CHAPTER TWO:
FIELDS OF ASPHODEL
aka the hellfire club & vecna's curse

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THE PERSISTENT SOUND OF the phone ringing woke Venus up that fateful morning. She didn't think anything of it at first. Her mother was the type of woman to always have friends calling for her. What wine are we bringing to bookclub, Helen? When's the next bake sale going to be? Helen Blyton was the definition of a social butterfly; she could chat for hours on end unless Venus or her husband were there to drag her away. A moment later, the phone went quiet, and Venus sighed in content before burying her head deeper into her pillow. Helen's voice was soft and tired, a mumble her daughter couldn't quite catch on the opposite side of the house.

At last, Spring Break had come. Spring Break meant sleep-ins and lazy days, waking up when the sun was already high in the sky rather than just touching the horizon. Venus loved it, and she couldn't wait until Chrissy called so they could plan their first adventure together. They always did something; whether it was a lowkey sleepover eating their body weight in popcorn and ice cream, or something grand like a weekend trip to the nearest beach. Windows down, the breeze in their hair, blasting Bowie or the Beatles so loud their ears rang.

Someone knocked on the door, hesitant though nonetheless insistent, and Venus let out a groan before muttering a belligerent what?

So much for a sleep-in.

"Venus, baby." There was an edge to her mother's voice that Venus found alarming. Sitting up quickly, her heart dropped at the sight of Helen's pale face. There were tears in her eyes and her hands trembled as they smoothed Venus' hair back from her face.

"Mum?" Part of her didn't want to know, fear putting down roots in her stomach. Through the nauseous feeling, she had to force herself to ask the damning question, "What's wrong?"

"It's Chrissy," Helen blubbered. The dam broke then, and her sobs were loud in the quiet morning; broken and bruised and terrifying.

"What? What's happened to Chrissy?"

Deep down, as fear became panic, she knew it was serious. She knew, as a cousin — a sister — would, that the world was suddenly desolate. That she would never have another sleep-over or beach trip with Chrissy again.

"She's dead, Venus."

How desperately, foolishly, she had hoped to be wrong.

The rest of the morning passed in a mere blur. Venus had cried, then shouted, then cried some more. Her dad, Matthew, came home from the hospital almost as soon as he arrived for his opening shift. He hugged Venus as she sobbed, promised her it was going to be okay, that they'd get through this as a family. Matthew Blyton was always the strong one; he took the punches so his family didn't have to. His selfless nature was what drew Helen to him in the first place. Venus hadn't seen him shed a single tear since he walked through the door. He merely frowned, eyes sad, then took control once Aunt Laura called to ask them to come over.

"The police have some questions," she had said when Matthew answered the phone.

And something in Venus shifted. Gone were the tears, the pleas for this to be a dream. In their place was an eerie kind of silence. She hugged her arms around her body and let her dad usher them into the car. They only had to drive five houses down the road, but curious neighbours were already spreading the word as news reporters revealed the death of an unnamed Hawkins High School student.

There was already a police car in the driveway when they pulled up. Venus' parents were quick to lead her inside to where Aunt Laura, Uncle Phillip and James were waiting in the living room. The sisters hugged, Laura's face stone cold in the bright morning light. Venus didn't understand it. How the world continued to turn when the sun personified had met a seemingly painful end. Laura's sorrow seemed shallow in the sunshine, like she wasn't truly aware that her daughter was gone for good.

A sadist might've said that she didn't care one bit...

"Thank you for getting here so quickly," Powell — the new Chief of Police after Hopper's death — intervened.

He and Officer Callahan were lingering beside the fireplace, faces pensive as they watched the family interact. Venus had to wonder what they presumed from the act. What they pieced together as Matthew and Phillip shook hands, Laura and Helen hugged. Venus was waiting alone, peering through the curtains while Chrissy's eight-year-old brother, James, played obliviously with a train set on the floor. For just a moment, it seemed as though nothing had changed.

Powell eventually cleared his throat and uncomfortably gestured towards the pristine couches. "Should we get started?"

"When did you last see Chrissy?"

It took Venus a second to realise the question was aimed at her. She was crushed between her parents on one couch, facing the officers while Laura sat in an armchair with Phillip standing behind her. He had a hand resting on her shoulder, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from James. Now an only child, he hadn't even noticed his big sister's absence.

"Venus?" her dad prompted her.

"Oh, uh... at school, I think."

"You think?" Laura frowned.

Venus shrugged. Her voice was croaky, like she hadn't quite managed to wake up from this nightmare. "We had lunch together then went to class. I know she went to the school basketball game but I didn't end up staying for long. I just presumed she'd stay with Jason."

"Jason who?" Officer Callahan paused in his note-taking to eye her.

"Jason Carver. He is... was Chrissy's boyfriend."

"Jason would never do this," Laura insisted before either of the officers had a chance to consider the information. Suddenly alert, Laura's words were sharp, as if she was reprimending Venus for even bringing him up. "Jason's a well-mannered young man. He's never been anything but polite when Chrissy had him over. Isn't that right, Phillip?"

Phillip nodded without question. Venus' mother squeezed her hand in a vice-like grip. Tension festered in the air while Powell and Callahan exchanged a wary look.

"We'd still like to talk with him, see what he may know," the Chief soon decided.

