‧₊ ·˚ ༘❁ ┊ep 2. vecna's curse. ▬▬▬▬▬▬
꒰ ✎ ꒱ؘ STARGIRL, a stranger things fanfiction

"Franny! Franny!" Max was banging on the door to her room. Franny was sound asleep not hearing Max. "Franny!" Max took a loud bang as she barged open. Max shook her. "Wake up!" Franny awoke slightly.

"Where's your remote to your TV?" Max asked as she searched Franny's room. "What? How did you even get in?" Franny asked right after she yawned. "Kirby was late for work so she let me in," Max replied still searching for the remote.

Max finally found it and turned on the TV where she went to the News Channel. "This is all over the news. Believe me."

Although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family.

Was heard on the news. "What the fuck— Who died?" Franny asked now getting up to find fresh clothes. "Chrissy Cunningham," Max told her.

Franny wanted to cry there and then.

As you can see behind me, Chief Powell and the Hawkins Police Department are actively investigating the scene.

"How do you know it's Chrissy?" Franny asked taking off her shirt and replacing it with the new one. Max didn't care if she was changing right in front of her they've been best friends for over three years so it didn't really matter.

"I saw... I saw her on the ground all deformed." Max turned to her as Franny placed her pants.

Franny watched the news as Max told her everything. "They're probably gonna start saying... Eddie Munson did this, and we both know he'd never do anything like this. They're going to frame him."

Franny looked back to Max. "We should call Dustin." She whispered to her as Max went downstairs to her phone.

"Franny. Where's your mom?" Max asked furrowing her brows. "She went somewhere with Murray, I'm not sure," Franny replied before grabbing the phone and calling Dustin.

Max nodded. "Dustin! Hey, you've seen the news right?" Franny asked as Dustin replied, "Mhm. Whoever did this is so fucking crazy!"

Max took the phone from Franny. "Hey. Can we come over?" Max asked as Dustin didn't reply. Max exhaled with her mouth closed. "Can. We. Come. Over Dustin?" Max asked once more.

"Yeah, sure, I guess." And with that Max placed the phone back on the phone holder as they left Franny's house as biked to Dustin's.

They quickly biked there as Dustin waited for the two with his mom. Once they arrived they rushed off their bikes and rang Dustin's doorbell.

Dustin quickly opened it to see the two girls standing in front of his door. Dustin walked them in as he shut the door. "My room is down the hall to the left." Dustin gave directions as Franny followed Max to his room.

Dustin followed shortly after. "We know who was killed." Max turned to Dustin as he paused in his tracks to close the door. "Who?"

"Chrissy Cunningham." Franny told him as he turned to her with wide eyes, Dustin gulped, "Chrissy Cunningham? You guys are sure it was Chrissy?" Dustin asked as he paced back and forth in his room.

"Yes, she was in her cheerleader outfit. The same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie." Max added seeing the two together last night.

Dustin turned to her as he stopped near his closet. He placed his hands on his hips as he paced more and more. "Did you tell all this to the cops?" He asked as Max shook her head. "No. The first person I told was Franny, but I... I can't be the only one who saw them together. They stood out."

Dustin sighed. "Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?" Dustin scoffed. "Sylvia told him she saw them. When he was doing a drug deal. She also said she's never seen them talk. So she said it was probably for drugs or a fuck but who knows...." Franny trailed off as she paced with Dustin.

"Exactly. You know, his name isn't in the news or anything yet, but people are guaranteed that he did this." Max stated pointing her finger down at the ground.

"That's crazy! Eddie didn't do this. No way." Dustin corrected. Max looked to the side with her biting the inside of her cheek. "We can rule it out."

"Yes, we can," Dustin argued. "Dustin!" Franny called out. "You guys don't know him as I do. He's really fun to be around with." Dustin told the girls as Max crossed her arms and sighed. Max rolled her eyes.

"When we got to high school, Lucas and Franny made all their sports friends. Mike and me? I mean, no one was nice to us." Dustin paused as Franny felt guilty for leaving Dustin and Mike for sports. "No one but Eddie."

"Okay. Well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy." Dustin looked at Max with furrowed eyebrows. "Yeah he's a super nice guy, but then he's murdering women on the weekend."

