*(y/n)'s POV*

Nancy screeches to a halt at the school's parking lot, and the three of us get out of her car and make our way into the school and run down the hallway.

"It was here. Right here." Max tells us as she aims her flashlight to the end of a hallway after we met up with her and the boys. "A grandfather clock?" Nancy asked her. "It was so real. And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just...I woke up." Max said, her voice shaking. "It was like she was in a trance or something. Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy." Dustin said and I look at Max, my heart filled with fear.

"That's not even the bad part." She said as she turns to face us. "What do you mean?" I asked her, concerned, and she bites her lips before she continues. "Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Miss Kelley for help. Uh, they both were having headaches, bad headaches that wouldn't go away. And then...then the nightmares. Trouble sleeping. They'd wake up in a cold sweat. Then they started seeing things. Bad things. From their pasts. These visions, they just...they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually...everything ended." Max said.

"Vecna's curse." Robin said, softly, and I start to get really scared. "Chrissy's headache started a week ago. Fred's, six days ago. I've been having them for five days." She said and I gasped as everyone looks at her. "I don't know how long I have. All I know is that, for Fred and Chrissy, they both died less than  hours after their first vision. And I just saw that damn clock, so...looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow." She said, her voice fully of shaky tears.

Steve ran a hand over his mouth and I shake my head in disbelief. "No, no, that's..." I stammered as I look at my baby sister. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her and she looks down then back at me. "You were busy and had other things going on. And plus, I guess..." she stops then sighs, like what she was gonna say was gonna be stupid. "...I was still mad you moved out." She said and I give her a sad look.

"Max...." I whispered but then we heard a loud banging sound. We all look towards the door and Steve turns to us. "Stay here." He tells us before he grabs a lamp and walks out, holding the lamp like it was a weapon. The rest of us look at each other then we follow Steve down the hall as we heard some more clanging sound, then what sounded like hurried footsteps.

Then Lucas runs in front of us and all of scream as Steve raised his lamp. "It's me!" Lucas exclaimed, as he raised his hands up. "Lucas?" Max asked, confused, as Steve sets the lamp down. "It's me." Lucas assures us again. "Jesus, what's wrong with you, Sinclair?" Steve asked, annoyed, obviously recovering from the heart attack he just endured.

"I'm sorry." Lucas said, shaking. "I could've taken you out with this lamp!" Steve shouts as Lucas catches his breath. "Sorry, guys. Sorry. I was...I was biking for eight miles. Give me a second. Shit." Lucas pants and I walk over to him and pat his back. "Just breathe, Lucas." I tell him and he nods.

"We've got a code red." He said, finally. "What?" Steve and I said, confused. "Dustin." Lucas said and he walks over to Dustin. "I've been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they've gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You're in terrible danger." He warns him. "All right. Yeah, that definitely sucks, but we've got bigger problems than Jason now." Dustin said and Lucas looks at him confused while Dustin turns to Max as I go over to her and place an arm around her.

The next day, we were hiding out at the basement of Nancy's house while Steve reads over the newspaper Nancy, Robin and I found. "Okay, be honest. Uh...You guys understand any of this?" Steve asked. "No." Lucas said. "Pretty straightforward." Dustin said .

"Oh, straightforward, really?" Steve asked, annoyed. "What's confusing to you? It makes sense. So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dudes Nancy found. He's the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it's him." Dustin said. "That's assuming he was cursed, Henderson, which we don't even know." He said then rubs his temple.

"How can Vecna have existed in the 50's? It doesn't make sense." He mutters. "Far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it. The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs." Dustin said. "Dinosaurs? What are we..." Steve started to ask but Lucas talks over him.

"Okay. Okay. But if a gate didn't exist in the 50's, how did Vecna get through?" Lucas asked. "How's he getting through now?" Steve asked. "And why now?" Lucas asked. "And why then? Just pops out in the 50's, kills one family, and he's like, I'm good. And poof, he just disappears. Just...gone? Only to return years later and start killing random teens? No, I don't buy it. Straightforward, my ass." Steve grumbles then he turns to Dustin.

"Honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then, it wouldn't hurt you." He said. "Sorry." Dustin mutters and Steve sits down in a chair and I sigh then sit on the spot on the couch next to Dustin, looking across the room to see Max writing.

