"Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind"

"Do you still get nightmares Victoria?"

Victoria sat in a chair with her legs tucked under her while she picked at her fingernails. She looked down at the ground before back at the school counselor.

"Yeah".

"What are they about?"

"It's the same. Well, same scenario I guess." Victoria brushed through her long blonde hair while taking a deep breath and unraveled her legs so they were on the ground. One of them bounced as her hands curled around the arm chair.

"It's dark and cold. The thing is after me and right before I can get to Will it takes him...and then it takes me too". Victoria breathed out as she looked around the room.

"I know I can't be cold in my dreams-nightmares but ever since I came back I've just been so cold". She whispered the last part.

"How about your paralysis episodes?"

"Still there. I had one at a Halloween party". Victoria answered simply.

"Do you think this could be due to what happened that night in August?"

"I don't know". Victoria adjusted herself in her chair. She was fidgety. She wanted to leave.

"Victoria. Where do you think you were?" The school counselor asked.

"It's like this place but it's upside down. I've told you this before". Victoria looked back to her.

"Yes. I know. But remember what I told you? That doesn't exist. You were lost in the woods for a very long time and your brain created a different reality in hopes to cope from your trauma".

Victoria's jaw clenched at that. Cope with trauma with worse trauma?

"That place is not real." The school counselor said as she looked at her before smiling. "It's all in your head".

"It's all in my head".  Victoria repeated.

Victoria adjusted the strap on her shoulder as she exited the room.  She went to her locker, taking trembling breaths as she was putting her locker combination in.  She messed up twice and after the third time she let out a frustrated noise before hitting her palm against the locker in anger.

She looked to the side and noticed a few girls watching her.  One whispered something to her friends and then they giggled.  Victoria felt embarrassed and quickly turned away, making her way to the DarkRoom where she knew no one would be at this time.

Victoria swore she could still here those girls laughter ring in her ears all the way up to the Dark Room.  Once she entered inside, she closed the door, leaning her head against it with her palms on the door as well.

"You're fine".  Victoria whispered to herself before turning around where her back was now against the door with her eyes closed.  Victoria let out a sigh, finally feeling relief flow through her body as she calmed herself down.

Victoria opened up her eyes as she looked around the darken room, hearing a few drips from pictures that were still being hung up to dry.  Victoria let out another breath of air nodding to herself that she was fine.

All her peace left her however when the door she was leaning against was swung open, sending Victoria flying to the ground.  Victoria let out a grunt when her palms came in contact with the ground in front of her.

"Tori?  Oh, gosh".  Jonathan stood in the doorway for a moment then went over to help her.

"Close the door!"  Victoria ordered as she was worried that whoever's photos were drying would be ruined.

Jonathan did as he was told, leaving the two in the dark.  Victoria turned around and sat on her butt while moving her blonde hair behind her shoulders.

"Sorry".  Jonathan looked at her apologetically.

"It's fine".  Victoria reassured him.

"What are you doing in here?"  She asked.  "No one is supposed to be in here at this time".  Victoria questioned.

"Uhhhhh".  Jonathan avoided eye contact as she raised an eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same thing". Jonathan then asked.

"Really? We're doing this now?" Victoria felt a smile tug on her lips.

"Yeah. Well". Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck nervously, letting out a soft laugh.

"I'll tell you why I'm here if you tell me why you're here.  Come on.  I can hold a secret.  We're friends". Victoria reassured him.

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, we are. Ok". Jonathan then dug into his pocket before pulling out a blunt.

"I am friends with a criminal". Victoria said seriously, looking at it with wide eyes.

"I didn't know you did that kind of stuff". She looked at him seriously.

"I just started recently. Like really recently". Jonathan told her seriously.

"How recently?" She questioned.

"Like. This will be my first time".  Jonathan said and Victoria's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh, ok".  Was all Victoria then said.

It was silent for a moment before Victoria spoke up again.

"Well, are you going to do it?"  She asked.

"You're right here.  I'm not going to do it with you in the room".  Jonathan said seriously.

"What iiiif...I mean-I don't know-maybe if I try it with you?"  Victoria asked, playing with her hands nervously.

"Are you serious?  Tony will kill me if I let you try this".  Jonathan gestured to the joint in his hand dramatically.

"Hey, technically he would kill me and then you next". Victoria corrected.

"Why would you want to try this I never thought you would smoke weed?" Jonathan looked at her with wide eyes.

"Me? Well, I'm shocked as much as you with you. Did that make sense? I don't know. I'm starting to panic". Victoria was just spitting words at this point.

"I'm also freaking out." Jonathan started to pace.

"I'm just stressed with everything. Maybe that would help". Victoria looked down at her feet.

"Screw it". Jonathan said as he fiddled in his jacket and took a lighter out. He looked from the joint to Victoria.

