chapter sixteen – a game of cat and mouse

"So Billy just...showed up?" Mateo asked, leaning toward El as she sat beside him. Tears were still evident on her cheeks as she looked up and slowly nodded, "Is that even possible?" He glanced at the group as they sat in their own thoughts – still not fully understanding what just happened.

"Could he have been waiting for you inside Rena's mind?" Will questioned and it made his stomach churn. He swallowed thickly and cast his gaze down toward the floor; he was eased by the knowledge that his sister was safe, but the fear began to settle back in when he realized she actually wasn't. The Mind Flayer preying on her to get to El added a whole new layer to their situation. Irene was still vulnerable and he still didn't know where she was. He couldn't stop the invasive feeling of nausea that plagued his stomach. He wanted to close his eyes and wake up safe in his bed with his sister tucked away in her room.

"He said I shouldn't have been sticking my nose where it didn't belong and that," El hesitated, wiping her palms against her pants. "He was building something, that it was all for me."

"Building something? Is he talking about the flayed?" Max looked back at her friends in confusion.

"He must be."

"So he's building an army, just like we thought." Lucas crossed his arms as he paced behind the couch.

"Yeah but he's not building this army to spread – from what Rena showed her – he's building it to make him stronger–"

Will straightened his posture and looked at Mike, "To stop Eleven." His friend motioned toward him with his hand as he nodded furiously. The conversation momentarily became static to Mateo as he tugged at his elbow, trying to shake the feeling of worry that moved through him. He wasn't going to back out now – he couldn't – but he also couldn't just shove his feelings away. He didn't know how the group was able to function so normally knowing the kind of terror that lied beneath their seemingly boring town. How could they have gone through this twice?

"...Game over." Lucas' voice brought him back and he looked up at the group, hoping that none of them noticed him mentally slipping away.

"He also said he was gonna kill all of you." El murmured, looking around at her friends.

"Jesus christ." Mateo whispered as his hands ran through his hair. Terror struck his pale face and temoring hands with vigor. Without any thought, Johnanthan laid a comforting hand onto his shoulder and tried his best to give him a reassuring look. Just as he began to find some kind of emotional equilibrium, Nancy stood and questioned the sounds outside of the cabin. His knee bobbed up and down as thick silence danced between them. He felt his heart sink the moment the words, "He knows we're here," fell from Will's lips. Suddenly they all moved to their feet and followed Nancy outside.

Off in the distance fireworks illuminated the sky, casting an array of bright reds and blues. As Mateo squinted his eyes, questioning whether he needed glasses or not, he finally saw what Irene had shown El – what she'd seen the first day they moved to Hawkins — and his heart stopped. His lungs felt trapped by his ribcage with every breath and he swore his knees were wobbly and weak.

A spider-like monster was pushing itself past the line of trees in a fit of rage and, perhaps, Mateo thought, a haunting kind of excitement.

— — — —

"I mean, what the actual hell, Rena?!" Dustin exclaimed in anger as Robin and Steve acted like children who were experiencing a massive sugar high. Irene was still trying to process what happened to her after she passed out in the back of the cart and saw El clear as day in her mind and suddenly sifting through her memories like it was a film and she was trying to find the right still. She was also trying to swallow down the guilt that was slowly making its way up from her stomach to her throat. When she saw Steve she felt awful and then seeing the both of them acting so delirious because they were drugged only added fuel to her fire of shame. Dustin harshly expressing his anger toward her was the cherry on top of the shitty sundae she'd been served.

"How was I supposed to know?!" She asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I told you, I see things in pieces — it's not one cohesive vision from start to finish. If I knew this was going to happen I wouldn't have suggested we split up! I feel awful!" She said defeatedly, feeling like her chest was going to cave in on itself. She was exhausted to say the least.

"Yeah?! Well you should. What kind of friend are you?" Dustin spat in disgust and she felt the prickling discomfort of tears welling in her eyes. He didn't know her, so maybe he didn't mean it. Right? She tried to rationalize his hurtful words as a tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly and focused on the two rambunctious ice-creamery workers who were sputtering something about surfing. Steve's body flung to the floor and the two broke out into a fit of giggles. She crouched beside him, Dustin hesitantly following her actions. His distrust in her was louder than the whir of the elevator quickly moving them upward.

He placed his palm against Steve's forehead and looked up at her, "He's burning up–"

"They were drugged, that much I do know." She said with a sigh.

