chapter eight:
❛ the bites ❜

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!
COMMENT AND VOTE

✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸

Scarlett sat on the edge of the couch beside Max, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to put into words what she had just experienced. The weight of the encounter still hung heavy in the room, casting a shadow over the group as they listened intently.

"He said he was building an army," Scarlett began, her voice quiet and strained, the words difficult to speak. "That it was all for El... and that he wanted me to join them."

The tension in the room thickened. Eleven's eyes widened in alarm, her gaze locking onto Scarlett's as if to silently ask if she was sure.

"Building an army?" Max echoed, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Is he talking about the Flayed? The ones from last year?"

Scarlett nodded slowly, her mind still processing everything Billy had said. "He must be," she answered, but the uncertainty in her tone betrayed her fear.

Nancy, standing near the window with her arms crossed, absently scratched the back of her neck as she pieced together what Scarlett was saying. "So, he's rebuilding his army, just like we thought," she murmured, more to herself than to the others.

Lucas, pacing back and forth behind the couch, his eyes darting around as if searching for answers, stopped and turned to face the group. "Yeah, but he's not building it to spread or take over the town like before," he said, his voice filled with conviction.

Mike, sitting beside Scarlett, suddenly straightened in his seat as the realization hit him. "He's building it to stop Eleven," he said quietly, the words sinking in like a heavy weight.

Will, who had been sitting quietly on the arm of the couch, nodded in agreement. His face was pale, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. "He knows what El can do. What she's done to him. He's afraid of her," Will added, his voice barely above a whisper.

Max, still trying to wrap her head around the conversation, turned to Scarlett, her expression filled with confusion. "But why does he want you to join them?" she asked. "Why you?"

Scarlett hesitated, her mind spinning. "I keep being told that I'll recover my memories... memories that I don't even know I've lost," she began, her eyes darting toward Eleven. "I think the Mind Flayer... I think I knew him. From the lab. Do you remember anything, El? Anything about him?"

Eleven shook her head, her brows furrowed as she tried to search her own memories. "I don't remember... not from before a few years ago," she admitted softly. "I lost my memories too. Same time as you, I think. I woke up from a coma, and then they retrained me."

Scarlett's eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. "So, the Mind Flayer might have been part of El's and my past," she said, her voice trembling with the enormity of the revelation. "And for some reason, neither of us remembers any of it."

Mike's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all. "Last year, El closed the gate on him," he said, piecing it together. "And Scarlett... you pulled a part of him out of Will. That must've really pissed him off."

"Like, royally pissed him off," Lucas added, his tone grim as he folded his arms.

Will swallowed hard, his expression haunted. He knew all too well how powerful the Mind Flayer was—and how much he resented being stopped.

"And now he's building this army to kill you," Mike continued, turning to Eleven, who was sitting stiffly beside him. "To kill both of you."

"Game over if he succeeds," Lucas added, the fear in his voice unmasked.

Scarlett stared at the floor, her hands twisting together in her lap. "But I don't get it. If I made him mad by pulling him out of Will, why doesn't he just want to kill me? Why does he want me to join him?" she asked, her voice cracking with uncertainty.

Mike glanced at her, unsure himself. "I don't know," he admitted softly. "But right now, it doesn't matter. What matters is that both you and El are in danger. Serious danger."

The gravity of the situation settled heavily on Scarlett's shoulders, the pressure almost too much to bear. She looked around at her friends, their faces tense and pale with fear. "Well... He also said he was gonna kill all of you," she whispered, the words barely making it past her lips.

The room fell into stunned silence. Every face around her paled, their wide eyes reflecting the enormity of what she had just revealed.

"Yeah, well, that's nice," Max muttered sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood, but her shaky voice betrayed her terror.

The room suddenly filled with a faint, eerie screeching noise, like the wail of something far away but powerful. Nancy's eyes darted toward the window, her body stiffening. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked in a trembling voice, her gaze glued to the outside world.

Jonathan, who had been standing near the door, shrugged, trying to maintain his calm. "It's just the fireworks," he said, though even he didn't seem convinced.

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat, her body tensing as dread washed over her. "It's not fireworks," she whispered, her voice tight with fear.

Nancy's eyes snapped back to Scarlett. "Billy... When he told you all of this, was it here? In this room?" she asked, her voice sharp with urgency.

Scarlett nodded, her pulse quickening. "He knows we're here," she realized, her eyes going wide with horror.

Will's face drained of color as he took a step back, his hand rubbing nervously at the back of his neck. "We need to get out of here," he said, panic creeping into his voice.

They all scrambled to their feet and rushed outside, their hearts pounding in their chests. The air was thick with tension as they scanned the dark treeline in the distance. Then they saw it—a gigantic creature, larger than anything they had imagined, moving through the trees like a force of nature. Its enormous form rustled the treetops, and a low, guttural growl echoed across the distance, sending chills down their spines.

Scarlett's eyes widened in terror as she took a step back, her heart racing. "We gotta get inside. Now!" she screamed, her voice rising in urgency.

Without a second thought, they all bolted for the house, fear surging through them as the monstrous creature loomed closer, its presence a dark and overwhelming force.

Chaos engulfed the room as the group scrambled to defend themselves, the clattering of supplies and the constant sounds of the approaching Mind Flayer vibrating through the walls. Scarlett stood frozen in a corner, her body shaking as her friends quickly boarded up the doors and windows, hoping to slow the creature's inevitable attack.

