The longest time had passed since Mary's phone call with Corina. And in the meantime, she, Joyce and her father had laid out all of the sheets of drawings Will had made — which were like pieces to a puzzle, they all seemed to add up. And so, Joyce Byers' house was decorated with paper that had messy scrawls over them, all different colours and shapes and sizes.

It felt like forever had passed before Jim was finally onto something. He realised Will had been talking about something growing and spreading. And at the same time, both him and his daughter realised it were like vines — and if Jim was correct, then he knew where it was and what the source was.

He had rushed outside, insisting that Mary should stay with Joyce and gave her no time to argue. And so, two hours later she found herself pacing the Byers' living room. She was rubbing at her temples, speaking to herself in her head and assuring herself that her father was fine — even though he had been gone a long time. And then there was the case of Eleven, what if she left the cabin and her father wasn't around to find her?

Mary shook her head, suddenly springing into action, "I have to go. I can't just sit around waiting any longer." She said as she moved for the door but Joyce rushed after her, catching onto her arm.

"Mary, wherever your dad could be, it could be dangerous —"

"Which is exactly why I have to go," She said with determination. She softened her gaze, "Please, Joyce." She pleaded.

Joyce held her eyes, searching them and all she could find was courage. She sighed and nodded, letting her go, "Alright fine, but you better be careful." She gave in and Mary offered her a grin.

"I'm always careful," She said before turning to leave. She was halfway out the door when she realised she had arrived in her father's truck. She popped her body back in the door, "I'm gonna need to borrow your car."

Joyce chucked her the keys and she offered a smile before jogging down to the woman's old station wagon. She got inside, putting the keys in the ignition and starting it up. She was sure she knew where her dad had went — where it all started up at the farm; where things were dying.

And so, she drove in that direction. Joyce's car was slower than she would have liked but it was faster than walking. And within a while, she entered the farmland and drove down the path to the fields where Jim had been investigating.

In the dark, though the headlights she noticed her father's police truck and pulled up beside it. She got out of Joyce's car, slamming the door shut behind her and looking around for her dad; but he was nowhere in sight.

She spun on the spot, "Dad!" She called into the Autumn air, condensation blowing out of her mouth. She got no reply.

She sighed heavily and walked around the car before she was suddenly losing her footing but managed to catch herself before she could fall. She blew out a relieved breath before looking down to see she had almost slipped into where someone had been digging a deep hole — through, it didn't meet the bottom.

She furrowed her brows at the seemingly abandoned shovel. Then her eyes found footprints that weren't hers — a size nine for sure: her father's size. Putting the pieces together, she realised the footprints didn't leave that spot. And so, if Jim hadn't left then there was only one place he could be.

Mary picked up the shovel and tucked her hair behind her ear. She began digging, using all of her strength to do it quickly before finally, the ground caved in below her and she went tumbling through with an 'oomph'. Also, dropping the shovel above ground.

She landed hard in soil with a groan, "Shit." She mumbled, rubbing her tailbone that was aching. She looked upwards, seeing she was in some sort of underground tunnel — only there were vines everywhere. She was definitely in the right place.

She got to her feet slowly, looking around in the darkness, "Dad?" She called out hopefully, her voice echoing. But still, there was no reply.

Mary sighed heavily and reached into her pocket. She pulled out her lighter and cigarette packet before lighting one of them up. It was to relive stress and anxiety — and also to light the way in the darkness. Though for her sake, she hoped she'd find her father after she was done with the cigarette to avoid an earful.

         She puffed away at it as she walked, stepping carefully and over the vines. She perked up when she heard a noise, coming to a stop. There were a scuffling kind of noise coming from the next tunnel, just around the corner. Mary swallowed and stepped closer, her cigarette hanging out the corner of her mouth. Her heart was pounding, hearing the blood pulsing through her ears.

          She stopped at the edge of the corner, holding her breath. She could hear something getting close and she waited. Then, just when she was sure whatever it was for closer, she jumped out. She screamed, the cigarette falling from her mouth as the person opposite her also screamed. And for the longest moment, it was just a screaming match.

         Jim Hopper punched at the air, "Shit, Mary! What the hell are you doing down here?!" He yelled, his voice still in the same tone as it had been when he screamed like a little girl.

         Mary threw her hands up, "I thought you could have been in trouble! I came down to help you!" She exclaimed.

         Jim stood back, rubbing at his forehead and closing his eyes, his other hand on his hip, "Why did you have to take after me with your stubborn, reckless actions?" He said with a sigh. He put his hand down, looking at his daughter who was giving him a hopeful smile, "Fine, you can stay. But hand over that packet of cigarettes you have — I thought we talked about this." He said with agitation, holding his hand out.

          Mary sighed and rolled her eyes, handing over the cigarette pack, "We did. But I'm a senior and this town is majorly screwed up. It's either the nicotine or I start smoking marijuana —"

         Jim pointed at her, suddenly triggered, "You. Will. Not."