"Any idea what she's writing?" Dustin asked me and I shrugged. "Did she sleep?" Dustin asked, concerned. "I mean, would you?" I asked him and he frowns at me just as we heard a door opening and Nancy and Robin come in. "Okay, so...we have a plan." Nancy said, smiling.

"Thanks to Nancy's newspaper minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame." Robin explained as we all gathered around. "I'm now Ruth." Nancy said. "And I'm Rose." Robin said. "Ruth?" Steve and I said and Nancy shrugs while Dustin looks over the file.

"Nice GPA." He compliments. "Thanks." Nancy said then she turns to the rest of us. "So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we'd like to speak with Creel for a thesis we're co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics..." Nancy explains. "To which they said no." Robin said. "But we landed a three o'clock with the director." Nancy said.

"Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor." Robin said. "Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse." Nancy said. "About that. We've been doing our Victor Creel homework, and, uh...we got some questions." Steve said. "Lots of questions." Lucas adds. "So do we. Hopefully, Victor has the answers." Nancy said then she turns to me.

"We, uh, we made up an ID for you so you could join us..." Nancy offers but I shake my head. "Nancy, I appreciate it but...I need to stay here and be here for my sister." I said and I look over my shoulder and see her writing away. I stare at her and take a deep breath then let it out before turning back to the others.

"I haven't been a good older sister to her. I've just been so busy with work, the apartment..." I said then I look at Steve. "..Us..." I stop and sighed then look back at Nancy and Robin. "I'm not pushing her away again. She's my priority right now." I said, firmly, and Nancy nods. "I understand." She said. "Then I'll stay here with you, then." Steve said and I turn my head to him and a small appreciated smile forms on my lips.

Later, Robin and Nancy make their way upstairs to Nancy's room to change outfits while the boys and I stayed in the basement, Max still writing. "You didn't have to stay with me."  I said to Steve as he watched Max then turns to me.

"I know you hate being the babysitter..." I said and Steve shakes his head. "I'm not being the babysitter, I'm being the supportive boyfriend." He said and my eyes widened in shock before I give another smile. "I appreciate it, Steve." I said before I kiss his cheek then lean my head on his shoulder. "Besides, it'd be cruel to leave you alone watching over these shitheads." Steve said and I chuckled while Lucas and Dustin looked offended.

"Dude! We're right here." Dustin said, annoyed, while Lucas had his hands raised. I chuckled, softly, and then look back over to Max, who was still hunched over a desk. "I just wish I knew what's going through her head." I muttered as we all look at her.

She stops then looks at us over her shoulder. "I know you guys are staring at me." She said and we all jump and act like we weren't staring at her. "What, sorry?" Steve said. "You said you needed something?" Lucas asked. "Just hanging out." I said as Lucas and Dustin grab a magazine and Steve grabs a ball and tosses it up in the air but I keep looking at my sister.

Max then sighs. "How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know." She said as she grabs what looked like envelopes, stands up and walks over to us. "We're just worried about you, is all." I tell her and she sighs then looks down as she stands in front of us. "I know..." she muttered then looks at the boys.

"You can look at me now." She said. "Thank you. Sorry." Dustin said. "Sorry." Lucas and Steve said as they all look at her. She holds out an envelope to Dustin. "For you." She said and Dustin grabs it then she holds another envelope out to Steve. "For you." She said and Steve takes the envelope and she holds up two envelopes and holds both of them out towards me and Lucas.

"And, um, you two." She said and both of us, cautiously, take them. "Oh, and, um, give these to Mike, El, and Will. If you can ever get a hold of them again." Max said as she holds up the pile of envelopes while Steve and Dustin peek into their envelopes. "What are you doing?" She asked them and they stop and stare at her. "No, don't. That's not for now. Don't open it now." She tells them. "Don't...Okay." Dustin said while I stare at my envelope.

"I'm sorry. What is this, Max?" I asked her and she glances at me then bites her lips. "It's, um...it's a fail-safe. For after. If things don't work out." She said and my jaw drops. "Wait, whoa. Max, things are gonna work out." Lucas said. "No! No, I don't need you to reassure me and tell me it's all gonna work out. People have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true. It's never true. I mean, of course this asshole curses me. Should've seen that one coming." Max admits and I give her a concerned look.

