𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵

roa sat beside holly who was showing her how to use her lightup toy. she glanced at max, who was already staring at her.

she smiled, and slightly nodded. max returned the gesture and went back to coloring. roa got up and stood behind max, giving her a hug.

max wrapped her arm around roas, placing little kissed as ro giggled. nancy and dustin came rushing into the kitchen, spotting the two teens. they sighed in relief.

roa furrowed her brows and shrugged. she leaned down, "i'm going home to pick up some clothes. i'll be back." max nodded, "be safe."

"always."
—
later that day, they all decided that they had to go to the creel house. they walked towards the house, then staring at it for a moment.

"yeah, that's not creepy," roa mumbled.

they all walked up to the porch as nancy and steve tried to open the closed off door. "i mean what exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" steve said, as he took off nails.

"we're not sure," wheeler replied, "we just know this house is important to vecna."

"pause, you believe this house is important because max saw it in vecmans red soup mind world thingy?" roa questioned.

"basically."

"oh goodie," she mumbled as max held her hand. she squeezed it three times, returned with four squeezes.

"maybe it holds a clue to where vecna is. why he's back. why he killed the creels," dustin chimed.

"that's a lot of whys," roa said, max just smiled at her girls cluelessness.

"like i was saying," dustin rolled his eyes, "and how to stop him before he comes back for max."

roa looked down at the mention of her name, she was upset. that he decided to come for her. which is so fucked.

max noticed and put her arm around her shoulders. "it'll be fine, rory. i promise." she smiled, turning her head to the side and giving her a kiss.

"we don't think he's in here, do we?" lucas hesitantly asked, looking at the people around him.

"guess we'll find out," max replied plainly as steve and nancy finished unprying the door, the wood that was blocking it falling to the floor.

they all backed up as the leaves went flying towards their faces. roa felt something go into her mouth and shrieked. "holy mother of god!!" she spit onto the floor, gagging.

she wiped her mouth, looking up slowly as she noticed everyone giving her a look. "it's out.. i think," she smiled sheepishly.

the doorknob rattled as steve tried to open it, "it didn't open," roa said.

"really? i thought it did," steve rolled his eyes. "should i knock, see if anybody's home?"

roa looked at the ground, noticing a brick. she smiled as she picked it up, "does this work?" she held it up. steve nodded. she skipped towards a window and then threw it, the glass smashing and landing everywhere.

"nice throw," max said as they all walked into the house. "learned from the best," roa winked.

everybody looked around the house, "someone forgot to pay their electric bill," roa joked as max giggled at her words.

the group turned their flashlights on except for steve, "where did everyone get those?" he asked, roa shined the light in his face, "want mine?" he shook his head no.

"this is freaky," roa whispered as she held hands with max, "they left everything."

max froze as she spotted the grandfather clock. "hey, guys? you guys see that too, right?" she asked the group who was coming behind her.

they all pointed their flashlights towards the grandfather clock, "yeah, red," roa mumbled.

"is this what you saw? in your visions?" nancy asked, max nodded.

"i mean, it's just a clock," robin said as roa gulped. "yeah it's just a silly clock, right?" ro muttered.

robin went up to the clock, wiping it with her hands. "like a normal old clock."

"why is this stephen strange copy obsessed with clocks?" roa questioned as max stood beside her.

"maybe he's a clock maker or something?" steve chimed in. "i think you cracked the case steve," dustin sarcastically said. steve gave him a deadpanned look.

"all i know is the answers are here, somewhere," said nancy, "okay, everyone stay in groups of two, maybe one group will need three." she paused.

max took roa's arm, "cmon let's go."

the duo went into a room, the sound of kate bush blasting in the air. the tape deck clicked off, max rushed to rewind the tape.

"honestly, i wish we had a longer version." roa sighed as she looked at max.

"fortysix minutes isn't bad," max replied. "i think there are bigger concerns. like... what if, by listening to this over and over, i get sick of it, and suddenly it's not my favorite anymore? will it still work or will kate bush lose her power?"

roa scoffed, "kate bush? never. her songs are like, como se dice, so entrancing."

max smiled, "you're a fan? since when?"

"like a full blown out stalker fan. since, i gifted you the tape. she.. she saved your life max. besides we're gonna get this son of the bitch vecman, a-and destroy his ass before he thinks about messing with you," roa rambled, which max always found cute.

ro skipped over to the piano, "i think if we play something, it'll open up his little musty lair," she pressed some keys down. "voilà" she smiled.

"you're such a nerd," max laughed, her genuine laugh coming out.

"i missed that," roa smiled.

"missed what?" max tilted her head. "your genuine laugh, red."

the tape clicked, max cleared her throat. "all done. work your magic, kate," said max as she gave a quick peck to roa.

both of them paused as the lights started to flicker, max slowly walked towards the light. "you're seeing that, right?"

"yeah," roa muttered, putting her hand out to touch the flickering light, but then it stopped and it went all dark again.

she turned as she heard another light flicker, "look." she turned max to face towards the light that was in the hall.

they walked out into the hall, noticing all the lights flickering. they slowly both turned to eachother.
—

the group stood around a dusty table, "it's like the christmas lights."

"the christmas lights?" both roa and robin asked at the same time.

"yeah, when will was in the upside down, the lights..came to life."

"i think vecman is here," roa said as she stared at the light. "in this house."

"just on the other side," lucas chimed, roa nodded.

the light went out, "i think he just left the room." said robin.

"did he hear us?" max questioned. "can he see us?" steve answered back with a question.

"headphones," roa immediately said, max nodded and put them on.

"wait. wait. everyone, turn off your flashlights and spread out," nancy said. they all did what she said.

max and roa were in a room, "i got him!" robin yelled. "got him!"

they all rushed towards the girl. "i had him.." the light turned to steve, "oh, whoa. he's moving," he moved around. they followed and went up the stairs.

"shit. i lost him."

"no you didn't," max rushed forward and opened a door with stairs leading up to an attic.

"of course it's an attic," roa grumbled as they all stood around a hanging light. "flashlights," dustin said. all of them looked down to theirs.

"i'm getting major chills right now," she whispered towards max. "so am i."

the lights got brighter and exploded one by one.

+++
jasmin's corner.
NSJEIEJF hi