the second kill

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

Apparently, even with yesterday's promises—that the entire group, even Alina, would return to the boathouse—Eddie hadn't actually expected them to show back up on his doorstep. Alina wasn't sure if this was because he thought everything last night had been simply bullshit, or that they'd sicked the police on him; either way, the moment they entered, they found themselves face-to-face with the business end of a broken beer bottle.

Fortunately, it didn't take long to calm him down. Once the group reiterated that they were just here for the grocery delivery—and a little update on their current situation—Eddie settled down. And, well, it didn't hurt that Dustin was among them, and carrying a grocery bag full of Honeycomb cereal.

As Eddie tore into the box, shoveling handfuls of cereal into his mouth like they'd be taken away from him at any moment, Dustin began to catch him up. "So, we got, uh, some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?"

"Bad news first, always," Eddie said through a mouthful of cereal. Then, still crunching, he sipped from one of the many bottles of pop Robin had brought him.

"All right. Bad news," Dustin said. "We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy."

"Like, 100% kind of convinced," Max added.

Eddie's expression fell a little at that, but he tried to keep it moderately neutral. "And the good news?"

"Your name hasn't gone public yet," said Robin. "But if we found out about you, it's only a matter of time do, too. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you."

"People like to have a scapegoat," Alina said. Honestly, she was more amiable to Eddie now that he wasn't threatening her friends. In the dark, he'd been a danger, a potential murderer, but in the light—both the physical light and the light of what she'd learned—she was realizing that he was just a scared boy. Man. Dustin had said he'd been held back a few grades. "This is an easy target for them. Chrissy died in your trailer; you ran. Calling you the murderer means that they don't need to entertain the other, scarier idea—that it was something else."

"Uh, you mean, like you yesterday?" Dustin asked. Alina rolled her eyes.

"Well, yeah. But I've changed."

Eddie, meanwhile, had stopped chewing, as if the news was too much for his appetite. "Hunt the freak, right?" he asked, bitter.

"Exactly," Robin said.

"Shit."

"So, before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence," Dustin said, listing it all off as if that was something that could be accomplished in a day.

Eddie was similarly skeptical. "That's all, Dustin? That's all?"

Dustin didn't sense the sarcasm. "Yeah, no, that's pretty much it."

"Listen, Eddie," Robin began, "I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually been through this kind of thing before. I mean, they have—" here, she gestured to the other members of the group. Steve nodded, "—a... a few times, and... and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, and theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we've got this."

"Maybe," Alina said. "But just because we're used to things doesn't mean they'll be any easier. I, um... well, there was an incident two years ago where I got possessed—"

Eddie's eyes blew wide as dinner plates. "Possessed?"

"Yeah. This happened right at the same time my brother was also possessed—well, sort of. It's kind of a long story. But yeah, even though we'd fought against another monster a year ago, we weren't prepared for that. I kind of... died. Almost."

"Shit," Eddie swore.

"That doesn't mean we're not gonna make it," Robin said. "It just means... I don't know. We'll have to improvise."

"Yeah, see, we usually rely on this girl who has superpowers," Steve said. "Not Alina, I mean. Though she also has been a massive help."

"Thanks, Steve," Alina said dryly.

"No problem. But, anyway, uh, those went bye-bye, so, uh..."

"So we're technically in more of the—"

"Kinda..."

"Brainstorming phase," Max finished.

Steve snapped triumphantly, as if that had been the word that was on the tip of his tongue. "Brainstorming."

"There's... there's nothing to worry about," Dustin said. His voice pitched when it ran over a few of the words, and Alina crossed her arms. She knew he was just trying to console Eddie, but he was also flat-out lying. There was a lot to worry about. This was a whole new enemy. This was uncharted territory. This was girls floating into the air and having their bones snap, one by one.

This was Alina's worst nightmare, to be honest. And she wasn't even going through it with Lucas at her side.

Eddie seemed similarly unconvinced, his gaze flickering from Dustin to Steve and back again. Perhaps he might have wanted to say something—Alina could see a question beginning to brim in his eyes—but before he could get a word out, a nearby siren—too nearby—began to wail.

All heads turned, and Alina's heart thudded sickeningly in her chest. She wasn't a fan of the police on a good day, but if they found her sharing a boathouse with a wanted murderer... well.

"Shit," Steve whispered.

"Tarp," Robin ordered. Then, when Eddie continued to just sit there, repeated, "Tarp. Tarp."

Eddie finally snapped into action, laying down in the small boat and pulling the tarp over himself. Alina ensured that it was covering him completely before following the others to the grimy boathouse windows. There, craning her neck in order to see around Dustin and Robin, she found several police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance all hurtling down the road. All of them had their sirens on.

"Oh, my God," Robin breathed. "Do you think something happened?"

"Something obviously happened," Alina said. "This is Hawkins. You never see that many emergency vehicles unless there's real trouble. And the only real trouble that's happened in Hawkins since... I don't even remember when all stems from the same source."

"The Upside Down," Dustin said.

"We should follow them," Max said, moving away from the window. "I mean, what if it's like Chrissy? We need to see what happened. We need a better picture of what's going on."