"What?" Steve giggled. "I don't do drugs silly, it's only marijuana." He added, poking Dustin's face with a pout. He swatted his hand away and looked back at Irene.

"So what's happening to them?"

She pursed her lips, "Their bodies are undergoing the effects of the drug, they'll soon purge it out which will probably result in them feeling really ill and vomiting. They won't die."

Dustin scoffed, "You sure about that?" He questioned and Irene pulled her brows together in confusion and pain. Deep down he knew he was slowly entering into a territory he should have never wandered to in the first place – his stubbornness however wasn't going to let him leave so easily. He disregarded her for a moment and looked back toward Steve, "They're gonna be looking for us up there, so I need you to tell me where you parked your car." He demanded and Steve's train of thought was suddenly pulled to his grumbling stomach.

"Ah, can we make a pit stop at the food court?" He asked, looking completely dazed.

"I would kill for a hotdog on a stick." Robin spoke up beside them and Steve echoed his desire for food.

"You can have all the food in the world when you tell us where your car is." Irene glanced at Robin and then focused her attention on Steve.

"Uh-oh," He whispered and she shut her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The cars off the board."

"What?" Dustin asked frantically as Steve reached into his empty pockets, pulling them out to show his three drug free companions. Irene wanted the floor to swallow her whole at the act. 

"They took the keys–The Russians took the keys, like forever ago." Steve informed the two as Robin giggled wildly, "That's a bummer, right?" A smile ghosted his lips. Dustin and Irene shared a look of disbelief and fear before the elevator came to a stop. She helped Steve to his feet and grabbed onto Robin's hand, pulling her up with them.

As they made their way back into the outside world, Irene noticed how bright the stars seemed against the dark backdrop of space and how comfortable the summer air felt against her skin. She realized just how much she missed existing in this world. Suddenly, as Robin and Steve went on about how the air tasted, her thoughts were pulled to her brother. She didn't realize just how much she missed him – regardless of how he felt or treated her. He was her partner in crime and she really needed his presence right about now. And in the blink of an eye she was pulled back to the grim reality she hadn't grown accustomed to as she pulled Robin's arm and pushed her through the mall's doors as they narrowly escaped from two guards.

— — — —

"I think it's pretty badass that you know how to use that thing." Mateo whispered as he trudged toward the cabin beside Nancy, the large hammer and ax in his hands weighing down his sides. His eyes lingered to the shotgun in her hands before meeting her piercing gaze. He didn't like underestimating people and their abilities but he'd be lying if he didn't say he was taken aback when she reached for the weapon and handled it with ease. There was a lot he needed to be debriefed on about the group – they were constantly surprising him; like magicians who kept pulling bunny rabbits out of their hats without warning.

She shrugged and muttered a simple, "Thanks." Although it sounded a lot like a question and less like a gesture of gratitude. However, Mateo was too frazzled to notice as they entered the cabin. He swiftly  handed Johnathan the ax and opted for the lighter weapon in his left hand. He then helped the kids board the rest of the windows up, listening to Nancy's warnings to stay away from them.

Soon they all huddled against each other in the center of the cabin...Waiting. The only thing that could be heard was their heavy breathing, however individually they swore the others could hear the clangorous thumping of their terrified hearts.

Then the lights began to flicker.

The porcelain dishes resting on the drying rack shook.

Heavy footsteps crushed the earth just outside the cabin, shaking the ground in the wake of whatever was moving.

A coffee mug clattered to the ground...And then another...And then another.

But the sound stopped and it was only the flicker of lights that made their hearts race. It was like a cat and mouse game; they were waiting for the feline to make its presence known – to pounce on its prey in delight. Once again silence filled the space between them.

And then, crack! A long tentacle arm broke through the wood and lunged toward the group. It had talon like teeth at the end and kept opening and closing menacingly as it hovered in front of them. One thing Mateo noticed about, was that it seemed to have a mind of its own. It wasn't like a regular arm that sometimes found it difficult to differentiate the feeling of cherry tomatoes from grapes if you had your eyes closed. This thing was sentient.

El, held the group back protectively as Johnathan swung the ax into its flesh – not making that big of a dent. He wouldn't let his efforts fail, however he wasn't given a fair fighting chance as he was flung into one of the walls. The ax clattered to the floor and the tentacle slithered down to his body;  before it could strike a shot rang inside the wooden house. Nancy fired the shotgun a few more times – only deepening its anger. Her gun had no more ammo and she was pushed back against the wall, closing her eyes tightly.

