The silence triggered a variety of thoughts in Emelia's mind and yet, not one of them had led her to safety. She still found herself trekking throughout the mysterious terrain that was Hawkins' woods hours after she had fled the shore. All hope she had that her friends were coming back for her had vanished the moment she saw the empty boat floating in the water. Despite having hiked through this part of the woods before, Emelia had no clue how to navigate the terrain. It was a lot scarier than she remembered, mostly due to the fact that she was wanted dead or alive. She no longer found comfort in the sounds of nature and instead, she feared what lurked behind it. Every shadow put her face to face to her ultimate demise; there was no place to hide.

From her understanding, there were a total of three search parties wandering the woods, all of which searching for the murderers of Hawkins. There was no doubt in her mind that both her and Eddie's faces were plastered across every screen in a two-hundred mile basis if not more, leaving them no choice but to run. A part of her wondered if her innocence would ever be restored. Her friends reassured her of a lot of things but her safety in public was never one of them. She knew how realistic it was. The chances of the city believing that the victims were killed by Vecna was near impossible; that was a fact she tried to ignore. She had to have hope. Otherwise, what was the significance of the life she was living?

She could only hope her friends stayed safe during their mission in the Upside Down. Being that she had no real experience with the alternate dimension, she didn't know what to expect. The only image she had was the picture Max drew for her. She was the only person who had seen Vecna and lived to tell the tale.

Although she shared concern for all of the group, the thought of Eddie getting hurt lingered in her headspace. She didn't know him very well and yet, the pair shared a very vital bond. No one but him would quite understand what she went through. All of them had undergone similar traumatic events but it wasn't the same. Both Emelia and Eddie had single handedly watched someone close to them die a bloody death and that wound remained fresh.

If it wasn't for their booming volume, Emelia would have ran head first into one of the patrols. The group clearly had not read the memo on the importance of stealth on these missions. Sandwiched between her two male counterparts, a young girl spouted every piece of information she heard about the case. Her speech allowed Emelia to pick up where she left off, the little details enough to fill her in on what she had missed over the last few days. Hawkins' police force had come to the conclusion that the Hellfire Club at Hawkins High was to blame for the deaths of its students. The city looked down on the group with disgust, the title of "satanic cult" hanging above their heads now like the blade of a guillotine waiting to fall. Although Emelia held no ties to the group before this, she was subsequently grouped into it due to her involvement in Lexi's death. Levi Parks had done an interview with Chief Powell after the incident at the Parysh house. According to the preppy blonde, he had stated some pretty vicious things about Emelia, which made her almost glad she didn't have to hear it herself.

The feint ticking of a clock chimed in the distance, but Emelia couldn't quite place where it was coming from. The tunes were familiar and the nostalgia of it managed to draw her in. With every step she took, her blood grew colder. The atmosphere switched immediately as if someone had flipped a switch. The humid air was now cool enough where Emelia could see her breath and instead of the sole movements of bugs, she was now surrounded by floating spores. The ticking of the clock grew louder and as she approached, a low chime beginning to ring out. She soon found herself in a large clearing, facing a tall grandfather clock. Its base was dug firmly into the ground, moss and weeds growing around it as if it had been there for ages. The glass in front of the clock was broken and a firm layer of dust rested atop of its unpolished wood.

Emelia ran her finger along the dust and rubbed it between her fingers. The clock was quiet now, no sign of ticking or chiming to be seen. She had a dyer fear that she shouldn't be there – especially with everything going on with the Upside Down – but there was something stronger than her will keeping her there.

A loud chime interrupted her thoughts, causing her to stumble back and cover her ears. Emelia released a shriek, and she closed her eyes in pain. Her heart beat quicker now, the ticking of the time device echoing amongst veins. When she finally regained her composure and opened her eyes, she was standing in the midst of the Parysh's large foyer. At first, she thought she was dreaming – that she would wake up at any second and be in Steve's car again – but no amount of pinches seemed to awaken her. She recognized the scene almost immediately. The house had been decorated by no one other than Matea Parysh. Everything looked to be out of a designer magazine – from the pre-positioned roses to the designer furniture. It surely didn't look like a thirteen year old's birthday party.

"You're here!" a voice shouted, causing Emelia's heart to plunge into her stomach. A younger version of Lexi ripped around the corner with a gigantic grin on her face. The pigmented red in her dress complimented her face beautifully, attracting everyone's attention to her brown eyes and pearly white smile. Emelia opened her mouth to say something but right before the words could breach her lips, Lexi leaped past her and into the arms of someone else. It wasn't until she turned around that she saw it. Lexi was hugging her.

