𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 : 4.8k

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐉𝐎𝐃𝐈 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑 with her, she didn't think Law was going to tag along, too. Admittedly, she should have known better, having never seen one boy without the other since the day she met them. So, as the three of them wandered towards the entrance together, Jodi forced herself to say goodbye to the romantic, movie-esque first kiss atop the Ferris Wheel that she had imagined every night before bed.

Even with the disappointment weighing heavily on her back, she plastered on a smile and tried to remain optimistic. After all, Frank still had to drop her off back at her house later that night. That could be romantic, too! She was already plotting the perfect way to convince him to walk her to her doorstep.

The repetitive, melodic jingles and laughter emanating from the fair could be heard all the way out in the farthest corners of the grassy, makeshift parking lot. The July air was thick and warm, causing the curls atop Law's head to coil tighter and grow frizzier by the second.

It's important to mention that Law was totally oblivious to the fact that he was impeding on what Jodi had presumed to be a date. In fact, she seemed to be the only one who had some preconceived notions about the evening, as Frank had actually been the one to invite his friend along. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that a girl like Jodi would have wanted to go on a date with him — alone, totally lacking in social buffers.

But date or not, both of the boys were just excited to have plans that night.

"So, what are we hittin' first?" Law excitedly asked. "Should we ease into the night? Maybe a little Ferris Wheel action? I'm pretty sure they'll let us squeeze three to a seat if we ask nicely."

Frank warily peered over at him, already nervously clutching his stomach. "The Ferris Wheel is your idea of easing into the night?"

The group crept forward in line, just one small family away from buying their tickets. Law's eyebrows had knitted together, meeting Frank's eyes with an incredulous look. "I mean, we can start on the Gravitron, if you want, but–"

"I didn't think we were going to ride the Gravitron at all!" Frank exclaimed, his eyebrows lifted. "You know I get motion sickness..."

"No Gravitron? Are you serious? You can't be serious..."

Frank let out a deep sigh, even rolling his eyes discreetly. A big reaction from the man of few words. This didn't stop the curly-headed boy from continuing to make a scene, loudly talking across Jodi.

"So, no Merry-Go-Round either, then? Will that have you yacking afterwards, too?" He didn't mean for his words to come out so mocking, but he was just a real wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy.

Thankfully, Jodi stepped in before any of it got really mean. "Okay, that's enough." She threw her hands up, effectively blocking the boys' view of one another. "Frank, we'll just wait to eat until after we've rode everything. Less for you to puke up," she decided. She turned to face the other boy, her dark eyes narrowing at him. "And Law, no more jokes about throwing up. That might just make it worse..."

Law and Frank didn't have enough time to even argue back once it was their turn to step up and purchase tickets. Their scuffle in line was long forgotten once they were finally able to wander onto the fairgrounds, a pile of tickets in their hands. Children's squeals, the smell of greasy fair food, and the blare of the high school band filled the air. Flashing, neon lights illuminated their faces as they looked around in wonder, feeling like little kids again themselves.

Jodi's eyes landed on the huge Ferris Wheel at the center of it all, the pinnacle of a Fourth of July fair. A broad smile formed on her lips as she grabbed Frank by the arm, shaking it to get his attention. "Y'know, I actually think Law had a great idea about starting with the Ferris Wheel," she told him, hoping to sway him on the matter. But when he didn't immediately agree, giving only a noncommittal twist of his lips, she continued on with a dulcet tone and wiggling brows. "It would give us the best view to map out our whole night."

Planning and making to-do lists were Frank's kryptonite. He visibly warmed up to the idea, a slow grin forming on his face. Plus, it's not like he could exactly say no to Jodi — not when she was looking at him with those big, sparkly brown eyes. "Okay, fine," he breathed, earning explosive cheers from the other two.

Just like Law had anticipated, the three of them were allowed to sit together on the Ferris Wheel with just a little bit of coercion. Except there was no real coercion; Law just wouldn't stop nagging the ride operator, Jimmy, until he gave in. Frank was pretty sure he heard the mulleted, toothless man say something about it not being his problem if their cart fell through. Nonetheless, he tried to remain calm and collected, not wanting to seem like a total scaredy-cat in front of Jodi.

The trio had been sandwiched together in the rusty bucket for about ten minutes, sweaty limbs fully pressed against each other. They hadn't even made it to the top yet, having to stop again and again to let people off, let people on, let people off again... the works. Luckily, they were in the perfect position to people-watch.

