dig dug

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BREAKFAST AT THE SINCLAIR HOUSE WAS ALWAYS GOOD, it didn't matter what was served, it was always Scarlett's favorite meal. This morning Sue has whipped up some delicious buttermilk pancakes and toast, much to Scarlett's delight. Of course, she topped it with some strawberries and maple syrup, along with a slice of butter.

As she was munching on her pancakes, she glanced up to notice Erica, who had been pouring the maple syrup on her toast for quite some time now. She scrunched her nose in disgust, "Erica, are you planning on drowning your pancakes in syrup? They'll get soggy."

Sue chuckled from the kitchen, "I agree with Scar, that's enough, Erica."

"Uh-uh!" Erica disobeyed, continuing to squirt the maple syrup all over her plate, leaving Scarlett and Lucas to share a look of annoyance.

Lucas turned back to his father, "Dad?" Charles hummed as a response, glancing up from his newspaper. "When mom's mad at you, how do you make her not mad?"

Scarlett snorted at the question, covering her mouth as she did so. Sue had been in the process of sitting down as she shot Scarlett a scolding look. She apologized silently, taking another bite of her pancakes. "Hm, that's a great question. How do you, hun?" Sue grinned mischievously at her husband, awaiting his response.

"First, I apologize." Charles began, his eyes still glued to the newspaper. "Then, I get your mother whatever she wants."

"Even when she's wrong?" Lucas added curiously.

Charles lowered the newspaper so he could see Lucas, "She's never wrong, son."

"That's right." Mrs. Sinclair grinned, sharing a high five with her niece as Lucas got up, walking down the hallway. "Not hungry?"

"Not really." He called back, placing his dish in the sink and leaving the remaining four sitting at the table in confusion.

"Where you goin'?" Sue asked the boy who was heading towards the front door. Scarlett was wondering the same question, he'd been acting suspicious all morning.

Lucas seemed to hesitate for a second before continuing, "To.. hang out with Dustin." He dashed out of the room without another word. Scarlett knew something was up with him, maybe she'd ask him later.

"Hm. Wonder what that was all about." Charles shrugged, flipping the newspaper over to begin reading the other side.

Scarlett shook her head, not quite knowing herself. Upon finishing her breakfast, she politely excused herself from the table and headed to her room. She had three comics from Lucas' stack to finish before she was to return them, and she did surprisingly enjoy reading them.

Hours flew by, and Scarlett had officially completed all fifty total of the comic books Lucas had lent her. She felt pride when she stacked them up, making her way over to Lucas's room to return them.

Though as she entered, she was not pleasantly greeted, as Lucas' walkie-talkie sat on his dresser, Dustin's voice screeching through non-stop. She groaned, tossing the comic books on his bed.

"Code red. This is a code red! Dustin here, seriously. I have a code red!"

"Is there a specific code for... shut up?" Scarlett replied, fed up with Dustin's antics. What could be so important at five in the afternoon?

"Scarlett? Scarlett, is Lucas there? Where is he?" Dustin sounded hopeful on the other end of the line.

"What am I then? Chopped liver? I see where I stand, Dustin." Scarlett said in a serious tone, leaving Dustin stuttering. She laughed triumphantly, "I'm kidding, Dustin! No, I do not know where Lucas is. But he was acting really suspicious this morning. Said he was with you, but of course I didn't believe that."

"Is- Is he with Mike?"

"I don't know, why don't you go ask Mike? Have you tried him yet?" Scarlett furrowed her brows, she had already said she didn't know where he was.

"Yes. Listen, please tell him it's super important. Please tell him that I have a code-"

Scarlett cut him off, "Code red. Yeah, I got that already. I can't tell him anything if I don't know where he is, dipshit."

"Fair enough. Well since Lucas can't come, can you? Please, it's a-"

"Code red! I know, holy shit. I'm on my way. Maybe. As soon as I can." She yelled, "And next time, Lucas better remember his walkie-talkie."

"It's a Supercom, and-"

Scarlett cut off whatever useless information Dustin was about to spit out by completely turning off the device, so all Dustin heard was static.

Her soon was not his soon though, because he was already halfway to Mike's house before she stepped out of the house. She watched his hat disappear over the hill, "Shit! Dustin, you absolute dipshit." And with that, she began her run up the hill in an attempt to catch up with Dustin.

As soon as the house came into view, she noticed a maroon car parked out in front. She was well aware who the vehicle belonged to, "What in the world.." She breathed out, approaching the two boys conversing on the lawn. "What the hell, Dustin? I told you I would be there as soon as I could!"