The tentacle froze, bubbling and squelching as it tried to move toward her and out of El's grip. She threw her hand down and ripped the talons, or perhaps head, off of the tentacle and it frantically retracted from the cabin in, what seemed to be, pain.

"Holy shit." Max whispered and before anyone could respond with their own slew of profanities another tentacle came bursting into the room toward El. She extended her hand out and stopped it quickly; another entered the home and she'd done the same with her opposite hand. She battled the energy, vocalizing her frustration and anger as she pushed with all of her strength. She grunted in rage as she brought both of her hands in and the other two heads of the tentacles ripped off and splattered onto the floor.

"This thing really is like the Hydra." Mateo muttered as the meaty, slimy, tentacles retracted quickly out the windows. You got rid of one and two more really did come back in its place.

Without missing a beat, a large and thick tentacle burst through the ceiling and gripped (or more so bit ) El's leg, yanking her upward. Leaving the valley of fear he was lingering in, Mateo lunged to grab her. He caught a clear view of the source of their terror and his face paled; there in all of its glory was the monster – the tentacle had protruded from out of its mouth and it screamed in anger. It had rows of boney teeth and the smell of the flesh that held it together made him nauseous all over again. She clasped onto his arms tightly, digging her nails into his skin as she cried in both fear and pain.

Mike ran over to help, all of her friends soon following. Mateo looked back to Nancy in desperation, "Shoot the fucking thing, goddamnit!" He cried and turned back to El, tightening his grip on her – lucky that his hand wrapped around the majority of her arm. He pulled back like a game of tug-o-war but not too much because he knew it had sunk its teeth into her leg and he couldn't put her through any more pain. The monster only growled and tugged even tighter at El, the friction between the two pulling caused a searing pain to course through her calf. She screamed in agony.

"Nancy, shoot it!" Johnathan's voice pleaded behind them and Nancy, after having loaded the gun again, aimed the barrel toward the monster and shot. It winced and a clicking echo came from its mouth, like a cat hissing at something deemed a predator. Without hesitation she shot again...And again...And again. Angering the monster further and further, but also making it loosen its hold on El. Mateo noticed that El was getting closer to the floor and his eyes searched the cabin for the ax.

He saw it near Lucas' feet and called out to him, "Hey kid! The ax!" The teen picked up the weapon, hopping onto a box to get a better reach and slashed down onto the exposed tentacle. The creature screeched and despite the fear that coursed through his veins and fueled the rapidity of his beating heart, Lucas slashed down again. Nancy would shoot, Lucas would slash, Mateo would yell at the teens to keep their hold, like a sergeant who desperately wanted to win a battle, and El's cries would fill the gaps in between. That was the order things went.

Finally with all of his might Lucas brought the ax down and sliced through the flesh, causing a domino-like effect.

Mateo held El tightly as their bodies collided with the ground and for a flickering moment he thought she was his sister and he hugged her with all of his might, "I've got you," He whispered but quickly noticed her erratic breaths and looked down at her leg; the head of the tentacle dug into her skin, like thorns from a rose bush. He reached down and carefully placed his hands around it, prompting her to breathe deeply before he yanked it out of her leg. An ear splitting scream erupted from her as he tossed it to the side.

El stood up slowly, taking a few wobbly steps forward as she glared at the monster towering above them. It opened its grotesque mouth but before anything else could come flying out El screamed and held both of her hands out, channeling all of her power toward the monster, before splitting its head in two. She fell back into Max's arms, exhaustion covering her like a comforting blanket.

They all ran out of the cabin, Mateo holding up El beside Max as they rushed to the car. He helped her inside before sprinting toward his bike and kicking it into drive, soon following closely behind the group as they made their escape.

— — — —

Irene ushered the four through the double doors and thanked whoever was listening that there was a multitude of people in the theater; it gave them better chances of them blending in. Steve and Robin were mesmerized by the movie that was playing on the big screen, Back to the Future. She ordered the two of them to sit in two vacant seats and ignored their protests that they were too close, glaring at whoever had the nerve to shush them. She didn't even question the popcorn that was now in Steve's grasp; their safety and compliance was the only thing she cared about.

"Do. Not. Move." She warned in a low voice and Steve rolled his eyes.

"Fine, mom." He huffed and Robin giggled beside him like they were both adolescents. Their laughter faded as she searched for a triad of seats and when she found some she plopped down, Dustin and Erica matching her actions. They collectively sighed before Erica turned to the oldest teen.

