chapter twenty-eight.
I do not forgive you.
💔💃
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 two

JOSIE'S EYES FLUTTERED IPEN, her heart pounding in her chest as she jolts upright in bed. Beads of sweat trickle down her forehead as she tries to catch her breath. Waking up from the same reoccurring dream. The sound of Victoria's panicked voice echoes through the house, calling out Josie's name.

"Josie! Josie! Wake up!" Victoria's voice trembles with fear.

Startled, Josie throws off her tangled sheets and swings her legs over the edge of the bed. She can feel the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to her, haunting her thoughts.

She races down the stairs, the cold floor chilling her bare feet. As she reaches the bottom, she finds Max waiting for her, his face etched with worry.

"You two, get dressed," Max says urgently, his voice filled with a mix of concern and determination. "We're going to Dustin's."

Josie's mind races, torn between the urgency of the situation and her responsibilities. She stammers, "I . . . I can't. Victoria can go. I have my part-time job at the Diner. But I'll be off at three, so if you need me, just call Missy's Diner, and I'll figure out a way to join you."

She can see the disappointment in Max's eyes, but he nods understandingly. "Alright, Josie. We'll call you if we need you. Just be safe."

With a heavy heart, Josie watches as Max and Victoria rush out the door. She takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering fear from her nightmare. She knows she has a job to do, but her mind is already racing, wondering what awaits her at Dustin's and how she can find a way to join them later.

Max pauses, her eyes filled with hesitation, walking back inside, ignoring Victoria's name. "Josie!" She called out before stopping Josie in her tracks. "Can we talk?" She asks softly. Josie looks at her, her expression hesitant, but nods and follows him into the living room.

Max takes a deep breath, her voice filled with remorse. "I feel bad about what happened," ehe admits, her words hinting at their past breakup.

Josie shrugs, her guard still up. "So, you're apologizing?" she asks, her tone guarded.

Max nods earnestly. "Yes, I'm sorry," she says sincerely.

Josie shakes her head, her eyes filled with a mix of hurt and determination. "Okay, I don't forgive you," she states firmly.

Max blinks in shock, her heart sinking. "Josie, I said I'm sorry," she pleads, hoping for a different response.

Josie turns and starts walking up the stairs, her voice trailing behind her. "Yeah, and I do not forgive you," she stated, her words final.

Max watches her go, her heart heavy with regret, before joining Victoria outside and heading to Dustin's.

JOSIE HELD A NOTEPAD IN HER HANDS approaches the table where the difficult customer sits. The customer, notorious for their demanding nature, starts bombarding Josie with a seemingly never-ending list of food requests. Josie, ever the patient waitress, jots down each item diligently, trying her best to keep up with their demands.

"I want my burger well-done, with extra pickles, no onions, and a side of sweet potato fries. Oh, and make sure the fries are extra crispy!" The customer listed as Josie written down quickly, looking down at her notepad.

Josie exhaled, looking up at her customer. "Absolutely! I'll make sure the cook gets all the details right for you." She forced a smile, turning on her heels.

After taking the customer's order, Josie walks towards the back of the diner to hand the list to the cook. However, just as she's about to enter the kitchen, her manager intercepts her with a concerned expression on their face.

"Josie!" Her manager, Tamara called her name out making Josie snap her head around towards her. "Yeah?" Her eyebrows furrowed together.

Tamara stopped in front of her. "Josie, I just got a call. Your cousin is in the hospital. You need to go meet your mom at Family Video right away." She informed her with her hands on her hips.

Josie's heart sinks, knowing that it's not her cousin who needs her, but her friends Victoria and Max. She nods at her manager, pretending to be concerned, and assures them that she will leave right away.

Josie's face contorted into a fake concerted look. "Oh no, I hope my cousin is okay. I'll go right away to meet my mom. Thank you for letting me know." Her voice was filled with concern.

Gathering her belongings, Josie swiftly exits the diner, her mind already formulating a plan to assist Victoria and Max. As she steps outside, Josie takes a deep breath, steeling herself for the adventure that awaits her. She knows that her friends are counting on her, and she's determined to be there for them.

