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𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗔𝗡

chapter six:
coming to terms

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MIKE WHEELER'S BASEMENT was always a place of comfort. Somehow, after everything, it was the one place they always gathered.

This time wasn't any different.

After the whirlwind of information, all of them had gone back to the Wheeler house and stayed there. Serenity — officially a dead girl walking — had secluded herself to one of the corners by the windows. All of them could tell that Serenity wanted to be left by herself and definitely didn't want to talk. And even if they wanted to — Steve especially — they left her alone.

There was a sleepless night — well, for Serenity at least. Of course she wanted to avoid her nightmares, but in reality, she was fucking scared. There was no way she could sleep after finding out she was going to get her bones snapped and her eyes sucked out.

Dying not on her terms, especially by something from the Upside Down? Count her out.

It was morning now. The others were in the main part of the living room, Serenity could hear them all talking, something about Rose and Ruth. Serenity, however, was in the bathroom, getting dressed for the day. It was surprising how much motivation she had to do so. Maybe it was because she didn't want to spend the very last day of her life feeling gross.

She let out a deep breath, looking at herself in the mirror — possibly the last reflection she would ever see of herself. Holy shit, she looked tired. Even though she had done her hair and got into a new change of clothes, everything about her just screamed hey, I'm exhausted! Dark circles under her eyes stuck out on her pale skin, and she looked shaky.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Serenity looked away from the mirror and towards the door.

"Hey," Steve's voice began. "Can I come in?"

Serenity sighed. She couldn't ignore him forever. She also didn't want to ignore him.

"Come in," Serenity replied.

The door opened, revealing Steve in a polo shirt and jeans. He looked handsome, as always. Serenity felt her heart beat against her chest. God, she was so in love with him. Serenity pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the sink as he shut the door behind him.

"'Sup," Serenity greeted.

Steve raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door. "You're acting awfully calm."

"I'm not really sure how to act right now."

Steve stared at her for a moment, his eyes trailing across her face. "You could've told me, you know. About the nightmares, and the headaches, and the nosebleeds."

"I wanted to," Serenity admitted. "But . . . I was just scared, I guess. Didn't want to be a burden."

"You are never a burden, Serenity." His eyes blazed with something — seriousness, fury, Serenity wasn't sure. "You can come to me for everything. We could've figured something out."

"I'm not sure if there's anything to figure out. It's pretty cut and dry. Vecna has a grip on me, and after watching what happened to Fred and Chrissy, he's not going to let go." Serenity scoffed a little. "I should've known."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"The Upside Down has fucked with my head ever since that night at the Byers' house. You've seen it. And I guess it isn't done with me. It wants to absolutely ruin my life until it finally ends it." She shook her head. "It's my fault."

Steve blinked at her. "What? Serenity, no—"

"The Mind Flayer," she interrupted. "The sauna test we did, and with Bruce back at the hospital . . . when I hit them, I told them to not fuck with the babysitter." She let out a small, humorless laugh. "I guess the Upside Down didn't like that."

He pushed himself off of the wall and walked closer to her, the front of him pressing up against her legs. "Serenity, baby, absolutely none of this is your fault. It's Hawkins Lab's vault, and it's the Upside Down's fault. You are not to blame."

She gave him a small, sad smile. "I wish I believed you."

"I wish there was a way I could make you believe me." Steve reached up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, but you'll make it through. You're stronger than anyone I know."

Serenity's smile grew a little bit. "Thanks. So, uh . . . what was Rose and Ruth?"

"When Nancy and Robin disappeared yesterday, they went to the library and found an article about some guy named Victor Creel," Steve explained. "In the fifties, his wife and daughter died in the same way as Fred and Chrissy. He survived, though. Nancy and Robin are going to Pennhurst Asylum to visit him and see if they can figure out how to survive Vecna, going under disguise as Notre Dame students."

A pang of hurt hit Serenity's chest. Notre Dame. She hadn't even stopped to think that she would never go to college if she died.

"Hey," Steve stated. "You're going to get to go there."

She nodded a little. "Right."

He stepped back and held out his hands to hers. "Want to go see the others?"