Franny and Dustin furrowed their brows. "So you're saying Eddie is like Ted Bundy?" Dustin asked as Max shook her head. "No, I'm not saying — I'm saying that we can't presume anything, okay?"

Dustin sighed placing his hands up in the air. Max continued talking about Eddie as Franny sighed dragging her hands on her face and dragging them down her face.

Dustin fell back on his bed as Franny did the same fulling laying down. Her hands were on her stomach as she breathed slowly.

The room went silent as Max sighed. Dustin finally broke the silence. "Why haven't you told the cops this?"

Max struggled with her words. "I... I don't know." She crossed her arms. Franny got up from her elbows. "Maybe we can tell Kirby about this, she'll believe us, I mean she's already seen some crazier shit than us," Franny added as Max and Dustin looked to her.

"Yeah but..." Max went to go sit on the bed next to the two, "when I saw Eddie and Chrissy go into the trailer. Something else happened."

Franny fully rose from the bed. "What kind of stuff did you see?" Franny asked. Max gulped she exhaled quickly after. "The lights and the TV started flickering... I don't know how to explain it but, they were flickering. Then I looked outside and saw Eddie rush into his van and drive off all crazy."

Max sighed, "I wasn't that weird or anything. I mean... Eddie always drives like a manic, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But..." Franny watched her friend intensely. "This morning, I started to think back, and... I don't know. The look on his face."

Max looked off at the ground then turned her head to the two.

"He was scared. Really scared. Maybe he was scared because, you know, he... he just killed someone, or... maybe, um... maybe because. I don't... I don't know, maybe..."

"Something else killed her," Dustin replied as Franny's eyes went wide. Max meets Dustin's gaze and nods. "Yeah." She whispered quietly.

Franny gulped as Max looked at her. "But that's impossible. Right?" Dustin shook his head concerned. "I don't know."

"It is..." Franny chimed in. They turned to look at her, "I mean it's crazy and it should be impossible. Nothing like this ever happened. It would usually happen from a Demogorgon or a Demodog or even the Mind Flayer. Something's wrong." Franny gulped as she met the two's gaze fearfully.

"There's only one person who knows what actually happened." Dustin realized. Franny nodded. "Eddie," Franny replied as she grabbed her bag and ran out of Dustin's room.

Franny wanted to figure out what happened to her friend and her only real cheerleader friend.

The others didn't care or a give a single fuck about Franny.

They were only nice to her because she was only dating a basketball player.

She didn't feel bad. I mean she had real friends like, Max, Mike, El, Will, Dustin, Sylvia, Gabby (who unfortunately moved away due to last year, her dad just couldn't take it anymore), Chrissy, Robin, Steve, Erica, and of course her boyfriend, Lucas.

"Have you talked to anyone else, Max?" Dustin and Franny asked as Max shook her head. "No, Franny's the only one. Besides I can't contract Lucas or Nancy or even Mike because he's in—"

"California. Shit. Shit. Shit." Dustin opened the door right before his mom stopped him. "Dustin where are you going?"

"To see a friend." He smiled. "You heard the news. It's not safe!" Dustin nodded. "We'll be careful. Thanks. Love you. Bye." Dustin slammed the door shut before the three grabbed their bikes and rode off to Family Video where her sister, Robin, and Steve worked.

Franny biked as she remembers the memories she and Chrissy had. She held the tears as she biked and biked with Max and Dustin. "How far?" Max asked.

"Bout one mile." Franny and Dustin replied. "Then we better bike quick," Max replied before biking faster than the others. Franny quickly caught up with her biking twice more as Dustin. They finally arrived to Family Video as they placed their bikes down and entered the store.

Franny and Dustin opened the door for Max. The bell rings as Kirby and Steve look to see who entered. "Hey, Steve," Dustin told him as he gave a friendly gesture and a nod.

They walked to the counter. "You see this?" Steve pointed to the TV playing the news. "How many phones do you have?" Dustin asked. Steve glanced to the side then back to the group.

"Someone was murdered."

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin asked. "Two. Why?" Steve replied looking to Robin and Kirby. "Technically three, if you could Keith's." Robin chimed in. Franny, Dustin, and Max all looked at each other nodding.

"Yeah, three works for all three of us," Max added before Dustin took off his backpack and slid over the counter. Franny chuckled as she walked with Max to the counter.

