𓆩♡𓆪

AFTER LOOKING AROUND THE dining room and kitchen, a grandfather clock is in front of Brooke after she turned the corner.

The same exact brown, tall grandfather clock that has been haunting her and Max. "You guys see that too, right?" Max asks, flashlight on it. Brooke steps closer to it. Everyone says yes or yeah in response to Max.

Her arm reaches out. It feels like the object is farther away than it seems. Brooke's finger touches the clock, dust rubbing off onto her finger. "Is this what you saw? In your visions?" Nancy asks, her eyes on Brooke who has yet to move her eyes from the clock.

The chime echoes in Brooke's head. The sound makes her step back. She looks back at Max, the same fearful expression on both their faces. "I mean, it's....just a clock," Robin says, trying to calm down her two friends. "Yeah," Paisley steps around Max and places the palm of her hand on the long, dusty part of the clock, "Just a clock."

She won't lie and say she's scared to even be near it but if it'll help Max and Brooke, Paisley is willing to do anything. Robin also walks up to the clock and wipes the dust off the top of it, revealing the actual clock part.

"Like a normal old clock," Robin reassures them again. "Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks? Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?" Steve says. Brooke turns away from the clock with her head tilted towards her boyfriend. "I think you cracked the case, Steve!" Dustin sarcastically says. "Clockmaker....you're one of the stupidest people," Penelope insults Steve.

"Okay, the answers have to be here," Stella impatiently says, "Everything pointed here," She looks around the broken down home, hopeful that it'll somehow clear Eddie's name. "Everyone stays in groups. Robin, Penelope, upstairs," Nancy orders. Paisley raises her eyebrow when she doesn't hear her name grouped with the three girls. "Nancy—" Paisley begins to say but Brooke grabs her forearm and drags her towards her.

"I'll go with the couple," Stella whispers before following Lucas and Max. Danny and Dustin glance at each other. "Come on," Dustin sighs before going up the stairs. "Why the hell did you sigh?" Danny yells, following after Dustin.

Paisley, Steve and Brooke stand in a triangle. Her two best friends near her have a mixed feeling of comfort and fear. The fear of them still seeing Brooke die lingers within her.

"Hawkins trio?" Steve smiles. Paisley glances towards the stairs where Robin is, ignoring Steve's words. Brooke catches it, "P, Robin doesn't want Penelope."

"Doesn't mean Penelope doesn't want her," Paisley pouts. The two others chuckle at Paisley. "So, just be better than her. You've had Robin in the palms of your head for nearly two years. Get your shit together. Let's just go explore. As much as I hate the idea," Steve cringes as he looks around the house. He wraps an arm around Brooke's waist, bringing her close. If Steve could quite literally keep Brooke in his skin, he would.

"Don't be gross around me," Paisley scoffs, running up the stairs.

SPIDER WEBS LINE EVERY turn of the house. Brooke, Paisley and Steve and have found themselves at a loss for clues and in a random room upstairs.

"Ah! A bathroom. Anyone gotta piss?" Brooke shines her light on the toilet. Paisley scrunches her nose in disgust and fake gagging. "Remember when we found that house in the woods and someone shit in the toilet?" Paisley reminds Brooke. "What?" Steve shouts. Brooke vividly remembers it, and vividly remembers the smell as well. "At least this place doesn't smell!" Brooke laughs. She wishes she could spend her last day watching a movie of her memories, good or bad. Like a reel just displayed on a big wall for Brooke to take in.

Paisley sniffs the air, "Smells of death, actually."

The sound of metal scraping catches both girl's attention. They turn to see Steve bent down blindly putting his hand into a vent. "Steve, what is that?" Brooke looks over his shoulder. The vent is just full of glass jars. Steve picks up one of the jars and inspects it. Light shows a bunch of dead spiders. "Oh, what the fuck?" Paisley curses, dramatically hopping away from Steve and the jar of spiders.

"They had weird hobbies—" Brooke is cut off by Steve abruptly jumping, shattering the glass jar when it falls to the floor. Steve begins to freak out, swatting at himself as both girls yell at him, asking what, a million times. "Steve!" Brooke chases him, "What's wrong?" Brooke manages to grab a hold of Steve's hand and he momentarily stops freaking out. "There was a spider!" Steve breathlessly says, still patting himself down. "Oh God!" Paisley now freaks out.