JOSIE CONFIDENTLY WALKS INTO FAMILY VIDEO, her eyes scanning the room for her friends. She spots Max, Dustin, Robin, Victoria, and Steve huddled together near the landline phone, completely engrossed in their calls. They are so caught up in their determination that they don't even notice Josie's arrival.

With a mischievous smile, Josie quietly makes her way towards the front desk, finding a comfortable chair behind it. She settles in, her gaze fixed on the group as they continue dialing random numbers and bursting into fits of laughter. Time seems to fly by as Josie watches their antics, her amusement growing with each call.

After what feels like an eternity, Max finally puts down the landline phone with a sigh of exhaustion. He looks over at Josie, surprise evident on his face.

Max's eyes go wide. "Oh, my god! You're here." She exclaimed as Josie chuckles, enjoying the moment of being a silent observer.  "Oh, I've been here for a good ten minutes. You guys were so wrapped up in your prank calls that I couldn't resist making myself comfortable and watching the show!"

The group turns their attention to Josie, their expressions shifting from surprise to amusement. They all gather around her, eager to hear her thoughts on their prankster shenanigans.

Victoria cleared her throat. "We weren't prank calling." She told her as Josie raised her eyebrows. "Then, what were you doing?" She laughed, knitting her eyebrows together.

Dustin sighed, leaning against the counter. "Basically, Max thought she saw Eddie kill Chrissy, but turns out the Mind Flayer might be back, so we're trying to find Eddie and ask him what happened to Chrissy, so we can save his ass before the word gets out that he might've killed her. But he didn't, it's just what the cops think."

Josie's heart sinks, her eyes widening in disbelief as she receives the news. It feels like a heavy weight in her chest, and a sense of dread washes over her. Her mind races, trying to process the terrible information, and a shiver runs down her spine, sending a chill through her body. The gravity of the situation is overwhelming, and she can't help but feel a deep sense of unease.

Josie's voice quivers with shock and her eyes widen as she stammers out, "W — What. He — He can't be back." Her words hang in the air, filled with a mix of fear and disbelief.

The news hits her like a sudden blow, leaving her speechless for a moment as she tries to process the implications. Every fiber of her being resists the idea, her mind struggling to accept the reality of his return. It feels like a nightmare come true, sending a chill down her spine and leaving her with an overwhelming sense of unease.

Max nervously bites her lip, her eyes darting around as she gathers her thoughts. With a hint of anticipation in her voice, she finally speaks up, "Well, I might have a lead on where Eddie is." The words hang in the air, carrying a mix of hope and uncertainty.

In response, Dustin's face lights up with a wide grin, unable to contain his excitement. "Seriously?" he exclaims, his voice filled with genuine enthusiasm and disbelief. "Yeah. Apparently, Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick. And sometimes Eddie crashes there."

Victoria snorted. "Who names their kid Reefer Rick?" The twelve year old insults as Josie nudges her in the side. "It's just a stage name since he's a drug dealer." She whispered, watching the Becker girl's eyes go wide in realization.

Robin pushes herself off the counter, her curiosity piqued. "Sounds promising. Where does this Reefer Rick live?" she asks eagerly.

With a momentary pause, Max closes her eyes. "See, that's the thing... No one knows. He's more of a legend than someone that people actually know." She squints her eyes.

Dustin raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "What about his last name?" he suggested, his voice filled with curiosity. Max shrugged her shoulders, a hint of uncertainty in her expression. "I don't know that either," she admitted, her tone tinged with a sense of mystery.

Steve looked at them with a confident and determined expression, speaks up amidst the group's discussion. "I bet the cops know his last name," he states, his voice filled with certainty.

The rest of the group looks at him, their brows furrowed in confusion, trying to comprehend his statement. Max looked off guard. "What?"

Steve was busy organizing movies in a section of the store, turns towards the group and clarifies his point. "Cops," he emphasizes, emphasizing each word. "I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer," he leans against the counter, his eyes scanning the room, "I guarantee you he's been busted at some point. That means he's in the system." Steve's theory adds a thrilling layer to the unfolding mystery, suggesting that the key to unveiling Reefer Rick's true identity may lie within the depths of law enforcement records.

