Chapter Forty-Five
boathouse

Ramona shut the car door behind her, wrapping her arms around herself as her eyes trailed over the darkened house, one that had seemingly been abandoned for weeks, with no sign of life.

An unusually chilly breeze blew through the air. A shiver shot down Ramona's spine, causing her to shudder.

Something didn't feel right.

Ramona inhaled sharply, following Dustin and Max up the stairs of the house.

Dustin had already made it to the door, repeatedly ringing the doorbell as she stood beside Steve.

"So, you don't lay off the bell for anyone?" She tried to lighten the mood, clearing her throat when the only response she received was another doorbell ring. She moved around Steve to stand in front of the window.

"Well, clearly, someone's not home." Steve said, crossing his arms and looking back towards the car. "Maybe we should-"

"Eddie!" Ramona shouted, heel of her hand pressed against a window, in a frivolous attempt to see into he living room. "Eddie! Eddie. It's Ramona-"

"And Dustin!" The younger boy shouted,  pushing past Steve to stand next to her.

"Great." Steve muttered, tossing his arms up in annoyance.

"Eddie. It's just us, okay? Steve is here too! You know Steve! And Max. Max, too! And Robin." Ramona's voice began to quiet, realizing that a bigger group of people may frighten Eddie, especially now.

"Look, we just wanna talk, okay? No cops! Just us. We just wanna help!"

"Rick! Reefer Rick!" Dustin shouted, pounding on the door. "Reefer Rick! Rick!"

"Don't scream that!" Steve scolded, "He's not here."

"He could just be really high!" Dustin suggested.

"You're a child, you don't know what that is."  Ramona shook her head. Dustin narrowed her eyes at her, opening his mouth to argue with her before Steve cut him off.

"Is that a foot?"

"No, that's a shoe."

Ramona gently pushed him to the side, crouching down to be eye level with the lock. "Hey, Red?"

Max hummed, turning her head to her. "Yeah?"

"Do you have a bobby-pin?"

"Ramona, now is not the time to fix your hair!" Dustin snapped, resting his hand against the wall beside the door. "Eddie is missing!"

"Not fixing my hair." Ramona said, pointedly as she turned back to Max. "Max. Do you have one?"

"Uh.." Max patted around her head, pulling something out from that back and handing it to her.

"Bingo." Ramona murmured, pulling it open and sticking in the lock.

"Woah. woah, woah, woah! What are you doing?" Steve grabbed Ramona by the shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

"Picking the lock?"

Dustin shared a look with Max, growing annoyed that he didn't think of that first.

"Of a drug dealers house? No! No way. Have you ever even picked a lock before?"

"Yeah?" Ramona shrugged his hand off, turning back to the lock. "When I worked at the diner, I got locked out of the house. I'd take doubles a lot. My mom would get home before me, she assumed I was asleep. 'Cause the house was all dark and shit, so."

Steve pulled his lips in between his teeth, dropping his head as he motioned for her to continue. As she did, Max slowly walked around the porch.

Ramona muttered to herself as she jiggled the bobby-pin in the lock. Her eyes lit up when the faint sound of it clicking hit her ears.

"Bingo!" Ramona stood up, brushing her hands off and shoving the bobby-pin in her pocket. Her hand rested on the doorknob, and she slowly twisted it open, careful to make a little noise as possible.

"Uh, guys? Guys!" The sound of Max's voice brought their attention away from the door, and they quickly moved over to where Max stood.

Ramona squinted, humming to herself as she shared a look with Max. "Boat house?"

"Perfect place to hunker down." Max pointed out, nodding her head toward it. "He's gotta be in there."

The grass crunched under Ramona's feet as she followed the path down to the boathouse. Max shined her flashlight in the dusty window, nodding to Robin who stood at the door. 

Carefully, Robin pushed open the creaky door, cringing when it squeaked.

"Hello?" Robin called out cautiously, holding the door open for the others. "Is anyone home?"

The floorboards groaned under Ramona's feet, her flashlight shining on the fishing gear hung up on the walls and the tools on the table.

