SEVEN
Till I see stars in my eyes
⏳
❪ tw: strong language, gore, blood, violence, suspense, injury, and descriptions that may be disturbing ❫

a/n: there's a section in this chapter that involves some sexual tension. idk if that bothers anyone but if it does you can always skim over it

STRANGER THINGS
original chapter based off of season 4 ep 4

EDDIE DIDN'T KNOW what he was supposed to do. What are you supposed to do when you know that the girl that you're falling in love with is about to die right in front of you? He was already pretty scarred but this, would fuck him up completely for life. His breathing quickened as he fully came to the realization that this was the end for her. "No, Finley!" He grabbed her shoulder's, violently shaking her.

"Finn, wake up! Wake up!" He screamed. He didn't care if someone heard him, even though the only people that would have probably heard him were fishermen. He couldn't lose Finley. His Finley.

     Finley slowly walked up to the door. It was like a magnet pulling her in. The floorboards creaked with her every move. She felt the urge to look back and she did. Eddie's back was turned to her, he wasn't moving. "E-Eddie?"

     He turned around in a swift motion and Finley's face turned into a look of terror. His mouth was completely sewn shut. She screamed bloody murder. So hard that it burned her throat. She pushed the door open and ran out, nearly falling. But she wasn't outside like she expected, she was standing in her house, though it wasn't what you thought. It didn't look the way it currently did at all. It looked like the way her mom had decorated it before she left.

     "Finny, is that you?" She heard a voice in the distance. A voice that made her heart drop. It was her mother. Finley's relationship with her mother took a complete turn. She never actually wanted her dead. It was just an intrusive thought that always haunted her and will probably haunt her forever.

She walked deeper into the house and was now standing in front of the kitchen. She was staring at her back, at her bleached blonde hair that was always fresh out of hot rollers. "Mom?" Her mother turned around with a smile, staring straight into her soul.

     "Why don't you do the honors?" Finley's eyes traveled down and were met with the knife her mother was holding to her stomach. "This is what you wanted."

     Finley shook her head. "That's not true."

     Her mother tilted her head. "Then why were you thinking about it?" She spoke with no emotion. Her voice even seemed to echo.

     "I didn't mean it."

     She slowly walked up to Finley, her face turning into something that didn't even look like her anymore with each step. "It's not like I'm surprised. You killed your sister. You killed her! You ruined everything." She moved the knife away from her stomach and aimed it at Finley's chest.

     Finley was quick to grab her wrist, trying to pull the blade away from her. After a few seconds of struggling she managed to twist her wrist to the right and drove the knife into the wall before she ran into the hallway.

     "Come on, Finn." Eddie lightly slapped the side of her face. "Finn, please!" He gripped her shoulders just staring at her almost whited out eyes. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He ran back over to the boat, scrambling the tarp around in an attempt to find the walkie-talkie Dustin gave him. "Dustin I need you to answer me right now! You there?" Eddie waited a few seconds but for no answer. "Dustin!"

     It had only been a few seconds since Max woke up and everyone was still in shock. Dustin heard Eddie's voice and his head snapped behind him. He noticed how panicked he sounded and assumed the worst. "Yes, Eddie I'm here. What happened?"

"It's happening to her. The same thing that happened to Chrissy she's just standing there nothing I'm doing is working."

Finley ran down the long hallway, looking back every few seconds to see if her mother followed behind her but she came to a quick stop when she realized that Flora's bedroom door was open. It was never open. She stood in front of it and there Flora stood, struggling to zip up her dress. It was a long sleeve black one that stopped a few inches above her knees. The one they buried her in. "Hey, Finn can you zip me up?" Flora looked at her over her shoulder.

Finley took a deep breath before she walked into the room. She glanced at the Polaroids she had hung in her room. Specifically the one of her and Chrissy. It was taken after the first game of the year. She did as she asked, fully zipping up the dress. Flora turned to face her while she was still fixing the sleeves. "Thanks." Flora looked up, smiling at her. Finley really missed her smile. "I know you want this." Flora held both of her hands.

"Want what?" Finley questioned.

"To die. To be with me again. And you can do that." Sometimes Finley lies awake at night wishing it was her instead of Flora. She imagined that she didn't stand there. That she ran and pushed her out of the way. "I know you always tell yourself that you want to live but I also know that sometimes when you're sitting in the tub, you think about going under and holding your breath until your heart stops beating." Flora's grip on her hands became tighter. "I don't want you to be scared. Come with me."