"Holy shit, look at that guy on stilts!" Jodi chuckled, leaning over to point at a man in a gigantic Uncle Sam costume. Their seat tilted and swung precariously as they all tried to get a look at what she was referring to. Frank's knuckles were white as he clutched the bar in front of them, sweat pouring from his palms. Although, it was hard to tell if the sweat was due to the muggy weather or the fear of imminent death.

Gratefully, a familiar face caught his eye, giving him a moment's reprieve from the impending doom at the forefront of his mind. "Hey, Law. I think I just saw Miss Campbell," he announced, squinting to try and get a better look amidst the crowd.

"Yeah, my dad said something about bringing her on a date here tonight," Law muttered.

The whole investigation into what was wrong with Diana and Jerry had officially fallen flat. As much as they wanted to bust this case wide open, actually doing so was much harder than it looked. Plus, all the 'weird' stuff that was going on wouldn't actually sound weird to anyone who wasn't familiar with Diana and Jerry.

Except for the whole eating fertilizer thing. That was definitely weird, but... not a crime. Maybe it should've been, though.

Law slumped back against the seat, but still stole a glance into the fairgrounds. "I don't know how she can even stand being out in his heat. My house is basically just a massive icebox at this point."

Silence fell over the group, broken up only by the various noises emanating from the fair. Jodi was the first to speak up after a moment's contemplation. "Well, what if we keep an eye on her? See if this weather makes her do anything out of the ordinary?"

The mischievousness began to brew in Law's eyes, before rapidly spreading across his face and quirking his lips upwards in an impish smile. He turned to the girl beside him, their faces mere inches apart. "Jodi, have I told you what a diabolical little genius you are?"

She pretended to think about it, her lips twisting in thought. "Hm... Not today," she reported, playfully.

Law scoffed. "Well, it's true." A warm breeze ruffled his curls about his face as they rounded the top of the Ferris Wheel. Either the height or the relief from the hot and sticky weather must've reinvigorated him, because he just kept talking. "You were born to scheme. Put on this earth to craft devious little plans. A trickster of the highest rank. A–"

"Y'know, I think you've made your point," Jodi interrupted, gently.

"Right, yeah. Of course."

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

Actually finding Diana again after they were let off the Ferris Wheel was a mission within itself. Law, Jodi, and Frank had circled through the same brightly-colored booths lining the fairgrounds multiple times, checked the lines for some of the more tame rides, and wove through the picnic tables, but came up with nothing.

They even looked around near the group of kids playing with sparklers — an encounter that almost left Frank with some first-degree burns. But Diana wasn't over there either (not that anyone could blame her for that). The trio was drenched in sweat by the time they reconvened in the center of the fair, having worn themselves out with all the frantic running around.

But still no Diana.

"Do you think she left?" Frank asked around wheezes.

Law's hands rested on his hips, his head still turning in every direction in hopes of miraculously spotting her. "I mean, maybe. But I can't imagine that she would want to leave before the fireworks show."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said warily. Jodi lifted a finger, pointing through the throngs of people in their patriotic garb.

In the distance, Diana was roughly pushing between fair-goers, knocking into them like she didn't even notice that they were there. Other than the occasional stumble, she was walking a straight, purposeful course, dead-set on wherever she was headed. With only a wordless exchange of looks, the three teens took off after her, their curiosity unwavering.

She must've lost Doug in the hustle and bustle of the crowd, leaving him behind as she marched away from it all. The kids were just a few paces behind, prepared to duck behind into the nearest hiding spot if she sensed them trailing along behind her.

But she didn't.

Diana was so locked on wherever she was going, she didn't cast a single glance back towards them, even as they followed her through the overgrown parking lot and onto the road. Her gait picked up as she journeyed along the pavement, her Keds becoming smudged with mud. Cars flew past her, swerving around her shadowy form just in time and tousling her hair about her face.

"Where the hell is she going?" Law whispered, mostly to himself. There was no way she couldn't hear them behind her, grass crunching beneath their feet and breaths heavy. Something was seriously wrong, and Law knew it, but he couldn't bring himself to step in and stop her. None of them could, each with their own reasoning behind it.

Diana led them all the way to Brimborn Steelworks, an old, abandoned mill just off of Cherry Oak Drive. This location didn't supply Law with any answers. In fact, it just left him with even more questions.

A twig snapped just over their shoulders, drawing their attention towards a collection of people just a few yards behind them. From what Law could see in the dark, they, too, were drenched in sweat and staring lifelessly at the steel mill, their heavy feet trudging them in the same direction as Diana.

"Hide... Hide." Jodi's words were a hiss, grabbing the boys and staggering backwards into the shadowy woods behind them. They dropped out of sight, pressing their stomachs to the cool ground below. The three of them watched as swarms of people, just like Diana, piled into the mill. They just kept coming, filing in from nearly every direction.

