𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

Ⅴ 𝒓𝒖𝒏

A WALKMAN RESTED AROUND CHRIS'S SHOULDER, PLAYING SOFT MUSIC. Chrisanna sat on the grass under one of the large oak trees just near the high school auditorium going through the homework she was given in history. "Chris!" Alex called out, spotting her in the grass. Chris looked up watching Alex laugh and rush towards her. "Bye!" Alex waved to a girl she was walking with before sitting herself next to Chris.

"Hey Alex," Chris smiled putting her book down and scooching over so Alex could lean against the tree trunk. Chris grabbed the jacket that was at her side and held it out for Alex. "I believe this is yours."

"Why thank you," Alex smiled, taking the jacket from her hands. "What are reading?" Alex asked motioning to Chris's homework and the textbook underneath it.

"Just my history work," Chris shrugged, shoving it in her bag. "Nothing important... or interesting." Alex laughed throwing the jacket over Chris's legs and then laying over them. "Comfy?"

"Very," Alex smiled, pulling her blue striped shirt down to cover her stomach.

"Who was with you by the way? They can always come to sit with us," Chris offered, twirling Alex's hair between her fingers.

"Oh that's Miya, she's a year below us so she has class now, but I'll let her know," Alex explained, watching as Chris made a small plait in her hair. "You're in my homeroom aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah pretty sure," Chris nodded, tying the plait at the end.

Alex sat up, grabbing the jacket before standing up completely. "Come on, I wanna get the good seat before Jackson does," Alex sighed holding her hand out. Chris threw her bag over her shoulder and took Alex's hand, who pulled her up.

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CHRIS TIGHTENED HER HOLD ON HER BAG. Chris wandered out the school's double doors, intending to head home and call Steve hoping to hear the talk with Nancy went well. Chris barely made it to the grass hill when someone rushed towards her, yelling her name.

"Chris! Chrisanna!" Will screamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop. Chris went to respond to his cries but Will cut her off. "I know about the thing in your trash. Dustin brought it here, and- and-"

"Will breath," Chris instructed in a low voice trying to calm him down.

Will shook his head, finally getting his words out, "It's from there, from that place you found me last night." Chris let out an unsteady breath, listening to Will talk. "You have to come with me." Will turned and rushed for the middle school. Chris cursed to herself tightening the grip on her bag and ran after Will who led her to the AV room.

"Oh yeah this is Max," Will said quickly as the two reached the others. Max smiled giving her a small wave.

"Hi, I'm Chrisanna-"

"We don't have time for this," Mike said bitterly shoving Chris into the radio room and slamming the door shut before Max could come in.

"Isn't she-"

"No," Mike snapped. Chris sighed, raising her hands in defense and stepped back behind Will and Mike.

"Okay, Dustin you're one of my best friends," Lucas started. "But why is your sister here?" Lucas directed their attention to the teenage girl who was leaning against the table. Max's consistent knocking came back but the boys ignored it.

Dustin looked up at Chris quickly before back at Lucas. "She helped me catch Dart," Dustin shrugged, crossing his arms. Lucas gave him a look, implying that's not what he meant.

"I accidentally told her about the upside-down," Will piped up, trying to move the conversation along. "I trust her."

"And I know the basics of what happened last year," Chris spoke up. "Big scary slimy monster, alternate dimension." The boys nodded, giving Chris the benefit of the doubt. The attention turned back to Dart who was stuck in the trap.

"Hello? Hello?" Max yelled, banging her fist on the door. "Guys, come on. Can I come in yet?"

"No!" Mike screamed back, growing more and more impatient with every passing second.

"Okay, question," Chris stated, straightening her back. "What's going on? Because I was suddenly pulled from my walk home."

"Last year, when I was in the upside down, I saw something that looked like Dart," Will explained, looking back at Chris before back at the boys. "But without a tail."

"But then he heard it yesterday, The same sound," Mike nodded."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Dustin questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I want sure," Will shrugged, his voice small.

"So it's a coincidence," Dustin stated calmly but still defensively.

"Okay, for argument's sake, it's not a coincidence. "What if when Will got stuck, his brain shifted... like he-like a way of projecting his vision," Chris offered, her eyes flickering around.

"Like he acquired True Sight?" Mike questioned, looking up at Chrisanna.

"I don't know what this is," Chris admitted, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on the table.

"It gives you the power to see into the ethereal plane," Dustin explained with a shrug.

Lucas sighed in frustration, pressing his fingers to his temple. "Elaborate," Lucas spoke up, exaggerating his words with his hand.

"Maybe these episodes that Will keeps having, aren't really flashbacks at all," Mike thought, looking around. "Maybe they're real. Maybe Will can somehow see into the Upside Down."

"So that would mean-"

"Dart is from the Upside Down," Mike finished interrupting Lucas. Lucas let out another sigh.

"We have to take him to Hopper," Lucas spoke up.

"I agree," Mike said in confirmation.

"No way," Dustin interjected.

"Realistically Dustin, he could be dangerous," Chris reasoned, trying to convince Dustin.

"Chris, if we take him to Hopper, Dart's good as dead," Dustin explained trying to convince Chris to side with him.

"Maybe he should be," Mike insisted.

"How can you say that?"

"How can you not? He's from the Upside Down."

"Maybe. But even if he is, it doesn't automatically mean that he's bad," Dustin finally snapped.

"That's like saying just because someone's from the Death Star doesn't make them bad," Mike argued just as angry.

"We have a bond," Dustin announced making Chris furrow her eyebrows.

"A...bond?" Chris questioned in confusion.