Finley tried to pull away from her. "Flora, let go of me." She demanded.

"I said come with me!" Flora didn't sound like herself. It was like her voice and Vecna's voice merged together. She pushed her to the ground, making her hit her head on the hardwood floor. Finley groaned before she looked back but it wasn't Flora standing over her. It was Vecna.

Vecna's head slowly tilted to his right. "It is time for you to join me, Finley."

Seeing him made her heart feel like it would jump out of her chest. She stumbled onto her feet and ran back to the front of the house. At first, she didn't pay too much attention to it but the front door was completely different. There was a stained glass window with a rose on full display. "Eddie!" Finley fumbled with the knob but the door wouldn't open. "Eddie, help. Please!" She cried out, banging on the door.

"You can't run away from me." Vecna began to move from the spot he was standing in.

"Shit. Okay, Eddie I need you to calm down for a second and go in her bag."

Eddie closed his eyes for a second, catching his breath. "Okay." He scanned the room. His eyes soon fell on the black backpack sitting by the door. The floorboards creaked loudly as he rushed over to it. "What am I looking for?" Eddie asked before opening the bag.

     "Do you know her favorite song?"

     "What the hell does that matter!?" Eddie snapped.

     Dustin groaned. "I'll tell you later. Do you know it!?"

     Memories flashed in his brain. He was trying to think of anything she could've mentioned but then he remembered Friday night. She didn't even say it was her favorite song but he could just tell. The way she jumped up when it stared, the way she sang it, and how happy she looked. "Head over heels." He whispered as the song title came back to him. "Yeah. Yeah I know it."

     Eddie slammed down the walkie-talkie and flipped the bag upside down, emptying everything out. "Does she have it?" Dustin's voice boomed through the speaker. She had a small container where she kept all of her music. He picked each one up, examining them before he picked one up that had a post it on it. "Flora and Finn's anthem" was scribbled in Finley's handwriting. He peeled it off and saw exactly what he was looking for.

     "Found it."

     "Okay, get her walkman." Dustin instructed.

     Eddie moved around everything on the ground but didn't see it. He opened the small pocket in the front of her bag but only found a pack of gum. His head snapped over to her, hoping she wasn't floating yet and thank god she wasn't. "It's not in here." His voice was shaky as he spoke into the walkie-talkie.

     "What?"

      "It's not here!" Eddie repeated, raising his voice.

"Shit." Steve got off the ground and sprinted back over to the car, Dustin followed behind him. He opened the door to the backseat and there her walkman sat in the same place she was sitting in. "She left it in the car." Steve whispered to himself.

     Finley ran the opposite direction, towards the door leading to the garage. She was so desperate to find a way out that she didn't see the red fog coming out from under the door. Once the door was open, it was like she was standing in her worst nightmare. It was the mall but a creepier version. There were vines everywhere that reminded her of the mind flayer's tentacles, blood pooling on the floor, broken glass, and what creeped her out the most were the bodies. Chrissy and Fred were put on display on two trees. Flora's body laid in front of Chrissy, Billy in front of Fred. "It's time that you finally face the truth." Vecna's voice echoed through the room. Finley turned around in one swift motion. "There's a reason why you can't stop thinking about this night. The guilt haunts you and it will never leave you. That's why I'm here. To end your suffering once and for all." Vecna walked up to her as he spoke but she took a step back every time he took a step forward.

     Her eyes landed on the escalator. She didn't care how much she had to run but if there was a way out she sure as hell was gonna find it. Finley took off, running up the escalator. Vecna moved the vines so they wrapped around both of her ankles. "No! No!" Finley cried out before her dragged her back to the ground, her chest burning when each step hit her. Her body slammed back into the groaned, the blood dying her blonde hair red. Three more vines held her down. Two wrapping around her wrists, and one around her neck. She started to choke, feeling absolutely helpless.

     Dustin stood next to Steve, staring at the walkman. Eddie was becoming even more of a wreck by the second. He stood in front of Finley, telling her to hang in there, hoping she could hear him. "Dustin, what do I do?" Eddie turned on the walkie-talkie once again. "Henderson, you little shit." He groaned. "Hello? Dustin!"