"What are we doing here?"

"Laying low." Dustin answered as if it were obvious.

"I'm just trying to think of our next move." Irene muttered, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"You don't remember this? Or you do and you just don't want to say anything until we're all beaten to a pulp and drugged?" The snarky question made her clench her jaw; there was only so much taunting she could take. She understood his frustration and anger – if she were in his shoes she'd be upset about the conditions of her friend too, considering they placed their trust in her. However, his words were hurtful and she was just trying to do her best. At the end of the day, she wanted what he did to – for all of them to be safe and for the secret bases operations to be exposed.

"We need to get out of here." Erica remarked after being shushed by someone behind them. Irene nodded in agreement, still trying to piece together their course of action.

"All right, you two watch Tweddledee and Tweedledum." Dustin said to the two, motioning his head toward Robin and Steve who were completely enthralled by the movie. "Make sure they don't go anywhere."

"And where do you think you're going?" Irene asked, a motherly tone overtaking her voice as she crossed her arms. He rolled his eyes.

"Someone's got to find us a ride." He retorted before leaving the two.

Irene sank into the chair and looked up at the movie however she could care less about the movie. She felt numb and tired, thinking the group would probably be better off without her. She was a liability – a stain on their group. She got Steve and Robin hurt; the only people to really take her in and accept her for her–the only people who saw her for who she was. What kind of friend was she? She shouldn't have made them split – you never split up, that's how everyone usually dies or gets hurt.

She wiped her eyes, a flush creeping over her cheeks as she looked over at Erica who was focused on the screen but she could tell that she knew. She knew the internal war she was fighting beside her. She cleared her throat and grabbed the girls' attention, "I'm gonna go to the restroom. I shouldn't be long and Dustin should be back soon." She said quietly before looking over and making sure Steve and Robin were still seated. She let out a sigh at the sight of them giggling to each other and then slipped out of the theater and shuffled toward the bathroom.

She pushed open a vacant stall door and dropped her backpack at her feet before leaning against the wall and sliding down to the floor. The clasp had come undone and she became a pool of muddled emotions as she sat crying. Her shoulders shook softly as she clutched her knees to her body and let her overflowing cup of feelings spill to the floor like a waterfall. Her soft cries echoed against the bathroom walls.

This was the loneliest she felt since moving to Hawkins.

Once again, she'd ruined everything. Once again, she had been at the center of all the chaos. Was she really the problem? Everything in her life went downhill when she first started "using" her gift. Before that the home videos she used to watch were full of light and laughter – her mother and father looked so effervescent, like nothing could break them. Her brother was establishing a name for himself in the baseball world and barely at the young age of eight – everyone in his family thought he'd go pro. The first in the family to make it big.

It all changed when she experienced her first vision. The bullying followed both her and her brother like a shadow and then they started moving from palace to place. Her parents started arguing more, her dad grew colder, and so did her brother. There was no longer enthusiasm bouncing off the walls of their home; everything had dulled...darkened.

She hated it. She hated her gift. She hated herself.

She sat there, staring at the wall, slowly numbing herself to the world. The tears had dried against her cheeks after a while and she took a deep breath, the hiccups subsided. A soft knock against the door pulled her out of her thoughts and she must have been so out of it that she didn't initially hear the main door open. Outside the stall were two pairs of shoes; Steve's and Robin's.

"Rena, we know you're in there." Robin whispered and she was surprised to hear silence follow the comment and not an array of giggles.

"We're okay now." Steve joked dryly but a laugh didn't leave her lips. "Dustin told us what happened." He added and that earned a scoff from their friend on the other end.

"What? That I'm a terrible friend and he won't let me live it down? I bet he boasted about that; how I ruined everything. As if I don't hate myself enough, right?" They could hear the croak in her throat as she spoke to them. "You know, I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of it – I just wanted to be a good friend – I just wanted to have a normal summer. I just–" They softly pushed open the door and she looked up. She was completely broken. "It's not fair." She whispered and Robin was the first to crouch beside her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She broke down again in front of them and this time, the toll everything had taken on her was visible. Both of them knew though, it was deeper than that.

Irene carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. She harbored every undeserved blow given to her and tried her best to find some kind of optimism – some silver lining. And everytime she got close, she was ripped right back into the fight; enduring even more blows than before. She was tormented and scarred for something she couldn't even control – something she should've been proud of. They wouldn't let the world use her as its punching bag anymore.