"I'm sorry," Helen frowned. "Know what exactly?"

Once again, they shared a look, hesitating for just a second. Venus turned to her dad almost instinctively, dreading the answer regardless of how vague. Matthew's smile was grim, revealing no hint of truth.

This was going to hurt. The worst pain a girl her age could feel. That it was okay to fear the agony.

"What do you know of the relationship between Chrissy and Eddie Munson, Venus?"

Venus wondered if she was hearing things. "Eddie? Why do you want to know about him?"

She couldn't quite look at her aunt as Laura scoffed and shook her head. It wasn't the first time her aunt's patience had worn thin with her, but she'd never been quite so brash. It made Venus wonder what happened behind closed doors. If Chrissy also kept secrets.

"Your cousin was found in his trailer," Callahan said at last, seeing no sense in softening the blow when the truth was ever-present. "His prints were all over the crime scene."

Of course they were, Venus thought bitterly. It's his home. But then reality began to creep in, dawning on Venus until she could no longer breathe from the sudden, horrifying weight. Chrissy hadn't said a word to Eddie for years, let alone been to his house. So why was she found there?

What didn't Venus know?

She thought of Eddie's hands, the ones that had cradled her face just yesterday as he kissed her. Were they capable of hurting someone so close to her? Of snuffing out a heart's beating flame without remorse?

Had her boyfriend killed her cousin?

Venus felt sick.

"I'm sorry," she stammered as their stares seared into the side of her face. She didn't know what to say, what to give that would make any of this better. Chrissy was gone, and try as she might, Venus was entirely helpless. "I don't think I can help you. I don't know anything."

She never even got to say goodbye.

Did Chrissy know how much she loved her?

As the police packed up and told Laura and Phillip they'd be in touch, Venus took a moment to retreat into the kitchen. There were photos hanging above the dining table in pristine white frames — Chrissy's gap-toothed smile as she cradled her newborn baby brother. Chrissy and Venus sun-tanned and laughing at the beach. Chrissy in her cheer-leading uniform, the two girls at one of Venus' ballet concerts with their parents, in her prom dress hanging off Jason's arm — everything was Chrissy.

Venus wanted to scream, to release this pressure in her chest, to tear out her heart so the feelings would fade. She wanted Chrissy to come prancing in, giggling about how this was her greatest (and cruelest) prank yet. She wanted to hug her again, to inhale the distinct floral scent of her perfume and know that her cousin had a pulse, lungs that expanded with life, a path of glory and success waiting for her in the near future.

The kitchen floor was cold as Venus sunk to her knees, head in her hands, one palm smothering her tears as she caught a whisper of conversation on the other side of the door.

"The funeral will be in four days—"

She couldn't take it anymore.

The back door shut with a silent click. No one noticed as Venus slipped out and took the side alley to the main road. Fortunately, no neighbours were present to ogle and whisper. At last, the world seemed to have come to a standstill.

Venus wasn't sure why she did what she did. Perhaps she needed someone who understood, someone who could clear the confusion in her head, give her a purpose now that she had none. Jason's house was only two blocks away, and yet the walk seemed to last a lifetime. Some of the guys from the team were waiting around on the porch. Venus vaguely recognised Lucas Sinclair, one of the boys from the Hellfire Club. His face was sullen and rattled, and he couldn't quite look her in the eye as the others jumped up to offer Venus their condolences.

I'm sorry about Chrissy, bro.

Munson's a psycho.

I just can't believe it.

Venus couldn't either.

She wanted them to stop.

(If this was to be the rest of her life in Hawkins, Venus wanted out. She wasn't sure she could do this without Chrissy. She wasn't sure how to be alone, not like this.)

"Is Jason here?" she asked, glancing around at them wearily.

"He's out back," Patrick was the one to answer. "He hasn't said much. Maybe he'll open up to you?"

Venus doubted it, but she understood the sentiment.

In the end, they both loved Chrissy.

In the end, they both wanted revenge.

(Even though Venus didn't know what to think.)

She found Jason sitting in the grass, eyes red-rimmed and fragmented, like shattered glass drowned in kerosene. Something vindictive and determined seemed to burn in that stare as he looked up into Venus' face and saw part of the girl he loved frowning back at him. His hands clenched into fists. Venus kept her distance, just waiting for him to make the first move.

"I'm going to kill him," he declared. "Munson, I mean. He'll pay for what he did to Chriss, Venus. I promise you that."

Venus' heart shattered.

She missed Eddie, the boy who could've loved her if he had the proper chance. She hated the thought of this stranger she didn't recognise, the blood that coated his hands. What made him choose Chrissy? The one person he knew Venus could not live without...

Was he trying to punish her?

Dear God. Her sister was dead and the only thing Venus could think about was herself. What was wrong with her?

"Let me help," she said, as if she had to ask.

And so, on that fateful morning, Venus made the biggest mistake of her life. She made a deal with the devil and shook on it. She was sure her parents had noticed her absence. They were probably terrified she'd gotten hurt too. But as Venus found herself sitting in a car with Jason and some of the other basketball guys, Lucas shivering at her side, she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

Chrissy's face haunted her mind, broken and defeated long after the decision had been made. Venus just hoped she could rest easy soon, once Eddie had been located.

What a brutal end for a beautiful life.