Kirby and Steve clamored about their piles and tapes being knocked down by Dustin. "What are you doing, man?" Steve asked placing his hands on his hips.

Dustin typed to the computer as they continued to have a chat. "Get off of it," Steve asked. Dustin shook his head as he continued to type, "I need it."

"For what?" Steve asked. Franny looked to Steve. "Eddie's friends' phone numbers." She gulped as Steve gave a glance to her. "Eddie 'the freak' Munson? Are you fucking insane?" Steve scoffed before he turned to pick up his tapes. Franny nodded, "Is Sylvia on there?" She asked as Dustin wrote down phone numbers.

"Yes and all of them are on here even Mike." Dustin continued as he wrote down the numbers. "Can you give my Sylvia's? She would be so thrilled about what's happening with Eddie right now." Franny replied in a sarcastic tone.

Dustin gave a sarcastic smile back before ripping the piece of paper with Sylvia's number. "Hurry and get her." Dustin handed the paper before Franny grabbed it and punched in the number.

Franny waited for Sylvia to answer.

"Hello?" Mrs. Hernandez could be heard from the phone. "Hi! Mrs. Hernandez is Sylvia there?" She asked. Mrs. Hernandez sighed through the phone. "Yeah." She breathed annoyed. "She's here. Sylvia phone!" Mrs. Hernandez yelled out to her daughter before Sylvia ran down and grabbed the phone from her mother.

"Hey, it's Sylvia." She smiled through the phone. "Hey, Sully. Uhm can you come down to Family Video? We have some... trouble with Eddie." Franny closed her eyes as she slowly said the last part.

The phone went blank as Franny furrowed her brows in confusion. Franny took the phone out of her hand and she looked at the phone.

"What happened?" Max asked with her arms crossed.

"She hung... up?" Franny replied as she placed the phone back down on the holder. Max shuffled her arms as she gulped.

"Then if she hung up she must be coming to help or save her boyfriend." Kirby teased as she chuckled before holding the phone to her ear and dialing the numbers Dustin gave her.

Franny walked outside for Sylvia to arrive at the video store. Franny waited on the bench with her feet to the ground as she shuffled her feet together. She bit her nails as she waited.

Sylvia spotted Franny waiting for her to bite her nails. "Franny!" Sylvia called out. Franny smiled as she got up and waved to Sylvia.

"Come on. Inside." Franny walked her in as Sylvia nodded before walking in. "Steve," Sylvia muttered before raising her brows and walking to the counter. "Sully," Steve whispered as he gazed into her eyes.

She gave a small smile before talking to Max. Steve watched Franny, Sylvia, and Max all chatting about Chrissy and Eddie in the murders.

"I told myself, I wouldn't be involved in any of this. But, proof that I can't keep any promises." Sylvia crossed her arms as she replied to Max, Franny laughed as Max smiled and chuckled.

"Okay, I have to go call people now. Talk to you guys in a bit." Max waved as she walked to the phone and called a few people who knew Eddie.

"You were the first person I called or asked to call." Franny started. Sylvia looked up from the ground looking at Franny. "Really, Francis? Me? I'm flattered!" Sylvia gave a small laugh as Franny scrunched her nose.

Max placed down the phone. "Hey, guys, I might have a lead."

They all turned to Max before they all walked to her. "Seriously?" Dustin asked as Max nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from some guys named Reefer Rick, and sometimes Eddie crashes there." Max explained.

"Sound promising," Robin replied. Franny exhaled, "Where does Rick live?" Franny asked standing next to Dustin, "See that's the thing. No one knows." Max added, she paused for a second to catch her breath.

"He's more of a... a legend than someone that people actually know." Max squinted and furrowed her brows. "What about the last name?" Dustin asked. Max shook her head. "I don't know that either."

"Get the cops to know the last name." Steve chimed in. They all turned to Steve as he was organizing VHSs. "What? Steve, what are you talking about?" Sylvia asked furrowing her brows.

"Cops. I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer," Steve walked to the counter. "I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. Means he's in the system." Steve explained as Sylvia smirked. "Harrington's possibly right."

"Babe," Kirby looked to Robin, "could you maybe find all the Ricks in town?" Kirby asked as Robin nodded taking Dustin's place before searching all the Ricks in Hawkins.