"Max..." I whispered before she looks over her right then grabs Dustin's walkie-talkie. "If we go to East Hawkins, will this reach Pennhurst?" She asked Dustin. "Of course. Yeah." Dustin said. "Wait...Why are we talking about East Hawkins?" Steve asked and Max looks at me with a knowing look. "Max...no!" I said, realizing why she mentioned that place.

"Max, Max. Seriously. Seriously, I'm not joking. I'm not driving you anywhere." Steve tells Max as we all walk outside towards Steve's car. "Steve, if you think I'm going to spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement, then you're out of your mind. Either take me where I need to go or tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a minor. And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute." Max said as we get to his car.

"Not if I have anything to say about. You are my sister, I can just easily say I'm babysitting you." I said, firmly. "I know a good lawyer." She threatens and I scoff and Steve and I share a look and Steve sighs a she pulls his keys out. "Henderson, that super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst." He tells Dustin and we all load up into the car. Steve driving, me in the passenger seat and the three kids all in the back.

Steve drives all the way over to the trailer park and in front of Mom's trailer. "This better be fast, Mayfield." Steve said, clearly annoyed. "Twenty seconds." She said and she gets out of the car and heads into the trailer.

I sighed and my right leg starts to bounce up and down from nerves, I keep staring out the window and ignore whatever Steve was asking Dustin until I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Hey..." Steve whispers and I turn to face him. "It's gonna be okay." He assures me. "I just wish she'd talk to me, like she used to. Or maybe if I actually paid attention more to her then this asshole wouldn't be after her!" I exclaimed, upset. "Hey, you couldn't have known." Steve said and I sighed and looked out the window.

"It's been twenty seconds. Where is she?" I asked before I start to open the door and get out of the car. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Steve said as he starts to get out of the car but just as I start to walk towards the trailer, Max comes around the corner of the trailer from the back, looking upset.

"That was longer than twenty seconds." I said, upset, and she walks past me. "Hey, whoa, whoa. You all right?" I asked her. "I'm fine. Just drive." Max ordered, upset as she gets into the backseat. Steve and I share a look before we get back inside the car. "Did something happen?" Dustin asked her. "Can we please just go?" She asked and Steve starts up the car and we drive out of there. I turn my head to look at her but she kept looking out the window, looking very scared.

Whatever happened back at Mom's really got to her.

We kept on driving down the road when Max speaks up. "Turn here." She said and I look over at her. "Here?" I asked and she nods then Steve and I share a look before he turns to the cemetery. Once he stopped and parked, Max gets out of the car and Lucas follows after her while I step out, bout to follow her myself.

"Max?" He calls out to her and she turns to him. "Lucas, please, just wait in the car." She tells him. "Max, just wait. Max, please." He pleads. "Lucas, just wait..." she tells him but he talks over her. "Just listen to me. Just, please. I know something happened there with your mother. Was it Vecna?" he asked her and she stays quiet before say. "I told you, I'm fine. Okay? I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be." She said.

"Max...you know you can talk to me. Right?" Lucas asked her. "Yeah, I know that." She said but I could tell from her tone she didn't believe it. "Okay, then why do you keep pushing me away?" He asked her and she doesn't respond. "Okay, look, I don't need a letter. I don't want a letter. Just talk to me. To your friends. To your sister. We're right here. I'm right here. Okay? I'm here." He pleads as she stares at him. "Wait in the car. This won't be long." she said and she stomps off towards Billy's grave.

Lucas looked upset as he turns to face us and I go over to him. "You tried." I said and he sighs as he walks over to the car and leans against it while I watch from the hill and see her sitting down in front of Billy's grave.

*3rd Person POV*

"All right, it's been long enough." Steve said, after several minutes of silence and Max just sitting at the grave, as he starts to walk forward. "Steve, just give her some time." Lucas tells him. "I have, all right? I'm calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can." Steve said, annoyed before (y/n) places a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go. It'll be easier if I go to her." She said and Steve looks down at his girlfriend before he nods and she walks over to Max.

(Y/n) goes to Max, who was sitting in front of Billy's grave, and she kneels down to her. "Max. We gotta go." She said, gently, but Max didn't respond. (Y/n) looks at her and noticed that her head was raised just a little and her eyes were glazed over but she was slightly blinking rapidly, almost like she was in a trance.

"Max?" (Y/n) said, worried, and she shakes her little sister's shoulder but Max doesn't respond. "Max. Max. Max! Max." (Y/n) shouts at Max as she continues to shake her but nothing was getting through to her.