"Look! There's Jerry!" Frank gasped, a trembling finger pointing towards their lanky manager as he passed beneath a lone streetlight. Law swallowed hard at the sight of him, somehow looking even sicker than usual.

As the last few stragglers arrived, Law became determined to get eyes on Diana again, having lost her once she entered the mill. "C'mon. Let's get a closer look," he encouraged, pushing off of the ground and dusting the leaves off of his shirt.

"Law, I don't really think that's a good–" Frank started, but he was already gone. His Converse padded across the concrete, his back hunched as he tried to stay low and go unnoticed.

Jodi slowly sat up, kneeling beside Frank in spite of the rocks digging into her knees. "He shouldn't go over there alone," she urged, quietly. "We don't really know what all of these people are capable of. Figuring out what's wrong with them is the first step in learning how to help them."

Frank bit at the inside of his cheek, his eyes trailing between Jodi and the steel mill. He knew she had a point, but he didn't have to like it. Sure, helping these people would be nice, but it would mean nothing to him if one of his friends got hurt... or worse. Anxiety turned his stomach as he shakily pushed to his feet, dragging his sweaty palms along the front of his pants.

"Okay, let's get this over with," Frank breathed.

Jodi laced her fingers through his, uncaring about the humidity between their hands. Frank's gaze whipped towards her, eyes wide and caught off-guard, like she had started holding his hand by accident. But Jodi merely leveled him with a look that told him it was actually quite the opposite.

She pulled him along with her as they hurried across the street, meeting Law behind a broken down car out front. They all crouched together, peering over the hood. "I think I found a way to see inside, but it's going to require some upper body strength," Law informed them.

Frank's face scrunched in dread, his forehead wrinkling deeply. He didn't gripe like he wanted to, though. Instead, he just stayed close behind his brazen counterparts and awkwardly tried to replicate their movements as they used a dumpster to haul themselves on top of the nearby supply building.

It stood right next to the much larger mill, with a roof that gave them just enough height to peek through a row of windows. They rolled onto their tiptoes and leaned against the ledge, doing their best to avoid nicking themselves on the shattered glass.

From their vantage point, they were able to watch as the entire group of zombie-like townsfolk tried to file into a single stairwell. Amongst the crowd, he was easily able to spot Diana and her heavily-patterned outfit standing just a few paces ahead of Jerry.

The longer he stared at them, the less he understood. This was all much bigger than Law had realized. He couldn't track the logic behind their symptoms, congregating in a deserted steel mill on the night of the Fourth of July, or the connection between all of these people. Every one of them should've been out celebrating, grilling, and spending time with their families — not this!

Much to Law's dismay, Diana stepped out of sight, taking the staircase down into a room below the surface. "Shit, shit, shit, shit..." he muttered, his eyebrows furrowed. "I can't see her anymore."

"Yeah, Jerry's about to go down there, too," Frank lamented.

Jodi chewed at the inside of her lip. "What do you think is down there?"

Strained silence followed her question, hanging over them like a wet blanket. Law rolled back down off of his toes, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know," he replied, hopelessly. Feeling as if they had reached yet another dead end, the three of them stooped down to sit on the dirty tin roof.

A chorus of nearby frogs and crickets sung, loud and proud on that summer night. The humidity made Frank's hair stick to his forehead as he leaned back onto his palms, feeling pine bristles poking against the sensitive skin. Jodi took the moment of peace to pick some leaves out of her hair, her fingers raking through the long, thick strands. Law, on the other hand, was intensely focused on the building, sorting through all of the possibilities behind this seemingly random gathering.

A subtle rumbling beneath them was what eventually shattered their quiet thoughtfulness. Frank sat up straighter and pressed his palms firmly against the warm, metal roof. "Do you guys feel that?"

Jodi and Law were quick to copy his movement. The three shared a wide-eyed look, feeling the building shaking under their fingertips. With each passing moment, the tremors were getting worse — like it was getting closer to the surface somehow.

Despite the way his legs shook, Law climbed to his feet, his hands gripping the side of the building to peer into the broken windows again. With their own unsteady footing, Frank and Jodi joined him, standing close enough that their shoulders knocked together. The mill was still dark and terribly empty, with only moonlight seeping through the windows.

"They're still down there, I guess," Law sighed, his stare fixed on the stairwell.

"I hear something, though," Frank insisted, getting close to the glass and trying to get a better look around the large room. Law quieted down again, listening out for whatever it was that Frank was picking up on.

Sure enough, he heard a loud noise echoing from within the mill.

Repetitive, pounding, aggressive.