"Did you want to go first or me?" Jonathan asked her.

"You do it first". Victoria waved at him with her hands.

Jonathan lit the joint before bringing it to his lips. Victoria was looking at him as if he was about to die on the spot but after the smoke came out of his mouth along with some coughs she relaxed slightly.

"Here". Jonathan held it out for her to take. Victoria did so slowly and brought it to her lips before sucking in the toxins. She immediately started to cough, the smoke going everywhere.

"It smells awful". Victoria coughed once more with her face crinkled up in disgust. Victoria held it to her lips again, inhaling once more, not coughing this time before she handed it back to Jonathan.

"You didn't say why you were in here." Jonathan looked to her before taking another inhale.

"Oh. Yeah." Victoria stopped for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I just needed to be alone. I had a meeting with the counselor and it didn't go well. It's not just with her but with everyone". She grabbed the joint from Jonathan's extended hand and took a big inhale before passing it back to him.

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked as Victoria looked to him.

"Everyone just thinks I'm crazy. My parents, teachers, students...I even think you and the others think I'm crazy. I'm starting to think that I am honestly". Victoria said truthfully.

"You're not crazy".  Jonathan looked at her sadly.  "You've been through some serious shitty stuff and it's stuff you can't explain to certain people because.  I don't even know how to explain it".  Jonathan tried to help.

"I just. I don't know". Victoria honestly didn't know how to explain what she was feeling anymore. She didn't know how to do it.

"Maybe you should talk to Will. He knows what you've been through and he has been asking about you".  Jonathan tried to meet her eyes but she didn't want to look at him.

"I don't know if I can".  Victoria spoke truthfully.  There were no good times in the Upside Down and one of the last times she saw Will, she couldn't protect him.

"Think about it, alright?"  Jonathan asked and Victoria nodded her head.

Once school was over, Victoria was waiting for her brother to open the car and drive the two of them home. She saw Anthony walking over but instead of getting in the drivers side he went to her side.

"Hey, so bad news. Steve is not having a good day. Apparently at Heathers party, Nancy was drunk and called their relationship bullshit and technically broke up with him". Anthony groaned a bit.

Victoria looked at her older brother, not really knowing where this was going. Why would this effect their ride home?

"So, can you get a ride from Heather or Jonathan or something? I want to make sure he's alright". Anthony explained.

There it is.

"Oh, uh. I think so". Victoria looked around the parking lot for a moment.  "Are you going to give him advice because no offense but with what you told me what happened with you and Stacy.  Well, actually I don't know.  You really didn't talk about it".  Victoria said.

"Yeah".  Anthony nodded his head, looking back to seeing Steve making his way over to them.

"To be honest I just don't like to think about it.  Break up was messy and not what I needed at the time, but I don't blame her".  Anthony shrugged.

It was my fault. 

Victoria thought to herself.  When she went missing, shit hit the fan and it hurt her brother where he was so bad that his girlfriend broke up with him.

Victoria nodded.  "I'm sure Heather will give me a ride.  I'll catch her before she leaves".  Victoria reassured him.

"Yup.  See you later".  Anthony have a nod before tapping the roof of his car, turning around where Steve just arrived.

"Hi Steve".  Victoria greeted just as fast as she walked by him.

"Hi-bye".  Steve greeted and dismissed as he saw how fast she was leaving.

"My car better not get towed while we're gone".  Anthony pointed a finger at Steve.

"It won't man".  Steve started to walk in another direction, Anthony soon following.

"Can you give me a ride?"  Victoria put her hands on Heather's shoulders as she finally got right behind her.

"You scared me".  Heather smiled back to her best friend.  Victoria took her hands off and walked beside her.

"I thought Tony drove you today?"  Heather questioned, adjusting the books she was holding.

"Stuff with Steve.  Blah, blah".  Victoria waved her hand.

"Well, I would-"  Heather started.

"Buuuut?"  Victoria asked, she knew it was coming.

"One of the neighbors snitched about the party I threw and I'm grounded.  So, that means no car, no going out, and worse, no phone".  Heather let out an annoyed breath as she stopped walking, turning to Victoria and gave her a 'sorry' look.

Heathers gaze moved slightly from Victoria and her grin widened.  "I have an idea.  Come on!"  She grabbed Victoria's hand and practically dragged her into the parking lot.

"Billy!"  Heather called.

"Heather". Victoria grumbled, she only talked to Billy twice.  Once when she introduced herself and the second when he knew her costume at party before he started to flirt with Heather.

"Heather." Billy greeted the girl, giving her his signature smile that made most girls fall to their knees.

"You remember, my best friend-"

"Victoria...yeah". Billy's gaze went to Victoria.