Dustin gave him a mix of surprise and disbelief, jumps off the chair and shoots Steve a skeptical look. "Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?"

Josie quickly chimes in, recalling her mom's profession. "Hold on, guys. Remember, my mom's a cop. We could just ask her for help." She held her hand up with eyebrows raised.

Steve, grateful for the idea, looks at Josie with appreciation. "Thank you! I think we should fill her in on everything we know and what's going on." He waved his hand.

However, Dustin disagrees, crossing his arms defiantly. "Nope. We're not going to her mom." He denied, shaking his head.

Josie, feeling a bit offended, questions his reasoning. "Why not? She's aware of everything that's happened. She could be a valuable asset in all of this." She folded her arms across her chest.

Dustin lets out a scoff, clearly frustrated. "Don't lie, Josie. Ever since Hopper died, she's been difficult and distant. She hardly lets you go out at night and she doesn't want you around us much. She only lets you hang out with Steve and Mike." He snapped at her as Josie falls silent, realizing that Dustin's observation holds some truth.

Dustin's eyes narrow as he turns to face Steve, his voice filled with suspicion. "You seriously think Eddie's guilty too, don't you?" He sneered.

Steve quickly defends himself, his tone slightly defensive. "Whoa, hold up! I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit," he defends himself, causing Max and Josie to exchange an incredulous glance.

Steve continues, clapping his hands together and rubbing them, trying to explain himself. "I just, you know, I just don't think we can completely rule it out."

Max jumps in, frustration evident in her voice. "That's exactly what we're trying to do here, Steve." Her voice filled with frustration.

Dustin nods in agreement, adding his own thoughts. "And maybe, just maybe, if you focused less on finding a girlfriend and more on finding Eddie, we'd have better luck." His voice raised.

Steve's expression turns offended as Josie lets out an exasperated sigh and throws her head back in annoyance. "Somebody has to attend to the customers!" Steve raised his voice, defending himself as Robin winks at him. "Especially if they're babes, right?"

Steve points at her. "Hey, not fair. Okay?" He nodded. "I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike." He points out as Victoria chuckled. "Doesn't seem like it. You're really bad at your job." She insulted him.

Steve groaned. "You know what. You and Erica really get on my nerves. You two would be really good friends. I really hope you two don't meet. You guys would be up my ass about the most random shit!"

Josie spins around in her chair, facing the computer with a determined look on her face. Max walks over, intrigued. "What's going on, Josie?" She asked.

Robin joins them, looking puzzled, while Victoria casually leans against the counter behind the computer.

Josie smirks and confidently declares, "I've got an idea. Maybe we don't need a last name." She starts typing "Reefer Rick" into the computer, causing Robin to give her a perplexed look. "Wait, Jo, how do you know how to use our system?" Robin questions, clearly surprised.

Josie looks at Robin with a mischievous grin and points at Steve. "Sometimes when you're off work, and it's just Steve, I come in and annoy his ass and he lets me use the computer."

Robin looks over at Steve with a disbelief look. "Dingus!" She scolded as he held his hands up in defense. "She's can be very annoying."

Josie's search for Reefer Rick yields multiple results. "Twelve Ricks have accounts here." Robin states as Victoria adds a playful remark, laughing, "Lots of drug dealers with the name Ricks." She joked.

Determined to narrow it down, Josie focuses on the computer screen and continue looking through the names. "Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo." Robin shares.

Josie turns to Max with a questioning look."Do you think our Rick has a family?" She questions.

Max shakes her head. "Not likely."

Josie continues her search and another name pops up: Rick Lipton. Josie excitedly lists off his movie rentals. "Okay, Rick Lipton. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie. Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams. Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke." She listed off.

The group bursts into laughter, and Dustin chimes in with a chuckle. "Bingo."

Max's eyes widened in awe as he gazed at Josie. "Lipton?" She exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise. Josie's face contorted with a satisfied expression, leaned back in her chair and let out a contented hum. "Spelled like the tea," she breathed out, her voice tinged with excitement. "And guess what? I've got the address too! It's 2121 Holland Road."