Before any of them could question it any further, something burst from beneath the floor, tearing through the cement like it was paper. Huge chunks of debris went flying everywhere, along with thick clouds of dust and dirt. An ear-splitting, otherworldly roar cut through the swirling grime, forcing the kids to slam their hands over their ears.

As the dust cleared, the trio could make out the shape of what could only be described as a real-life monster. All they could see was the slimy, exposed flesh that covered its body, from the top of its misshapen head to the ends of its crooked limbs. Another screech was ripped from the very pit of its stomach. That's how it felt, at least, with the sound rattling the foundations beneath their feet. Rows of razor-sharp teeth lined every inch of its mouth and all the way back into its throat, promising a very long, painful death for anything that crossed it.

And that thing was down there with Diana and Jerry.

Law's blood ran cold at the realization. A blur of images flashed through his mind, documenting all of the gruesome possibilities, every dreadful outcome. Tears stung the edges of his eyes, but any sob of terror was lodged within his throat.

The single, frightened whimper that Frank let out from beside him reminded Law of the very real, very imminent threat at hand. The county fair was just down the road, full of innocent and completely oblivious people. And even beyond that, the rest of Hawkins was completely unaware of the danger they were in.

This wasn't the time for tears. They needed to get the hell out of there and help save all those people.

"We gotta go," Law breathed, meeting his friends' wide eyes. "Now."

He grabbed them by the arms and dragged them along the edge of the roof, back towards the dumpster where they climbed up. One-by-one, they dropped back down onto the ground, their sneakers hitting the dirt with a thud. From within the mill, the monster let out another thunderous roar as they ran beneath the warm light that hung over the dirt lot.

The adrenaline coursing through their bodies allowed them to sprint all the way back up the street from which they came. Wind rushed past their ears as they ran, muffling the bellowing sounds of the monster behind them and the joyous noises of the fair just beyond the trees. Fireworks boomed overhead, the colorful flashes of light illuminating their path along the road.

Once the fair was in sight again, they swerved between cars, trying to remember where Frank parked. The fear was muddying their memories, mixing everything up into a big, horribly vague mess.

As usual, though, Jodi jumped in to save the day just in time.

"We were parked near the end of the fifth row! It should be up here on the right!" she called out around gasps for air. Law followed her instruction, long legs carrying him past various bumper stickers and pairs of headlights.

Just as Jodi had remembered it, Frank's dented Buick sat right at the end of the fifth row, just waiting to be the lamest getaway car in history. Frank unlocked the doors with trembling hands — not that he could've moved fast enough for how quickly they all wanted to get out of there. The three of them piled inside, chests heaving and limbs shaking from all the exertion.

"What..the hell...was that?" Jodi shuddered, turning to face the boys as Frank pulled out of the lot.

"I..." Law trailed off, desperately trying to catch his breath. "I don't know. But I think it may have really hurt or, or... or killed all those... all of those people."

"Of course, it did!" Frank exclaimed, his voice cracking. His foot pressed heavier on the gas pedal, speeding them back towards town. Law swallowed thickly, his eyebrows pinched together at the thought. He hated to admit it, but he was probably right. After all, things had to be really bad for Frank to start yelling. "That thing was huge! And I don't know about you guys, but it didn't seem like it was here to make friends!"

Friends.

Law's eyes widened as an idea struck him.

"Frank, take us to my house," he abruptly demanded. His hands gripped the backs of Jodi and Frank's headrests as he leaned forward in his seat. "I know who we can call for help."

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

Law barreled into his house, almost making the front door fly off its hinges. Jodi and Law were hot on his trail, following him all the way back to his bedroom. Well, his and Gordon's bedroom. However, none of them were expecting to actually see Law's older brother. He had assured them that Gordon was at his friend Eddie's house, passively protesting the 'highly problematic, nationalist holiday'.

So, you can imagine their surprise when they burst into their shared bedroom and found Gordon lounging on his mattress with his nose stuck in a book. The three, disheveled teens all bumped into one another as they stumbled to a stop in the doorway. Gordon, however, didn't seem fazed in the slightest. He didn't even bother to look up from his book.

"Gordon, what are you doing home so early?" Law asked, out of breath.

"Could ask you the same thing," he countered, dragging his gaze away from the words on the page. Immediately, his eyes narrowed in on the girl standing between his dorky younger brother and his even dorkier best friend. "Who are you?"

"Jodi Foster-Jeon," she swiftly answered, waving and plastering on a tight-lipped smile. "I met them at Babbage's."

While Gordon took the chance to size up this new addition to the friend group, Law dropped to his knees and began shuffling through all the shit beneath his bed. Winter clothes, various board games, and several dust bunnies littered the area, making it much more difficult to actually find what he was looking for.

