chapter twenty-nine.
vecna struck again
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disclaimer: I hope everything in Spanish is accurate!! I used Spanishdict like someone told me too !! Hopefully it's correct :)) but thank you to that person (I forgot their username, my bad)
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STRANGER THINGS 4
episode three

THE NEXT DAY, the group went back to Reefer Ricks to give Eddie some supplies and food. Josie stepped closer to the door. She narrowed her head down, her eyes focused intently. With a confident gesture, she raised her hand in the air and twisted it to the right. In response, the door flew open, revealing a shaky breath from inside. The group cautiously poked their heads inside, making sure to show Eddie that it was just them, revealing to him the supplies and food.

"Delivery service." Dustin joked, holding up the bags making Eddie drop his shoulders in relief, exhaling heavily.

Steve waved at him with a nervous smile.

Once Eddie received the food, he wasted no time and immediately dug into the cereal, devouring it like a ravenous animal. Max and Josefina found a cozy spot to sit together on a nearby bin. As they settled down, Max purposefully brushed his hand against Josefina's, sending a small flutter through her stomach. She tried her best to ignore the sensation, but it was impossible to deny the connection that they used to have was lingering.

Dustin sighed. "So, we got, uh, some good news and bad news." he informed him, "How do you prefer it?" he implied, asking which one he wanted first. Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "Bad news first, always."

Dustin's shoulders slumped as he let out a heavy sigh. "So we got, uh," he began, "I've got some news for you. It's a mix of good and bad, so you tell me which one you wanna hear first."

Eddie, with an air of nonchalance, casually shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his cranberry juice. "Always gotta start with the bad news, man," he replied, maintaining his cool demeanor with food in his mouth.

Dustin nods. "Okay, so bad news . . . We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with, uh, Josie's help," he implied that she used her powers. Eddie took a glance at Josie who waved shyly before looking back at Dustin, letting him know to continue. "Well, the cops . . . they're looking for you."

Eddie's face dropped as Dustin continued. "Also, they're pretty convinced you killed Chrissy." he blurted out, causing Eddie's eyes to go wide.

Josie awkwardly cleared her throat, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Uh, yeah, they're, like, totally, like, a hundred percent convinced," she stammered, faking a cough and avoiding eye contact with Eddie. She nervously scratched the back of her neck, her anxiety palpable.

Eddie looked at Dustin. "And the good news?" he asked with a hopeful tone. At the sound of Robin's voice, Eddie looked over at her. "Your name hasn't gone public yet.  But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do too. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you."

Eddie's face suddenly lit up with understanding. "Hunt the freak, right?" his voice cracking with realization. Robin simply nodded in agreement. "Exactly," she confirmed.

"Shit," Eddie cursed, his frustration evident. "So, we gotta find Vecna, kill him, and prove you're innocent," Dustin explained, causing Eddie to tilt his head and give him a deadpan look. "That's it, Dustin? That's all?" Eddie exclaimed sarcastically, his disbelief showing.

"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it." The Henderson boy's voice squeaked in a high pitch voice.

Josie chimed in, her voice filled with conviction. "Look, Eddie, I get that all this stuff Dustin's saying sounds crazy, but trust me, we've been down this road before," she reassured him, trying to ease his doubts.

Robin hummed in agreement. "She's right. I mean, they have, like, a few times . . . and — and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this." She rambled.

"We usually have these two girls with superpowers, like Jo here," Steve gestured towards Josie, "but the other girl, El, well, her powers disappeared, so... we're kinda..." he trailed off, his words fading. "So, we're technically in more of —"

"Kinda..."

"Brainstorming phase," Max finished.

Eddie furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Wait, why are we brainstorming when we have Miss Superhero right here?" he nodded towards Josie. Josie responded with a sarcastic smile. "That's a great question! Vecna is after me, and I need to conserve my energy for more crucial moments, not waste it on trivial things," she explained.

"There's — There's nothing to worry about." Dustin spluttered, his voice pitched again as Steve scoffed with a sarcastic. Eddie stared at them with a blank stare, trying to process everything.

Eddie's heart raced as the piercing wailing sound sent shivers down his spine. "Shit," Steve cursed, clearly feeling the tension in the air. But in the midst of the chaos, Josie's quick thinking kicked in. "Tarp!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency as she snapped her fingers towards the nearby tarp. Without hesitation, Eddie grabbed hold of the tarp that was conveniently within reach, swiftly draping it over himself like a shield against the unknown. Underneath the cover of the tarp, he hoped to find a momentary refuge from whatever danger lurked in the darkness.

Max tightly gripped Josie's hand, pulling her towards the window. As they peered at the window and caught sight of the police cars racing by, Max's breath became heavy, and Josie could sense the intensity of the moment. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she nervously nibbled on her bottom lip, feeling the tension in the air.