Emelia's mouth fell agape at the sight. She'd always believed the phrase 'out of body' to be just that: a phrase. Now, standing in front of herself, the smile etched into the skin of her younger body served as much more than a reminder. Everything about the situation was familiar; she was reliving her own worst nightmare. Upon realizing no one could see her, Emelia ripped at the handle on the front door. This was the last place she wanted to be, and she was determined to find a way out.

"Are you crying?" Lexi laughed, pulling away from the young girl and grasping at her elbows. Emelia whipped her head around and began watching the scene once again, thrusting her teeth into her lower lip to prevent tears from beading in her eyes.

"I'm just so happy for you," young Emelia chuckled, reaching up to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Lexi laughed and pulled her into a hug once again, wrapping her arm around her friend's head in an attempt to soothe her. "Everything looks beautiful, Lex, really."

"You should see the cake," Lexi teased, gesturing over her shoulder towards the kitchen with a grin. She pulled young Emelia down the hallway, the scent of caramel invading Emelia's senses as the two flew past her. "Come on! Pam is about to bring it out."

"Hello, Emelia!" Pam grinned, looking up from her place at the oven. "It's so good to see you."

Emelia walked into the room, the composure between her younger self and her completely contrasting. Young Emelia bore a smile bright enough to light up a room while Emelia prepared for war. She had lived this before, and she'd be damned if she didn't try to stop it. In a moment's pause, Emelia paced across the room and stopped in front of the door. The movements seemed to strain her energy as if she was plugged into a generator. She pushed on the door with all her strength but it refused to move.

Before she managed to move out of the way, Lexi's parents trudged through the doorway. Emelia froze in her position, keeping her eyes fixed on the situation at hand. Due to the trauma she had undergone, she had developed the inability to look anyone in the eye. It was a struggle she hadn't realized she had gained until she was much older.

Lexi ducked her head in an attempt to avoid their gaze, tracing the pattern of the marble countertop with her fingernail. Even when they were at home, Matea and Lee Parysh were always focused on their workplace activities. They were often on the phone, only lifting their attention away slightly when something required their attention. They didn't spend much time with Lexi and instead, they sent her gifts during their time away. Lexi's room was stockpiled with material items from her childhood and yet, she still felt empty.

Lee's eyes lingered on Emelia's younger figure once he noticed she was there, catching himself shortly after and nodding in her direction. Lexi's mother was a perfectionist. She always wanted everything in the right place and if it wasn't, everyone within spitting distance paid for it with passive aggression. Emelia had never been on the other side of it but after hearing Lexi's stories, she knew it to be intense.

"Great," Matea uttered, glancing around the room and counting everything in its place with the maneuvering of her finger. She sighed softly before moving her attention to the two teenagers in front of her. Pursing her lips, she spoke again, "Emelia, you're here."

Emelia's heart was beating out of her chest, her eyes burning into the oldest man's figure. To this day, she didn't know how she should feel around the man. A mixture of emotions bolted about in her body – anger, sadness, distress, panic.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Parysh," young Emelia blurted, keeping the straight posture she had been trained to use. "Everything looks great."

"Yes, well, we are missing a few things so hopefully we can make due without them," she alerted, glaring at her husband from the corner of her eye. She shielded her eyes from the sun leaking in the large patio door before glancing in the direction of Pam. "Is the cake finished?"

"Yes, ma'am," Pam spoke, turning to face Matea with a look of respect. Matea didn't like when people looked her dead in the eye. Emelia figured it was something her ego strived off of, because she always smiled when she noticed this. Pam pulled the cake out of the refrigerator, lifting the lid off of the tray to reveal its appearance. It was absolutely beautiful, the frosting resting atop the baked treat with perfection. "All ready for the guests."

"They should be here any minute," Matea spoke, glancing up at the clock in the corner of the room. The time was 5:55p.m, leaving only a few minutes before the chaos was bestowed upon them all. Lexi's parties had always been huge. Even when she was very young, she lived a very full life. Everyone wanted to be her friend – for some, their reasoning was more selfish than others – and everyone attended her parties. It was always considered to be a high honor to be invited so it was very rare for someone to skip. "Lexi, let's get you situated with your dress, yeah?"

After ripping at every door, Emelia had given up at trying to leave. It was clear that whatever was keeping her here – whether that be her own misfortune or whatever sick curse Vecna was bestowing onto her – was not going to let her leave through a door. Emelia watched everyone leave the kitchen, her eyes bolting between the excited young girl and the older male in front of her.

"You clean up nicely," Mr. Parysh spoke, bringing young Emelia's attention back to him.

"Thank you! I hope it looks okay. I'm not used to dressing this nice for things," young Emelia cheered, glancing between the floor and Lexi's father. Emelia's discomfort was quickly shifting to fiery anger and with the heaving of her chest, she became more and more erratic.

