Much like their hopes and spirits, the conversation in the motorhome tanked. The Creel house had been left unattended for many years after the last family had been removed, and that factor alone was enough to spike needles into Emelia's bones. So many things could go wrong, but they would never know until the post-war reunion lacked its initial numbers. Even after the children had disappeared behind the tattered murder house doors and she was miles away, Emeli'a gaze remained fixed on the same spot of the window, and her eyes bore the same patriarchal stressor theirs all did.

Dustin was the only child that had been kept along for the ride, and Emelia believed that was mostly due to the soft spot he had in Steve's heart. Steve had never treated anyone the way he did Dustin, even back in high school when he was trying to woo a girl. Despite the small time frame that she spent in their presence, she knew nothing could ever replace the bond they had with each other. Although neither of them would ever admit to it, they would never be able to tick without each other. The moment one of them would no longer be able to go on, the other would cease to exist.

Emelia's fingernails dug into the window's metal border, attracting dirt to her already stained hands. The tune of "Don't Stop Believin'" had been playing on repeat since they left the trailer park, its bass engraving its effect into Emelia's earlobes unprecedently. She made it a goal of hers to remember just how many times it played so when she was far away from the dreaded town, she could look back at the moment, laugh, then never listen to the song again. She lost track of both her sanity and count after replay number ten.

As much as she willed it away, the thought of the track losing its impact was drilling itself through her skull. Favorite songs changed for people every single day, and a part of her feared that overstimulating herself with the tune would cause her to lose all admiration for its beat. The theory had never been mentioned due to the amateurity of the situation; she had simply found one of the flaws.

The vibration of Dustin's voice captured her attention, and in return, she pulled out one of her earbuds. Nancy was beginning to explain the plan once again, making sure that none of them missed a single detail. She had gone over every aspect of the plan numerous times, so much that Emelia was certain she couldn't forget it if she tried. She paid attention the best she could, but the moment Nancy mentioned Max sacrificing herself to Vecna, Emelia couldn't help but wince. She didn't understand why Max was so inclined to offer herself up to Vecna. She had her whole life to live, and yet, she still felt she was less worthy of life. It broke her heart to think that Max viewed herself as such low worth.

Emelia's attention transferred to the gaping hole in the ceiling of the living room. She hadn't taken that much of a close look at it until now, and even from her stance sitting on the kitchen chair, Emelia could see the scary resemblance to their reality. That being said, many differences such as the texture and coloring of the walls frightened her. The linoleum tiling looked as if it had molded over hundreds of times, and she swore she could smell the deteriorating setting.

In Nancy's plan, Emelia would not be entertaining the reality of dancing amidst the Upside Down today. She figured Nancy had good intentions, considering Emelia had already undergone Vecna's curse as it was, and they were already putting enough of them at risk. Instead, Emelia was to be placed at the entrance of the gate to keep watch in case any aspect of their plan went wrong.

Steve, Nancy, and Robin were given the roles as the offense players, and once Max and the others signalled their plan was in action, the three of them were going to target Vecna while he was idle. Because of the ill-intended trauma Vecna had given to Nancy, the group had found out that when Vecna is busy attacking one of his victims, he is at his weakest point. Nancy explained it to be something similar to a meditative state in which he was feeding off fear and the rush of adrenaline of his targets.

Dustin and Eddie's job was quite similar to Emelia's aside from the fact that they would be fending off much more than inquisitive neighbors and the creaking of pipes. The two of them would be fighting supernatural beings in the Upside Down. As much as she hated thinking it, Emelia knew they were the distraction. The thought of them being so vulnerable and alone so far away made her skin itch. Because of this, she made a vow to herself to only keep one earbud in, just in case they called out for help.

Although Emelia knew nothing about the mirrored world besides its manipulative qualities, she was determined to help if anything went wrong. Nancy made sure that they were all aware of the plan and encouraged everyone to stick to it. They weren't to divert from it no matter what, but Emelia knew that if it came down to it and her friends were in danger, she wouldn't hesitate for one second to jump through that portal.

As much as she anticipated the ceasing of Nancy's repetitive planning, Emelia began to panic the moment it stopped. She knew that the silence could only mean one thing: they were preparing for their departure. Emelia was not prepared to be left alone again, and that factor was solidified the moment the five of them inched their way toward the soggy mattress. Emelia's eyes followed their every move as if taking them off would cause her to lose sight of them entirely.

Steve entered through the gate first, claiming that he wanted to make sure the environment was stable before he welcomed them down. Seeing him post character development was like enduring a fever dream. The Steve she knew in high school was a lot different than the Steve she was seeing tug on the rope of bed cloths. However, it wasn't just him who had changed. All of them had, and so did the environment. Her biggest concern was no longer due dates or newspapers, it was whether or not she was going to be alive tomorrow.

Nancy entered the moment Steve notified them they were in the clear, and Robin quickly followed. It seemed like with each person, the speed at which they left the current reality got faster. As Eddie lined his body up with the rope, Emelia grabbed Dustin's arm and pulled him back towards her. Her expression bore factors of pure seriousness, and her eyes twinkled with fear. The emotion was conveyed very clearly through their interaction.

Although she hadn't said it, Dustin was aware of what she meant. Losing them would result in the loss of herself, and she didn't know what she would do if she lost herself again. She suppressed a gulp and watched Eddie throw himself into the oblivion, and the moment his body fell, Emelia felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"Both of you need to stick together," Emelia urged, still holding Dustin's shoulders in her firm grasp. With a nod, he moved to escape, but she pulled him back to face her again. His eyes bore into hers, and she still bore the same worried look. "I mean it, Dustin. Promise me."

