chapter ix .
back on lover's lake

AS IT TURNED OUT, VAL HAD AWFUL DEPTH PERCEPTION IN THE DARK. She tripped over at least fourteen different vines or roots and ran into practically every tree they passed—which was quite a few, considering they were in fact hiking through the woods. After her eighth run-in with a tree, she finally decided to linger towards the back of the group, because at least then nobody could see it when it happened. 

     Max seemed to have the same idea, but, Val thought, probably for different reasons, since there wasn't a twig in her red hair announcing the fact that she had run into an oak tree. All this just to say that after about a half-mile of hiking, Val and Max found themselves bringing up the rear of the group.

It was no use walking in awkward silence, so Val searched her mind for something to start up conversation about. Up ahead, Lucas tripped over a root and cursed to himself—Val raised an eyebrow, suddenly struck with a question.

"So," she began, her voice low so only Max could hear her, "what's the deal with him? Sinclair, I mean. I just.. I'd thought he was all buddy-buddy with Mason and them. Why's he with us now?"

     Max's brow creased in confusion, like it hadn't even occurred to her that Lucas's switch from the dark side was even questionable. "Well, he's our friend. He was in the.. party, or whatever. We've been through a lot of shit together."

     Val raised her eyebrows. "Really? Could've fooled me," she said, tucking her hands in her pockets. "So he's one of you, huh? God, I can't believe all of you went through this shit before. It's just... Every time I think I've caught up, I get lost again."

"Yeah, you'll never fully make it," Max advised. "I've been dealing with all this for two years now, and I still don't think I fully understand everything. Plus, all of them are losers, so.."

     A smile danced across Val's lips. "They don't seem too bad. Unless you're talking about Steve—then, yeah, he seems like a loser to me."

Max laughed aloud. There followed a backwards glance from Lucas, a wistful gaze with sparkling eyes. Val caught it, if it only lasted for milliseconds. Her lips parted in a silent gasp, realization pausing her in her tracks. Max followed suit, clearly confused—until Val pointed between Lucas and Max, a slow smile spreading on her lips.

     "You and Sinclair, huh?" she asked, ignoring Max's growing protests. She waved her flashlight in the redhead's face. "Little lovebirds? Yeah, that's pretty cute."

"No," Max said forcefully and with no more elaboration.

"Please," Val scoffed, "even I can see it, and I haven't been in love ever in my entire life. I don't know what happened between you and Lucas, but it seems like neither do either of you. So.. get that figured out first, okay?"

     "Oh, like you're some sort of love expert," Max said, her face screwed up irritatedly. "Don't tell me I like Lucas when you can't even tell yourself that you're in love with The Freak over there."

     Val froze in her tracks, staring at Max with her jaw hanging wide open. "What?"

     "Nothing," Max said. She shrugged playfully. "I won't say anything if you don't say anything."

     "No, shitbrain, tell me what you mean."

     "Just don't worry about it. You'll get it when you're older."

     "Max, what—?"

     Dustin's voice called from up front, interrupting the very confusing and very intriguing conversation between the pair: "We're here!"

After sharing a suspicious glare with each other, Val and Max caught up with the rest of them. The compass had led them right back to where Val never ever wanted to go back to in her entire life: Lover's Lake. Just twenty-four hours ago, she had been on a boat a few miles out, watching Patrick's sick, gruesome death. Unable to do a single thing to stop it. And here she was, returning to exactly where Patrick had died, trying to hunt down the thing that was doing the killing. The stupid D&D monster.

If everything ever managed to blow over, Val decided she wanted to take back her offer to play Dungeons and Dragons with Eddie's club. Nothing could ever convince her to go near a D&D board after this.

Their group stumbled to a stop at the shore of Lover's Lake. Dustin held up his compass. "This is it."

"Lover's Lake," Val said. She shared a furtive glance with Eddie. "You have to be shitting me."

     "Yeah, hey, guys," Eddie said, tossing an arm around Val's shoulders. "We will leave this part to the experts. Val and I are going to—"

     "No, we're fine," Val said pointedly, staring at his hand with disgust before manually picking it up and dropping it at his side. "Right, Munson?"

     He gave her a smile. "Right, Valerie."

     She sneered a sardonic smile as Steve bent down next to her and picked up a stone. He stared at it for a moment before putting his other hand on his hip and tossing the rock into the water. Everyone watched it sink for a minute.

Val turned her head to Steve, blinking. "Was that for.. authenticity purposes? Did you have to check if it's real?"

     His mouth fell open in silent defenses, stammering out an explanation. "I—y-yeah, I—just.. wanted to... y'know, make sure it wasn't—"

     She waited a moment, staring at him. "Steve, have you ever been kicked in the back of your knee before?"

     He frowned in thought. "Not that I can remember, why—?"

     Valerie grunted as she dead-legged him right in the crook of his left knee. He groaned, losing his balance. He would have fallen over if he didn't grab her shoulder to stabilize himself. Steve gave her a glare.

     "Real funny, goth girl," he said.

     "Always a pleasure, hair guy," she replied, dusting off his shoulder amusedly.

"Got it!" came Dustin's loud voice, echoing across the lake. A few splashes followed suit. Val pictured him falling in as he reached for the boat and held back a laugh. Unfortunately, when he emerged from the underbrush to her left, Dustin was very dry. He was dragging a boat in the water beside him. "Okay, I got it."

     "So there's a gate in Lover's Lake?" Max asked, arms crossed and headpiece to her Walkman hanging from her neck. "How is that possible?"