"You look great," he spoke, closing the space between him and young Emelia. Emelia clenched her fists at her side as her anger suppressed itself. "Don't listen to Lexi's mother. She can be . . . a bit much sometimes."

The light above Emelia's head began to flicker slightly, and Emelia gasped in realization. For a brief moment, Emelia stood in her place and pondered her next moves. One thing that Max had told her was that lights were often used to communicate in the Upside Down and if she was able to confirm this theory, she would not only know she was dealing with Vecna but she would also be able to make herself known.

"Fuck it," Emelia muttered under her breath, quickly pulling a stool from the island over to her and stepping on it. She quickly unscrewed the lightbulb from its perch on the suspender, throwing herself back onto the floor. As she made her way forward, she grinned in pride as the light began to light up.

A large laugh escaped the younger girl's throat as she laughed at the man's comment, and Emelia had to suppress the vile that inched its way up her throat as a sickly smile rose on his face. It was clear that neither of them could see her. Mr. Parysh was only looking at the younger version of her; that was the only thing he could ever see.

"Tell me about it," the younger version spoke, smiling up at the man now standing in front of her. She cleared her throat and began looking around at all the decoration in the room. There was no space that wasn't decorated, her vision completely stuffed with pink ribbons and streamers.

"I actually have something I think you'll like," Lexi's father spoke, gesturing down the hallway. Emelia's posture immediately stiffened and her pace picked up. All she had to do was make herself known to the younger version of herself. Then, if fate was on her side, she would be able to communicate. "You can't tell Lexi though. I want it to be a surprise."

As Emelia made her way through the kitchen, the chandelier lights above her began to flicker. At first, she was sure it hadn't worked. Neither of them turned her attention towards them and then all of a sudden, she caught a shimmer in the young girl's eyes as she looked towards her. Her gaze was captivating and if Emelia hadn't known better, she would have been sure the girl was looking at her. Upon noticing this, Mr. Parysh's smile fell. A look of displeasure immediately consumed him.

"This way, Emelia," he spoke, his voice no longer as chipper as it previously had been. He held out his hand towards the young girl, which she gladly took, and they began making their way out of the room. Emelia quickly matched their pace, keeping the lightbulb clutched tightly in her hand. "Remember, this will be our little secret."

"Okay!" young Emelia grinned, glancing over her shoulder towards the light fixture they were rapidly making distance with. Emelia was losing time. "I'm so excited. Did you get her a puppy, Mr. Parysh?"

The man hushed her as he slipped his key into the lock of his office, slowly opening the door. Emelia was screaming now, shouting whatever she could to try and get their attention – her attention. Emelia's attempts were to no avail, leaving her frozen in despair as the young girl stepped inward. In a fit of anger, Emelia chucked the light bulb at the wall.

Lee Parysh froze in place and searched the hallway for the disruption. Emelia's eyes widened, keeping her eyes fixated on the man in his panicked state. Before she could confirm her efforts worked, the male closed the door. The last thing she saw before he completely disappeared from her vision was his sickly grin and the tall unit of a grandfather clock behind him.

"Please, call me Lee."

Emelia found herself standing in the midst of the dark meadow once again. Her feet had dug deep in the soil beneath her, and she had been crying. The tears she had released stained against her cheeks, alerting her that she hadn't really left at all. The clock was no longer in front of her, leaving her alone in the midst of the forest.

"No!" she shouted, quickly covering her mouth as she began to sob. She sunk down to her knees, the anger that once occupied her body now overwhelmed with despair. "God damn it!"

The distant echoing of voices shocked her from her emotions, forcing her to stand up. She squinted her eyes as the lights of flashlights began to inch its way toward her. Her heart dropped into her stomach and before she knew could fully process what she was doing, Emelia broke out into a sprint. Unlike the previous few hours, her feet seemed to navigate the terrain with ease. She didn't remember the last time she had ran this fast – not with Lexi, not when she was running away from Lovers' Lake – but instead of focusing on that, Emelia's mind only bore one thought.

She was never going to stop running.

-

This chapter is very, very, very juicy.

There is a lot of planning that has gone on behind closed doors for this plot, so with extensive editing, I believe it has the potential to be great. I am super excited for this plot, but I would like to place a trigger warning. As mentioned at the beginning of this book, my writing contains very mature themes. Despite it being a slow-burn, there are some very traumatic events that may unfold, and I cannot promise they won't not be graphic. I will always place a warning on chapters that contain themes like this, but I wanted to warn you in advance before you get too invested. I cannot stress this enough -- if you are queasy or have triggers to certain events (e: sexual assault, mentions of sexual assault, etc.), please stop reading. If you choose to continue, please pay close attention to the trigger warnings.

I appreciate all of the support I am being showered with, and I look forward to publishing more in the future.

Thank you,
Rori x