"If you're lost you can look--and you will find me. Time after time
If you fall I will catch you--I'll be waiting
Time after time"

Time after Time
By Cindy Lauper (1983)

"Holy shit." Valerie jumped down the hole with Steve following shortly after and the two looked around the tunnels that had bits of dust or other foul substances floating in the air as if it was snow. Valerie walked towards Mike who fumbled around with a hand-drawn map from Will and Joyce's diagram in his palm."Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way." He pointed his touch in the direction in front of them causing Dustin to scoff loudly at his comment. "You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin snarkily asked. Valerie slapped the back of his head causing him to hit her arm back with a glare on his face. "I'm 100% sure. Just follow me and you'll know." Mike and the rest started walking causing Valerie and Steve to protest loudly. Valerie ran towards the front and snatched the map out of Mike's hand, Steve close behind her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I don't think so." Steve said taking the map out of Valerie's hands causing her to glare at him and cross her arms."What? You don't think I can read a map?" Valerie asked causing Steve's next words to splutter out as he tried to maintain eye contact with her piercing eyes."What?" Mike asked causing the two teens to turn to him as he asked the simple question. "Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit? From here on out, I'm leading the way. And Valerie, I think you can read the map a lot better than me so here you go, sorry. You'll be beside me." Valerie smiled as Steve handed her the map with ease causing her to grab it and analyze the directions.

"Come on, let's go," Valerie said as she walked forward, her flashlight remaining on the piece of paper. "Come on. Hey, a little hustle." Steve yelled at the kids behind her causing her to look up and behind her and see how they run frantically closer to the eldest one of the group. The group walked quickly as they made their way through what felt like a million tunnels, Steve and Valerie in the front, making sure that they were going in the right direction. "God," Lucas said as they admired the roof of the tunnel, seeing disgusting looking things that seemed to be moving slightly, but Valerie was almost certain that she was imagining it. At least she hoped she was imagining it.

"What is this place?" Max asked causing Valerie too to become transfixed on the walls that appeared to be lathered in gunk and vines. "Guys, come on. Keep moving." Valerie followed along with Steve, pointing out to him that they were almost there before they heard Dustin start screaming, sending Valerie into panic mode. "Shit! Help! Help! Help!" Valerie without thinking, sprinted back down the tunnel to find her brother who screamed. "Dust!" She saw him running towards her but fell to the ground causing her to quickly lean over and try to console him. The rest of the group ran up behind her as she was squat down, patting his back.

"What happened?" Steve started yelling as he squatted down next to her, his face filled with concern as the kid he had gotten so fond of was screaming. "It's in my mouth! Some got in my mouth!" Valerie looked at the boy concerned before clicking her fingers at Steve who gave her the drink bottle in his bag. She quickly handed it to him and he started sipping it, gently "Shit!" Steve said as Dustin began to cough violently, Valerie just praying that he wouldn't end up like Will. Becoming an expendable in the Mind Flayer's army or even worse, end up like Barb.

"I'm okay." He said gently causing Valerie to sigh and look down with a smile on her face. He gave Steve the drink bottle and he packed it away, still looking at Dustin with concern. He may be a little shit, but he actually liked the kid. "You serious?" Max said as the concern from the group dissipated rapidly. "Very funny, man," Lucas commented as the rest turned away from Valerie and Dustin who were still squatted on the ground. "Dust, you are a bloody idiot and you scared me half to death." Valerie flicked his hat back off his head before catching up with the group and continuing to make their way to the main den.

"This is it." Valerie stopped abruptly causing everyone to bump into her back. Steve moved to her side, moving his hands to his hips before turning back to Mike. "All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub." They all looked around the area where all the tunnels came to the center before Mike dramatically spoke. "Drench it." They all walked around pouring a variety of flammable things such as Gas and Steve's hairspray that Valerie had claimed was hers to protect the little dignity he had left.

"You ready?" Steve asked, smoothly intertwining his hands with Valerie's and taking a deep breath in. "Yeah," Mike replied as they all walked back into the tunnels that weren't going to burn. "Ready." Lucas and Max chimed in before Steve nudges her causing her to smile at him."Let's burn this fucker," Valerie shouted said before turning to her brother. "Light her up." Dustin smiled at her before Steve and Valerie took their hands away from the others.