         Mary held her hands up, "It's a joke, dad," She said. She then heard a strange hissing from below her and looked down with furrowed brows. The vines beneath her seemed to be moving away from her burning out cigarette. She inched closer, "Dad, do you see that? They must not like fire..." Jim sprung into action, apparently getting an idea by his daughters words.

         He grabbed a branch before lightning it on fire with his lighter. He then began to put it towards the wall and the vines hissed and thrashed around as though they were alive. Mary stared in awe, her lips parted and eyes wide. Why the hell did Hawkins have to be so god damn weird?

         Feeling something on her ankle, she looked down and she swallowed hard, "Um, dad?" She spoke up as he tried burning the vines. Jim looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened at the sight of the vines sneaking up Mary's leg. She gulped, beginning to panic, "What do I do?" She asked, trying to kick the vines off but more were coming and wrapping up her torso.

        Jim dropped the flaming branch and bound towards his daughter but the vines grabbed onto him, pulling him back towards the wall. Mary was being pulled to the ground now and she couldn't fight against it, "Dad!" She screamed, reaching for her father who fought like crazy to get to her but they were being pulled apart.

         Mary was pulled to the wall and the vines went around her mouth, making it hard to breathe but she kicked and fought, refusing to give in that easily. She looked over, seeing her father was in the same position and she relaxed, almost as though she accepted their fate. She just held her father's gaze as her eyes filled with tears. But then suddenly, someone was coming to their rescue.

          "Hopper? Hopper!" Joyce Byers was exclaiming as she rushed into the chamber with Bob, Will and Mike behind her. Joyce panicked at the sight of him, "It's choking him!" She cried with fright.

         "K—Knife." Jim managed to get out, nodding in the direction of where his army knife had fallen.

         Joyce rushed across but he shook his head, "Ma—Mary." He forced out. Joyce looked around, having not noticing the girl and she gasped upon noticing her body under the vines.

         She rushed to the girl as Bob scooped up the flaming branch and began waving it around as the vines tried to get to them, "Mary, you're gonna be alright." Joyce told the girl as she cut at the vines. Mary was losing air but finally, the vines came loose at her mouth and she gasped, sucking in oxygen whilst Joyce cut her free.

          The vines weren't even off her legs before Mary was sitting up and tearing them off herself and kicking her legs, "My dad! Get my dad!" Joyce listened to her pleas and rushed to Hopper, collapsing to her knees to cut him free. Meanwhile, Will and Mike helped yank the vines off Mary's legs.

The girl got to her feet before stomping on the vines beneath her feet, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She exclaimed, flattening the hissing plants.

Jim was finally free and he got to his feet as Bob kept the vines at bay. Joyce clutched Jim's face, searching for any injuries, "Are you okay?" She asked him worriedly. Jim nodded. Joyce placed a big kiss on his forehead and Mary smiled at the sentiment. She patted both Will and Mike's shoulders in thanks for helping her get free.

Everyone took a moment to catch their breaths, just taking in what had happened. After a moment of silence, Jim glanced over at Bob, "Hey, Bob." He greeted casually.

Bob nodded, giving a content smile. He seemed to be handling all of this very calmly, "Hey, Jim." Mary smiled a little.

        Joyce looked to the young girl and her lips parted as she tried not to cry. She extended her arms to the girl and Mary walked into them, giving Joyce a much needed hug. Mary had been terrified when the vines had enclosed her body. If it hadn't been for Joyce, Bob, Mike and Will she wasn't sure if she and her father would even still be alive.

        Mary smiled up at Joyce and then moved to her father whom tucked her under his arm and kissed the top of her head. Just then, men wearing white body suits came rushing through the tunnels with flamethrowers in their hands.

         Jim moved Mary out of harms way as the men brushed by them. But soon, they were being hurried away. Mary looked over her shoulder as her father led her towards the exit and she witnessed the men lighting the growths on fire. She could still hear their screeching even as they got out of the hole. But then something horrific happened right before their eyes.

Will suddenly collapsed to the ground and began seizing, his body shaking and eyes rolling into the back of his head. Mary looked down in horror as Joyce began screaming for her son, "Dad, what's happening to him?!" Mary exclaimed as the men in white coats came rushing towards the boy that was taking a fit on the ground. But Jim Hopper didn't have a reply. And that terrified Mary.

         Hey, guys! I missed this book so so so much and with the return of stranger things coming soon, I figured it was time I got this book up and running again! And yes, I get that this chapter was kinda shitty but it did have that pretty cute moment between Hopper, Mary and Joyce? Which I loved.

         But also, comment below if you have anything you'd like to see before the end of this book! It really interests me to see what you all want to happen and some of you may actually be right/get lucky! So yet again, comment below what you want to happen before the end!