     "Is there anything you can play it with? Like a boom box? Anything?" Dustin finally answered after he took a second to mentally prepare himself.

     Eddie let out a frustrated sigh as he pulled on his hair. "No this place is a shithole there's nothing. He might have one in the house but with the luck I have she might be dead when I come back." His voice trembled a little like it did whenever he was nervous.

      Dustin exhaled. "Sing."

     "What!?"

     "That's the only thing I can think of, you have to do something. Do you know the lyrics?"

     The first thing that came to his head was Finley singing the first part of the song. "Um, she played it in the car and she was singing it. Parts of it are stuck in my head."

     "Then, sing!" Dustin demanded. "We'll be there ASAP." Dustin pushed down the antenna and opened the passenger's seat to Steve's car.

     Eddie looked back at Finley. He put the walkie-talkie down and placed both of his hands on the sides of her face. "Okay, come on."

I wanted to be with you alone. And talk about the weather.

     All Finley could hear now was Eddie's voice. She couldn't move a muscle but she was able to move her eyes over to the right to see her one and only way to stay alive. A portal back to reality. Her vision was starting to get blurry but she could tell that Eddie was standing in front of her. "He can't save you, Finley. No one can." Vecna leaned down by her side.

But traditions I can trace against the child in your face. Won't escape my attention.

The girl cried, shifting around, praying she could break free but, she was stuck. She was done for. She wasn't just crying because she couldn't leave she was crying because she realized that she was actually going to die. And she was starting to accept it. "This is where you belong. This where you've always belonged." Vecna placed his claw over her face and gently shut his eyes.

Eddie opened his mouth to continue singing the lyrics but his nightmare was coming true. Finley's feet lifted off of the ground. She was levitating. Eddie's hands fell from her face and he couldn't help but tear up but he couldn't give up. "Please." He muttered and closed his eyes, he couldn't watch this again. "You keep your distance via the system of touch. And gentle persuasion." He continued. He looked up for a second and Finley's body said a few inches below the ceiling, her head slightly lifting up. Eddie involuntarily dropped to his knees and he couldn't help it anymore. He let the tears out. "I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much?" He sang through heavy breaths.

Oh, you're wasting my time. You're just, just, just wasting time.

Finley was giving up. Those thoughts were coming back. Deep down she always believed everything would be better for everyone if she was dead and this was her opportunity. But then she had an epiphany. The sound of Eddie's voice made her remember how much she smiled this past week. She remembered the night she went running and he drove her home and how instantly safe he made her feel after he started talking. She remembered dancing around in Flora's room to this song.

Something happens and I'm head over heels. I never find out until I'm head over heels.

She remembered the first time she met Dustin and how he instantly had a way of making her smile. She remembered the traditional movie nights she had with her dad and Flora. Every Saturday night they bought pizza, sat on the couch together and watched movies till they fell asleep. She remembered how almost every night after work Steve always cared enough to drive Robin and her home. She remembered sitting next to Robin and Algebra class and the compliment she gave her. She said that she was in love with her shoes and the next thing they knew they walked with each other to every class. She remembered meeting Max when Flora brought her over and they all immediately bonded. There were so many good thing still left in her life and she wasn't ready to leave them yet.

Something happens and I'm head over heels.

Finley opened her eyes staring straight at Vecna. He couldn't take this away from her, no one could. A shock ran through Eddie's body when he saw Finley's left shoulder jerk up, the bone in it close to snapping. His lips started to tremble. Vecna was on the brink of lifting up her arm and breaking every bone in it. Finley's hand felt for anything she could use as a weapon and soon enough she grabbed a shard of glass. Her physical arm started to lift up but she stabbed the vines on her wrist, setting her hands free. "Hey, asshole." Finley choked out before she jammed it into his neck. Vecna stood up and she was no longer stuck and she still had time to spare.

Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart.

Finley gathered up any strength she had left in her and lifted her blood-soaked body and ran as fast as she could towards the portal. Vecna looked up with a scowl. He had failed once again. Another victim gone but that couldn't happen. He lifted up a small pile of broken glass and charged it at her. The glass cut her skin but the pain didn't matter. All that mattered was survival.

Don't, don't, don't throw it away.

She had her courage back and she couldn't let it slip away. She couldn't let her life slip away. She kept running and she didn't look back.