Dustin furrowed his eyebrows. "That's our by Lovers Lake." He stated. "Middle of nowhere." Max adds.

Robin cracks a grin. "It's a perfect place to hide."

WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT RICK'S, Dustin pounded on Reefer Ricks door with Steve and Victoria. The three called out for Eddie and banged on the windows and door. Josie felt a mix of fear and determination, decided to separate from the group. With her heart pounding in her chest, she quietly made her way around the house, clutching a flashlight tightly in her trembling hand.

As she ventured further into the darkness, a distorted noise reached her ears, causing a shiver to run down her spine. It sounded like her dad's voice, calling out her name.

Intrigued and slightly unnerved, Josie followed the eerie sound, her pulse quickening with each step. Suddenly, she felt a chilling touch on her shoulder, causing her to let out a blood-curdling scream. When she turned around, relief washed over her as she saw Max standing there, a concerned expression on jer face.

"Hey, we found Eddie. He's in the shed . . . Come on," she paused as Josie managed to say, her voice still trembling. Max noticed the sheen of sweat on Josie's forehead. "Are you okay?" She asked, shining her light on her.

With a nervous smile, Josie reassured him, "I'm fine . . . Let's go." She clears her throat.

Together, they entered the shed, where Eddie greeted them with a mischievous grin. "Oh my god! Josefina Cortez. Mike's girlfriend that he always talks about. But you never sit with us and rather sit in the library," Eddie exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise. Josie waved back, her smile tinged with nervousness, unsure of what awaited them inside the shed.

"Eddie," Dustin said, his voice calm and reassuring as he walked over to where Eddie was sitting. He slowly lowered himself down to Eddie's level, making sure not to startle him. Robin followed, approaching Eddie with a gentle, cautious demeanor, squatting down beside him. "We really want to understand what happened," Robin spoke softly, her words filled with genuine curiosity and concern. They both hoped that Eddie would feel comfortable enough to share his side of the story.

Eddie sniffled. "You wont believe me."

Josie locked eyes with Eddie, her expression filled with genuine concern. "Give us a chance," she urged, her voice steady and compassionate. Eddie met her gaze, his own eyes reflecting a mix of hesitation and vulnerability.

"Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh.. and she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones.. uh, she.." He whimpers, remembering was traumatizing. Everyone's faces contorting into different facial expressions.

"Her bones started to snap. Her eyes, man. It.. It was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling. I— I didn't know what to do, so I... I ran away. I left her there." He finished as he saw all the looks he was getting.

He scoffs lightly. "You all think I'm crazy, right?"

Dustin shook his head. "No. We dont think you're crazy at all—"

"Dont bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds." He cuts him off, tears coming. "We're not bullshitting you."

"We've got your back, Eddie," Josie reassured him, her voice filled with sincerity. Eddie let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head lightly. "Listen, what I'm about to share might be tough to hear," Dustin stammered, locking eyes with Eddie.

Eddie gave Dustin a look. "Okay." He nodded slowly. "You know how people say Hawkins is. . . cursed? They're not way off. There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes it bleeds into ours." He explains. "Like ghosts and shit?"Eddie asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"There are some things worse than ghosts." Max tells him. "These monsters from this other world . . . We thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you." Josie adds.

"If they're back again, we need to know." Dustin nods upwards. "That night, did you see anything?" He adds. "Dark particles, maybe?" Max adds as Eddie shook his head lightly. "It would almost look like dust, swirling dust."

Eddie shook his head again. "No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh . . . or touch." He informed them as Dustin gave an uneasy look. "You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she — she was in a trance or something." He stutters.

"Or under a spell." Dustin murmured.

"A curse."

"Vecna's curse."

"Who's Vecna?" Josie questioned as Dusrin thinned his lips, heistating to tell her. "An undead creature of great power." The Henderson boy stammered, looking away from Josie's glance. "A spell caster."

"A dark wizard."

A shudder goes down Josie's spine, knowing this was gonna be way worse than last summer.

—

ash speaks!

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