Franny couldn't help but notice Steve staring at Sylvia as she watched Robin search for all the Ricks.

Steve eventually found himself staring at Sylvia and he looked to Franny who was smiling to herself as she found out Steve's secret. Because everyone had a secret, so she found out his.

"Guys. Twelve Rick already has accounts here." Robin chuckled to herself as they all gathered around. "Lots of Ricks." Max replied as Franny nodded, "Narrow it down." Franny told her as she clicked one of the Rick's rentals.

"Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo." Robin looked at Max. "What are our chances the drug dealer has a family." Max shook her head. "Not likely."

Robin nodded and went down to three more Ricks until they found the actual Rick they needed. They all laughed and chuckled as they found the Rick they needed.

"Lipton?" Max asked. "Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road." Robin replied. "That's out by Lovers Lake," Dustin added. "Middle of nowhere." Franny and Max said in sync.

Robin turned to Kirby and Steve. "Perfect place to hide."

Sylvia chimed in. "Well, can we go? My boyfriend's on the line of being arrested." Sylvia walked to the door as the others rushed out with her and to Kirby's car. "My car has more space for all of us, Steve. Meet you there." Kirby smirked as the group rushed to Kirby's car.

Steve gave a sarcastic laugh before getting into his own car. Robin takes out the map from the glove box and finds Lover's Lake. She moves her finger from the road they were on and points where her girlfriend needed to go.

"Okay..." Robin replied softly. "turn left here." Robin pointed to the road turning left. Kirby followed her gesture. Steve's car could be seen behind them.

Franny noticed Max's nose dripping blood. "Max are you okay?" Max turned to her giving her a confused look. "You're nose." Max brought her finger to her nose touching it before seeing blood on her finger.

Max grabbed tissues from her backpack and placed them in her nostril. "Yeah." She coughed. "I'm fine." She exhaled. Franny grabbed her hand before comforting Max.

The time they got there it was nightfall. Kirby's car pulled up and they all got out and walked to Rick's house. Dustin rang the doorbell as the others behind him held flashlights.

Dustin repeated ringing the bell. "Dustin!" Franny called out. "He's obviously not here." Franny was convinced he wasn't there but then she left as Dustin banged on the door.

"He's going to be the death of me," Franny muttered as she walked with Max to a shed. "Hey, guys?" Max called out before they all turned to her. They all joined her on the side of the house.

Max gazed at the stingy boat house in the distance of the property. A light shined over the door.

Sylvia walked past them to the door. "Sully, where are you going?" Franny asked as she followed her. "Finding Eddie," Sylvia replied back before she took Franny's flashlight and searched the windows.

Sylvia cracked open the door and shone the light in the dark room. The others followed behind her. "Hello? Is anyone home?" Robin called out searching the place.

Franny trailed behind Steve as she watched him pick up an oar. "Steve what are you doing?" She whispered to him as Steve jabbed the oar into objects covered by the tart.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kirby asked as Steve ignored her before poking more objects covered in the tart.

"He might be in here," Steve replied. "So take the tarp off dumbass," Kirby told him as he kept poking more. "If you're so brave you take it off." He responded back, Kirby rolled her eyes before turning back to Robin.

"Hey, look over here," Max called out as Robin, Kirby, and Franny walked to Max. Robin inspects the things on the table. "Someone was here the can is still full," Kirby replied taking the can.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin joked as Steve scoffed. "I know you think you're funny out of all your friends but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times," Steve left the oar in the box full of objects. "personally, I don't find it funny in the slight—"

Eddie jumped out with a broken bottle of glass and grabbed Steve and pinned Steve to the wall.

"Eddie!" Sylvia called out. "Let go of him." Eddie turned to Sylvia with a sigh of relief but he still turned his head back to Steve. "Eddie! Eddie. It's me." Dustin pointed to himself.

"It's Dustin. It's Sully and Franny." Franny nodded with wide eyes and a exhale. "This is Steve." Dustin pointed to him. "Clearly you went to high school with him, with us," Sylvia added, as she brought her mouth into a line.

"He's not gonna hurt you. Right, Steve?" Dustin asked as he nodded. "Right. Yeah." Steve gulped. Dustin told him to drop the oar as Steve did what he said, Eddie brought the broken glass closer to him.

