"I don't know why sometimes I get frightened
You can see my eyes you can tell that I'm not lying."

I Got You
By Split Enz (1980)

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fog as the five waited for Dart to appear at any moment. It was dark and as it got later, the temperature dropped down causing Valerie to shiver. She sat next to Steve who played with his lighter with Dustin and Max being with them and Lucas up the top with his binoculars. "So you really fought one of these things before?" Both Steve and Valerie nodded slowly, remembering last year before Valerie had left. It was hard fighting the Demogorgon. "And you're, like, totally, 100% sure it wasn't a bear?" Max questioned causing Dustin to rant at her. Valerie rolled her eyes as did Steve at the two.

"Shit. Don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear. Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home." Valerie looked wide-eyed at her brother's rudeness and tone of voice as he spoke to the girl with anger in his voice. "Geesh. Someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" Max climbed up the ladder, leaving Valerie and the two boys that she wanted to slap. "That's good. Just show her you don't care." Valerie glared at Steve who put his hands up defensively. "I don't." Valerie sighed out and looked at her moody brother.

"Dustin, not one girl would like you after you just shouted and was mean to her, okay?" Dustin ignored her and instead looked at a winking Steve who had a slight smile on his face. "Why are you winking, Steve? Stop." Steve turned back to face Valerie who shook her head and raised her eyebrow at him. "We need to have a serious talk about your dating advice when all of this is over." Steve nodded before going back to play with his lighter whilst Dustin paced.

Valerie listened to the two talking above her and Lucas actually being nice to Max which from what she heard, sounded like it was working. It was sweet to hear the two, so young and cute. Just as Valerie was about to say something, a loud growling sound came from the forest causing all of them to jump up and look out the bus. "You see him?" Dustin asked as Valerie's eyes darted around for his estranged pet if you could even call it that at this point. "No." She shook her head causing Dustin to yell up at Lucas who looked around frantically. "Lucas, what's going on?"

"Hold on! I've got eyes! Ten o'clock! Ten o'clock! There." Lucas shouted down to them causing them to look at the much bigger Dart who chittered as he slowly walked towards them. "Oh fuck," Valerie whispered quietly as she looked at the larger creature, a pang of fear hitting her in the chest. "He's not taking the bait. Why is he not taking the bait?" Steve quickly spoke as Dart avoided the meat on the ground. Valerie was getting more freaked out as Dart simply played with the meat. "Maybe he's not hungry?" Dustin offered which caused Valerie to shake her head.

"No, he is a creature that sheds. Maybe he's sick of cow?" Valerie concluded with a soft chuckle which caused Steve to nod, an idea floating into his mind. He stood up causing the Henderson's to look at him with wide eyes as he walked towards the door, picking his bat up off the ground. Valerie jumped up as she watched him with a slightly scared expression on his face.

"Steve? Steve, what are you doing? Steve?" Dustin panicked as Steve prepared himself to walk out of the bus. "Steve Harrington, don't you dare go out that door." Steve paused to look at the panicking Valerie and gave her his famous smile which did nothing to reassure her. "Just get ready," Steve said, throwing his lighter at Dustin before rushing out of the bus causing Valerie to swear under her breath. Valerie turned back to the small spaces where they could see outside and with wide eyes watched as Steve whistled out trying to lure Dart towards him as he swung his bat in front of his legs.

"What's he doing?" Max rushed down the ladder appearing to be just as freaked out as Valerie. No one could die tonight, especially Steve. "Expanding the menu." Dustin didn't take his eyes off Steve as they watched him screw around in an attempt to finally be the target. It was almost comedic how stupid he looked, but Valerie's hands were slightly shaking as she watched him. "He's insane," Max concluded with Valerie wholeheartedly agreeing. He was one stupid motherfucker, but Valerie didn't want to see him dead. "He's awesome." Valerie shook her head, whacking Dustin's hat off his head causing him to groan at her.

"If you ever do anything like this, I will kill you if you don't die first." Dustin sighed before they turned back to the maniac Steve. "Steve, watch out! Three o'clock! Three o'clock!" Lucas screamed causing Valerie to look and see that Dart had brought some company. The amount of other Darts surrounding him prompted her to jump up and walked towards his bag. "Oh shit!" Valerie grabbed her machete and followed her brother as he swung open the door to shout at Steve.

"Steve! Steve! Abort! Abort!" Dustin yelled causing Steve to start to evade them, sliding over a car and hitting one. The children screamed as Valerie jumped in front of them, making sure that they were safe above anything else. Oh, who was she kidding? Nothing about this situation was safe. Valerie stepped out of the bus as she sliced her machete against the creatures which cried out. Steve wrapped an arm around her waist and sprinted in causing him to accidentally fall on Valerie, sending to two tumbling to the ground. The dogs jumped at the doors as they were tried to get in causing the two, still on the ground, to look at each other wide-eyed. "You're an idiot." Valerie let out a breathless chuckle causing Steve to do the same.

"I know." The two jumped up, pressing metal against everywhere the dogs were trying to get in. "Are they rabid or something?" Max yelled as they all started panicking. Valerie was still freaking out from what happened moments ago and if they didn't do something soon, they would all be dead within minutes. But Valerie would be damned if she was going to go down without a fight. "They can't get in! They can't!" Lucas squealed as Steve and Valerie pressed their feet against the door as the dogs tried to push it open. The whole bus shifted causing them to fly back, Valerie slamming her head on the ground causing her to groan. Steve quickly pulled her up before hitting one of the dogs who had managed to break their leg through.

"Is anyone there? Mike? Will? God! Anyone! Shit!" Dustin yelled into his headset as Valerie jumped near the kids in case anything popped out of nowhere. Everything went silent as loud bangs came from the roof of the bus causing Valerie and Max to look up the ladder to see the Demogorgon-like face of the dogs. "Out of the way! Out of the way! Do you want some? Come get this!" Steve pushed the two girls out of the way as they screamed causing Steve to try and fight the thing. It screeched at him and growled loudly before they all started scampering away. Valerie slowly walked over to the door, opening it to see nothing outside, only hearing the growling getting further and further away from them.

"What happened?" Steve and the rest of the kids walked out after Valerie, all of them on edge from the attack that had occurred just moments before. Valerie took a breath of fresh air as she thanked the lord that they didn't become dog food. "I don't know," Max answered as Valerie and Steve looked around for anything. "Steve scared 'em off?" Dustin nodded at his own conclusion causing Valerie to almost laugh at the thought of anything being scared because of Steve. "No. No way. They're going somewhere." Steve nodded causing Valerie to sigh and look at the kids before giving them the next step in their mission. "Then that's where we're going."

I'm running out of early 80s songs that I know so here's another Split Enz song. Anyway, I would just like to thank everyone because WE GOT 10K READ ON THIS!!!!!!! I also would like to thank all of the people who I see have voted and read it all in one swoop, you guys are awesome. Thanks to all of the people that have added this to their reading lists, it's great!!!

Thanks again, Queenie.

(EDITED)