THEY GOT IN THE CAR AND STEVE DROVE THEM to where the police cars went. As they rolled up, Josie peeked out the window, watching cops cover a boys body. Her eyebrows raised, realizing it was another disfigured boy. The Cortez girl looked away from the window as the car came to a stop.

With a gentle push, she swung the car door open, stepping out onto the pavement. Her gaze met Nancy's, and a bittersweet smile adorned her face as she waved, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Feeling Josie's frown and sensing her unease, Max playfully nudged her in the side. "What's the matter, darling?" she inquired, using the endearing nickname. Startled, Josie's head snapped around to face Max. "W-What?" she stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected question.

Max furrowed her eyebrows, concern evident on her face. "You okay?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry. Josie turned her gaze back to the crime scene, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Vecna struck again," she revealed, her tone tinged with a mix of frustration and determination.

NANCY MET THE GROUP OUTSIDE OF MAX'S RV. "So, you're saying this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down?" Nancy questioned, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "If the shoe fits," Steve quipped, quoting with a touch of sarcasm. "Our working theory is that he attacks with some sort of spell or curse," Dustin explained to her, trying to shed some light on the situation.

Josie began to tune out the conversation. This felt so off to her... why was he back and how? And who would be his next victim? Could it be her? After all, he hates her.

Josie snapped back to attention at the sound of Max's voice. "All we know is, this is something different," Max stated, her voice filled with intrigue. Nancy shook her head in disbelief. "Something new," Josie chimed in, leaning in closer as they delved deeper into the mysterious discovery.

"Doesn't make sense," Nancy mumbled.

Dustin shrugged his shoulders. "It's only a theory,"

Nancy shook her head again. "No, Fred and Chrissy doesn't make sense. I mean, why them?" she questioned with a puzzled look.

Dustin squinted his eyes, deep in thought. "Maybe they just got caught in the wrong place. They were both at the game?" he suggested as Max chimed in, "And near the trailer park. Could be a connection."

Steve glanced at the group, a hint of unease in his eyes. "We're at the trailer park..." he trailed off, his voice filled with uncertainty. The group exchanged uneasy glances as they took in the eerie silence of the surroundings. "Maybe we shouldn't be here?" Steve suggested, his words echoing their growing apprehension.

Josie nodded, her expression serious. "There's definitely somethin' off about this place... it's like somethin' straight out of a scary movie," she bluntly stated. Nancy chimed in, sharing her observation. "Fred started actin' real weird the moment we set foot here," she informed them. Robin shot her a curious look. "Actin' weird as in...?" she inquired, wanting more details.

"Scared, on edge, upset," Nancy listed, her eyebrows shot up in thought. Dustin continued, building on their theory. "Max said Chrissy was upset too," he added, his voice filled with conviction.

Max shook her head, offering a different perspective. "Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school," she revealed.

"Serial killers always stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy caught sight of this Vecman," Robin began, only to be interrupted by Dustin's correction. "Vecna," he interjected firmly. "I don't know about you, but if I ever laid eyes on some creepy wizard monster, I'd definitely mention it to someone," Steve shrugged, emphasizing.

"Maybe they did?" Max frowned her eyebrows.

Josie cleared her throat. "I wouldn't tell anyone," she told them. She got odd looks from them before she continued. "Well, in my case, I would be scared to tell my friends and family. Because Vecna hates me with a passion for just.. living. I rather fight my own battles then have my friends know,"

Max bit her cheek as she nodded in agreement with Josie. "I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelly's office. If you saw a monster, you... you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you. But you might go to your—"

"Your shrink," Robin chimed in, completing her sentence. Max nodded in agreement. "Alright, here's the deal: Dustin, Max, and I will head over to Ms. Kelly's. I can drive us there since I just got my permit," Robin announced, prompting a wild reaction from Steve. "You're a wild driver! You nearly took me out the other day," he exclaimed, recalling a close call they had recently.

Josie shot him a glare, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "There was a deer right in the middle of the road!" she defended herself, her tone defensive. Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, for real?" he responded, his skepticism evident.

Josie rolled her eyes. "Yes, Steve!"

Nancy cleared her throat, catching their attention. "Steve, I think you should go with them. Robin and I will go to the Library to find any records on odd things like what happening that could connect back to Vecna."

Steve scoffed. "No! I'm coming with you guys." he countered as Nancy raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't trust Josie's driving. She almost wrecked my car driving Mike home last week." She stated.

All eyes went on her as Josie blew a raspberry. "I was trying to change the music..." she frowned.

—

ash speaks!

sorry for the long awaited chapter!

i've been super busy, but i'm back and i missed josie!!!