Meanwhile, in Max's mind after she read her letter to Billy, Max heard Billy's voice then she turns around and sees Billy walking up to her. "I've been waiting to hear those words, Max. Waiting so very long." Billy tells her as Max stares at him in fear.

"Wake up! Hey! Max, wake up! Max! Wake up!" (Y/n) said, panicked, and Steve looks towards (y/n) and Max then he pauses as he watches them. He began to worried as he sees his girlfriend shaking her sister. "Oh, something's wrong." Steve mutters as Lucas and Dustin looks over at the girls while (y/n) turns to them.

"Steve! Guys! Help" she shouts and the boys run as fast as they can to her.

"But it wasn't the full truth, was it, Max? You know, I think there's a part of you, buried somewhere deep, that wanted me to die that day. That was maybe even relieved. Happy." Billy tells Max, who shakes her head. "Billy, no, that's not true." She said.

"That's why you stood there, isn't it, Max? It's okay. You can admit it now. No more lies. No more hiding." He said. "Billy, that's not true, I swear. I swear it's not true." Max said, her voice shaking. "That is why you feel such guilt." Billy said. "No." Max said, tears running down her face.

"Why you hide from your friends. Why you hide from your sister. Why you hide from the world." Billy said. "No. No." Max said. "And why, late at night, you have sometimes wished to follow me. Follow me into death. That is why I am here, Max. To end your suffering, once and for all." Billy said and Max shakes her head. "No." She whispers and she falls backwards then looks up to see Vecna.

"It is time, Max. Time for you to join me." Vecna said and Max begins to run.

"Max, you gotta get outta there! Can you hear me?" Lucas shouts. "Max!" (y/n) shouts, in a panic, then Steve grabs Dustin. "Call Nancy and Robin! Go get 'em! Call Nancy and Robin! Go!" Steve yells at him as Dustin walks back, falls backwards then gets up and runs back to Steve's car. "Please, Max!" (Y/n) exclaims, fearfully.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Shit, shit, shit!" Dustin exclaims, quickly, as he runs to the car and grabs his radio the pulls the antenna out. "Nancy? Robin? Do you copy? This is a code red. Do you copy? Shit. Robin!" Dustin shouts.

Meanwhile, Max runs across the cemetery then ducks behind a gravestone and sits up against it, catching her breath. "You cannot hide from me, Maxine." Vecna warns her as she sits there, deciding what to do.

"Robin, where the hell are you? This is a code red. I repeat, a code red!" Dustin yells in the radio when he finally got a response. "Dustin, it's Robin. We copy." She answered. "Holy shit. Finally! Please, please tell me you guys have this figured out." Dustin asked them, panicking.

Max stands up and looks around, trying to find anything or anyone. "Lucas! (y/n)! Dustin! Lucas, (y/n) please, help! Dustin!" Max screams, fearfully, then she turns around and sees a red light emitting from within the fog. She stares at it and walks towards it.

Dustin pulls out Max's bag and dumps it all out to see her Walkman and some tapes. He gathers them up in his arms and runs back to the others.

Max walks into the red fog then realizes she wasn't in the cemetery anymore. It didn't look like anyplace from back home. This looked like she was in Hell or a hellish dimension with tendrils rising up from the ground and red lighting striking every few seconds.

"Max, get outta there!" Lucas shouts at Max. "Max!" Steve shouts. "Can you hear..." (y/n) started to shout when Dustin runs over and sets the tapes and Walkman down. "What is this?" Lucas asked him. "What's her favorite song?" Dustin asked as he looks between Lucas and (y/n). "Why?" They asked, confused. "Robin said if she listens...It's too much to explain now. What's her favorite song?" Dustin asked, yelling a bit, then (y/n) started to dig into the tapes as she knew what to look for.

Max makes it to the center of the place where there was some broken down stairwell, a door, a doorway and the grandfather clock that chimed, eerily. "What are you doing in here, Max?" Vecna asked as Max steps on what looked like spider eggs.

"Come back to me." Vecna said as Max backed up then turns around to see Chrissy's distorted body within a tendril tree. She stared at it in horror before she turns around and sees another tree that had Fred's similar distorted body in it.