"What a dump.." Steve muttered under his breath. The creaking of the floorboards mixed with the gentle lapping of the waves of the lake against the shore offered an eery feeling.

Ramona jumped as Steve hit the covered boat with an oar, "Steve!"

"What are you doing?" Dustin questioned, tone in a hushed whisper.

"He might be in here." Steve answered, shrugging.

"Then take the tarp off." Dustin answered, incredulously.

"Duh." Ramona said, gently pushing Steve's head to the side.

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." Steve stepped back, motioning for Dustin to do as he said. When Dustin made no movements, Steve rolled his eyes and continued to hit the tarp with the oar.

"Hey, look over here." Max said, shining her light on the table. "Someone was here."

Ramona picked up the trash, flipping the wrapper over to look at the date. "Recently."

"Maybe he heard us? Got spooked and ran." Robin suggested.

"Don't worry! Steve can get him with his oar." Dustin said sarcastically.

"I know you think you're being funny, Henderson, but considering the fact everyone in this room has almost died at least a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slightest-"

"Steve!" Ramona gasped, watching as a figure appeared from under the tarp, jumping from the boat and pinning Steve.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Steve cried, tilting his head up to avoid the glass pressed against his skin.

"Eddie! Eddie. woah, woah, woah!" Dustin voice was panicked.

"Eddie, Eddie, stop! It's Steve. It's Steve!" Ramona begged. "Let him go."

Eddie was breathing heavily as he turned to look at them, chest heaving as he did.

"It's me! It's me." Dustin held his hands out, "It's me. We're not going to hurt you. He's not gonna hurt you."

"Mhm." Ramona hummed quickly, nodding. "He's only one a fight once. He won't hurt you."

"Right, Steve?" Dustin said pointedly.

"Ye-Yeah. Right." Steve gulped, tilting his head back farther. His heart hammered against his ribcage, eyes focusing on Ramona. "Right."

"Why don't you drop the oar, Steve?" Dustin suggested, cautiously. Steve gulped, squeezing his eyes shut and letting go of the object.

The sound of the oar dropping startled Eddie, causing him to snap his eyes back to Steve, pressing the broken bottle against his neck.

"Eddie!" Ramona cried, "Please. Stop!"

"He's cool! He's cool!"

"I'm cool, man. I'm cool."

"What are you doing here?" Eddie's voice was broken, scared.

"We're looking for you-"

"We're here to help." Robin stepped forward to stand beside Ramona.

"We know you're innocent." Ramona continued. "Okay? We just want to help."

"These are my friends, you know Robin! From band." Robin raised her hands to mimic a trumpet, "And-And Max! The one who never wants to play DND. And Ramona! You used to be friends, she wouldn't hurt you.

Ramona quickly shook her head, "I wouldn't."

Eddie blinked slowly, eyes flickering to each of them.

"We're on your side." Dustin stressed. "I swear on my mother! Right, guys?"

"Yeah! Yeah.  We swear." Robin cleared her throat, clenching her fists at her side.

"On Dustin's mother." Max agreed quickly.

"On her life!" Ramona nodded quickly, growing more and more desperate to get Steve away from him safely.

"Dustin- Dustin's mother." Steve stammered.

Ramona breathed a sigh of relief as Eddie pulled away, backing up and away from them. As he backed away, Ramona was immediately by Steve's side.

"Steve, Steve," Ramona shushed, cupping his cheeks in her hand. Her eyes scanned his face, watching as his eyes darted around the room. "Hey, hey."

The others comforting Eddie became background noise to her as she brought him down to be eye level with her. "Look at me. You're okay, okay? It's okay."

Her hand moved to take his into her own, carefully bringing them up to his neck. "See?"

Steve gulped as she led his fingers to brush against his neck, eyes falling to meet her gaze. "N-No. Blood. No blood."

"Right. No blood, he didn't hurt you." Ramona's voice was soft, gentle, much like it had been months ago when Steve had had one of his very first nightmares. Nightmares that had plagued him for months,

"Okay." Steve nodded, "Okay."

"You're okay."

"I'm okay." Steve repeated, "I'm okay."

~~

a/n: ending A or B :) no thoughts just choose :)