"I'm sorry." She muttered in embarrassment, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"You don't have to apologize for your feelings, Irene." Robin reassured the girl and she pursed her lips.

"Well then let me apologize for what happened to you guys...I'm a bad friend." Steve shook his head in protest.

"You didn't know and we shouldn't blame you for that. We placed our trust in you and even though something unfavorable happened, it's not like we had any other options. It was either Robin and I or all of us stuck in that base. We would've died there if that's how things went. You kept the kids safe and we made it out so I call that a victory. You're not a bad friend, Rena." He explained and it made her cover her face with her hands and let out both a laugh and sob at the same time (she really needed some proper rest and a good meal once all of this was over).

She looked up at both of them and took a deep breath; the whites of her eyes were pink, her cheeks had puffed a bit, and she had snot running from her nose. Robin handed her a few strips of toilet paper and they both laughed. She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't deserve you guys," She trailed and they both waved her off. "Seriously, I'm really lucky you guys are my friends."

The main bathroom door swung open, "Jesus! When I said talk to her I didn't mean to have a full blown intervention." Dustin retorted, Erica crossing her arms by his side. "Need I remind you we're still being hunted by Russians." He added hastily like a mother scolding her children, causing the three of them to stand up and meet him at the door. Irene stopped by the sink, quickly splashing her face with water before patting it dry and rushing behind them.

They blended in perfectly with the movie-goers that were exiting the theater. Irene let out a sigh and dug into her backpack, wondering if her walkie-talkie was still alive so she could finally radio her brother. To her dismay it was completely dead, however she did find a half eaten cookie and smiled in triumph. She was starving.

"Now we just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes and home sweet home, here we come." Irene couldn't help but drop her shoulders in relief at the comment, taking a bite of the stale cookie; she'd finally get to see her mom and her brother again. She'd finally get to sleep in a warm bed and eat good food.

"Uh, Dustin?" Steve grabbed all of their attention as he muttered beside Robin.

"What?"

"Yeah, we might not wanna go to your house." He said and it made Irene's shoulders tense up again..

"Why?" Dustin questioned nervously.

"Well I might've told them your full name." He admitted and Irene's eyes went wide as she looked up at him.

Dustin took the words right out of her mouth, "What is wrong with you?"

"Dude, I was drugged." Steve argued. He did make a fair point though, people say anything and everything when they're under any kind of influence. As they continued to silently bicker, Irene and Robin scanned the area. Both of them stopped when they saw the Russian's guarding the exit, asking for people to show them some form of identification before they could leave.

"Oh shit, you guys." Irene whispered and Robin made the rest all stop beside them. They looked at the guards and then back at each other, "I vaguely remember this from my vision." She muttered as she stared down at the floor, trying to piece the fragments together and they looked at her in anticipation. Waiting for her to drop her wisdom on them.

"Okay...What do we do?" Steve asked eagerly, leaning toward her. She hesitated, looking at all of their faces in fear; remembering that the last time they listened to her things went awry. "Irene!" Steve hissed, pulling her attention back to the moment. She looked over at the guards and locked eyes with one before frantically looking back at her friends.

"We run!" She said, pushing them ahead of her and away from the guards that were charging toward them. They came across the escalators that were, to their distress, blocked off by a rope. Irene was the first to sit in between and slide down the metal. Everyone else followed behind, running like chickens without heads – much like they had inside the base – toward the nearest hiding spot. She guided them toward one of the vacant food spots and motioned for them to crouch down. Dustin stopped by her side and looked at her with frantic eyes.

"I just want to let you know, if we die and I don't get to say this, I don't think you're a terrible person or friend and I actually think your gift is really cool and I was just scared because Steve is like my brother and my best friend and I was mean because I was terrified and I know that's not a good excuse but I'm really sorry and I think you're pretty cool and–"

"Dustin!" Irene grabbed the boy's shoulders and placed her hand over his mouth. "It's okay, but now's not really the time." She looked at him with wild eyes and then pulled him down to sit in between her and Steve.

They all held their breaths as they waited, listening to the last group of people exit the mall before silence filled the void between them. Irene gulped and grabbed Robin's hand, interlocking their fingers before squeezing tightly. There was distant chatter from the men in Russian and then the sound of nearing footsteps made her freeze. She licked her chapped lips and clenched her eyes shut, praying to every deity for a miracle.

And just when she thought they were about to die, a car alarm boomed from beside the men – making her jump in both fear and excitement. A memory struck her and she looked at Dustin with a calm face before she leaned in and whispered, "It's El."