Finley's eyes opened and a gasp left her lips as she was finally broken out of her trance. Her body started to plunge to the ground and Eddie was quick to get up. He held his arms out to catch her and he was successful. They both fell to the ground and Eddie's hand flew up to the back of her head. "Holy shit!" He spoke through his heavy breaths. Finley was hyperventilating, she felt like she couldn't breathe. It was always like this after her nightmares but this was more intense. Eddie moved her head away from its place in the crease of his neck and laid her down across his lap. "It's okay, you're okay. Breathe, Finn."

Finley squeezed his hand. It took her a few seconds to realize that she made it out. She was a survivor. The first words she was able to get out were. "My shoulder hurts."

"Can you move it?"

She gently lifted her arm up and moved her shoulder forward, groaning out in pain. "Yeah, but I'd rather not." She winced.

Eddie moved her arm back in its original spot. "It's fine you probably just pulled a muscle. I hope." Finley fully looked up at him. His eyes were a light pink shade from crying. She noticed the tear still on his cheek. Her good arm was lifted up and she wiped it clean with her thumb. Eddie smiled down at her.

     "I don't want to go to the hospital." Finley spoke weakly.

     "We'll just ice it. How bad's the pain?"

    "I can deal with it." Finley insisted.

     Eddie's grip on her body tightened and he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Don't let him do that again, got it?"

Finley nodded, a smile growing on her face. "Got it."

After a few minutes the door flew open, making them both jump. Steve sped down the road like a maniac to get there, he didn't care if he got a speeding ticket or not. "Jesus!" Eddie exclaimed before he looked up and saw Steve running in before everyone else.

"Where is she? Is she okay!?"

Eddie nodded. "She's right here, she fine."

Dustin, Lucas, and Max ran in shortly after. Dustin's hands fell to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Everyone's heads snapped towards him. "Put . . . the headphones . . . on her." He spoke between breaths. Everyone was running ahead of him and he wasn't prepare for all the running today.

     Steve squatted down and put Finley headphones on her before looking at Eddie. "Eddie, where's the tape?"

     Eddie pulled the tape out of his pocket and handed it to him. Steve was quickly to put it in and press playing, the beginning of the song blasting in her ears. "Where's Max?" Finley sat up. She was starting to get her energy back.

     Max moved from her place next to Lucas and walked over to her. "Right here, Finn." She pulled her into a hug.

EVERYONE SNUCK INTO the house to see if there was anything in there to help with Finley's shoulder. All they could really find were pain killers (that haven't kicked in yet) and ice. But, if was really severe they had to take her to the hospital no matter how much she didn't want to. Finley's legs swayed lightly while she sat on the sink in the bathroom. "Okay, I'm not a doctor so don't trust a thing I say." Eddie walked into the bathroom. Finley chuckled before she attempted to take her left arm out of the sleeve. She knew that her shoulder would've had to been exposed so she was just gonna take one sleeve out but even that was a struggle. "You need um . . . help?" Eddie asked but immediately regretted once Finley looked up at him. "Not like from me, though . . ."

Finley bit back her smile. "I got it." She got her right arm out first and grabbed the bottom of the turtleneck and pulled it over her head. Eddie tried his best not to look but he let his eyes wander for a second and focusing on the simple black bra she was wearing. Once the shirt was fully off she placed it on her lap and placing the right side of her headphones on her ear, pressing play on her walkman.

Eddie blinked a few times before clearing his throat. Anyone who could've walked into that room could feel the tension. "Alright. Uh, how far can you move it?" Eddie asked. Finley was able to move her arm up about halfway before the pain got even worse. "Red, is halfway a good sign!?" Eddie poked his head out the door, eyes landing on Max. With Max being injured as many times as she did she was the closest to having an idea what to do. Personally, she assumed it wasn't that severe.

"Good enough." Max answered.

"Tell me if this hurts." Eddie's fingers pressed up up against the top part of her shoulder and searched for any sign of discomfort on her face.

Finley's head leaned back a little and groan rumbled in her throat. Eddie couldn't help but watch her every move which caused tingles to spread throughout his body. "Yup that hurts." Finley nodded.

Eddie quickly shook the thoughts away before he moved his fingers down a few inches. "This?" Finley nodded within a matter of seconds and Max came up towards to the doorway to see if she was okay, arms crossed over her chest. "How about—"

Finley cut him off. "Basically the entire shoulder hurts, Eddie."

