SQUISHED INTO BILLY'S CAR, Mariella practically sat on Mike. Steve's head rested against her lap. The car moving smoothly as she held an ice pack to his bloodied head. "Nancy?" He whispers, looking to Mike's face which was on the road, he looks to him, furrowing his eyebrows.

Steve groans, bringing his hand to his face. "No, don't touch it," Dustin takes his hand away. Steve looks to him. "Hey, buddy... It's okay. You put up a good fight," Dustin comforts him and Mariella fusses over one of the bandages and moves the ice pack around his head. "He kicked you ass but you put up a fight. You're okay,".

"Okay, you're gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai," Lucas speaks up, staring down at the map he held.

Steve looks around the car, confused. Looking to Dustin who kept shushing him, then to Mariella who lightly pressed the ice pack to his forming bruises, to Mike who stared down at him and then to the front where he sees Max looking back to him. "What's going on?" He mumbles. "Oh, my God!" He panics at the sight of Max steering.

Dustin shushes him again. "Just relax. She's driven before," He comforts.

"Yeah, in a parking lot," Mike jumps in.

Mariella nudges him, glaring. "Not helping," She hisses, keeping the icepack on Steve's forehead.

"It counts," Lucas defends as Steve attempts to lean up.

"They were gonna leave you behind," Dustin pats Steve's shoulder. "I promised that you'd be cool, okay?".

Mariella holds his head down. "You're going to get more hurt," She tells him, shaking her head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on?" Steve panics as Max begins to speed up. "Oh, my God. No! Whoa! Stop the car. Slow down!" He screams.

Mike looks to Dustin in agitation. "I told you he'd freak out!" Mike shouts.

"Stop the car!" Steve screams again.

Mariella smacks Mike. "Stop yelling!" She scolds as she hold Steve's head down.

"Everybody shut up! I'm trying to focus!" Max screams at them, listening to the clamour happening in the backseat.

Lucas looks out the window, panic setting through him. "Oh, wait, that's mount Sinai. Make a left," He points at the windshield, Max looking to him.

"What?" She asks.

"Make a left!" He screams, Max pulling the steering wheel to the left and the car falling down the side of the road. Tires screeching, hitting a sign.

"Oh, my God!" Dustin screams.

Mariella grabs onto Mike with one hand, keeping Steve's ice pack on with the other as her eyes go wide. "I'm not even wearing a seatbelt!" She screeches as she loses grip on the ice pack and it goes flying from her hand, she falls into Mike.

All of them screaming as Max makes abrupt turns down the roads, drifting around. "Max, hurry up and get this over with!" Mike screams, wrapping his arms around Mariella and keeping her close against him to prevent her from flying around the car.

It seems to go on forever, their bodies sliding around the car before Max finally pulls to a stop in an empty field. Steve looking around before screaming out in shock, "Hello!" He yells,  it really knowing why.

"Whoa," Dustin breathes out.

Mike keeps Mariella against him, tightly. "Incredible," He tells Max, a smile on his face.

"I told you," Max holds onto the wheel, staring straight. "Zoomer," She goes on, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car all do they following and heading to the trunk.

Putting on the equipment they had packed, goggles and scarves and gloves. Mike heading to the front of the car, holding a tin of gasoline and a rope.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Steve asks, watching as Mike sits on the ground. "What are you, deaf? Hello?" He shouts. "We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear," He shout again.

All of them ignoring and walking to where Mike was with their fear. "Hey, there's no chance we're going to that hole, alright? This ends right now!" He yells at them, grabbing the things in Dustin's hands and throwing them back into the trunk.

"Steve! You're upset, I get it. But the bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide that assistance," Dustin explains, Steve looking back and watching as the four kids begin clambering down the hole in the earth. "Now, I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe. So, keep us safe," Dustin goes on, handing Steve a backpack before they follow the four kids i tp the hole with the rope.

♧

Jumping down the rope, Mariella grunts at the stabbing pain that went though her ankles at the sudden impact. "Which way do we go?" She calls out, looking around all the directions.

"Left?" Max asks.

Mike nods his head. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's this way," He says, looking down at the crudely down map.

"You're pretty sure, or you're certain?" Dustin calls,

"I'm 100% sure. Just follow me and you'll know," Mike calls back as Mariella stumbles over something on the ground, falling into Max who helps her up.