"I was hoping you could do me a favor". Heather smiled widely to Billy, while swaying innocently.

"You don't have too". Victoria told him.

"Her brother can't give her a ride home". Heather started to explain.

"It's not really a big deal". Victoria quickly interrupted, waving her hand.

"And I don't have my car so I can't give her a ride". Heather explained further.

"I don't mind it.  I can walk".  Victoria let out a nervous laugh.

"I really don't want her to walk home".  Heather continued.

"I seriously don't mind".  Victoria adverted her eyes to the ground.

Billy was getting annoyed by the two of them.  His eyes kept going back and fourth to whoever was talking.  He really did want to tell the both of them to 'shut the hell up' but he didn't want to ruin his chances of sleeping with Heather again.

Max who appeared in the middle of the conversation was looking at the two teenage girls with an eyebrow raised. Rolling her eyes as they kept talking, she didn't dare move from standing near the back of the car away from the three.

"Where do you live?" Billy asked Victoria.

"Anita Drive". Heather told Billy with a wide smile.

Victoria felt like a nuisance. Especially since she didn't know Billy well. Victoria's gaze from the ground went to Heather. "I can walk home". She was getting annoyed with her friend.

"I'm not letting you walk home". Heather returned the look, saying it with clenched teeth. "Not after last time". Heather's look dropped and her tone softened.

Victoria knew Heather's intentions were good and she was just doing her job as a best friend. Before Victoria could say something back, Billy spoke.

"Hop in Victoria. Just let Max get in behind you". Billy's first sentence was pleasant but when mentioning his step-sisters name it was not so pleasant.

The two teenage girls turned around, noticing the girls presence for the first time. Max's lip formed in a line as she gave an awkward wave before opening the passenger door to crawl in the back.

"Thank you". Victoria thanked Billy softly before getting in and closing the door.

"Thank you. I owe you". Heather beamed.

"I know a way you can pay pack". Billy remarked.

"Gross". Both Max and Victoria whispered in unison.

Billy soon got in the car and sped down the road. It was an awkward atmosphere in the car. Billy didn't have his music too loud but it was just an odd silence with music barley heard.

"Where in California are you from?" Victoria asked, breaking the silence.

"San Diego". Billy answered.

Victoria nodded. "My brother is looking at colleges over there. He wants to get as far away from this town as possible". She let out a short laugh.

"I would too". Billy said, disgust clear in his voice.

"Don't like Hawkins?" Victoria glimpsed over at him. Billy shook his head.

"Yeah. It's weird. I plan on getting out of here too". Victoria agreed.

"Because of what happened last year?" Billy asked and Victoria picked at her nails as she looked at the road ahead.

Billy looked from the road back to Victoria, noticing her silence. He wanted more information. Max who was sitting behind Victoria wanted to know what was going on.

"You can say that, I guess". Victoria answered.

That was a yes.

"So, what happened? I heard a few things but-"

"They're rumors". Victoria cut him off as she wanted to get out of this car now.
If she knew he was going to be interrogating her, she would've walked home.

"Wait. You're Victoria". Max said from the back seat as her hand grabbed the back of Victoria's chair. "Will told me about you". Max said happily.

"Max". Billy hissed through clenched teeth.

"You know Will?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah. He told me a bit about you. Just like you helped him out or something and that you're cool". Max nodded.

"Max". Billy said once again, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"It's house 2315". Anita told Billy as he did a turn.

"So, Tori". Billy was trying to get the answer out of her. "Did you see something in the woods or?"

Victoria continued to look straight as she took in his woods. "What I saw?" She whispered.

"Yeah. Was it like a mountain lion or something?" Billy suggested.

"What I saw". She whispered again as she pictured the demogorgon and heard it's scream in her ears. "It's all in my head". She answered.

"What?" Billy had an annoyed look on his face from the answer, the car coming to a stop.

"Thank you!". Victoria said quickly as she hurriedly got out of the car.

"Wait-Vic-" the door got slammed shut.

August, 1983

Victoria ran through the woods, hearing the No Face screeching behind her in the distance. She finally got to the street and looked both ways, debating where to go. She was panting, her lips were cracked and she just looked like shit in general.

"Ok". Victoria breathed to herself as she looked around for a street sign. No Face made a screeching sound again. This time, indicating that it was getting closer. Victoria shuddered as she put her arm up, her hand slowly in front of her as she was trying to concentrate on looking for a street sign.

Calm Calm
Calm Calm
Calm Calm Calm

Calm Calm

"You have time". She told herself. Her head was telling her to calm down while her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to explode out of her chest.

Then her eyes came upon a street sign and she now knew where she was. She needed to go;

Right

And then her legs screamed at her to;

Run

And that's what she did. That's what Victoria ever did for a very long time.