.

So, he leaned against the vine covered walls, his jaw dropped due to the sight in front of him. That being the kids and Steve drenching the tunnels with gasoline.

"Damn—y'all take games too far."

"It's not a game!—It's not a game.. This is serious shit." Dustin spoke, temporarily pausing from pouring gasoline to glare at the boy.

Arlo raised his hands up as his own personal white flag, holding back a laugh at the boy's seriousness.

It was then that Steve stopped helping the kids, turning his attention to Arlo. "What the hell happened to you?"

He placed his hands on his hips as he spoke, his busted face being unseen due to the bandana over his nose and mouth.

"Billy and I got into an argument." Arlo lied, crossing his arms as he refocused his eyes on the scene. "Why are you drenching this shit in gasoline?"

"We're gonna light it up." Steve stated, making Arlo's eyes widen as he turned back to him. Unsure if he was joking or not.

Unfortunately, before he could ask; the kids rushed over. Dustin being the first one to talk to Steve. "You ready?"

"Are you?" Steve questioned, subtly pushing the kids behind him as he kneeled down.

When he got confirmation from all four kids, he then turned to Arlo. Who was still standing up against the vine-filled wall.

"Leone." Steve spoke, tilting his head behind him as if to silently tell his friend to get behind him.

Arlo understood, making him trudge to stand beside Lucas while Steve got out his lighter.

"Light 'er up."

With Dustin's words, Steve dropped the lighter. Making the vines simultaneously shoot into the air. Failing around in pain as the fire burned them.

"Holy shit." Arlo mumbled, unable to pull his eyes away from the growing fire in front of him.

Fortunately for the Leone boy, when Steve yanked his shirt. He was able to get Arlo out of his temporary shock. Pulling him behind him as he ran after the kids.

Arlo mumbled curses as he watched the scene unfold. Mike had a vine tangled around his foot, Steve opting to take a bat to the vine. Mike's pleas for help filling the air.

The vine eventually slithered backwards at the hits, Arlo's mouth dropping as it did so. "What the fuck? What the fuck is going on—"

"Are you okay?" Lucas questioned Mike, nobody answering Arlo's questions.

Steve then rushed the kids to move, not that it mattered seeing as a low growling suddenly filled their ears. Making everyone freeze on the spot.

It was then that Arlo caught sight of a small creature. It's face deformed, it's body resembled that of a small dog; minus the slime that covered it.

"Dart." Dustin spoke, Arlo remaining silent as his heart skipped beats in his chest.

The creature growled louder, making the Leone boy take a few steps back. Unsure what was happening.

"It's Dustin, all right?" The curly-haired boy then kneeled, removing his mask as he did so. "You remember me?—Will you let us pass?"

The creature hissed, this time his face seeming to open up as he did so. Lines of teeth on full display.

"I'm sorry—I'm sorry about the storm cellar, that was kind of a douchey thing to do. You hungry? Yeah?"

"He's insane." Lucas mumbled, making Steve scold him for talking.

While Arlo wanted to pull his eyes away from the disgusting monster, he also couldn't. Still watching intently as Dustin handed the creature a piece of candy from his backpack.

"I've got our favorite. See? Nougat."

The creature began to eat the candy, its head facing the ground as he did so.

Dustin took this as an opportunity to let everyone slip by, the group quietly tiptoeing around the dog-like monster while Dustin fed him. "I've got more.. See?"

Dustin dropped a few more pieces, standing up as Dart finished them off. "Goodbye, buddy."

"Let's go. Let's go!" Steve whisper-screamed, subtly checking on Arlo as he rushed the kids out. "Leone, come on."

Arlo didn't reply, stumbling after Steve in silence as his brain racked through possible explanations for everything he had just witnessed.

     A loud screech stopped the group in their tracks, Arlo's thoughts momentarily pausing as his heartbeat quickened. "What the fuck is that?"

"They're coming." Mike answered, seeing the shadows dance along the vines. The boy then turned around, continuing his sentence. "Run."

The group listened instantly, Arlo's following right behind Lucas.

Unfortunately, the twisting and turning of the damp tunnels did nothing but make the boy's head pound more. Which caused his nervousness to turn into irritation as he ran.

"Go, go, go!" Arlo whisper yelled, his current state turning to hope for just a second as he saw the rope hanging down.

"Come on! Come on!" Steve yelled, starting to help the kids get up the rope.

Max was first, Steve had lifted her into the air as Arlo began to lift Lucas. Pushing him toward the opening as soon as Max had gotten out.

Arlo mumbled a few more rushed words, his nervousness worsening as the creatures screeched from a distance.

Mike and Dustin were next, the teenagers being sure that all the kids were fully out before Steve turned to Arlo. "Hurry, hurry!"

Steve was now kneeling on the ground, using his clasp hands to be a step-stool for his friend.

Arlo immediately accepted the help, climbing through the hole as soon as he reached it. Ignoring the dirt that now covered his hands.

The group on the ground picked the rope, the Leone boy being the one to rush Steve. "Come on."

Steve didn't listen, instead he stayed in his spot. Grabbing his baseball bat as he stared down the tunnel.

"Steve—Steve!" Arlo temporarily let go of the rope, peering down at the boy through the opening. "C'mon!"

Steve ignored his friend's pleas, the footsteps of the creatures keeping his full attention. His bat still raised.

When the monsters got closer Arlo had to look away, not wanting to witness the next events.

He expected a scream, he expected some type of sound that indicated that Steve had been attacked. Yet, when the only sound that filled his ears were the same footsteps, it was clear that hadn't happened.

Arlo then looked back at the sight, shocked to see the monsters running around Steve. Completely ignoring the teenager.

The group stayed silent, not wanting to risk changing the creatures mind as they watched. Their eyes wide.

The demodogs were running to something, they just didn't know what.

     Once Steve had finished dusting himself off, someone pushing his shoulder harshly caught him off guard. "Dumbass—man, you're bleeding! Have you seen jaws? It could've——What the fuck were those things?"

Arlo's question remained unanswered when the car lights suddenly turned on, seeming brighter than before.

The boy squinted at the light, trying to tune out the buzzing that also came from the vehicle.

Although Arlo was confused by the car suddenly turning on, the group around him seemed unphased. Clearly understanding why the car lights had turned on.

As quick as they turned on, they turned back off. Returning the group to darkness as Arlo's head paced.

While he wasn't sure what had just happened, he knew that asking questions would probably just leave him more confused.

That reminder being the only reason he remained quiet, realizing they'd most likely fill him in on the way back. Even if he didn't want to know.