𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅲ 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒅𝒆

THE BYERS WITH HOPPER AND MIKE HAD TAKEN WILL TO THE SHED. Which was successfully disguised. Alex and Miya were sitting on the couch Alex's leg bouncing in anxiety, Max and Lucas were sitting legs to legs in the hall, and Dustin staring out the window. Nancy leaned against one of the walls with the phone in case someone rang, Steve was in the next room over swinging his bat. Chris was raiding through the Byers cupboard and fridge eating what she could in the hopes to replenish her strength in case something came for them.

Chris was grabbing an apple when the lights overhead flickered. Steve, Nancy and Dustin rushed to the door. "Chris? What's happening?" Dustin asked glancing back at his sister.

Steve and Nancy glanced back at her. Chris looked out the window but stepped back a moment later. "He's mad, but he doesn't know where we are," Chris spoke taking a bite from the apple. "I'd feel something worse if it was here." Chris let out a breath.

"Your nose didn't-"

"I can feel it without needing to use it," Chris explained walking over to them. "With something this powerful, it's like another sense." Dustin nodded at her. "I'll let you know if anything changes," Chris reassured, patting his shoulder, and walked back to the kitchen to clean up any mess she made.

The group inside the house were left waiting in silence for a few minutes. That was until Hopper, the others following behind, burst through the door ripping a pen and piece of paper from the wall, and slamming it on the table. "What happened?" Dustin questioned as everyone gathered around the table.

Hopper sighs before answering, "I think he's talking, just not with words." Hopper wrote lines and dots across the paper.

"What is that?" Steve asked pointing to the paper.

"Morse code," All the boys answered at once. Hopper wrote each letter under the code.

"H-E-R-E," Hopper spoke each letter at once.

"Here," Everyone read aloud, Hopper glanced between all the kids.

"Will's still in there. He's talking to us," Hopper spoke looking back to the paper.

"How do we get him to spill though?" Miya asked looking over Alex's shoulder.

"Should I stay or should I go?" Alex sang to Jonathan looking up at him. Alex and Johnathan raced to Will's room. The two ran off to Jonathan's room, coming back a few moments later with a tape and boom box.

෴

FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, HOPPER RELAYED THE MORSE CODE. Tapping on the side of the walkie-talkie. Steve tapped back anything that came through with Chris repeating it back in words, with Dustin and Lucas writing it down, and after Lucas and Max would translate the letter. Steve tapped and pressed the walkie and Chris recited it. "Dash, dot, dash, dot," Chris spoke leaning over her brother. Dustin wrote it down Lucas looked it over, and Max ran her finger down the translator pointing to the letter.

"Yeah, got it," Max said tapping Lucas's arm.

"C," Lucas repeated to Nancy who was writing it on the back of an old colouring book. The groups repeated this until all the letters were done. The kids huddled around Nancy and then all at once, "Close gate." Only for a moment of silence when the phone rang. Dustin rushed over taking it off and slamming it back down again.

"Shit. Shit," Dustin repeated his heart pounding in his chest. It rings again and Dustin repeated his movements but Nancy ripped it from the wall throwing it down the hall. Nancy sighs and turned back.

"Do you think he heard that?" Max asked in a nervous voice.

"It's just a phone. It could be anywhere. Right?" Steve questioned bat in hand. "Chris?" Steve asked turning back to her. Chris closed her eyes trying to feel for something. For a moment there was nothing, and then the strongest surge of power she ever had ran through her veins.

Chris saw in a shadow, the vined tunnels, the racing of its urgency, the rage in its aura. She saw it running through the tunnels before she saw the shed through Will's eyes. She jumped out its mind, her breathing fast and shallow, her eyes speckled with embers, blood falling from her nose. "It knows," Chris said simply. Chris burst through the front door running for the shed, she burst open the door seeing everyone looking at a shaking Will confused. "It knows where we are," Chris announced to everyone.

Joyce turned gripping the needle full of sedatives and sticking it in Will's arm. The three boys ran through the shed door looking off into the distance. It was quiet too quiet, and Chris was right. Growling ripped through the air. "They're coming!" Jonathan yelled bursting back into the room. Joyce mumbled something but Chris and Jonathan were already untying Will from his seat.

"Come on. We gotta go," Hopper said using his pocket knife to cut through the ties. Jonathan picked Will up, throwing him over his shoulder running him inside, Joyce and Mike following close after. Chris went to follow them but stopped when Hopper wasn't moving.

"Hopper, we gotta get inside!" Chris called urging him on, he nodded picking up a rifle from the woodpile next to the shed. Hopper gave a nod and they both ran inside.

"Hey! Away from the windows!" Chris called out to Max, Mike and Lucas who were looking out the window from the couch. "Dustin!" Chris called out. Dustin ran to her while the others ran behind Hopper. Chris gripped his hand pulling him to her. "You stay behind me do you understand?" Dustin nodded at her taking his place behind her. "Alex, Miya, stay with the kids!" Chris ordered.

"Do you know how to use this?" Hopper asked holding out his gun to Jonathan.

"What?" Jonathan said confused.

"Can you use this?" Hopper repeated in a hurry.

"I can," Nancy said stepping forward. Hopper threw it to her, which she caught. Steve stood between them his bat extended.

"Chrisanna..." Dustin whispered in a small voice, his fists clenching to the back of her t-shirt. Chris focused and she brought fire to her hands illuminating her fists, and at the same time, she lifted a set of knives from the kitchen floating them beside her.

Screeches rang out and Dustin shuddered, stepping closer to Chris. "Where are they?" Max asked standing behind Lucas, who had his wrist rocket extended, with Miya standing next to him her axe thrown over her shoulder. They growled again, but what disturbed everyone the most was the loud banging from outside. Everyone swiveled to the side now staring out the right window.

"What are they doing?" Alex whispered holding the pole higher and taking a stance in front of Mike, who decided a candle holder was the best option of defense. The dogs let out snarls, groans and screeches of pain, then abruptly it all stops. A loud screech rings out and one is thrown through the window. Everyone let out a different pitched scream or yell, Chris didn't register what happened to it before hurdling a knife through its supposed head. Slowly and cautiously everyone moved towards it, Hopper leading.

"Holy shit," Dustin whispered, sticking to his promise and staying behind Chris.

"Is it dead?" Max asked quietly. Hopper stuck out his foot carefully pushing against its limp head, paying attention to the knife in the side. The door creaks and everyone spins again. Hopper, Nancy and Chris standing furthest out. 

One click and the top lock span unlocked. A small rattling and the chain lock is released from its place. Very slowly the door is pushed open and someone steps through. Hopper, along with the others, lowered their weapons and their gazes shifted. Dustin dropped his hands from Chris's back, and she slowly relaxed.

Chris focused on the girl with slicked-back hair and blood spilling from her nose. 

El.

෴

❝ there's a calm in my 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 ❞