"What? Where?" Brooke keeps calm, spinning Steve around but there's no spider. "It's a black widow!" Steve pants, shutting the door to the room they were just in, "Don't go in there."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Paisley throws her hands up. Brooke spins Steve around again, "Oh, darlin', there's cobwebs all in your hair." Steve wants to acknowledge the use of a pet name but the fact that there's cobwebs in his precious hair becomes more important. "What? Brooke, get it out!" Steve shouts. "Well, stay still, asshat!" Brooke grabs him by the shoulders, steadying him. Brooke picks the cobwebs out, her hand moving his hair. "Thank you," Steve says.

"If there's a spider, you're never gonna find it till it lays eggs and the babies spill out!" Robin appears, teasing Steve but it freaks out Paisley as well. "What's wrong with you?" Steve yells. "Robin!" Paisley scolds the blonde. Robin chuckles. Penelope turns the corner, shining her bright light right in Steve's face.

"Ah, what the hell? You both have problems," Steve insults them. "You're telling me," Nancy whispers as she comes up from behind Penelope. "What happened?" Penelope rests a hand on her hip. "Steve found spiders," Brooke says, getting the last of the cobwebs out of his hair, "All good, pretty boy." Steve smiles, contemplating acknowledging the now two pet names but something stops him. Could be him overthinking but it's logical, at least to him.

Brooke could be giving Steve more affection because of what might happen to today. The thought sends a shiver down his spine but he fakes a smile, turning towards everyone, "Y'know, maybe when this is all over we can all go out," He glances at Penelope, "Even you."

"Funny you think I'd want to hang out with you," Penelope laughs. "Pretend he's not there," Robin makes a joke but Steve frowns at it. Brooke's stomach turns though. Steve is usually pessimistic alongside herself but he's been avoiding saying anything that would even confirm that Brooke will die. She's cursed, yes, Steve can somewhat accept that.

Everyone seems to have backed away from the couple, they're all off looking at something else while the two turn and borderline gawk at each other. The soft light from the darkness and their flashlights causes an almost orange tint.

Brooke tilts her head with a small smile. Steve looks beautiful. "Pretty boy?" Steve whispers, now bringing up the name. Brooke's smile gets bigger, "Don't make me regret that."

"No, no. I—I liked it," Steve hopes the dark covers the blush he feels climb up from his throat to his cheeks. Brooke's eyes widen, butterflies flutter in her stomach, "Yeah, of course you do," She can't help but tease him. Steve's eyes drift down to her lips, becoming painfully aware how long it's been since they kissed. "Well, we should get back to the investigation," Steve says, "'The obvious things are not what people observe.'"

Brooke furrows her brows at the quote, "Where the hell you get that?"

"It might be wrong—uh, don't observe? Or......Sherlock Holmes," Steve awkwardly says and just walks away from and even more confused Brooke.

"Oddball," Brooke says, turning on her heel to go find where he ran off to.

Paisley and Robin wander around what looks like the daughter's room. The room she once felt most at home in.

A thick coat of dust covers the bed. Frilly, white, lacey sheets hang off the bed. "I'm surprised this place wasn't burnt to the ground," Paisley says. Most abandoned places she has been to have been destroyed or partied in but this one is just a dusty time capsule. Robin slides a finger across the dresser, "People are probably too scared of it."

Paisley looks out the window but an overgrown tree blocks her view of anything, "Are you scared?"

Robin chuckles and walks up next to Paisley, "Hell yeah," Robin smiles at Paisley, "You make me feel, uh, better though." By the time Paisley looks at Robin, the blonde has sheepishly looked away.

The chandelier above them buzzes with electricity. Flashing on and off above them. Paisley's heart drops, thinking the worst of the worst with Brooke in the house. Panicking, Paisley grabs Robin and runs out of the room, "Brooke?" She shouts urgently. The lamps and lights of the hallway are now flickering, buzzing with electricity.

"Guys, come down here!" Steve shouts up to them. The rest of the group. have gathered in the walk in hall, staring at the flickering chandelier. "The Christmas lights," Brooke whispers, flashing back to the first cycle of hell they went through. "Christmas lights?" Stella questions. "Yeah, when Will was in the Upside Down, the lights....came to life," Nancy explains quietly.

Danny worriedly looks around at the group, his eyes stopping on Max and Brooke standing next to each other, "Then he's here—Vecna."

"In this house," Lucas adds on, "Just on the other side."

The buzzing dies out completely. "Fucker didn't appreciate that," Penelope snickers. "Did he hear us?" Max quietly asks. "Are you two okay?" Paisley asks Max and Brooke.