Serenity did want to see her kids. She took his hands and slid off the counter. Serenity left the bathroom first. The basement was dark, except for some sunlight peeking through the windows. It seemed to suffocate Serenity, which was weird, because she never felt that way about the Wheeler's basement. Everything was just screaming at her to leave.

Lucas, Dustin, and Max were sitting on the couch. Immediately, when she walked out, they all turned their attention to her. However, they didn't say anything. They just stared. Well, except for Max. She sent Serenity a small smile and a wave.

Serenity tilted her head at them. "Are you just going to sit there and stare, or . . ."

Max hit their shoulders. "It's not going to save her from Vecna."

"Are you okay?" Dustin questioned.

Serenity almost started sobbing at the worried tone of his voice, but she put up her usual front. "I'm fine, really."

The basement, the worry, the fear . . . it was all getting a little too much. Serenity suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. She had to do something, and after everything, all she really wanted to do was go home and see her brother. Serenity also wanted to do something else . . . maybe as sort of a fail-safe for if anything did go wrong. She had come up with the idea last night.

She glanced around the basement for a minute before her eyes settled on the Walkie on the table. Serenity walked up to it and picked it up before looking directly at Dustin.

"If we go to downtown Hawkins, will this still reach Pennhurst?" Serenity inquired.

"Of course, yeah," Dustin answered.

"Why are we talking about downtown Hawkins?" Steve asked, and all Serenity had to do was look at him before a knowing expression appeared on his face. "No. Serenity—"

She said nothing else. Serenity grabbed her jacket — Spencer's leather one — off of the chair and started to pull it on as she walked over to the door. Immediately, the others followed — Max, Dustin, and Lucas obediently, and Steve in protest. She removed her hair from being trapped in the coat as she walked into the fresh air and sunlight, which seemed to be something she needed in such a dark time.

"Serenity, I'm not driving you anywhere," Steve insisted.

"Cool, then give me your keys," she replied.

"No."

"Steve, I'm not going to sit in the Wheeler basement on what is most likely the last day of my life."

"It's not going to be the last day of your life," Steve protested. "Serenity, you're going to be fine."

She whirled around to face him. "And what if I won't be? I'm not stupid, Steve. Chrissy didn't escape Vecna. Fred didn't escape Vecna. None of know how to stop this motherfucker, and if I'm going to die, I'm not going to just sit around and wait for it to happen." Serenity turned back around and continued the walk up the hill to Steve's car. "If you love me, you'll take me where I need to go."

"You do not get to use the love card right now."

Dustin leaned closer to Lucas and Max. "Uh-oh. Mom and dad are fighting."

Serenity reached the passenger side door, but when she tried to open it, it didn't budge. "Baby, open the door, please."

"Uh, no," Steve responded.

She tried again, and the door didn't budge. Serenity huffed and crossed her arms.

"Steve," Serenity repeated, narrowing her eyes at him. "Open the door."

They stared at each other for a long moment, their eyes locked on one another's. Serenity was absolutely not backing down. But Steve did love her, and in a situation such as this, as much as he didn't want to let her go, he could tell she was serious.

Steve pulled the keys out of his pocket. "Henderson, that super Walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst."

Serenity opened the unlocked door. However, as she did so, she heard the distant ticking and chiming of a clock — the very same clock she had seen in the wall during her vision yesterday. Serenity glanced back towards where the sound seemed to be coming from, her hair blowing in the wind. The sound seemed to get louder.

She took a deep breath and got in the car, shutting the door behind her.

After telling Steve she wanted to go home first, they were off. Steve drove away on the familiar streets Serenity had taken all her life, whether by car or by bike. If she was being honest, Hawkins was always a shitty place, not just because of the Upside Down, but at least it was home. The thought of dying in her hometown . . . it was enough to make her emotional.

One quick drive later, silence being filled by some song on the radio, Steve finally parked his car outside of her house, like he always did. He put the car in park and turned it off.

Steve looked over at her. "Be quick, okay?"

Serenity opened the door. "I'll be back in a minute."

She got out and shut the door behind her. Serenity could feel the stares from all of them as she walked up to her house, but she ignored it for now. Spencer's car was in the driveway, which brought some comfort to her. She opened the door and shut it behind her.