Steve groans. "He's cool. He's cool." Dustin remarked. "I'm cool, man. I'm cool. I babysit these kids c'mon." Steve whispered to Eddie.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie asked still keeping his gaze on Steve. "We came looking for you," Dustin replied. "We're here to help," Robin added.

Eddie turned his gaze to the group. "Eddie, these are my friends." Max nodded. "You know Robin, from the band." Dustin imitated playing an instrument. "This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D." Max gave a wave to him. "This is Franny. She used to play D&D with but she left to play softball." Franny nodded giving him an apologetic look.

"And this is Sylvia, your..." Dustin trailed off, "Girlfriend. Yeah man I know, I asked her out for god's sake." Eddie replied and he sighed. "Eddie. We're on your side." Dustin added.

Eddie kept his gaze on them. "I swear on my mother!" Dustin called out. "Right guys?"

They all nodded, Yes. Yes. We swear." Max swore. "On Dustin's mother." Robin gulped. Steve nodded. "Yeah, Dustin's... Dustin's mother."

Eddie convinces Steve who grimes with the bottle still to his throat. Eddie let go of Steve and walked to Sylvia who brought him into a hug. "I'm glad you're okay," Sylvia whispered to him as he brought her into a tight and long hug.

Eddie pulled out to the hug as he slowly dropped to the ground. "Eddie..." Dustin slowly reached for the bottle. "We just want to talk."

Eddie jerked the bottle away. "Okay?" Dustin asked as Eddie gazed to him before he signaled the others to keep their distance. Robin walked closer to him. "We wanna know what happened."

Eddie looked to Robin before he sniffed. "You won't believe me." Eddie's voice braked as Sylvia sat next to him. "Try us." Max replied. Franny nodded. "We've seen some more stranger things than you have," Franny added as Eddie nodded,

Eddie looks at the two girls with tears in his eyes. Eddie stood up and walked to the seat where the tarp was. "Chrissy... her body just lifted up into the air and, uh..." His voice breaks once again.

"And she just, like, hung there." Eddie kept his eyes on the ground as Sylvia held his hand. "In the air. And her bones..." Eddie whimpered to himself remembering what happened to Chrissy. He gripped Sylvia's hand tighter.

"Her bones started to snap. Her eye's man. It... It was like there was something, like inside her head pulling." He used his hand to snap an invisible stick.

"I... I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away."

The group looked at Eddie. "I left her there." Eddie adverted his eyes to the group. He scoffs, "You all think I'm crazy, right?"

Dustin shook his head, "No. We don't think you're crazy."

"Then don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds."

"We're not bullshitting you," Max replied. "We're believing you." Franny nodded as she looked to Eddie. He exhaled before looking back to the ground.

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little.. difficult to take in..." Dustin started. Eddie nodded before Dustin went on. "You know how people say Hawkins... cursed?" Eddie kept his gaze on him. "They're not way off."

Franny gulped. "There's another world just like Hawkins." Franny started as Eddie turned to her she paused before crossing her arms. "But, it's a world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours."

"Like ghost and shits?" Eddie asked. Franny and Max turned their heads to each other. "There are some things worsts than ghosts." Max gulped before she turned to Eddie.

Dustin looked to Franny then back to Eddie. "These monsters from this other world... we thought they were gone."

"Turns out we were wrong," Franny added. "They've come back before," Dustin added to her sentence. "That's why we needed to find you."

"If they're back again, we need to know," Max questioned. "That night. Did you see anything?" Robin asked before Max continued on. "Dark particles, maybe?"

Eddie shakes his head. "No..." Dustin sighed, "It would almost look like dust, swirling dust."

"No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh... or touch," Eddie added. Franny brought her hand to her face before she sighed. "I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move."

"It was like she... she was in a trance or something."

Robin and Kirby exchanged looks. "Or under a spell." Eddie and Dustin exchanged looks. "A curse," Eddie added.

"Vecna's curse."

"Isn't he dead like from the last time we played?" Franny asked. Dustin turned to her. "Our last campaign with Will, Lucas, and Mike her was. But in Eddie's campaign..."

"He still lives."

"Who's Vecna?"

"An undead creature with great power." Franny and Dustin replied to Steve.