CHAPTER XXIII:
making contact

( March 1986 )

      WASHING UP TO SHORE AFTER BEING IN THE SMALL BOAT FOR LONG ENOUGH THAT THE SUN HAD BEGUN TO RISE, EDDIE AND CLEO FINALLY REACHED DRY LAND. Standing up quickly, practically clawing her way out of the boat, Cleo stumbled onto land.

Finally letting out an exhale of relief after feeling like she was holding her breath, Cleo had been down in the grass, putting her grudge against bacteria, and just taking deep breaths in and out while Eddie stood at a safe distance so he wouldn't cause her to feel overwhelmed by his presence.

Standing up from her spot in the grass, Cleo put her hands on her hips exhaling and facing Eddie. Taking a step forward to her, Eddie quickly stopped when Cleo lurched over to release whatever she had eaten the day before into the space of grass in between them.

      Coughing and hunched over after letting out her fear vomit, Cleo lifted her head to look at Eddie with a pathetic smile and half-lidded eyes. "I knew that was coming," she groaned, "fear vomit at its finest."

"Yeah- yeah, I'd say so," Eddie said while uncomfortably keeping his eyes on her to avoid looking at her last meal.

Standing up straight, Cleo wiped her mouth with a part of her sleeve that wouldn't touch her once she put her arm down. "I think we should keep moving," she spoke, suddenly on the topic of their survival, "they could be running boats through the water for us, and unless my name was somehow thrown out there as an accomplice already, I can be in public and around people while you can't."

Turning on his heel, his clothes still somewhat soaked from the lake, Eddie held an arm out motioning for Cleo to walk ahead of him. "Lead the way, Dora."

Though Eddie had been mostly calm on the outside, with the exception of continuously looking over his shoulder as they walked through the woods, he was a mess on the inside. But, he didn't want to show it at all in front of Cleodora. She didn't have an inhaler in case her asthma decided to come back, so knowing that if he panicked, she would panic and cause a flare-up, Eddie's solution was to keep it in.

At least until an inhaler was within reach.

     "LOOK, HE HAS A WALKIE ON HIS BELT," Cleo whispered to Eddie pointing at a construction worker as they hid among the foliage near a building site. The two had been walking in the woods for a while, not too long but long enough for Cleo to be glad she wore her most comfortable blue Chuck Taylor's that had fish drawn on them by her.

The construction worker had been talking with his co-worker, no doubt joking about why he was going into the port-a-potty leading to him taking off his tool belt.

Eddie inched forward, a hand out to Cleo for her to stay in her spot to not make a sound, he neared the belt, a watchful eye out just in case of anything and quickly snatched the walkie. His head darted up to see if anyone spotted him and when he was sure no one did he took off into a run grabbing Cleo's hand in the process.

      "More running?" Cleo coughed out. Eddie remembered the entire reason behind him not speaking up about his true feelings about their situation and quickly slowed down for the girl, his hand still clasped around hers to keep her somewhat at a rushed pace but one that she could handle.

      The Munson boy spared Cleo a look over his shoulder to make her she was well before speaking, "Ever been to Skull Rock, Dora?"

      Cleo grimaced at the thought of the location, "isn't that the most popular place for people to do... things?"

      Eddie nodded, an amused grin playing at his lips, "yeah, that's the place." Cleodora's face contorted into one of disgust for thinking of all the things people could possibly have done by the rock. "That just so happens to be one place I know the cops won't find for now."

      "And we have to go?" she asked disbelieved. Eddie hummed in response which only made the girl wish she would've stayed home that day.

"DUSTIN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WHEELER?" Eddie made an attempt for contact with the supernaturally experienced group.

Moments after Cleodora and Eddie had arrived at Skull Rock, Cleo nearly made herself vomit at the thought of all the different kinds of bacteria and diseases that could be roaming around them. Which then lead to her sitting like a tall child beside Eddie on her comfort zip-up after she seemed as though she were going to have a heart attack when she saw Eddie sit on a rock without even sparing it a second glance.

"Eddie, holy shit, are you okay?" Dustin responded through the walkie. Cleo's eyes lit up at the sound of the boy's voice completely turning her mood around.

"Nah, man. Pretty... pretty goddamn far from it," Eddie truthfully said while running a hand over his face. Cleo suddenly felt a slight pang of guilt for not noticing how poorly Eddie had been processing the events of the past few days, she had only been thinking of herself and nearly neglected Eddie's feelings.

"Is, uh, is Cleo with you?" Dustin asked.

Eddie turned to the girl beside him and held out the walkie for her to talk into, she uncrossed her legs to sit up on her knees, one hand going to the walkie and the other resting on Eddie's upper thigh creating a small twitch from his leg while doing so. "Yeah, I'm here, Tiger." A sigh of relief could be heard from the other end of the walkie which made Cleo smile down to herself.

"Where are you guys?" the Henderson asked another question.

"Skull Rock. Do you know it?" Eddie questioned.

"Uh, yeah."

"That's near Cornwallis and-"

"And Garrett, yeah. I know where that is," Steve's voice interrupted Eddie.

"Hold tight, we're coming. We're coming," Dustin reassured hastily, no doubt moving as he spoke.

Eddie nodded desperately, taking Dustin's words as a single sip of hope for rescue. Cleo sighed, desperately wanting to lean back against something but not willing to let something crawl on or infect her.

"And now we wait."