"Steve?" Dustin turned to his friend pleadingly, as if the group needed his permission. Alina almost laughed. As if they'd ever asked before.

But, for once, Steve wasn't even against it. "I agree," he said. "All right, everyone into the car. I mean, uh, everyone except Eddie. You stay there. Maybe under the tarp for a little bit, at least until you know for sure no one's gonna come here."

"Fine by me," Eddie said, his voice muffled by the tarp. Steve gave him a thumbs-up he couldn't see.

"I call shotgun!" Dustin said, hurrying towards the door. Alina followed him at a much more reasonable pace, a tremor working its way through her body. Her exhausted eyes drooped, but an unholy mix of fear and adrenaline kept them snapping back open again. She couldn't sleep. Not when the Upside Down had returned to haunt her once more. Not when she still had absolutely no idea what was happening.

"Uh, no," Robin said, behind Alina. "I have claimed permanent shotgun. On account of me being the second oldest, and all."

"That's no fair," Dustin said. Alina couldn't imagine why any of it mattered at a time like this. She just wanted... God. She just wanted a hug from her mom. Maybe from her brothers.

I should've stayed in California, she thought. Then immediately felt guilty for thinking it.

Everyone here needed her. Steve was right—they usually did rely on El. Even though she was a fifteen-year-old girl, she possessed more raw power than all of them put together (which wasn't saying that everyone else was powerless. They certainly had their own strengths, but Alina, scared and homesick, couldn't stop thinking that it wasn't enough). Only Alina could come close to that level of strength (solely factoring in capacity for physical self-defence). So, yeah. If they didn't have El, then they at least needed Alina. Without either, where would they be?

She got into the car beside Dustin—who had, to his dismay, been forced into the backseat—and reached out for her old mantra. It had primarily been used when she was in the harshest stages of grieving for the death of her father—though it certainly wasn't as if she'd completely gotten over it, now—but it had helped with all of the Upside Down shit, too. At least, when she remembered to use it.

Breathe, Alina. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.

God, she missed her dad. She'd do anything to have him with her right now, stroking her hair, squeezing her hand, slinging an arm around her shoulders. He always knew just what to say when she was upset, the very words that would pull her out of her reverie. He always knew just what she needed.

People said grief got easier with time. That, one day, it would hurt less.

They must have been lying. It ached just as much as it did the day he died.

Come on. Come on. Breathe, Alina. She clenched her fists, focusing on everything but her own mind—the rumble of the car along the slightly uneven road, the press of Max's thigh against hers, the chatter of the radio, low enough to just be a murmur. Even so, there seemed to be something in the air, something heavy and dark. Something lurking in the shadows.

Something that gave Alina a very familiar sinking feeling in her stomach.

It took longer than Alina thought it would—at least, considering the size of Hawkins—to reach the crime scene. An entire road had been closed off, and a main one at that, congesting the rest with traffic. They'd spent nearly ten minutes at an intersection, sitting behind an obnoxious black truck (its bumper was absolutely plastered with stickers, including not one but two American flags, an I Heart New York stamp, and one promoting the military) before finally moving forward to the crime scene.

...Which was almost as crowded as the streets. All of the emergency vehicles Alina and her friends had seen back at the boathouse were here, parked along this stretch of the road. Trees surrounded the area, closing it in, which made it feel even more claustrophobic. Police officers roamed, taking notes and interviewing witnesses, a group of civilians clustered behind the barriers that had lined up, and a news van was parked just to the side, aiming for information on what had happened.

Alina could tell from a glance what had gone down, though. Not only was a sheet marking off an area that was around the right size for an average-sized figure to lay, but a coroner vehicle nearby revealed that at least one person was dead. And on this lone, usually empty stretch of road, what could have happened except for Vecna?

Another chill ran down her spine. Beside her, Max exhaled, shifting closer to her subconsciously. Alina took her friend's hand, feeling Max's warm skin against hers. It managed to ground her into reality better than her own mantra ever could.

There was something else at the crime scene that made Alina pause, though. Standing there, her arms crossed and her face brimming with dismay, was Nancy Wheeler. She wore a jean jacket, a skirt that fell just past her knees, and a clip pinning back a section of her hair, which had grown since Alina had last seen her. She was also talking to three of the police officers.

"Oh, shit," Steve swore. "You don't think..."

He didn't have to finish. They all scrambled out of the car, their doors shutting in a cacophony of thuds. The sound sent Nancy's gaze darting away from the officers and over to them. Almost immediately, relief flitted across her face. Alina attempted to give her a smile, but her eyes kept flitting over to the sheet.

Another dead.

She would later learn it was Fred Benson, fellow aspiring journalist at Hawkins High School. She would later learn that he had, in fact, been found in the same post-mortem state as Chrissy—bones snapped, eyes pulled into his skull, mouth open in a grotesque, deformed scream.

Vecna had officially made its second kill. And Alina had no idea who it'd go after next.

. ✧ ・゜. +・o ✧

a/n: ...and that's all, folks. sorry to leave the story on such a huge cliffhanger. if you want, you can ask in the comments about certain plotlines, and i'll answer with my plans for where they would go.

again, thank you so much for the support on this series. you guys are seriously the best <333