Nancy grabbed her gun from the table, her eyes catching Scarlett's terrified expression. "Scar, get away from the windows!" she called firmly, yet with a protective edge. Scarlett moved slowly, her steps shaky, until she found herself beside Mike, who stood ready, gripping a makeshift weapon in one hand. The group formed a circle in the middle of the room, panting, every ear attuned to the ominous noises drifting through the house.

"It's close," Will stated grimly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Scarlett's breath hitched, tears beginning to fall freely as she tried to control her panic. Mike, sensing her fear, reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. "I got you," he whispered, his eyes softening as he met her tear-filled gaze. "I won't let anything happen to you again."

Scarlett forced a weak smile, her voice shaking as she replied, "Last time you said that, I watched Bob die... and I died for a minute too. And you brought me back."

Mike chuckled nervously, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "Yeah, but this time, I won't let you get hurt. Promise."

Before Scarlett could respond, the sharp sound of a cup shattering in the kitchen broke the silence, the tension snapping like a taut wire.

Everyone froze, hearts pounding as they tried to pinpoint where the Mind Flayer had gone. "Where did it go?" Scarlett whispered, her voice barely audible.

Just as the words left her mouth, a thunderous crash reverberated through the house as the Mind Flayer's massive tentacle tore through the wall, sending debris flying. Scarlett screamed, her body instinctively recoiling as the tentacle lashed through the air, seeking its targets.
Everyone jumped back, terror coursing through them.

The tentacle snaked toward Scarlett and El, both standing at the front, prepared to defend the others. Scarlett's breath came in quick, shallow gasps as the writhing appendage hovered inches from her face, screeching with a menacing, otherworldly sound. She screamed, the sound raw and terrified, just before Jonathan swung an axe at the creature, striking it twice.

The tentacle reacted violently, slamming Jonathan into the wall with enough force to knock the axe from his hands. As it moved toward him, Nancy fired her gun at it, the bullets tearing into the thick, dark flesh. The creature screeched in response, but as she pulled the trigger again, there was a chilling click-no more bullets.

Nancy's face drained of color as she backed into the wall, her eyes wide with fear. In that instant, Scarlett's instincts took over. Electricity crackled from her fingertips, blue sparks illuminating the room. She threw out her hand, freezing the tentacle mid-air, the crackling energy wrapping around the creature like chains.

Scarlett's nose began to bleed, the effort taxing her to her limit, but she held firm. With a loud grunt, she snapped the tip of the tentacle clean off, sending it writhing back outside with a screech. Scarlett gasped for breath, blood still trickling from her nose, her body shaking from the strain.

Max, wide-eyed, stepped back as the tentacle whipped past her. "Holy shit," she breathed out, the words barely audible.

Before anyone could react, another tentacle crashed through the opposite wall, this one aiming for Max. She ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the creature's lashing strike.

El stepped forward, her arm extended as she froze the new threat in mid-air. The strain was visible on her face, her breaths coming in labored gasps. Another tentacle followed, and she caught it with a flick of her wrist, mirroring Scarlett's earlier movements.

Scarlett watched in awe, her lips curling into a grin as El severed the tentacles' tips with the same precision. But just as Scarlett moved forward to congratulate her, a deafening crash came from above, and the ceiling splintered as yet another tentacle burst through. It coiled around Scarlett's leg, yanking her upward before she had a chance to react.

"HELP!" Scarlett cried, her voice panicked as the tentacle pulled her toward the hole in the ceiling. Mike dashed forward, grabbing her arm with both hands.

"Freckles! I swear, I'm never believing you again when you say nothing bad's gonna happen to me!" Scarlett yelled through her fear, her eyes locked on Mike's face.

"Not the time for this, Scar!" Mike shouted back, his grip tightening as he tried to pull her down.

At the same moment, another tentacle snared El by the ankle. She screamed, her powers faltering for just a second as Max rushed forward to grab her arm.

"Guys, help!" Mike and Max screamed in unison, their voices desperate as they fought to free their friends.

Will ran to Mike's side, grabbing Scarlett's other arm, while Jonathan rushed to help El. "Nancy, shoot it!" Jonathan shouted, his voice strained as he struggled against the creature's strength.

Nancy fired her gun again, the shot aimed at the tentacle holding El. The bullet tore through the flesh, causing the tentacle to recoil. But the moment it did, Scarlett's grip on Mike and Will slipped.

"Scarlett!" Mike, Will, and Max screamed as she was ripped from their hands, the tentacle yanking her through the ceiling.

Scarlett screamed as she was flung outside, the cold air rushing past her as the Mind Flayer's towering form loomed above. The creature held her upside down, its massive, sinister body rustling through the trees. Scarlett struggled, kicking at the tentacle wrapped around her leg.
"Let me go! Please!" she cried out, her voice breaking with fear.

Suddenly, another tentacle slammed into her face, the impact knocking her unconscious. The world around her went black as she fell limp in the Mind Flayer's grasp, the last sound she heard was the distant cries of her friends calling her name.

ASH SPEAKS!

CLIFFHANGER! dont hate me please🙏🏻

so i've decided that in season 4, my girl scar will be doing her own nina project because she will have to get her memories back from the lab!

also everytime mike says he wont let anything bad happen to her...dont believe it😭