There's an overwhelming feeling of emotions in Brooke right now but she nods yes. "Can he see us?" Steve asks, grabbing Brooke's hand. "Headphones!" Lucas freaks out and Max puts the headphones on. "Do you think he's here for me?" Brooke asks. Everyone snaps their eyes to be on her. "Don't say that," Steve pleads. "But he could be. We stopped him from getting Max and now he's here for me. It's plausible!" Brooke shouts through gritted teeth.

"Wait, wait. Everyone, turn off your flashlights and spread out!" Nancy orders. "We're not gonna be able to see if we turn off our flash...lights," Steve sighs, realizing he's the only one that didn't listen. "Just stay by me," Brooke whispers, squeezing Steve's hand.

The group walks around in the dark for a minute or so before Robin shouts that she got him. They all follow the sound of her voice but when they get there, the light has died out. "I....I had him," Robin sighs. Then, Steve's light goes off, "Oh, whoa. I think he's moving. He's moving!" Steve and the group move with the light that leads them all the way to the stairs. Once they're at the top, the light goes out again.

"Shit. We lost him," Brooke says. "No, we didn't," Max spots light seeping from the door to the attic. "Of course," Paisley throws her hands up as they walk up the creaky stairs to the creepy attic.

"Hold up, guys. What if he's leading us into a trap?" Dustin brings up a good question but they all seem to ignore him. Tunnel vision on the light above them. It flickers and then their flashlights begin to flicker brightly as well.

They all stand in a circle in the middle of the attic. "Okay, what's happening?" Steve asks. Brooke finds herself staring at her flashlight. She can't tell if her mind is playing tricks on her as the light gets brighter and brighter. The buzzing is even louder.

"This is creepy," Penelope remarks, faking a dramatic shiver.

All of a sudden, the light above them shatters. They all yelp or shriek in surprise. "What the fuck—" Brooke is cut off by her own flashlight exploding in her hands and then everyone else's begin to explode and shatter. One by one their flashlights broke, leaving them with no light. "We need to go!" Paisley yells, grabbing a hold of anyone next to her. "Yeah, let's go!" Robin agrees and they all begin to run out of the house.

Brooke pants, putting in all her work to get out of that damn house. Her foot reaches the porch and the clock chimes. Brooke feels like she is turning in slow motion as she turns towards the open door. There in the hall, in front of the clock, the mauled corpses of Hopper and Casey stand. Brooke pants. It's not real. It's not real, she keeps reminding herself.

"Brooke!" Steve tugs on her. Unbeknownst to him, she gets out of the trance and speeds to his car, not daring to look over her shoulder.

STEVE DECIDED THAT HIS house is the better spot for the night. His parents aren't home and he has more open rooms. None of them are using them though, they're all staring at Brooke.

It is 9pm and they're all on edge now. Brooke, for once, admitted what she saw before they left the Creel's property and now everyone is freaking out.

Another One Bites The Dust by Queen is blasting in Brooke's ears as she sits in Steve's room, her head hanging off the bed. Steve has never seen so many people in his room, it's making him realize how ugly his wallpaper is.

"I'm hanging upside down because I don't wanna be stared at," Brooke shouts over the music. "Oh, now you know how I feel," Max says. "We're being careful," Nancy says. Brooke sighs. Maybe Vecna gave up. She sits up and takes off her Walkman. but everyone freaks out at her. "Put them on! Are you crazy?" Steve sets the Walkman right back on Brooke's head. She looks around the worried looks of her friends and family. "I need air," She says but she stops at the doorway, "Alone!" Brooke runs down the stairs and flings open Steve's sliding door.

"Steve—"

"I'm going, Danny," Steve sighs, knowing him following after her will only annoy her but he doesn't really care at this point.

Slightly cold air nips at Brooke's skin, suddenly regretting not grabbing a sweater. Her blue short sleeve shirt is not doing much against the Indiana spring air. Brooke takes a seat on the lounge chair, staring at the moon and stars in Steve's pool. It looks like a whole other universe as it reflects off the water. Brooke has the urge to jump in and escape, to find herself in this fake universe only full of stars.

"Martel," Steve calls out. The use of her last name makes Brooke turn and glare at her boyfriend, "Rude." Steve laughs, taking a seat in the lounge chair next to Brooke, "I don't want you to be left alone."