"You okay?" Max breathes out, looking to her with concern.

Mariella nods. "Just anxious," She shrugs as they follow after Mike.

Steve walks after Mike, shaking his head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I don't think so," He shouts, flashing his light at Mike's legs.

He turns to him in shock. "What?" Mike asks.

"Any of you little shits die down here, I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?" Steve takes the map from Mike and looks back towards the group. "From here on out, I'm leading the way! Come on, let's go," He begins walking off.

Mariella sighs, walking faster towards Steve. "No offence but what do you know about maps?" She asks him, adjusting the goggles that sat over her eyes. "I think one of us leading is fine! Just cause you're older doesn't me—" She rambles.

Steve rolls his eyes at her. "Enough, Princess Mars. Shut up and follow me," He cuts her off, ignoring her as he walks faster, leaving Mariella trudging along alongside Mike.

"Come on! Hey, a little hustle," Steve shouts out at them.

Rolling her eyes like he had, Mariella calls back to him. "Shut up, King Steve!" She mimics him as they all begin to pick up pace and rush after him.

They come to a clearing, walking slowly and staring around the several directions they could go. "God..." Lucas sighs.

"What is this place?" Max asks as Mariella wanders farther away and shines her light down a tunnel curiously, Steve pulling her back.

He pushes her towards Mike. "Stay close," He tells her before looking around once again. "Come on, keep moving," He tells them as they all begin to follow. Except Dustin.

They only make it a few steps out, hearing Dustin scream for them. "Help! Help! Help!" He calls out, the sound of his footsteps pattering after them echoing.

"Dustin!" They yell, running back and kneeling down, seeing Dustin on the ground screeching.

"What happened? What happened?" Steve shouts out, looking down at Dustin in a panic.

Dustin whimpers, his head shaking. "It's in my mouth! Some got in my mouth! Shit!" He cries out, coughing, sputtering, and spitting before stopping and looking up at his friends who shined their flashlights on him. "I'm okay," He tells them calmly.

Max breathes out. "You serious?".

"Very funny, man. Nice. Very nice," Steve rolls his eyes, turning away.

"Jesus, what an idiot," Max shakes her head as they group follows after Steve.

Mariella extends a hand to Dustin, helping him up. "Let's go, stupid," She rolls her eyes as they begin following after the group who continued on without them.

Deeper into the tunnels, the stumble over the ground and flash their lights looking into the crevices. "Alright, Wheeler," Steve says. "I think we've found your hub,".

They stop, finding another clearing with a large lump in the middle. Their flashlights shining around. "Let's drench it," Mike nods as they all begin to pull out the supplies packed and set to work.

The tunnels begin to smell of gasoline, pouring tins of it all over the dark clearing. Being sure to cover every single inch they could reach before they all retreat to an exit, crowded around Steve with their noses scrunched up. "Alright, you guys ready?" He looks back to them.

A chorus of 'Yeah's' and 'Ready's' full the air before he goes into his shirt pocket, pulling out a lighter. "Light 'er up," Dustin nods.

Panting, Steve holds the lighter up. "I'm am in such deep shit," He mumbles before igniting it and tossing it into the gasoline filled room. Instantly, it fills with fire, the colour of blue and orange licking around the clearly as the group stumbles back. "Go!" Steve shouts to them, pushing them away as he gets up to lead the way out.

They all chase after him, careful to not trip over anything yet hurried as they hear the sound of the flames crackling. "Let's go! Let's go!" Steve shouts again, rushing through the tunnels and looking back at the group. He counts their heads, being sure to have all of them in sight. There's Dustin and Lucas and Mariella and Max and Mike. They're all there. Good. 

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God," Dustin mumbles out as he waddled after Steve hurriedly.

Mariella trails behind him, her shoes getting caught on the vines on the ground — ripping her foot away violently as she runs. "Go, go, go!" She yells to them, feeling the heat of the fire on her back and suddenly wishing she had cut her hair shorter. She felt like it'd catch fire or something.

"Hey, this way!" Steve yells. "You all there?" He asks as he continues to run.

"Yeah, all here!" Lucas assured him as they follow after him.

Suddenly, Mariella hears a thud from behind her and a groan. "Wait!" She screeches, turning around and seeing Mike on the ground. His foot caught in a vine as he attempts to shake it off. She runs towards him. "Steve! Oh, God!" She screams as she feels it begin to get even hotter.