Mateo watched El throw the car at the men in amazement, still shocked by how powerful she was. He also saw his sister's head poke up from the counter she was hiding behind alongside her co-workers and two other kids he was unfamiliar with. He finally felt like the weight of guilt was lifted from his chest as he locked eyes with her. Hers twinkled with surprise and admiration and the two shared a smile. She looked like an aged soldier and he speculated he did too. They both looked like life had come at them full speed and hit them with no hesitation...which it did. He made his way down the escalator with the group as Irene jogged to meet him.

"You flung that thing like a hot wheel!" The young boy she was with exclaimed pridefully as he ran to give El and Mike a hug.

Irene's eyes welled with tears as she stood in front of her brother, the two of them just looking at each other before finally engulfing one another in the tightest embrace they shared since they were children. Mateo was holding back the sob that crept up his throat. It had only been a day or two since he'd last seen his sister yet it felt like an eternity. He'd lost sleep wondering if she was okay and spent hours driving himself insane over the thought of losing her – his best friend. He treated her horrible and he realized that now. Suddenly it was like the shackles of his past had been unlocked and he was free from the anger and resentment – free from things that held him in the dark for far too long.

"I was so worried." He exhaled as he held his sister. "I-I thought that you were..." He trailed and she let go of him, holding his shoulders.

"I'm right here, Teo." She whispered with a small smile and he shook his head. She couldn't believe he'd stuck around with the group for this long. The Mateo she was used to would've initially wanted no part in whatever was going on in town and she couldn't help but appreciate that he stuck around for her. It felt like they were finally reclaiming their roles as partners in crime, brother and sister, best friends.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. I've been a really shitty brother." His sister chuckled as tears escaped down her cheeks and she brought him into another embrace.

"I knew you'd come around sooner or later. I'm glad you're here now; I forgive you." She whispered and when she let go of him he wiped the evidence of tears on his face. The two of them looked back at the group as they talked over each other. Irene leaned into her brother's side, "However, you owe me for telling them about my gift." She joked lightly and her brother laughed.

"In my defense, I had no other choice." He argued and she shoved him before turning her attention fully to the group.

"Superpowers. She threw it with her mind. Come on catch up." Steve said to a confused Robin.

Irene interjected, stepping between the two, "I think the proper term is telekinesis."

"Wait. That's El?" Erica asked in awe as she pointed toward the teen.

"Who's El?" Robin further questioned.

"That's El." Irene motioned her hand toward the girl that she saw earlier in her mind.

"I'm sorry, who are you two?" Nancy asked, turning the attention toward Irene and Robin.

"I'm Robin. I work with Steve." She informed the oldest Wheeler and then looked to her friend.

Irene gave her a small smile, "I'm Rena, I'm Mateo's sister. I also work with these two."

"Rena can see the future and Robin is the one that cracked the top secret code." Dustin informed the group who already knew a portion of his response. As they went on to explain the Russians that were chasing them and their secret side mission that left them trapped inside the base beneath their feet, Irene felt the atmosphere shift. It was like time stopped and the world had gone silent for a flickering moment. She looked over her shoulder at El who now had blood trickling down both of her nostrils.

Her hands moved to her ears and it looked like she was in pain before she collapsed onto the floor. Irene rushed toward her, Mike following closely behind and the two crouched down on both of her sides.

"What's wrong?" Irene asked, concern etched into her features as she looked down at El.

"My leg." She said shakily, closing her eyes as the pain had become unbearable.

"What happened..."Irene was about to ask but stopped the moment she saw El's bloodied and bandaged leg. Everyone covered their mouths in both disgust and horror. It began to throb. However, the Vasquez siblings had read one too many sci-fi and horror novels to know that it looked like something was inside of El's leg. It moved underneath her skin and she screamed in pain.

A/N:

I loved just taking you guys on a roller coaster of emotions because this entire chapter had me SOBBING. im honestly really proud of this one...I don't know there's just something about it and I don't want to look at it for too long or else I might start to pick it a part lol.

but yeah, I hope you all enjoyed it! if you weren't aware, my schedule is going to be getting a little more hectic so updated might be more sporadic, but there will be updates. also I might be doing a graphics shop on the side because I LOVE making graphics especially the eighties horror movie poster style...like the style of the newest cover of the tower (which im very proud of btw)

alright my dears, this is where we depart. let me know what you're excited for...I can't believe act one is slowly coming to a close...until next time!