"Yeah, you made that clear," Brooke rubs at her arms for an attempt at warmth. She keeps her eyes on the pool again. "I could order pizza," Steve says. "I don't want my last meal to be pizza—"

"Brooke, stop saying that shit," Steve holds his head in his hands. Brooke rolls her head to the side to now look at Steve, "I'm sorry." She does genuinely feel sorry. She forgets not everyone appreciates her humor to cope method. Steve bites at his lip, making his way over to sit at the end of Brooke's lounge chair, "When this is over I'll take you to a Queen concert."

Brooke frowns again at his hopefulness but she plays into it, "I doubt they wanna go to this God forsaken state."

"Okay, then if it's in New York, we will go to New York," Steve smiles. "New York?" Brooke laughs. The idea of her and Steve trying to navigate New York City is ridiculous. They're bound to get lost or robbed. "What are you laughing at?" Steve asks, moving up on the chair. "Us. Like, imagine us in the city. We'd die. We're Indiana kids!" Brooke laughs again. Steve playfully scoffs, "Oh, we'd be fine. Y'know my fighting skills are great."

"Oh, for sure," Brooke lets out one last giggle. Steve moves himself next to Brooke now, laying down next to her on the small chair. "You're so pretty," Steve whispers, sending chills down Brooke's body. She turns her head towards him, "I try," Brooke smirks. Steve smirks as well, leaning in and finally, in what feels like forever, the two kiss. It erupts fireworks that Brooke thought she'd never feel again. She smiles against the kiss, going deeper into it. After a minute or so, Steve pulls away.

Brooke rests a hand on Steve's cheek and she leans in for another peck, eyes closed. Steve doesn't kiss back. He's stiff.

"I don't want this," Steve says, pulling away from Brooke.

When Brooke pulls away as well, Steve is staring up at the sky. "Steve, what?" Brooke frantically asks. "I just think you're a narcissist," Steve blurts out so casually. Brooke's heart drops.

"Why would that be a thing? A narcissist—"

"All you've cared about is how quickly you'd be forgotten after this. You take care of the kids like your own because you live through them. You're selfish," Steve's voice is poison to Brooke's ears as she tries to process how hurtful her boyfriend is being. She scoots away from him, "You're a dick. I'm leaving," Brooke says and gets up to leave but she feels stuck on the patio the further she gets from Steve.

A part of her is telling her something is off, something is wrong and she needs to run but she stays, eyes on Steve a few feet in front of her. Steve stands up and starts walking towards her but as he gets closer, Brooke nearly falls to the ground.

Steve's eyes are white. There's a sinister smirk across his face. The closer Steve gets, the less Steve he looks. Vecna begins to take form right in front of Brooke's eyes.

Brooke backs up all the way until her back hits the sliding doors. "Brooke....." Vecna's voice is raspy and evil, "You didn't even realize."

Brooke gasps, grabbing blindly for the handle to the door but everything changes around her. Everything becomes red and floating. Vecna's lair.

Fear isn't an option right now. Fear gets you killed.

Brooke stands up straight, looking around, "Realize what?"

There's a hint of an evil smile across Vecna's face, "You turned your music off." Brooke's eyes widened, he's right, she doesn't even remember doing it.

Meanwhile, Steve is shaking Brooke, blasting the music from her Walkman but her eyes are still rolled back, white. "Guys! Guys!" Steve shouts, not knowing if their friends are even hearing him and why the music isn't working.

"That's too bad," Brooke swallows, taking steps further into his lair, "Do you know Queen? They're really good!" Brooke chuckles, realizing how ridiculous she sounds talking to this creature. Vecna doesn't respond, he steps closer to Brooke, "Join me," He points his long finger. Pillars surround Brooke.

The one to her right displays Chrissy's dead body. Brooke stumbles, gasping as she tries to get away from it only to bump into Fred's body. She diverts her eyes and swallows back a scream at Patrick's body. Brooke covers her mouth. When did Patrick die? Is this another game of Vecna's?

   Brooke watches as the red world begins to make her sink but she picks her feet up, "Leave Max alone and I'll think about it!" Vecna cocks his head back at this girl trying to bargain with him.

Brooke stares at Vecna. He's tall. His flesh looks burnt. He's ugly.

"Take me! Leave Max!" Brooke steps closer to the ugliest fucker she has ever seen, "And go fuck your self in the process."