     "Whenever the Demogorgan attacked," Nancy said, and Val just nodded her head like she knew what the hell a Demogorgan was, "it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna's the same way."

     "Yeah," Steve said, pursing his lips in disappointment, "only one way to find out, so."

Eddie and Steve positioned themselves so they were on either side of the boat, holding it steady with one hand and holding out the other to help the girls step into the vessel. Robin went first, testing out the waters. The boat rocked a tad, but overall she was able to keep her balance. She gave the rest of them a thumbs-up. Nancy went next, holding onto Steve's shoulder for balance.

"God, I'm gonna kill myself," Val muttered, stepping heavily into the boat. She pushed her open palm onto Eddie's face to 'keep her stability,' but it was more because she thought the spluttering noise he made against her hand was extremely amusing. When she made it into the boat, he gave her an unimpressed look. She smiled at him harmlessly.

Dustin and Max both started for the boat, but Steve and Val held out a hand, blocking their respective child from entering and giving them nonplussed looks.

"Not happening, nope," Val said to Max, at the same time Steve told Dustin, "Dude, do you wanna sink us?"

Dustin and Max shared a bewildered glance. "What?"

Steve shook his head. "Nah, this thing holds five people, tops, okay?"

"It's better this way," Nancy said, pretty convincingly. "Dustin, you and Lucas keep an eye on Max. Max... you keep an eye on them."

"And don't get in any trouble," Steve added, pushing the boat off the shore. At the last second, he jumped for it, landing heavily in the open spot on the seat next to Nancy.

"You don't get in any trouble!" Dustin called after them, rushing as far forward as he could without getting his feet wet. "It's my goddamn theory!"

"What Nancy says, goes," Val said. "She's in charge."

     Dustin's face screwed up angrily. "Says who?"

     Robin shrugged. "Says Val." She held out a hand. "The compass, Henderson!"

     He seemed pretty upset about it, but he tossed the tool out to the boat anyways. Robin caught it against her chest and saluted him. Val gave the rest of the kids a wave as they disappeared into the darkness beyond the shore. Right before they vanished from sight, she yelled, "Listen to Max! She's in charge now!"

     A few argumentative remarks were shouted, but by then she was much too far to make them out, so she figured that meant she'd had the last word. She picked up the second oar and helped Steve paddle whilst Nancy directed them with the clocked-out compass. They headed about a mile out, until Nancy's compass went berserk almost exactly where Val and Eddie estimated Patrick died.

     "What's going on?" Eddie said, sitting up in alarm. "Why are we stopping?"

     Val rolled her eyes. "We're here, stupid."

     Steve stood up in the boat, stripping off his shirt and kicking off his shoes. "Somebody's gotta go down there and check this thing out. Unless one of you four can top being Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, it's gotta be me. No complaints."

     "Hey, I don't wanna go down there," Eddie said, "so I am not complaining."

     "Neither is Nancy," Val muttered, watching the girl stare at Steve destitute of a shirt. Robin shoved Val's shoulder, but she was smiling.

     Eddie wrapped the flashlight in a plastic shopping bag to waterproof it. Suddenly feeling like she needed to help in some way since everyone else was, Val reached for Steve's shirt and folded it nicely. She caught Eddie staring at her and gave him a 'What are you staring at?' scowl. He just broke into a smile, shaking his head in something that looked like disbelief.

     "Good luck down there," Robin told Steve. She took the flashlight from Eddie and handed it to him. "Try not to die."

     "Yep, thanks," Steve said, accepting the flashlight. He turned to the rest of the group and gave them a grim look. "I'll, uh, head down and look around for a bit. We can talk when I get back up."

     "W—well, how long will you be gone?" Eddie asked, his eyes darting to the water anxiously. "It can't be that deep, can it?"

"Yeah, but the depth of it doesn't matter," Robin pointed out. "If there's really a gate down there, it doesn't matter if it's two feet down or ten feet. Worst case scenario, Steve will probably get, like, sucked down into the gate, but by that point we'll probably notice and go after him, so really there's probably nothing to worry about, except for the fact that Val's eyes look really weird right now—"

     Nancy, Eddie, and Steve spun around to face her and see what Robin was talking about. Val's eyes were wide, rimmed with bloodshot veins and her pupils dilated. She was staring into the distance with an open mouth. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, beginning to glisten with sweat.

"Holy shit," Eddie murmured, turning to face her fully, "no, no, no—Val, come on, Val, stay with us here—"

Nancy put a hand on Val's forehead, looking to Eddie with urgency. "Is this the same thing that happened to—"

"Chrissy and Patrick," Eddie confirmed, his voice straining with horror. He reached out and took hold of Val's face by the cheeks. "Valerie, come on, wake up—Val, please, don't leave me right now—"

"Music!" Robin yelled suddenly. "We gotta play music! Do any of you know her favorite song, or something?"

     "Oh, Jesus, she told me yesterday—" Eddie clutched his head, striving as hard as he could to remember. When he did, he stood up on the boat, pointing at Val urgently. "It's—shit, man, it's Edge of Seventeen!"

     "How are we supposed to play any music all the way out here?" Steve asked. He lunged for the oars. "Nance, Nance, help me paddle us back in; Max has her Walkman, I bet she has a Fleetwood Mac tape—"

"Nah, man, I have a better idea." Eddie's eyes narrowed on the boathouse in which he and Val had been hiding for days. "Head back that way! Go, go, go, go!"