"How do you like them, Max?" Vecna asked as he walks up to her. "Would you like to join them?" he asked and Max turns and tries to run but Vecna flicks his wrist and a tendril grabs Max around her ankle. "Shit! Shit!" she screams and the pull her back.

"No! No!" She screams, fearfully, as the tendrils pull her up to a tree and slams her into the tree and wrap around her arms then her neck, chocking her.

"Where the hell is it?!" (Y/n) asked, frantically, as she looks through the tapes. "What are you looking..." Dustin asked and (y/n) shouts. "Kate Bush!" She shouts as everyone scrambles to find it. "It's right here! Got it!" Lucas shouts as he holds up the tape. "Give it to me." (Y/n) shouts and he hands her the tape and she opens the Walkman up while Dustin places the headphones on Max's head.

Then (y/n) places the tape inside the Walkman and closes it. "Now!" Dustin said and (y/n) presses play.

Back with Vecna and Max, Running Up That Hill started playing and Max hears it then looks over Vecna's shoulder to see a portal had opened and she could see the boys and her sister calling out for her.

"Max!"

"Max, wake up!"

"Max! Wake up!"

"Max, we're right here!"

"Come on, Max."

"They can't help you, Max." Vecna said as he turns back to Max. "There's a reason you hide from them. You belong here, with me." Vecna said as one of the vines holds onto Max's throat a bit tighter. "You're not really here." She gasps out. "Oh, but I am, Max. I am." Vecna said and he holds his right clawed hand out towards her.

In the real world, Max starts to float up and the boys and (y/n) fall back as they see her rise up a few feet in the air. "NO!" (Y/n) screams, panicked, before her and the boys continue to shout to her as if she could hear them.

Meanwhile, as Vecna placed his hand over her face, Max begins to have flashes of her life playing in her mind as the music gets louder.

It's you and me, won't be unhappy

And if I only could I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places...

She started to see the times she had with the boys, with El, with Lucas and of course with her sister.

I'd be running up that road

Be running up that hill

Be running up that building...

Then she flashes to the last thing Lucas said to her before she went to Billy's grave. "I don't want a letter. We're right here. I'm right here." He pleads to her then she flashes to a couple of moments of (y/n).

"It's you and me against the world." (Y/n) told her the first night they moved to Hawkins then it switches to a memory from a couple of days ago. "You always used to talk to me about anything but now...you don't. And I worry because you're my little sister and I love you." (Y/n) said, tears forming in her eyes.

Come on, darling

Let me steal this moment from you now

Come on, baby, come on, darling

Let me steal this moment from you now

Come on, angel

Come on, come on, darling

Let's exchange the experience...

After having those flashbacks, Max gasps as she opens her eyes then reaches out to Vecna, grabs at a piece of his neck and yanks on it. Vecna yelps in pain as he stumbles back and Max falls on her front. She looks up then immediately gets to her feet and runs towards the portal. Vecna turns to her as his neck regenerates and sees Max running.

And if I only could I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places...

Vecna then uses his powers to throw debris at Max to stop her and while one narrowly missed her and she falls to her knees. But she quickly gets back up and runs, the love of her friends and sister was making her push forward.

More and more debris try to hit her but she dodges and runs, even when she felt alittle tired she still pushed forward. Her legs felt tired and sore and her lungs were stinging as she breathes in and out really fast.

I'd be running up that road

Be running up that hill

No problems

Say, if I only could

I'd make a deal with God

And I'd get him to swap our places...

Eventually, Vecna stopped throwing debris at her as he watches, angered that she was getting away. Max could see the portal was getting closer and closer as the music was getting louder and the shouts and screams from the boys and (y/n) were getting louder and louder.

Be running up that road...

Be running up that hill

"Max! Max! Max! Max!" The boys and (y/n) shouted when Max opens her eyes, gasps then begins to fall. Quick instincts, (y/n) gets under her and catches her, making the both of them fall on the ground. "Max! Oh my God." (Y/n) cries as she hugs her sister, tighter, and the boys kneel around them.

Max holds onto her sister as Lucas comes over to her other side and hugs her. "I thought we lost you." Lucas mutters, tearfully. "I'm still...I'm still here." Max whispers while (y/n) sobs, with relief, and Steve comes up to her and wraps his arms around her, trying to keep her calm. "I'm still here." Max whispers again as everyone does a group hug, happy for this victory at least.