Her house never felt like home, not really. But now, seeing as what she was faced with, she wanted to say there forever. Serenity sighed and made her way to her destination — the fridge in the kitchen. On the fridge hung multiple Polaroid pictures that her and Spencer had taken. The one in particular she was looking for was right in the center. Serenity removed the magnet and held the Polaroid picture in her hand, staring down at it for a moment.

It was during Christmas maybe two years ago. Serenity was standing in front of the Christmas tree, its colorful lights illuminating her features, and probably being as bright as her smile. It showed how truly happy she was — how her eyes crinkled when she smiled, how her cheeks had slight dimples. Not only was it her favorite picture of herself, it was the favorite picture of both Steve and Spencer.

She put the picture in her back pocket. Serenity walked towards the entrance of her house, wondering where Spencer was, when the person in question came down the stairs.

"Hey, I thought I heard the door open," Spencer said with a bright grin. "What's up, Ser? I thought you were hanging out with everyone today."

Serenity felt her heart sink as she stared at her brother. For years, they had been thick as thieves, no family to lean on but each other. If she died, that meant Spencer would have no one. It would absolutely crush him, even if he tried to convince everyone he was fine. He was a lot like Serenity in that way.

"Uh, I am, they're right outside," Serenity responded. "I just stopped home to get something, and I wanted to see you." She ran her hands down the front of her. "We haven't seen each other since the other murder . . . if something happens to me, I wanted to see you."

Spencer frowned. "Ser, nothing's going to happen to you."

Her voice started to shake, and she felt tears prick in the back of her eyes. "But if it did, I just . . . wanted to see your face again. It might seem silly, but . . . when it comes to family, you're all I've got."

His frown deepened. He reached his arms out and pulled her into a tight hug, resting his chin on top of her head. Serenity let out a breath of relief and hugged her brother back tightly, her cheek pressing into his chest as she shut her eyes.

"I love you so much, Serenity," Spencer told her.

She sniffled. "I love you too, Spence."

"Nothing is going to happen to you." Spencer's voice then got deeper and became more distorted. "Nothing that you don't deserve."

That didn't sound like Spencer. Serenity opened her eyes, only to see that the world had gone dark. Thunder rumbled outside her house, and as she looked around, she saw the couches and the walls of her house stained with dark blood. Serenity went to pull away, but Spencer didn't let her go. If anything, he held on tighter. But it wasn't in a comforting sort of way. This felt . . . different.

"Let go of me," Serenity stated, her voice twinged with panic as she tried to pull away. "Spence, let go."

"Serenity," the same deep voice that she had heard yesterday said right in her ear, and she shivered when something sharp trailed down her back. "You think a picture is going to make things right?"

She pulled back a little. Her eyes widened when she saw a gray body, mixed with sharp edges and moving vines.

"You've broken everything."

Serenity pulled her head back all the way, and her breath hitched in her throat as fear filled her insides. Staring back at her was a person with no nose and piercing blue eyes. His skin was the same cracked gray as the rest of his body. Her chest heaved up and down.

Vecna.

"Your time is almost at an end," Vecna continued.

"Let go of me!" Serenity screamed.

He seemed to obey her. Serenity felt herself fall, and she landed on her back on the floor. She picked her head up while breathing heavily and glancing around frantically. Serenity was still in her house, but sunlight was coming through the window now, and all the blood was gone. So was Vecna, and so was Spencer.

She immediately got to her feet and left her house, shutting the door behind her. Serenity glanced back at her house for a moment as she quickly walked down her driveway, wanting nothing more than to get the hell away from there. The others were waiting for her, all standing outside of the car.

"That was way longer than a minute, Serenity," Steve scolded.

She ignored him, walking up to the passenger seat of the car.

"Serenity," Steve voiced, noticing her facial expression. "What happened?"

She got in the car. "Drive, please."

"What happened?" Lucas asked from the backseat.

"Nothing, Just get me out of here."

Sensing the urgency in her tone, Steve turned on his car and started to drive away. Serenity continued looking out the window, trying to control how much her heart was racing.

Your time is almost at an end. She could practically hear the damn clock echoing through her mind.

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any guesses as to what serenity's song is? it makes an appearance next chapter . . . hehehe <3