"And I told you that it was important, it's a-" Dustin began, keeping his eyes on Scarlett as he snatched the flowers from Steve.

"Code red! I don't care. I just ran all the way up here and I'm about to run all the way back home if you don't tell me what the hell is going on." Scarlett yelled, still trying to catch her breath. "And apparently my soccer days are well over, because running up that hill shouldn't have been that hard."

Dustin began walking away with Steve's flowers. "Hey, what the hell man?" Steve called after him.

"Nancy's not home." He continued trekking to the car, gifting the flowers to Scarlett. "From me to you, as a token of my appreciation for running all the way here." He said sarcastically, earning a nice middle finger from Scarlett.

"Where is she?" Steve asked, standing alone in the middle of the empty lawn.

"Doesn't matter." He swung open the back car door, "We have bigger problems than your love life." Dustin urged Scarlett to get in the car, to which she complied, still confused.

"Chop chop, Stevie. You look kinda stupid standing alone in the grass." She grinned, causing Steve to shake him head in annoyance.

"You still have that bat?" Dustin directed to Steve, who was puzzled.

"Bat? What bat?"

"The one with the nails?" The younger boy answered as if it were obvious. It was clear now everyone knew what bat Dustin was referring to. The bat Steve had used last year to smack the shit out of a demogorgon.

"Why?" Steve replied, concerned for the boys well-being. What could he possibly need a bat with nails for?

"I'll explain on the way." Dustin simply got in the car.

"Now?" Steve still stood outside.

"Now!" The two inside yelled in unison, and they waited for Steve, before they finally drove off. Steve was still quite confused, while Scarlett was trying to piece everything together.

"So um, do you remember how last year.. everything kind of went to shit? Like alternate universes and monster shit and whatnot.." Dustin shakily explained, coming to the realization Scarlett would have to find out what he'd done.

Scarlett had already pieced everything together though, "You kept him, didn't you?" She seethed, glaring at the boy through the rear view mirror.

Dustin laughed nervously, "Hypothetically speaking, if I did, what would you do?"

She turned around in her seat reaching for him, "Dustin, I swear to god, I'm gonna-" She said angrily.

Steve reached out and grabbed her shoulder, gently pushing her back so she faced the road again. "Dustin, what did you keep?"

"A weird toad looking thing from the Upside Down." Scarlett shook her head disapprovingly. "And we thought it escaped but apparently not!"

"Um, Dart's not really a 'toad looking thing' anymore.." He let out a nervous laugh once again, causing Scarlett to turn her head towards him in confusion.

"What do you mean, it's not a tiny toad thing anymore..?" Scarlett said slowly, trying her best not to flip shit on him.

"You named it?" Steve asked, furrowing his brows.

"Yes. It's name is Dart. And he grew. And now he's the size of a small dog." Dustin explained, frustration seeping through his voice.

The car sat in silence for a moment, the three of them processing information before Scarlett spoke up, "Like a shih tzu?" She, and probably every middle schooler ever thought the word shih tzu was funny.

"Yes, like a shih tzu."

"What's a shih tzu have to do with this?" Steve said.

"Because a shih tzu is a small dog." Scarlett replied.

"Hah. Shih tzu. Shit zoo." Dustin grinned, leaning towards Steve. "Have you ever seen a shih tzu?"

"Um. Yeah? It's like, one of the most common dogs around." Steve answered very matter of factly.

"Shih tzu's are kinda ugly." Scarlett shrugged. "Much offense to Mrs. Robinson's ugly ass shih tzu."

Dustin icked, letting out a snort, "Mrs. Robinson? Your neighbors shih tzu? What's it's name again? Charlie or something. He's also shit brown, Steve. Shit. Brown." He explained the dog's appearance thoroughly to Steve.

"Okay! Charlie's an ugly dog. Can we stop saying the word shih tzu now?" Steve said in frustration. The other two stared at him in shock for a moment before sharing a mischievous look and beginning to chant the word shih tzu in a successful effort to annoy Steve. "Stop. You two are both children. Stop." He tried his best to maintain a straight face but ultimately ended up letting out a laugh or two.

"Okay, please tell me there's more to the story than this lizard thing just growing and being named Dart." Steve said through a laugh. Dustin nodded, composing himself before he explained the full story to the car, from beginning to now, and knowing damn well that this was not the end of Dart. Whether they kill him or find a way to return him to the Upside Down, there was something coming next.

Little did they know, Dart had already dug his way through the concrete wall, and into the dirt below.

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L dart🤣🤣