The hastiness of their visit wasn't lost on Gordon, though. "What're you doing here, anyway? Seriously. I thought dad said something about all of you going to the fair."

"Yeah, change of plans," Law reported, his voice muffled beneath the bed. Finally, his wandering hand smacked against the familiar, boxy frame of his walkie-talkie. His palm closed around it and dragged it out into the light. "We've got a serious problem. And we're gonna need back-up."

Despite the confusion on his brother's face, Law yanked the antenna up and out of the walkie-talkie. He swiftly checked the station, making sure he was getting in contact with the right people before he began to offload this information. Then, once everything was in order, he jammed his thumb against the button and started talking.

"If anyone is listening, this is Law Webb and I'm in need of back-up. A giant monster is on the loose in Hawkins. It may have already hurt or killed some people down by the old steel mill, but I can't confirm anything," he announced, practically shouting into the speaker. "Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will... If any of you copy, this is a Code Red! I repeat, a Code Red!"

Any hint of teasing or relaxation had disappeared from Gordon's face as he listened to the boy's message. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, sitting up in bed. Uh-oh. Older brother mode had officially been activated. The three kids looked sheepishly amongst themselves, not wanting to be the one who had to break the news. Even though it had already been broken, basically.

"Law, you tell him. He's your brother," Frank insisted, speaking just above a whisper, as if Gordon couldn't hear him. Awkward silence hung in the air. Jodi shifted from one foot to the other, her hands wringing behind her back. Gordon stared at the group incredulously, doing his best to intimidate the information out of them.

Law broke first under his scrutinous gaze. "We saw a monster at the Brimborn Steel Mill. It was huge and it had a million teeth and it didn't have skin and it smelled horrible. We don't know where it is now, but we're pretty sure it got Diana," he wailed with a wobbly voice.

Gordon leaned forward, resting his hands on Law's shoulders. "Slow down, slow down," he urged with a softer voice. Once Law's breathing eased slightly, he went on. "Why were you at the steel mill? And what makes you think it got Diana?"

"We followed her there," Jodi spoke up after hearing the pure fear laced through Law's words. She propped her hands against her hips and explained the absolutely insane situation to him as calmly as she could. "Apparently, she'd been acting weird lately. So, when we saw her wandering away from the fair, we followed her all the way to the mill down the road. She and a bunch of other people went down into the basement and that's where the monster popped out a few minutes later."

Gordon sat back further on his bed again, visibly processing everything she just told him. Law whipped the walkie-talkie back up to his mouth again, sending out yet another distressed signal to the others. "Again, this is Law Webb and we have a Code Red on our hands! A monster is loose in Hawkins and it may destroy the town if we don't do something about it. Does anyone copy?"

He tightly gripped the radio in his hand, staring down at it like he was willing a sound to crackle from the other end. Law's lower lip trembled with each beat of silence that passed, his frustration growing by the second. Just when he had decided to come up with a Plan B, a familiar voice answered.

"Law? This is Lucas. We know about the monster. Meet us at Bradley's Big Buy and we'll explain everything. Over."

His reply was short and sounded rushed, but it was enough.

Law leapt to his feet, shoving the walkie into his empty school bag. He scooped a flashlight off of his nightstand and snatched the lighter from the end of Gordon's bed, tossing both items in alongside the radio. He threw the bag over his shoulder and made a move to step out, only to spin back around on his heel to frown at Gordon. He hadn't moved an inch, a dazed look still swimming over his features.

"Aren't you coming?" Law asked.

Gordon sucked in a breath and looked up, meeting the waiting eyes of his brother. Although he hadn't anticipated spending the holiday fighting a huge, murderous monster, he sure as hell wasn't going to let Law do it without him. He stood from the bed and looked around with pursed his lips, pretending to weigh his options.

"Well, you took my lighter, so it's not like I have any reason to stick around here," he said with a lighthearted shrug. Broad, relieved smiles tore across the kids' faces. Even though this was one of the most terrifying things that had ever happened to them, having someone who, at least, seemed older and wiser around was a comfort.

"Let's go save Hawkins again," Gordon declared. Law smirked and began to lead the group back down the hall, but Frank and Jodi were frozen in the doorframe.

"Again?" They both asked with simultaneous disbelief.

Law turned to face them, a hand gripping the strap of his backpack. "I'll explain everything on the way there. But we've gotta get on the road."

This time, Jodi and Frank were propelled forward by their gnawing curiosity, unable to turn down the opportunity for further context about the horrifying adventure they had found themselves in.