"Just because he likes nougat?" Mike went on.

"No, because he trusts me!" Dustin yelled in anger.

"He trusts you?" Lucas interrupted.

"Yes, I promised I would take care of-" Dart let out a loud screech stopping Dustin from talking any further.

The group looked around uncomfortably and Chris pushed herself to stand up. The screeches increased in volume and the trap rattled more and more with every passing second. Will slowly back behind Chrisanna and Chris held a hand out, keeping him and Mike behind her. "Get back," Chris whispered to Dustin. Dustin and Lucas stepped back, flinching as the trap flipped on his side. The trap landed so harshly that the connected remote snapped off.

"Shit, how do we open it?" Lucas thought out loud, watching Mike reach for one of the heavy microphones. Chris sighed through her nose and reached out flipping the trap upright.

"Chris, what are you doing?" Dustin whispered. Chris held her hand over the trap, the orange embers falling down and covering the trap in the orange lights. The boys watched her every move as blood dripped from her nose. Chris flicked her finger and the trap pried open, Dart rolling out and onto the table.

"Holy shit!" Lucas said exasperated. Chris stepped back whipping the blood from her nose. Dart rolled around letting out pained screams. Dart shook himself before his side back started to poke outwards before a leg ripped itself out, sticky water dropping on the table. The other side mirrored the action almost immediately. "Oh, shit!" Lucas screamed in a high pitch.

Dart looked around before spotting Mike and letting out a threatening scream, and that was enough for Mike to bring the microphone down at it but Dustin caught his arm before it hit the table "No!" Dustin screamed.

Dart fell off the table in a splat letting out a squelching sound. It didn't take another second before running away, and maneuvering himself to slip through the door that had been cracked open.

"Max grab it!" Chris shouted but Max was too confused to think. Dustin tried running after Dart but ended up toppling into Max making Lucas trip as well. Mike had to sidestep all three as his head whipped around looking for the thing while Chris got stuck by all the kids in her way.

"Where'd he go?" Lucas shouted pushing himself to stand making room for Chris to step out of the AV room.

"What was that?" Max asked in confusion as Dustin rolled off her. Chris offered a hand to the kids. Max gripped Chris's right hand and used it to pull herself up. Dustin grabbed her other hand and used it to tug himself up.

"Dart!" Mike shouted his head still franticly looking for the thing.

"What?" Max yelled in confusion.

"You let him escape!" Mike sounded finally stopping to face Max.

"Why did you attack him?" Dustin yelled pushing Mike against a wall.

"Hey! Both of you calm down!" Chris yelled and Dustin stepped back.

"Come on," Mike huffed before running down the hall.

"Don't hurt him. Don't you hurt him!" Dustin yelled out as everyone spilt in a different direction.

"I'll stay with Will," Chris nodded at Dustin. Dustin nodded and rushed down the hall. "Stay safe!" Chris called to Dustin before running off with Will.

෴

THEIR FOOTSTEPS ECHOED AS TEHY WALKED IN TANDUM. Chris stayed with Will until they reached a long line of classrooms that split off from the main hall. "Go, I'll keep going this way," Chris pointed ahead to the classrooms. Will nodded holding his radio tighter, Chris knelt down grabbing his shoulder, "Hey if anything happens just yell for me. I'll hear you, promise."

Chris held her pinky out and Will took it, tangling their fingers together. "If anything happens, call for you," Will repeated with a nod. Chris nodded and ruffled his hair before wandering down the hall of classrooms. "Stay safe!" Chris gave him a thumbs up before Will disappeared down the hall.

Chris peaked through window after window until she finally reached a door that was slightly cracked open. Chris looked through the window of the door making sure the classroom was empty before pushing the door open enough for her to slip in. "Dart," Chris called in a soft voice, doing a once over of the room. Chris slowly pushed the door shut behind her, if Dart was in here, at least he couldn't get out now. "Dart, you little shit are you in here?" Chris cursed out the thing.

Chris had looked under all the desks and all the hubs that stored books and school supplies, all of which she had scattered on the floor. "Well, I feel sorry for this teacher..." Chris pushed herself to stand but a wave of nausea washed over her body. Chris's knees gave out and she fell back against the cold floor.

CHRIS'S VISION BLURRED AS SHE ADJUSTED TO THE SUDDEN SHIFT. Chris's eyes cracked open and the class was covered in vines and slime. A creature loomed outside, the one made of swirling smoke. Her eyes travelled further to Will standing in the field, shouting up at the thing. "Shit," Chris rushed to the wall, pulling herself out the open window. "Will!" Chris screamed. A vine wrapped around her foot, pulling her to the floor. It barely stayed there for another moment before shrinking back in pain.

Chris pushed herself up, going to run for Will again but the Shadow slowly turned towards her, its looming tentacle leg still rushing for Will. A second leg moved to push itself towards Chris. Chris held her hand out, a glass-like orange ripple forming itself in front of her. The shadow bounded off of Chris's shield, a growl sounding in the air and its leg retracted, its focus solely on Will again. Chris closed her eyes, sighing through her nose.

CHRIS'S EYES SNAPPED OPEN. The white walls of the plain classroom surrounding her. Chris scurried up rushing for the door. The handle clicked in her hand, the lock sealing her in tight. Chris focused on the handle a heat pooling in her palm melting the metal handle and its lock.

The door inched open and Chris fell against the wall, her stomach twisting, the use of her powers tiring her out. Chris threw the door open, pushing past the exhaustion and speeding through the hall.

෴

❝ there's a calm in my 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 ❞