Seemingly unfazed by Brooke's attitude, Vecna steps closer to her as well, leaning down with a finger to her chin to lift her face up, "Why would you sacrifice yourself for her?" Vecna grabs Brooke by her cheeks and forces her to look to her right. If Brooke wasn't trying to hard to put on a brave face, she would've fallen to her knees at the sight of Casey and Hopper.

Casey is standing up right, smiling with the hole in his chest that Brooke feels like she herself created. Hopper smiles, charred skin and only what Brooke can imagine happened to him during the explosion.

It's horrifying. It makes Brooke want to scream in pure horror but she instead narrows her eyes at Vecna. "You did that," Vecna growls, "That's why you want to die."

"She's a kid," Brooke answers, swallowing her fear. Vecna pushes Brooke's chin up higher. She tries to fight against it but he digs his flesh like finger harder into her chin.

"Are you not a kid? Or would it just be easier to go out this way? By the hands of someone else, so you can blame it on them and not yourself," Vecna pulls his finger away.

Brooke stumbles back, looking back to where the two men were but they have now disappeared.

She is a kid, but she's sure as shit never felt like one. Brooke is the person that takes care of others. At age 5 Brooke felt 20, or how she would imagine being 20 felt. Making cereal for Danny when her parents were drunk. Getting him and herself to school as they got older. Stealing him clothes. Brooke was never truly a kid.

She glares at Vecna, "I don't want you to kill me. You're in my brain. Aren't you? So you know all the shit going on—"

Suddenly, vines wrap around Brooke's feet and she's stuck in her spot. She tugs and tugs but it's no use. "Bastard! You pussy!" Brooke curses, flailing her arms around.

Steve screams when Brooke's legs become stiff. "Brooke! Brooke, please!" Steve turns the music up all the way.

The faint sound of Brooke's favorite song begins to infiltrate Vecna's lair. She can't help the smirk that goes across her face, "See, Queen is great!" Vecna groans, tired of this group of kids foiling his plans. He makes his vines wrap around her arms and legs now, stretching Brooke's body as she hides her whimpers of pain.

"You are useless! You're better off here," Vecna goes from yelling to being right in Brooke's face, finger on her chin again. Angrily, he throws her body against a pillar and lets another vine wrap around her neck. Brooke gasps for air as the vine gets tighter. Brooke tries to fight the grip but he just makes it tighter. Stars blink in eyes as she tries to stay awake.

The others have now gathered around as Brooke's body stays still, arms and kegs stiffly out.

"Why isn't it working?" Paisley shouts, tears streaming down her face.

Brooke refuses to go out like this. The music is getting louder and louder now.

Brooke kicks her legs and tugs her arms. Vecna inches closer to Brooke's face, "I win."

Brooke glares at him. She throws her head back as best as she can with everything stopping her and headbutts Vecna. He lets out a groan of pain and the vines get weaker. Brooke fights her way out of them and falls to the ground with a gasp of air. "Sick son of a bitch," Brooke says, catching her breath. Her headbutt wasn't nearly enough though. Vecna throws another vine at Brooke's ankle which she just barely dodges.

Another One Bites The Dust is blasting through the red world. Brooke looks for any way out. She has to win. She has to survive.

Good memories begin to pop out. Specifically the reason this song is her favorite. That night in the rain, driving Dustin home as this played through the car. The night Brooke realized her feelings for Steve.

Everything Vecna throws at Brooke, she just barely misses. "Fuck you!" Brooke curses. There's an opening all the sudden that feels so far from her. She can just faintly hear everyone calling for her.

   She will not let them see her die like this.

Brooke runs till it feels like her legs are gonna give out. She reaches the opening and gasps for air. Her head snaps up and she looks down when she feels her body suddenly falling. Everyone yells but Brooke hits the pool with a loud splash. Hitting the bottom of the pool, Brooke looks up at the surface, staring at the moon and the stars.

Hands wrap around her waist and very quickly she's gasping for air again. "Brooke, baby," Steve holds Brooke close to him, "Holy shit," He holds her head to his chest. Brooke's eyes flicker over the relieved looks of her friends. "I'm cold," Brooke quietly says.

Steve chuckles, wanting to hold her forever. He walks over to the stairs of his pool and lays her on the concrete. "Are you okay? Let me see you. Jesus," Steve still panics, moving wet hair from Brooke's face.

Danny falls to the ground next to Brooke, engulfing her in a hug. Tears fall down her face that mix with the droplets from the pool. "I'm here. Holy shit," Brooke breathlessly says, holding Danny and Steve close to her, rocking back and forth.

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:)