"We're just the bait, Emelia," Dustin reassured, but from the tight grip Emelia still had on his clothing, he knew that she wasn't going to accept his words. He adjusted his stance in front of her, looking her dead in the eyes with an expression of pure care. "I promise."

Emelia loosened her grip on Dustin's jacket and exhaled a rough sigh, nodding towards the rope. As much as she hated doing so, she knew that the plan would certainly fall through if she didn't let Dustin follow the group into the Upside Down.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for?" she teased, stifling the pain in her chest with a fooling grin. He nodded in her direction, confirming the reassurance that he most recently gave, before quickly following in the group's footsteps and making the steep trek into the unknown. Emelia stood beneath the portal and looked up at her friends. Although she wasn't a religious person, she had never prayed more in a moment than she did then. She locked eyes with Eddie, and the same feeling of longing resided in his eyes. It was clear that he bore just as much fear as she did if not more. It hurt her to see him burdened by such fright, but it hurt her even more when he walked away.

Now that she was the only person in the trailer, the silence was threatening. The emptiness in the air allowed her heart beat to echo her ears, and in an attempt to drown it out, Emelia turned the repetitive music up so it was at full blast in her ear buds. Her attempts to find comfort in the song were difficult, but she was soon infatuated by the memories associated with it. Although many experiences were entangled, she could only focus on the moment Eddie and her had in Ms. Keating's trailer. She found herself laughing more that night than she had in a very long time. The truth was that even before she wound up in this god-forsaken situation, she was long since exhausted. She had been spending all of her free-time studying for exams and filling in hours at the Hawkins' High Herald, so much that she hardly had time to breathe. Despite the experience warranting drug-induced dopamine, it would forever be a moment she could never forget.

Lifting her enclosed fist from her pocket, Emelia opened her palm to observe the many idle batteries that rested on her skin. Eddie packed a total of four sets of batteries in case the ones in the cassette player failed to do their job, and although the image made her laugh, the thought that he cared so much caused her heart to swell. She took a glance at the portal, trying her best to ignore the pit in her stomach.

Within the time she had been left alone, Emelia managed to pace the entire room countless times. She tried to occupy herself by accomplishing pointless tasks such as picking up beer cants and organizing Wayne Munson's magazine collection by title, and they had worked – up until she heard it.

Bang.

Emelia stood up and shivered as goosebumps lined their way onto every spot of her spine. Although Journey was playing in her ear buds at maximum volume, the sound still managed to spook her enough to drop the bundle of newspapers she was organizing. Quickly yet stealthily, Emelia inched her way closer to the window, still feeling the vibration in her bones.

In the midst of the lawn stood a startled deer. It had managed to knock over one of the many garden ornamounts that was entangled in the overgrown weeds and was having a difficult time getting out of it. She chuckled to herself and stood up. The reality of the present moment had really hit her in that moment and caused her to realize just how living on edge affected her.

Emelia lowered the weapon that she had armed herself with and made her way towards the door. Based on the whines that sounded from outside, the deer was definitely in way above its head, and being that Emelia was a natural mediator, she knew that it was her job to help free it. With one swift movement of her fingertips, Emelia unlocked the front door and positioned herself atop of the stairs, seeing more of herself in the creature than she had in the mirror.

"It's okay," she cooed, holding her hand out for the animal to investigate. She was aware of how crazy she must look to the animal as tattered as she was, but she hoped this only inclined it to feel more comfortable with her. She kept her guard up, making sure there were no eyes on her. Although the disguise she wore did well at concealing her identity, her facial features were still distinguishable.

Just as she began to step away from the doorway, Emelia felt a tug on her ear. The movement was quick, and before she had time to distinguish the details, the vision of the beautiful greenery and creature standing in front of her was replaced with a horrifyingly familiar scene.

Emelia's heart beat rapidly increased, enveloping her hearing with a terrible sense of ringing. In panic, she reached up to grab the cord from her earbud and instead got a handful of hair. She shook her head and finally took in the environment. The previously neat foyer was consumed with an array of vein-like vines, and the only sound filling the eerie silence was a squelching that she couldn't explain.

The ground was consumed in a murky red liquid, and Emelia did her best not to entertain the idea that it was blood. The liquid consumed her shoes and splattered the exposed skin on her ankles. Although she was the only person in the room, she had an untimely feeling that she wasn't alone. The ticking of a clock grew louder as if it was growing closer and closer with each step, and she knew then that Vecna had her right where he wanted her. Her head whipped around the room, searching for a means to escape. The only tactic of awakening that she was aware of was music, and now that it was out of the question, she had absolutely no clue what to do. Vecna was a very powerful being, and unless he wanted you to leave, there was no chance you were going to succeed.

A deep and raspy groan echoed the room, and her feet backpedaled until she unknowingly stumbled into a doorway. The surface was hot to the touch, and it wasn't until the blindingly loud chime of a clock scored her ears that she realized it was the office door. She quickly turned around to face the entrance, and her eyes bubbled in fear.

No matter where she went and no matter which way she turned, he would still have control. This was his realm. She was no longer in Hawkins anymore. She was in the storm – right smack in the center.

--

Long time no see !! 

It has been a long while since I've updated, and I apologize for that. I just finished up the year of school and have been dealing with a sum of stress. I hope to release the rest of the book soon.