"Help! Help! Help!" Mike screams and Mariella kneels down, her hands on the vine and attempting to pull it off.

Mariella struggles, her arms feeling as if they'd snap as she plays tug-of-war with the vine. The group following back and seeing the scene. "Oh, God. Mikey," Mariella panics, her hands tugging still.

"Hold on!" Steve jumps in, pulling Mariella from the vine and placing her next to Lucas as he grabs the bat from the backpack.

"Steve! Get it off him!" Dustin panics, gripping Mike's arms and attempting to pull him away.

"Everybody back! Back!" Lucas shouts, Steve lifting the bat over his head and beating the vine off Mike's ankle.

Lucas, Dustin, and Mariella help Mike up, patting his back. "You good?" Lucas asks.

"You okay?" Dustin butts in.

Mariella nods with them before breathing heavily. The sound of a growl distraction her, all of them turning around and facing the things that made it. "Dart..." Dustin breathes out, inching towards the creature.

The group shouting at him to get back but is only shushed. "Stop," He tells them. "Trust me, please,".

Staring down at his pet, he pulls his scarf down. "Hey. It's me, it's me. It's your friend, it's Dustin," He smiles sweetly. "It's Dustin, alright. You remember me?" He kneels down, Mariella tilting her head as Mike puts an arm in front of her to stop her from running up and grabbing Dustin, pulling him away from that horrific thing.

"Will you let us pass?" Dustin asks it, the creature snarling in response and the group falls back in fright. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do. You hungry? Yeah?" Dustin goes into his bag.

Leaning closer to Mike, Mariella looks up to him with worry. "Shouldn't we be hurrying? It's going to catch fire all over here soon," She stutters out, feeling her cheeks begin to burn.

Lucas leans towards Mariella. "He's insane. Please, tell me you're seeing this, Mars," He questions as he begins to walk forward.

Mariella shrugs. "He's an odd one,".

Mike extends his arm farther, leaning into Mariella to block Lucas as well. "Don't," He whispers, smacking him.

"Shut up," Steve looks to the three of them, extending his bat out protectively.

Holding out a 3 Musketeers, Dustin smiles down at the creature. "I've got our favourite. See? Nougat," He begins unwrapping it. "Look at that. Yummy. Here, alright? Eat up, buddy. Come on. Come on," Dustin begins waving his arm to his friends, telling them to go.

All of them carefully passing by the creature, Dustin getting up last. Pulling his goggles back over his eyes. The creature looking back at him for a split moment before going back to the chocolate bar. "Goodbye, buddy," Dustin says sadly before turning away and venturing off.

They continue running through the tunnels, Steve continuing to lead them. "Let's go, let's go!" He shouts to them, hopping around vines before the tunnels begin to shake causing them all to stumble.

"Jesus!" Steve grunts, Max falling over as a creature shrieks in the distance. Hurriedly, Mariella helps her up.

Looking around, Max holds her flashlight down. "What was that?" She asks.

The sound of the shrieks and roars become louder. Mike turning around and looking deeper into the tunnels. "They're coming. Run! Run!" He shouts to the group, taking Mariella's hand in his and pulling her along with him — sure to not let her go.

"There! There!" Lucas cries out as he begins to see the rope hanging, rushing towards it.

Holding onto her wrist tightly, Mike looks back to Mariella. "Come on, yeah, Mars, come on!" He shouts at her, being sure to drag her alone with in as quickly as he could.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Steve yells, lifting Max up and helping her begin climbing up the rope. "Come on! Hurry up, come on!" He rushes.

Then lifting up then Lucas, then Mariella, and then Mike. Leaving Steve and Dustin in the tunnels last. "Dustin! Steve! Come on!" They yell down the hole, staring as the two of the paused.

"No!" Dustin screams, bringing his hand to his face as a bunch of creatures flood down the corridor they were in, rushing passed them and paying no mind. Steve holding him close and being sure to not let go.

"What just happened?" Max asks, looking to the three others.

Letting out a deep breath, Mike stares down the hole. "Eleven," He breathes out.

Mariella sighs in relief, her head falling onto Lucas' in exhaustion. "She did it. Oh, my God," Her body shakes as they watch as Steve helps Dustin up and their hands pull him up. Then helping Steve up, their eyes blinded by the headlights of the car.

And, again, just like last year, all was well. Until, it wasn't.