"Sorry." Eddie sighed.

"I'll get the ice pack." Max announced and gave Finley a look (raising her eyebrows while flashing a tight-lipped smile) before leaving.

"I'm kind of surprised that you remembered the song that good. You said you hated it."

"I remembered because you said you loved it. When you were singing it was probably the happiest I've ever seen you in a while." The pair made eye contact. "Plus even though I hate it, the song's pretty catchy." Eddie smiled. Whenever Eddie smiled at her it was like it was contagious because she always smiled back.

"Eddie." Max's voice startled them and Eddie looked over seeing her hold out the hand she had the ice pack in.

"Thanks." Eddie grabbed it from her before she went back into the living room where everyone else was. Finley took the ice pack from his hand and placed it on her shoulder, gently closing her eyes at the feeling. "Better?"

Finley nodded in response. "Thank you for everything."

"Don't thank me. It wasn't just some good deed."

It was true that Finley always felt safe with Eddie. Most people that actually knew him did. But, tonight really set that into perspective.

FINLEY SAT NEXT to Steve in the car. Robin and Nancy followed behind them. Lucas was asleep on Max's shoulder and Max and Dustin were still wide awake. Steve's head turned to her. "Hey, everything okay?"

She looked over at him with a soft smile, pulling the right side of her headphones off her ear. "Yeah, I'm good." She replied. "You know sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve friends like you. But I'm glad I got you."

Steve smiled back at her. This whole day was an emotional roller coaster for him because at some point he was fully convinced that one of his best friends would've been dead by the end of the day. And if she did he would've been a wreck. But, when he got there and saw her alive it was a breath of fresh air. "I'm glad I got you too." Dustin leaned in between the both of them and Steve stared at him through the corner of his eye. "Are you wearing your seatbelt?"

Dustin scoffed. "Of course I'm wearing my seatbelt, dad."

"Wow." Steve shook his head.

"I love you, Henderson I don't think I say that enough." Finley ruffled a hand in his hair.

"I love you too, Sullivan." Dustin grinned. "You know who else loves you?" Dustin playfully elbowed her.

Finley furrowed her eyebrows. "Why did you say love like that?" She questioned.

Dustin completely ignored her question. "I'm pretty sure his name rhymes with . . ." He trailed off, glancing up at the roof of the car. "Teddy."

"Oh my god." Steve chuckled.

"I'm not kidding he's head over heels for you." Dustin began to laugh but Finley just stared at him. "Get it?" Dustin's face fell and Finley started to snicker quietly. "No? Because it's—"

"We get it, Henderson it's just a bad joke."

Dustin looked over at Finley, noticing that she was full blown laughing. "She's laughing." He pointed at her.

"She's making fun of you." Steve looks back at him for a second.

Finley nodded, agreeing with him. "Yeah, I am."

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Okay, in all seriousness. He really is in love with you. He's been looking at you since the beginning of the year." Finley's laugh faded as she started to listen to Dustin, she definitely didn't know that but, it was true. It was a vivid memory to Eddie. He was sitting in English class, it was the first day of school and he was looking out the window, fantasizing about jumping out and running back into his van but something told him to look away. When he did, Finley walked in and their teacher immediately told her to take her headphones off. Everyone was looking at her because everyone knew what happened. She looked around for an empty seat and noticed one in front of Eddie. She gave him a half smile before sitting down, hoping that he wouldn't do whatever everyone else was and asking her how she's doing but, he didn't. "And I know how you are with guys I just think you should just let it happen. Let him love you. And let yourself love him. Because I can see it on your face you really like him."

"I never thought a child would be giving me relationship advice." Finley chuckled.

Dustin sighed. "Not a child anymore."

"Legally you are. But thank you. And I will." Finley smiled at him and he copied her actions.

"I just want you to be happy." Dustin informed.

"I'm getting there."

KARISSA SPEAKS !

—i was definitely not gonna kill finn and have the book end that early so y'all can stop worrying now

—also her shoulder will be fine for the most part but a little fucked up for a while bc she didn't seek medical attention

—thinking of doing a little reunion scene with donny and hopper finn will probably be there too

—i can't wait to write for ep 6 and 7 they'll have the best finn and eddie scenes