"I am in such deep shit." Steve panted before tossing the lighter into the center causing massive flames to erupt and the six of them to fall back and shield their faces from the flames. "Let's go, let's go!" Steve and Valerie pushed the kids to their feet before rushing them away from the growing flames. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God." Dustin shouted as they all ran, Valerie still holding the map in front of her and leading the way. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Hey, this way!" Valerie chanted before sprinting in the direction of the exit before hearing screams. "Oh shit, not again." Valerie turned before seeing Mike on the floor.

"Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help!" Valerie and Steve quickly ran towards him to see him covered in tentacles of some sort, coming from the floor "Steve, pull him out," Dustin shouted as they tried to yank him. Valerie pulled her machete out of his backpack and started slicing it. "Everybody back! Back!" Steve grunted as he brought down his bat onto the thing causing it to recoil and making it easier for the group to pull him up to his feet. "You good?" Lucas checked on Mike, getting no response but a gentle nod. "You okay?" Dustin asked, not seeing the nod causing Mike to nod more obviously.

"Guys, we gotta go!" Steve tried to push them forward but a growling in front of them caused them all to raise what little weapons they had. Max held up scissors as she stared at the animal. "Wait, is that--" Valerie started before Dustin confirmed her suspicions. "Dart. Shh. Stop." They all started to shout at Dustin as he took a step forward, causing him to raise his hand and silence them.  "Trust me, please. Hey. It's me, it's me. It's just your friend, it's Dustin. It's Dustin, all right? You remember me? Will you let us pass?" The group watched stunned as Dustin got a snarled response to his question. Valerie held up her machete in case she needed to kill a dog.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do. You hungry? Yeah?" Valerie almost wanted to laugh at what she was looking at before she turned to Steve. "What a beautiful animal and relationship my deranged brother has with it." Steve nodded and let out a short chuckle. "It ate your cat." Valerie shrugged at Steve's quiet comment whereas the other told them both to shut up. "I've got our favorite. See? Nougat. Look at that. Yummy. Here, all right? Eat up, buddy. Come on. Come on." Dustin gestured them to start walking causing them all to take hesitant steps past the animal eating the candy that Dustin had got on Halloween which seemed like weeks ago. Dustin soon joined them causing Valerie to shout back at him.

"Hey Dust, you got any nougat left?" He shook his head in response causing her to curse and mutter under her breath. The ground shook causing them all to lurch forward onto the ground. "What was that?" Max interrupted Valerie's craving questions as they heard monsters roaring behind them. "They're coming." Valerie's heart dropped into her stomach as they heard the loud patter of the feet coming towards them. "Run! Run! Let's go! Let's go!" Mike screamed causing them all to start sprinting towards the exit which was not far up ahead. "There, there!" Lucas shouted as he notices light shining down on the rope they had thrown down. "Come on! Let's go. Go, go, go! Let's go! Come on! Come on!" Valerie and Steve started lifting kids out. Max, Mike, and Lucas got out before any signs of the demo-dogs before they saw them.

"Dustin, get the fuck up there," Valerie yelled as she and Steve frantically lifted the boy through the hole. Valerie and Steve stood for a second as they watched the beasts charge towards them. Steve wrapped his arm around Valerie's waist and brought her close to his chest, smashing his lips onto hers as they heard the dogs run towards them. Valerie thought that she and Steve would've been dead in an instant, but much to their and the kids watching from above surprise, the dogs sprinted straight passed them. They paid no attention to the edible teens as they ran away.

"Eleven." She heard Mike whisper as Steve and she pulled away to stare at the retreating dogs. Valerie cheered and jumped into Steve's arms to celebrate the fact that they were not dead. Steve quickly hoisted Valerie up, her torso going through before the kids all grabbed her arms and pulled her up. Steve was out soon after causing them to all laugh and celebrate. "Is it over?" Steve asked her causing her to nod and for them to all have a group hug. The car lights behind them increased causing them to become blinded and all hide their faces in their arms. It soon dimmed causing them to finally have clarity that the nightmare was over.

YEAH BOY. This might not be the best because I can't be bothered right now editing this, but I most definitely will because I feel like I can improve the start a shit ton more because I don't really remember the start so I gotta read through that shit. Rewatching the snowball is killing me. WHY DOES NO ONE WANT TO DANCE WITH MY BABY DUSTIN????

Thanks, Queenie

(EDITED)